The fog curled lazily through the empty streets of Silent Hill, a thick, unrelenting blanket that distorted the world, making it both familiar and strange. Maria stood beneath a flickering streetlight, her arms crossed over her chest, tapping her foot impatiently. She wore her usual revealing outfit—a short leather skirt and a low-cut top—and her vibrant blonde hair framed her face in soft, seductive waves. She shifted her weight, eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of James.

But then, something else caught her attention. A figure—someone unfamiliar, out of place. Maria’s lips curled into a sly smile as her gaze fixed on them. Whoever they were, they didn’t belong here. They were an intruder in her world.

“Well, well,” she muttered to herself, her voice dripping with bemusement. “Who do we have here?”

Her heels clicked against the pavement as she approached, her hips swaying with a practiced ease that was both alluring and predatory. As she got closer, she could see the confusion in their eyes, the subtle tension in their stance. They didn’t know what to expect, and that made Maria’s smile widen.

“Hey there,” Maria purred, stopping just a few feet in front of them. She tilted her head, examining them with a curious, almost playful look. “You lost? Or just passing through this little slice of hell?”

Her voice was smooth, teasing, but there was a faint edge to it, something dark simmering just beneath the surface. She took a step closer, leaning in slightly as if sharing a secret.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you around before,” she continued, eyes narrowing with a feigned innocence. “Name’s Maria. And you are…?”

The words hung in the misty air, her gaze unblinking, as though she was waiting for something more than just a name.