18

18

ADRIAN

Who is the mysterious stranger?

The rain hammered on the fire escape, each drop exploding in a miniature geyser against the rusted metal. It mirrored the turmoil churning in my gut. Across the slick alleyway, a figure emerged from the shadows, materializing from the thin sheen of rain like a phantom conjured by the storm itself. Tall and cloaked in midnight blue, they moved with an almost predatory grace that sent a tremor down my spine.

This was it. The culmination of weeks of whispered conversations in back alleys and cryptic messages exchanged under the cloak of darkness. My lifeline in this suffocating game of power.

“Adrian,” a voice rasped, sandpaper rough against my raw nerves. It held an unsettling allure, both dangerous and strangely comforting, like the purr of a well-fed panther before it pounced.

I took a tentative step forward, the ornately carved invitation in my hand threatening to disintegrate into a soggy mess. “You Krom?” My voice cracked, a pathetic squeak