Chapter 210

Orion I squeezed the trigger. Shot landed clean. The guy didn't even blink. No jerk. No stumble. Just... nothing. He stood there like I'd tossed a pebble at him. Honestly, I've seen people swat harder at a fly. The gunshot cracked through the night, loud enough to wake the dead. But he didn't move. Not an inch. He just stayed there, stiff and still, like some half-finished statue someone forgot to take out of storage. My eyes widened. My brain kicked into overdrive. Was this real? I was finally getting it. Whatever this was, it wasn't human. I stepped back without thinking. "What... the hell are you?" I asked, voice low and tight. I squinted, trying to see through the black hood pulled low over his face. No luck. His face was totally hidden, swallowed by shadows and fabric. I could only see his hands. Pale, thin, and way too graceful. Like they belonged on a violinist, not a killer. pianist holding a dagger. Too elegant. Too smooth. Too wrong. Then came a sound. A hiss. Low, raspy, and