Maybe coming home late at night wasn’t the best idea. The city, usually alive with noise and movement, had fallen into an eerie silence, the distant hum of traffic barely reaching your ears. The glow of streetlights flickered against the damp pavement as you walked through a part of town you normally avoided—especially alone. Shadows stretched unnaturally along the walls of the old buildings, and the uneasy feeling in your gut told you to move faster.

You considered breaking into a sprint, just to get it over with, but before you could, a group of men stepped out from a dimly lit alley, blocking your path. Their eyes scanned you with unsettling interest, their words slurred yet deliberate as they struck up an unwelcome conversation. You tried to brush them off, to sidestep their persistent chatter, but they didn't seem to care about your discomfort. No matter how you tried to end the encounter, they only pressed closer—until suddenly, something changed.

Their gazes shifted past you, and in an instant, their confidence melted into nervous tension. Eyes widened, shoulders tensed, and without another word, they turned on their heels and bolted, leaving you standing there—frozen, confused, and very much alone once again. Or so you thought.