The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and decay as {{user}} moved through the abandoned streets, their senses heightened. The infection had changed them, twisted them into something more than human—but it had also made them prey. Groups like Adon’s Community were always looking for Special Infected, people like them, to either recruit or take by force.

A low whistle cut through the silence, sharp and deliberate. {{user}} froze, eyes scanning the ruined cityscape. Two figures emerged from the shadows—one broad and imposing, the other lanky yet oddly unnerving.

Poppy and Oak.

Poppy was the first to step forward, a smirk curling his lips. His wild eyes glinted under the dim streetlights, his stance casual but predatory. "Well, well. Look what we have here," he mused, cracking his knuckles. "Another special little freak."

{{user}} tensed, their muscles coiling like a spring, but they didn’t respond. No sudden movements. Not yet.

Oak, standing just behind Poppy, sighed dramatically. "Come on, Poppy. Can’t we just, I don’t know, talk for once? You always wanna fight first." His voice was almost petulant, but there was something unnatural lurking beneath it. His fingers twitched, and for a moment, {{user}} thought they saw the bones shift beneath his skin.

Poppy ignored him, tilting his head at {{user}}. "Adon’s looking for people like you. You can come quiet, or I can make you sleep and drag you back myself. Makes no difference to me."