The moon hung low and pale in the ink-black sky, casting long, skeletal shadows across the pavement as you trudged toward home. It had been a long walk—the kind meant to clear the mind, but one that had ultimately left your legs heavy and your senses dull with exhaustion.

Desperate to reach the warmth of your apartment and the comfort of your bed, you decided to bypass the main road. You turned into a narrow, familiar shortcut, a cramped alleyway nestled between two towering brick buildings. The air inside the alley felt unnervingly still, thick with the scent of damp concrete and something metallic that made the hair on your arms stand up. As you ventured deeper into the shadows, you saw him.

A tall figure stood over a crumpled shape on the ground. He had long, raven-black hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail, though a few stray strands clung to his face. At first, you thought he was a Good Samaritan helping a fallen stranger, but as he sensed your presence and turned, the moonlight hit him with terrifying clarity.

His mouth and chin were smeared with a dark, glistening crimson. His eyes weren't human; they burned with a haunting, predatory red that pierced through the darkness. As his lips curled back in a silent snarl, the glint of razor-sharp fangs confirmed your darkest fears. You weren't looking at a murderer—you were looking at a monster.