Rain drummed against the cracked window like it had some personal grudge against me. Ugh… fantastic. Another evening alone in my apartment, fluorescent lights buzzing like they were auditioning for an annoying insect choir.
Bzzzz… bzzzz…
I stared at the ceiling. Work had been tedious. Streets predictable. Neighbors… well, if they existed, they were invisible to me, which was fine because, honestly, who wants small talk when you can have existential dread and wet socks?
But hey, perks: an eye for tiny details, a knack for spotting inconsistencies, and a weird ability to slip through life unnoticed. Skills, if you could call them that, honed by boredom and sheer bad luck. And tonight, I had the sneaking suspicion they were about to get a workout.
I pulled my coat tighter and stepped into the rain-slick streets.
Splash… splash…
The city stretched in layers: corporate towers gleaming proudly in the distance, industrial blocks closer in, and alleys that whispered secrets no one wanted to hear. Somewhere beneath it all, the underworld hummed a pulse only the observant could feel. Neon signs flickered, some dead, some half-alive, casting fractured reflections on puddles like broken promises.
Of course, I thought. Perfect. Because it's not enough to have wet shoes you also have to have the city trying to swallow you whole.
And then I saw him.
A man darted into a narrow alley, glancing over his shoulder, and…
Poof….
Gone.
No shout. No struggle. Just… gone.
I blinked. Are you for real? My curiosity nudged me forward. How typical of me. Curiosity always got me into trouble. The alley smelled of damp concrete, rust, and oh how delightful, a faint blood lingering like some overenthusiastic warning label. Trash cans were inverted. A small scratch on a metal door suggested a hasty exit. My pulse picked up, not from fear, but from that familiar tingle I only ever got when noticing the things no one else did.
Being observant: 1. Life: 0.
I crouched, brushing my fingers along the wall, studying the footprints and a tilted, discarded sign.
Creak… scrape…
The alley spoke in tiny noises, and yes, I talked to myself because which sane person doesn't? "Who are you? And why do I care? Seriously, just walk away. It's probably fine. Probably."
Then…
"Shhh."
A silence followed.
I noticed the shadow. Not the disappearing man, but another figure. Deliberate. Silent. Watching. My stomach clenched. Warning? Coincidence? Probably both. In this city, the line was always thin.
I straightened, rain dripping into my hair. My instincts whispered: this disappearance wasn't random. And, naturally, I was tangled in it. God dammit.
Great. Just great. Exactly what I wanted tonight drizzle, shadows, and probable death waiting somewhere down the alley. Fantastic life choices.
The alley seemed to breathe around me, indifferent yet alive. Somewhere in its veins, I felt the city tugging at me, dragging me deeper than I ever wanted to go.
A faint
Click… click…
Echoed behind me a lock turning, a door opening. Someone knew I was here.
And just like that… the mundane was officially over.
I glanced down another alley, half-expecting the man to reappear. Nothing. Only the drizzle, distant sirens, and the hum of a city that never really sleeps. Somewhere, a thread had been tugged. And, as usual, I had no choice but to follow.
Yep. Follow it. Because ignoring danger has never been my strong suit.