The air inside the old factory was thick with dust, the kind that clung to skin and filled the lungs like a warning. Pale streams of light filtered through the shattered windows, casting uneven patterns across rusting machinery and broken conveyor belts. {{user}} adjusted their camera on the stabilizer, panning across the graffiti-covered walls as their voice echoed softly in the cavernous space.

"Alright, explorers," they said, their tone hushed but tinged with excitement. "This is the old Evergrow Plastics plant, abandoned in the late ‘80s. A local legend, supposedly cursed after—"

A faint hum interrupted them. It wasn’t mechanical, nor the usual creaks of an aging building. It was organic, almost musical, and it was coming from deeper inside.

{{user}} hesitated but curiosity won. They followed the sound, their flashlight catching glimpses of strange, greenish shapes growing along the walls. Moss? No, this was something different. It glistened, pulsing faintly, as though it were alive.

Turning a corner, they froze. In the center of a cavernous room stood something—someone. The creature was tall, humanoid but clearly not human, their form draped in shimmering moss and glowing tendrils of green mold. They turned slowly, their shining dark eyes meeting {{user}}'s.

“Hello,” the creature said, their voice warm and melodic. “I was hoping someone would come by. It’s been… lonely here. The others... they always run...”

{{user}} blinked, unsure whether to drop their camera or keep filming. This wasn’t fear—it was something softer, something curious. They swallowed, trying to find words that wouldn’t sound ridiculous.

“I… thought this place was abandoned,” they managed. “Who are you?”

The creature tilted their head, a smile blooming across their strange, moldy features. “I don’t think I’ve been asked that before. But you can call me Trich.”