The alley behind Beacon Hills High School had fallen completely silent.
The smell of smoke and blood still lingered in the cold night air.
Standing in the middle of the alley, Aiden Blackwell slowly let the last traces of hellfire fade from his eyes.
In front of him, Allison Argent stared in stunned silence.
Her mind struggled to process what she had just witnessed.
Red glowing eyes.
Claws.
And flames surrounding Aiden.
None of it made sense.
"Aiden…"
Her voice was quiet but tense.
"What… was that?"
Aiden exhaled slowly.
He had expected this moment eventually.
But he had hoped it would happen later.
Not tonight.
Behind them, the injured man on the ground groaned weakly, reminding Aiden that they weren't alone.
He quickly walked over and checked the man's pulse.
"Still alive," Aiden muttered.
Allison stepped closer.
"Was that… some kind of animal attack?"
Aiden looked at her for a moment.
Then he shook his head.
"No."
Allison frowned.
"Then what was it?"
Aiden stood up slowly.
"The less you know, the safer you'll be."
Allison crossed her arms immediately.
"That's not an answer."
Aiden gave a faint smile.
"It's the best one you're getting tonight."
Allison looked frustrated.
"You just blocked a monster with your bare hands and then burst into flames!"
She pointed at him.
"You expect me to ignore that?"
Aiden raised an eyebrow.
"You closed your eyes."
"That doesn't mean I didn't hear things!"
Before the argument could continue—
Headlights suddenly illuminated the entrance of the alley.
A black SUV had stopped nearby.
Aiden's senses sharpened instantly.
The scent was unmistakable.
Hunters.
The car door opened.
Stepping out was a tall man with a calm but intimidating presence.
Chris Argent.
Allison blinked in surprise.
"Dad?"
Chris walked toward them slowly, his sharp eyes instantly analyzing the situation.
The injured man.
The alley.
Aiden.
His voice remained calm.
"Allison, are you alright?"
She nodded quickly.
"Yeah… I heard someone screaming."
Chris looked at Aiden.
"And you are?"
"Aiden Blackwell."
Chris extended his hand politely.
"Aiden."
His handshake was firm.
But his eyes were calculating.
Hunters were trained to observe everything.
And Chris had already noticed something unusual.
The heat still lingering in the air.
The scent of burned asphalt.
Aiden released the handshake calmly.
Chris turned to Allison.
"You should go home."
"But Dad—"
"Now."
His voice left no room for argument.
Allison sighed but nodded.
She looked at Aiden one more time.
Her eyes filled with curiosity.
And suspicion.
"Goodnight… Aiden."
"Goodnight."
She walked toward the car slowly, clearly still thinking about what she had seen.
Chris watched her get inside the SUV.
Then he turned back toward Aiden.
The polite expression on his face faded slightly.
"You arrived here very quickly."
Aiden shrugged.
"I heard the noise."
Chris looked at the injured man again.
"Animal attack?"
Aiden answered calmly.
"Probably."
Chris studied him carefully for several seconds.
Then he nodded.
"We'll handle it from here."
Aiden understood the message.
Hunters preferred outsiders to stay away.
"Understood."
He turned and began walking out of the alley.
But as he passed Chris—
The hunter spoke again.
"Aiden."
He stopped.
Chris didn't look at him when he spoke.
"Beacon Hills has been experiencing unusual events recently."
Aiden smirked slightly.
"So I've noticed."
Chris's voice remained steady.
"If you see anything suspicious… you should report it."
Aiden glanced back briefly.
"Of course."
Then he walked away.
Not far from the school—
Inside the dark forest surrounding Beacon Hills—
A pair of glowing red eyes watched the town from the shadows.
Peter Hale crouched silently on a tree branch.
His grin slowly returned.
"Hunters…"
He whispered softly.
"And a Hellhound."
His laughter echoed quietly through the trees.
"This town is becoming crowded."
Peter tilted his head slightly as he thought about Aiden.
The flames.
The power.
And the confidence.
"Interesting."
He jumped down from the branch effortlessly.
Landing silently on the forest floor.
"Maybe I should accelerate things."
Because the more chaos that existed in Beacon Hills—
The easier it would be for Peter to achieve his revenge.
Meanwhile—
On the roof of a nearby building overlooking the town—
Aiden stood quietly.
The wind moved through his dark hair.
His eyes glowed faintly with hellfire.
The events tonight had changed several things.
Allison had seen too much.
The Argents were now officially in town.
And Peter was becoming more aggressive.
Aiden crossed his arms.
"Things are escalating faster than expected."
Then—
DING
The system notification appeared again.
[Mission Update]
Influence the Future Alpha — Progress Increased
Scott McCall Trust Level: Rising
Additional Event Detected:
Hunter Activity in Beacon Hills
New Mission Unlocking Soon.
Aiden smiled slightly.
The game in Beacon Hills was becoming far more complicated.
Werewolves.
Hunters.
And now—
A Hellhound standing in the middle of it all.
And this was only the beginning.
The supernatural war for Beacon Hills had officially started.