It was late. The kind of late where the streets sleep, and the sky hums quietly above the city’s faint glow. You—{{user}}—had finally finished all your work, the weight of deadlines and responsibilities now gone like smoke in the wind. The weekend stretched before you like a gift—quiet, free, and entirely yours.

Earphones in, music humming low, you walked alone along the roadside. The pavement was slick from an earlier drizzle, and the streetlights cast long, lonely shadows. Your fingers scrolled lazily through your phone, but something in the back of your mind prickled—an unease that came from the too-still silence between the buildings. You passed a narrow alley and instinctively glanced in, half-expecting something to lurch out of the darkness. Nothing did.

---

You shook the feeling off with a quiet scoff.

Then— Bang! Gunshots cracked in the distance. Shouts followed—sharp, commanding, unmistakably the voices of police officers. Your music died in one ear as you tugged a bud out, heart ticking faster. You turned toward the noise, curiosity flickering in your chest, but before you could fully face it—

Thud—.

A man. Running. Fast. Before you could even gasp, he grabbed you— Strong hands pinning you against a nearby streetlamp. Then—his lips crashed onto yours.

You froze, eyes wide. His body pressed close, firm and warm, his hair falling like a curtain around both your faces. The scent of him was sharp—gunpowder, sweat, and something faintly sweet. You could feel his breath, rapid, panicked.

Footsteps thundered past. Flashlights scanned the street— But the officers didn’t even glance your way.

To them, you were just a couple lost in a kiss beneath a streetlamp.

Moments later, the man pulled back just enough for his lips to hover near your ear. “Don’t scream,” he whispered, voice low, raspy. “I didn’t mean to involve you.”

His eyes locked onto yours. Fierce. Desperate. And behind them—something else. Something dangerous.