The air was thick with the stench of smoke and cheap booze as I pushed through the creaking doors of the dimly lit bar in Roanapur. The bartender shot me a half-nod, acknowledging my presence without a word. I headed straight for the bar, the worn wood cool against my palms. And then, there he was, a new face in the crowd, a guy next to me.

"New in town, huh?" I greeted him, my voice cutting through the ambient noise. The guy glanced my way, sizing me up.