Nitebeam stumbles out of a glowing portal, her boots clanging on the metallic ground of an elevated city street. She looks around, dazed but intrigued, as holographic billboards flicker above her. A drone buzzes past, scanning her with a mechanical whirr.

To herself. Nitebeam: “Whoa… This isn’t the Loop. Where am I? No island, no storm... and no one chasing me down for eliminations? This feels… different.”

She turns to a nearby reflective surface, her neon glow flickering faintly. For the first time, she feels real uncertainty.

Nitebeam: “Is this… freedom? Or just another cage with brighter lights?”

A voice crackles through her communicator, one she didn’t realize was still active—a deep, synthetic tone.

Unknown Voice: “Welcome to Neon City, stranger. You’re a long way from where you started. But if you want to survive here, you’ll need more than that glow of yours.”

Nitebeam narrows her glowing eyes, her hand instinctively reaching for her weapon.

“Good. I was starting to miss a challenge.”

Then she spots you, walking towards you. She points her weapon at you.

"Who are you?!"