An hour had passed since the failed jerky offering. The sky had deepened from purple to the inky black of full night - it was accompanied by the orange glow of streetlights.
Jett walked the final block towards his apartment building - his bike was rolling beside him. His muscles were still aching from practice - and his mind subconsciously traced the patterns of the Nimbus Step, he could feel the coil and release in his legs.
'I feel as if I'm really close to making sufficient progress..' Jett thought.
He was just contemplating the questionable contents of his fridge—wondering if anything less than a biohazard was actually living inside - until a strange glow caught his eyes.
It started subtly high above the rooftops of the neighborhood he had been traveling through—it was a distortion in the sky. He wasn't certain if anyone could see it, because humans were known to step outside and record all kinds of unusual occurrences.
Jett frowned and paused.
"A weird reflection?"
But it wasn't a reflection. The distortion solidified - and grew impossibly fast. It resolved into the edge of something that was vast and transparent. It looked like a colossal soap bubble descending upon the quiet neighborhood.
He watched with a bewildered expression - as its curved surface expanded downwards and outwards with unnatural speed—swallowing street lights - buildings - and the entire block.
There was no sound that accompanied its growth - there was just a pressure building in the air, making the hairs on his arms stand up.
Panic flared in his chest. His fear of the unknown was already becoming worse.
'What the hell is that?!'
He instinctively backed away—he pulled his bike with him.
But it was too late.
The transparent bubble swept towards him. But it didn't feel like Jett had hit a wall; it was more like the air itself became thick and viscous while pulling him forward.
'I'm going to die!'
He felt an irresistible tug that dragged him off his feet. His bike clattered away as he was lifted - suspended - and drawn inexorably towards the surface. He saw warped reflections of the streetlights—the buildings bent and twisted on the bubble's skin. The pressure intensified - and a dull roar filled his ears, it drowned out the mundane city sounds.
Then, the boundary washed over him. The world outside vanished.
He felt a dizzying rush, it was a sensation of passing through something, like diving into cold water. The pressure equalized abruptly, it left utter silence in its wake.
He landed hard on the pavement, the impact was jarring for his already sore body.
'Damn it all! That hurt!'
While recovering atop the ground, he quickly scanned his surroundings.
Jett was still on his street, near his apartment building. But something was wrong.
Terribly wrong.
The air felt different – with an energy that made his skin crawl. The familiar streetlights casted an eerie - flat light.
The sky above wasn't black anymore—it was the translucent, faintly shimmering curve of the bubble's inner surface - sealing Jett in.
Jett scrambled to his feet - the rough asphalt scraped his palms, but he didn't care about that. Panic clawed at his throat—he was trapped.
He needed to get out. He spun around - spotting the shimmering curve of the bubble wall just yards away, where the street should have continued.
He sprinted towards it—ignoring the ache in his muscles. He reached the translucent barrier and slammed his hand against it. It felt solid and unyielding - like thick, vibrating glass.
'It won't give in!'
He pushed harder, desperation carried his actions, but the surface didn't budge even slightly.
He instinctively reached for Bloodletter strapped to his back—he yanked the obsidian bat free.
'Maybe this could break it?'
He swung with all his might, putting his weight behind the blow.
Bloodletter connected with the barrier. There was a dull thud - and a faint ripple spread across the surface from the impact point, but the wall was unaffected.
The bat vibrated strangely in his grip - the disruptive energy was seemingly absorbed or repelled. He tried again, striking the bubble repeatedly, but it was useless.
He couldn't break through.
He backed away, while breathing heavily - his mind was processing the unusual situation he found himself in.
'Okay, okay, think. How did that thing form? Who made it?'
Before he could formulate another plan—a deafening cacophony of sounds echoed through the contained street, it shook the very pavement beneath his feet.
Jett flinched violently, spinning towards the source of the sound.
'The he—!?'
Down the block - maybe fifty yards away, was utter chaos that erupted. Two figures were blurred in combat - their movements were unnaturally fast—impacts from each blow inflicted were generating concussive blasts of energy that lit up the contained space.
One figure was horribly familiar.
It was Volkov, the Gargoyle - his obsidian-like plates gleamed under the strange light, his claws were flashing - his form was radiating monstrous power. He looked enraged and cornered.
His opponent was leane - faster and clad in dark, tattered clothing.
It moved with a grace that Jett recognized as vampiric - but this creature was different from Brenda or Myrna.
Its face was a pale mask of fury—and where its eyes should have been - there were only empty, dark sockets that somehow seemed to track Volkov's every move.
The socketless Vampire launched itself at Volkov with a streak of darkness.
Volkov met the charge with a roar, swiping with his massive claws. Their blows connected with explosive force—sending shockwaves rippling through the air. Pieces of asphalt and debris flew outwards.
'Holy hell!'
Jett ducked instinctively behind a parked car.
He watched—he felt utterly horrified and fascinated as the two Feral creatures tore into each other.
The Vampire was faster - darting in and out—its movements were enhanced by streaks of dark energy.
Volkov was stronger - his blows shattered chunks of the sidewalk - his hardened skin deflected many of the Vampire's attacks.
There were two explosions of conflicting energy – Volkov's raw physical force that clashed with the Vampire's dark Vitriol – rocked the street.
'I can't even track them with my eyes!' Jett thought.
The fight moved rapidly like a whirlwind of destruction. The Vampire slammed Volkov against a building - showering Jett's hiding spot with brick dust. Volkov retaliated, grabbing the Vampire and hurling it across the street into another parked car, crushing its roof like paper.
Then, during a particularly violent exchange near the edge of the bubble - the Vampire unleashed a focused blast of dark energy. Volkov deflected it partially—but the blast struck the shimmering wall of the Boundary directly behind him.
The wall visibly shook, it thinned for a split second - destabilizing like stressed glass.
Volkov who saw the momentary sliver of weakness didn't hesitate. With a powerful roar - he threw his entire weight against the weakened point. The Boundary tore open with a sound like ripping fabric - revealing the normal night street beyond for an instant.
Volkov scrambled through the tear just as it snapped shut behind him—sealing the bubble once more.
'That bastard got out?!' Jett watched incredulously.
The socketless Vampire roared in fury - slamming its fist against the now solid barrier where Volkov had escaped.
"Prokletstvo!"
It snarled - the curse echoed in the contained space. It kicked a piece of rubble—then seemed to assess the situation. It glanced around the enclosed street - its socketless gaze sweeped past Jett's hiding spot without seeming to register him.
Apparently deciding its prey was lost for now—the Vampire turned back to the Boundary wall. It placed a hand against the surface - and concentrated.
A section of the wall rippled - and became momentarily fluid - and the Vampire stepped through—disappearing back into the normal night outside.
The Boundary solidified instantly behind it.
Jett remained crouched behind the car—he felt his heart pounding. The debris settled. The eerie flat light persisted.
'What in the hell..just happened?!'
He was alone - and still trapped inside the shimmering bubble.