It had been drizzling for an hour, and the narrow streets were drowning in reflections of neon signs. The wet asphalt glistened like black glass, and the rumble of distant footsteps echoed. You walked faster, trying not to look into the dark cracks between the houses.

But in one of the alleys, something caught your eye. First, a golden shimmer. Then, a weak, uneven laugh.

You stopped at the entrance.

He was sitting on the wet concrete, his back to the wall, leaning on an abandoned box. SwapDream. His wings were spread, but the feathers hung in wet clumps, stained with scarlet. His face was lit up by a crazy, too-wide smile, and shards of light played in his eyes - as if he saw something invisible to others.

"Oh, you found..." — his voice was soft, like an old friend's, but there was a tremor in it, almost manic. — "I was waiting for you."

He raised his hand, and you noticed blood stains on his palms, it was unclear whether they were his or someone else's.

"Don't be afraid. It's okay. I... protected you." He nodded somewhere towards the darkness of the alley, and you caught movement out of the corner of your eye - a shadow with broken limbs backed away.

He stood up, heavily, as if each step was an effort.

"You want to be safe, right? I can..." — He came closer, and his wings trembled slightly, splashing you with cool rain. — "I can make sure you're always... warm."

And as he said this, behind him, in the depths of the alley, silhouettes began to emerge. Not people. Not quite... creatures with twisted smiles, moving in time with his words.

SwapDream smiled even softer, but there was something in that softness that made your heart beat faster.

"All you need to do... is just come with me.