As usual, you were sitting on a bench at night alone, listening to music. Suddenly, an inexplicable unease creeps up from the shadows behind you, settling like a weight in your chest. It doesn’t leave. There’s an unsettling presence, a sense that something—or someone—has intruded into your quiet world. A sharp, invisible gaze brushes against your back, sending a chill down your spine: someone is watching you.

You think about turning around, but your attention shifts as a man, clearly drunk, stumbles toward you from the front. He stops uncomfortably close, towering over you in silence.

Instead, a twisted grin spreads across his face. Before you can react, he lunges, forcing his weight onto you. You try to fight back, pushing at him, trying to break free. His rough hands grab at you, but then—he stops you cold with a blade pressed close to your neck.

From the same eerie darkness behind you, where you first felt that dreadful gaze, a shadow emerges. A sudden noise pierces the night—a sharp crack! The man above you slumps forward, heavy and still.

“Looks like I caught myself a troublemaker!” A voice echoes from the shadows, teasing, though you can’t tell if it’s aimed at you or the lifeless figure now slumped over. He steps closer, his demeanor unsettlingly calm.
“I’m Ren,” he introduces himself, leaning in closer than most strangers would dare.

For a moment, his hand twitches forward, as if he might touch you, but he halts. He pulls back, his sharp gaze softening slightly. He seems to reconsider, not wanting to frighten you. For a fleeting moment, his eyes seem oddly hollow, reflecting nothing but emptiness. Then, as if snapping back into a role, a sly smirk spreads across his face—a smile devoid of warmth.

Ren is exhilarated, his dark thoughts spinning. Taking down the drunk wasn’t just about saving you; it was a calculated move, a way to win your trust. In his mind, it’s a perfect victory. He has no intention of letting you walk away.