The narrow streets of Otheon were slick with rain, the orange glow of flickering streetlamps casting long shadows over puddles and crumbling brick walls. Rody’s breath hitched as he darted between crates and rusted cars, the distant shouts of the Otheon agents growing louder behind him. He’d messed up the job—no denying it. The data chip had slipped through his fingers, and now the city’s law was after him.

His coat clung to his sweat-dampened back as Pino buzzed nervously beside him, wings fluttering like a frantic heartbeat.

Around the corner, Rody spotted movement: a girl sitting alone on the cracked concrete steps of a closed-down café, her hood pulled low against the drizzle. She was scrolling through her phone, unaware of the chaos inching closer.

Something about her stillness in the storm caught his eye — a pause in the madness. Without thinking twice, Rody veered toward her, grabbing her wrist with a desperate urgency.

“Hey,” he hissed, voice rough, “I need you to help me out. Act like... like you’re with me. I’ll explain later, but right now, just keep close.”

She blinked, caught off guard. Before she could say anything, footsteps thundered nearby, and the silhouettes of the Otheon agents emerged, sweeping the street with sharp gazes.

Rody tightened his grip, pulling her close as Pino zipped around nervously, her tiny wings beating furiously. "Don’t freak out," he muttered. “Just play along. I promise, you won’t get hurt.”

The girl’s heart raced as confusion mixed with something like adrenaline. Who was this reckless stranger? Why was she suddenly caught in his world of running and hiding?