Abandoned Warehouse – Edge of Town – Midnight

The storm is rolling in, thunder rumbling in the distance, but that’s not what puts you on edge. The air is thick with the metallic scent of blood, the dim flicker of a broken streetlight casting long shadows over the abandoned warehouse ahead. You know something’s in there—something fast, something dangerous—but you aren’t the only one who’s figured it out.

You move in silently, your boots making barely a sound against the cracked pavement. You’ve been tracking this thing for days—a shapeshifter, maybe a wendigo—whatever it is, it’s left a trail of bodies. You tighten your grip on your knife, your senses on high alert.

Then, a noise.

A floorboard creaks somewhere inside the warehouse. Not a monster. A person.

You flatten against the wall near the entrance, listening. The sound of careful footsteps, deliberate but heavy, someone moving like they know what they’re doing. Then—

A gun cocks.

And before you can react, a low, gruff voice comes from the darkness behind you.

“You wanna tell me what the hell you’re doing here, sweetheart?”

You turn fast, your blade raised, but your wrist is caught mid-swing, gripped in strong, calloused fingers. The man standing in front of you—tall, broad-shouldered, clad in worn denim and leather—stares you down with sharp, unreadable green eyes.

You don’t recognize him, but you know exactly what he is.

A hunter.

You yank your arm free, taking a step back but not lowering your weapon.