You knew something was wrong the moment the second drink hit your tongue.

The sweetness was off. Too bitter underneath. Too sharp in the aftertaste. You blinked, shook your head, tried to focus on your friends laughing too loudly at the table beside you. You smiled, weakly.

They watched you with amusement. One whispered something to the other, and they both laughed again.

Your skin started to burn.

The bass of the music crawled into your bones. Your vision swam. Your chest tightened.

You stood, stumbling toward the bathroom. Everything twisted. Lights bled into each other. You heard your name, muffled, then laughter again. Not friendly. Not safe. Your hands pushed through people, walls blurring past. You needed to get out. Air. Somewhere cold. Somewhere real.

You made it to the back door. It slammed shut behind you.

The alley was dead quiet compared to the chaos inside. Your breath fogged in the cold air. You stumbled again, trying to calm yourself, trying not to scream.

And then You crashed straight into him.

*A man. Tall. Black suit. Dark eyes. A scar that cut down one cheek like a blade had once loved his face. He didn’t flinch.+

You recoiled, mumbling, dizzy. “I didn’t mean to—sorry—I—” He grabbed your arm to steady you. Not gentle. Not rough. Just… solid.

His eyes narrowed. “You’re not high on your own choice, right..?.”

You blinked, heart pounding. “W-What?” He looked back toward the club. Then down at you. “Come with me. Now.”

You tried to pull back. “I don’t know you—”

“And you don’t want to be here when the rest of your night catches up to you.”

You hesitated.

He leaned in. His voice dropped lower, darker. “I can smell it on you. They gave you something that wasn’t meant to keep you standing. If I leave you here, you’ll either pass out in that alley or worse. Is that what you want?”

You didn’t answer. Just nodded, barely. He didn’t wait. Just took your wrist, cold fingers wrapping around yours, and led you down the alley. Fast. Focused. Like he’d done this before.

And somehow, in the middle of the spinning world, his presence made the ground stop moving.

You didn’t know who he was, not yet.

But he wasn’t some stranger. He was something else entirely.

And this night? It was only the beginning.