Year 2030
Under a cold and rainy storm, a lone figure runs out of a dark alley while staggering.
This wouldn't seem strange—except the heavy stench of blood oozing off them.
He ran towards a direction with clear purpose, his body shivering under the downpour, with each distance covered he took, a painful moan escaped his lips. Behind him, a pool of black blood slowly spread, seeping into the cracked pavement. On top it lay a hand—dry, ashen, and withered like that of a long-dead corpse. The fingers twitched slightly before dissolving into wisps of ashes.
With the disappearance of the ashes, a rotten smell resembling that of a corpse began spreading before it was covered by the heavy rain.
The figure rushed into an apartment building, soaking the stairs before racing towards a door their body shaking with both cold, exhaustion and maybe something else. His trembling hands fumbled in his coat pocket, pulling out a set of keys. After a frustrating moment, he finally found the right one and slid it into the lock. With a soft click, the door opened.
He slipped inside and shut the door quickly behind him. A visible wave of relief washed over his battered and soaked form as he turned on the lights. Without hesitation, he headed for the bathroom.
Staring into the mirror, his reflection slowly came into focus.
A young man with disheveled blonde hair and delicate, almost feminine features gazed back at him. His hair was soaked and stained red with dried blood. His pupils were dilated from fear and adrenaline. He was breathing disorderedly with his shoulders trembling. His mind playing over and over what just happened.
---
The weather changed without any warning, so I decided to go home for the day.
Although my apartment is a few streets from where I work I can get there and back without facing any issues but....
Today was different.....
Without any warning, a withered hand lunged out of the shadows of a very familiar alley and pulled me into it before I could even react,
then I came face to face with this creature that could only be from my worst nightmares.
An abomination.
With two twisted faces fused onto one twisted head. Hollow eyes as dark as night. Its shriveled body looked as though every drop of blood and moisture had been sucked dry. The sight alone sent a shiver down my very spine, as my eyes started twitching and bleeding.
Fear surged through him like a living thing.
A sound, a voice came out of the empty mouth of the creature like grinding bone and grating stone, filling my mind with incomprehensible murmurs as thick saliva fell from its fang-filled mouth as it inched closer. His vision blurred, and pain exploded behind his eyes. It felt as if his eyeballs would crawl out of their sockets.
**Crack.**
A sharp, sickening sound echoed in the darkness.
Driven by adrenaline and desperation, Kaleem raised his arm and slammed his fist down on the creature's face. It retaliated viciously, claws sinking into his ribs, biting down on his shoulder almost reaching his neck.
Screaming in agony, he struck again and again, a manic smile twisting his lips despite the pain. The fight lasted an eternity in moments until at last the creature's skull shattered like brittle glass. Black blood pooled beneath it, thick and inky.
---
Panting, Kaleem clutched his head, still visibly shaken.
Then he froze.
"W-what the hell...?" he muttered, pulling up his shirt to check his ribs. "I'm sure that thing pierced me—"
Shock crept into his voice as he also checked his shoulder but found nothing. No wound. No scar. Not even a bruise. It was as if the injury had never existed.
A shaky breath escaped him.
"Damn, Kaleem... today's been one hell of a weird day," he muttered, staring into the mirror.
He wiped the dried blood from his hair, then turned to leave the bathroom.
Unbeknownst to him, his reflection remained behind—its eyes cold and dull, watching with an odd but sinister detachment.
---
Exhausted, Kaleem collapsed onto his bed. The adrenaline drained away, replaced by a tide of aching pain and overwhelming fatigue. His body begged for rest.
His eyes fluttered closed.
Sleep took him swiftly.
---
**[Dreamscape — Unknown]**
The moment he slipped into unconsciousness, Kaleem was dragged into a strange, terrifying dream.
A cold abyss stretched infinitely around him, swallowing all light and hope. From the darkness, hands emerged—countless, grasping, desperate. They clawed at him, tearing at his clothes and flesh.
Screams echoed, distant but filled with agony.
He tried to run.
But his body was heavy, paralyzed by fear.
The hands wrapped around his legs, pulling him down.
His heart thundered as more hands crawled up his arms and torso.
Whispers filled the void—soft, hoarse, yet chillingly familiar.
Then a voice called out to him, like a whisper yet clear.
> "Wake up..."
It was his voice and at the same time not.
The whispers echoed, repeating the same haunting command, growing louder and more urgent.
As the sea of hands dragged him deeper into the void, Kaleem struggled desperately to break free.
His mind screamed.
Then—he jolted awake, drenched in sweat, gasping for air as if the air in his lungs had dried up.
---
**[Dark Alley, Elm Street — Aftermath]**
Back in the real world, two figures stood silently near the spot where Kaleem had destroyed the creature.
One was a man cloaked in a long coat, face unreadable.
The other was a woman in a black dress, her eyes glowing faintly in the dim light.
The air was thick with residual energy—oppressive and dark.
"Seems someone got to it first," the woman said softly, voice deep and tinged with amusement.
The man knelt, examining the shattered remains.
"From what I can tell… it wasn't a Mystic," he replied grimly.
A twisted smile curled the woman's lips.
"Hehehe. Whoever it was, they did us a favor."
Her laughter was eerie, almost gleeful, as if a mere human slaying such a creature was the most entertaining thing she'd witnessed in a long time.
"Let's clean up and report back," the man said sharply, picking up a strange black stone from the alley floor.
As they turned to leave, the woman pulled out her phone and began chatting excitedly, her voice cheerful and unsettling.
The man followed, expression dark as night.
---