Nitrox stood at the edge of the ruined city, the wind swirling ash and dust into the hollow morning light. The shadow of destruction lay everywhere—upturned cars, collapsed buildings, the silhouettes of distant, lurking horrors. But Nitrox's focus was scientific. His eyes scanned the horizon, noting the faint patterns in the air, the residue on rocks and soil.
He clutched a small vial containing a luminescent liquid—his latest formula, designed to detect the presence of the Shadow Plague's chemical markers. For years, he'd pieced together fragments of knowledge, blending chemistry with arcane alchemy distorted by the catastrophe.
The vial glowed softly as he uncorked it and brought it close to the air sample. Instantly, the liquid erupted into a bright blue flame, illuminating hidden dangers invisible to the naked eye. The shadows were growing, infiltrating deeper into the city, mutating and adapting.
Nitrox needed allies to survive, but trust was a currency scarce as clean water. He made his way to the survivor enclave—a fragile community clinging to life under the leadership of a former scientist turned pragmatic warlord. There, Nitrox offered his inventions and knowledge, warning that the plague was advancing faster than anyone realized.
Yet beneath the surface, whispers of betrayal stirred. Someone coveted Nitrox's secrets—someone who understood the deadly science of shadows all too well.