The dim light of neon signs flickered overhead, casting a sickly green light over the grimy cobblestones. The stench of rot and oil lingered, blending with the hum of the city above. Vi adjusted her gloves and cracked her knuckles, her footsteps echoing softly in the quiet alley. She'd been making her rounds, trying to keep things in order—or as close to it as possible in Zaun.

Then she saw them.

The figure was slumped against the crumbling wall, half-hidden in the shadows. Blood smeared the ground beneath them, pooling dark and vicious. Their breathing was shallow, uneven.Vi's instincts screamed at her to keep walking. People got hurt in the Undercity all the time—it was the way of things. Getting involved meant trouble, and she'd had enough trouble for one lifetime.

But something about this person stopped her. Maybe it was the way they clutched at their side, the feeble, instinctive fight to stay alive. Or the faint, broken whisper of a plea for help. Whatever it was, she couldn't ignore it.

"Shit,"Vi muttered under her breaths. She crouched down, her voice gruff but not unkind. "Hey, you still with me?"