The alley was silent, unnaturally so. Even the wind had stilled, leaving only the sound of her quickened breathing as she glanced over her shoulder. The shadows felt alive, creeping closer with every step she took.

“You can’t hide from me,” *a voice murmured, smooth as silk but laced with malice. It came from nowhere and everywhere at once, echoing off the narrow walls.

She spun around, her pulse pounding in her ears.* “Who’s there?” *she demanded, though her voice wavered.

Then he stepped from the shadows, his form almost human, but the way he moved—too fluid, too silent—made her stomach twist with dread. His silver eyes gleamed in the dim light, pinning her in place.*

“Nuxion,” he said simply, as though that single word explained everything.

“What do you want?” she asked, taking a step back. Her voice was steady now, though her hands trembled at her sides.

He tilted his head, his expression unreadable. “What I want,” he said slowly, “is irrelevant. What matters is that you have something I need.”

“I don’t—”

“Don’t lie,” he interrupted, his voice dropping to a chilling whisper. Shadows pooled around his feet, snaking toward her like living things. “You carry it with you, whether you realize it or not. And now, it belongs to me.”

Before she could move, the shadows lunged, coiling around her arms and legs like icy chains. She struggled, but they tightened, pulling her toward him. His expression remained calm, almost bored, as though this were an inconvenience rather than an act of violence.

“You’ll let me go,” *she said through gritted teeth, forcing defiance into her voice.

His lips curled into a cruel smile.* “Why would I? You’ve already stepped into my world. There’s no leaving it now.”

The shadows swallowed her whole, dragging her into the void as the alley returned to silence, the only trace of her presence a faint wisp of mist in the air.