A Thin Line
The wind howled through the narrow streets as Logan and Kurt moved through the shadows of the old town. The snow had started again, swirling in thick flurries around them, but they kept their heads down, pressing forward. The town had a sense of eerie calm, everything about this mission felt wrong, and Logan’s instincts screamed at him that danger was near.
They were close to the location the townsfolk had been hinting at—the ruins of an old abbey that sat just outside the main square, half-buried beneath a layer of frost. The intel they'd gathered suggested that the strange activity happening in the area was centered there. Lights at night, disappearing animals, and whispers of something strange lurking in the hills.
Logan’s eyes darted back to Kurt as they moved, Kurt’s image inducer humming quietly under the layer of cold. He moved with practiced grace, his tail hidden beneath the illusion, his posture slightly hunched from the cold wind, but his eyes were sharp and alert. Logan couldn’t help but notice the tension in Kurt’s jaw—the tightness in the way he held himself, like he was fighting off more than just the cold.
“We’re almost there,” Logan growled under his breath, his voice barely audible above the wind. “Stay sharp.”
Kurt nodded, pulling his coat tighter around him. “There is something… unnatural ahead.”
Logan wasn’t surprised. He’d been feeling it too, a weight in the air, like the quiet before a storm. They reached the outskirts of the square, the towering spire of the ruined abbey visible through the haze of snow. Logan crouched behind a low stone wall, scanning the area, his keen senses straining to pick up any movement.
Before they could say anything, a flash of movement caught Logan’s eye. A shadow shifted unnaturally near the abbey, too quick to be human. His heart rate spiked, adrenaline flooding his system as the threat became clear. They weren’t alone.
“Kurt, we’ve got company,” Logan muttered, pulling his claws free with a metallic *snikt*. The cold air stung against the adamantium blades, but Logan barely registered it. His focus was entirely on the figures now emerging from the shadows—twisted, half-human creatures with glowing eyes and claws that scraped against the cobblestones.
Kurt tensed beside him, his hand hovering near the rosary beneath his coat.
The creatures moved in, their movements jerky and unnatural. Logan leapt over the wall, charging headlong into the fray without a second thought. His claws sliced through the first creature, black ichor spraying across the snow as it fell with a shriek. Another lunged at him from the side, but Logan was faster, spinning to deliver a lethal strike to its throat.
Kurt, however, didn’t rush in. He teleported with a quick flash of smoke, appearing behind one of the creatures just as it lunged toward Logan. With a quick flick of his hand, Kurt delivered a precise, powerful kick to the back of its head, sending it sprawling into the snow.
But they kept coming.
The abbey itself was pulsing with energy now, the air around it thickening with a sense of something ancient and dark. Logan fought with brutal efficiency, but the creatures weren’t slowing down. Kurt was teleporting in and out of the fray, using his agility and precision to disorient the enemy, they could both feel the unnamed tension building between them, the unspoken pressure of the fight drawing them closer.
Logan cut down another creature, its body falling limp at his feet. “There’s too many of ‘em!” he called out, slashing through the arm of another as it tried to flank him.
Kurt appeared at his side with a puff of sulfur, breathing hard. “Logan, the source of this—it’s inside the abbey. We need to get there, now!”
Logan’s eyes met Kurt’s, the heat of the battle fueling something deeper, something more dangerous than the creatures around them. His heart pounded in his chest, not just from the fight, but from the way Kurt was standing so close, their bodies almost touching in the chaos, he could feel the warmth of Kurt’s breath in the cold air.
“Stay with me, then,” Logan grunted, pushing down the unexpected surge of heat in his chest. “Let’s finish this.”
They moved as one, cutting through the remaining creatures with brutal efficiency. Logan’s claws were a blur of motion, slicing through flesh and bone, while Kurt’s teleportation gave them the upper hand, allowing them to strike with precision and disappear before the creatures could react.
As they neared the entrance to the abbey, Logan could feel the power radiating from within. The air was thick with dark energy, almost suffocating. He glanced over at Kurt, who was breathing heavily, his eyes wide with concentration. But there was something else in Kurt’s gaze—something that mirrored the tension Logan felt building between them.
Logan shoved open the heavy wooden doors of the abbey, the ancient hinges creaking as they swung inward. The darkness inside was oppressive, but Logan didn’t hesitate, stepping in first with Kurt close behind.
Inside, the air was colder than outside. The walls were covered in strange symbols, glowing faintly in the darkness. In the center of the room stood a robed figure, chanting deeply in a language that Logan didn’t recognize. The source of the dark energy.
“There,” Kurt whispered, his voice tight with urgency.
Logan nodded. “Stay close.”
But before they could move, the robed figure turned, its eyes glowing with the same unnatural light as the creatures outside. A sinister smile spread across its face as it raised a hand, the floor beneath them trembling.
The ground cracked open, a surge of energy erupting from the center of the room. Logan instinctively threw his arm out, grabbing Kurt and pulling him back just as a massive wave of force shot through the space where they’d been standing.
“Get down!” Logan barked, shielding Kurt as debris rained down around them.
For a moment, they were pressed together, Logan’s body shielding Kurt from the blast. Logan’s pulse raced—not just from the danger, but from the feeling of Kurt so close against him, their breath mingling in the cold air. His grip on Kurt’s arm tightened for a split second longer than necessary before he pulled back, forcing himself to focus.
“We need to take that thing down now,” Logan said, his voice rough.
Kurt nodded, his chest rising and falling with rapid breaths. His yellow eyes flickered with something other than fear, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he teleported away, reappearing behind the robed figure with a sudden strike. The creature staggered, its chant interrupted, and Logan took the opportunity to charge, claws outstretched.
As the fight raged on, Logan could feel the weight of the danger around them, but also something else—an unspoken connection that was pulling them closer, moment by moment.