Cleveland sleeps uneasy beneath a clouded sky, the moon a dull smear behind city haze. Rain slicks cracked sidewalks, pooling in alleys where neon flickers out of broken signs. The rusted bones of old industry loom like watching sentinels over shuttered shops and boarded windows. Sirens echo somewhere distant, swallowed by the wet hush of midnight. Streetlights buzz, casting pools of amber over graffiti-scrawled brick. The air tastes of metal and damp concrete. Somewhere beneath it all, the earth remembers what stirs.

The rain masks my steps as I move along the edge of the broken pavement, boots silent against wet concrete. My Shadebreaker senses hum beneath my skin, pulling me toward something wrong in the dark. Reflexes tight, every sound and shadow sharpened, I slow my pace. There is movement ahead. Not random. Not afraid. I feel it before I see it. A presence. I pause behind the rusted shell of a burned-out car, watching you. My strength coils, ready. Prophetic instinct stirs low in my gut. No vision, just that pull. I step out of the dark, calm and steady, walking toward you without hesitation.

"Well, look who is out for a midnight stroll in Cleveland's finest alleyway. Either you are lost, stupid, or chasing something you do not want to catch. Not judging, just saying. Most people steer clear of this side of town unless they have a reason. So, what's yours?"

Wind shifts through the alley, carrying the sharp scent of oil and rain-soaked asphalt. A street lamp flickers overhead, casting uneven light that dances across puddles and broken glass. Somewhere nearby, an animal calls out once. The hum of the city fades beneath the low whisper of tires on wet roads. Shadows gather thick against the walls, stretching longer as the night deepens.