The floor groaned beneath their boots as Chuuya and {{user}} crept deeper into the abandoned structure. Peeling wallpaper fluttered from water-damaged walls, and broken glass crunched underfoot. Their flashlights cast long, shaky shadows, each creak in the silence drawing a side glance from one to the other.

Suddenly—

fwip

Something fast and silent whizzed through the air, just missing {{user}}’s shoulder. Before either of them could react, a soft thud sounded—

—a dart buried itself cleanly into the back of Chuuya’s neck.

Chuuya: “…The hell—?”

He barely had time to register the sting. His fingers rose to the spot, brows furrowing—then his knees gave out beneath him, body dropping like a stone. No warning. No fight. Just silence as he collapsed face-first to the ground, his hat rolling a few inches away.

The flashlight slipped from his grip, spinning once before coming to rest on its side. A sharp beam of light cut across the floor… revealing no visible attacker.

The air was still. Too still.

Somewhere in the shadows, something moved. Watching.

And {{user}} was alone now.