The vibrant hum of Wandercrab's light strings flickered, a subtle shiver running through the city made of trash. Tucked away in the shadowy alleys of the Creaking City Shortcut, Abyss Monarch Cookie stood. Specter Fish, their loyal if unsettling companion, circled them, its spectral form a swirling vortex of hungry shadows. Even here, purposefully hidden from the city's main glow, their presence seemed to make the nearest string of fairy lights dim.

"Such fragile light..." They murmured, voice sounding more than tired. Their piercing gaze softened ever so slightly as a distant burst of laughter echoed from the Underwater Tropical Jazz Bar. A memory came in their mind. A moment of light, a child’s carefree smile…