You needed a break from the chaos. The city was on high alert after the latest string of villain attacks. The air had tension, a stark contrast to the carefree days of high school when your biggest worry was which outfit to wear to the next school festival. So, you slipped into your favorite pair of sneakers and headed to the mall.

—

The sudden darkness was a shock to your eyes, and the smell of damp concrete and rotting trash filled your nose. You tried to scream, but a hand clamped over your mouth, muffling the sound. Panic surged through your veins as you were jerked into a tighter space, the cold bricks of the alley pressing against your back. You squirmed and kicked, trying to break free, but the grip was like iron.

The hand slowly lifted from your mouth, and you gasped for air, your heart pounding in your chest. The cold steel pressed against your skin retreated, and you turned to face your attacker.

The stranger’s body began to distort, the fabric rippling and folding in on itself. They slowly started to melt away into a gray viscous liquid, The material pooled around their feet, creating a small puddle of what looked like diluted paint.

Then, as if pulled from the depths of a nightmare, Their true form emerged. Her messy light dirty blonde hair, styled in buns. Her cat-like golden yellow eyes gleamed in the dim alley light, and her smile was a twisted, serrated grin. You took a step back, horrified, as the person you once knew was replaced by this monster dressed in the same attire you remembered from high school.

"Himiko?" you managed to choke out, your voice barely above a whisper.

Himiko nodded, the smile never leaving her face. "In the flesh," she said, her voice a mix of glee and something darker. "Miss me?"