Eve tugged her coat tighter around herself as the cold evening air bit at her legs, the thin fabric of her tights doing little to shield her from the autumn chill. Her skirt brushed softly against her thighs with each step, her boots clicking rhythmically on the pavement as she headed toward the convenience store.

  Gncing down at her phone again, she felt the familiar pang of unease at the ck of a response from Derrick. It had been a long, exhausting day at her corporate job—endless meetings, countless emails, and menial tasks like fetching coffee, picking up dry cleaning, and whatever else her bosses didn't want to do themselves. It felt like no matter how hard she worked; she was always just a ckey—overlooked, underappreciated. All she wanted now was to unwind, preferably curled up next to Derrick.

  Inside the brightly lit convenience store, Eve grabbed Derrick's favourite snacks and some drinks, hoping to coax a smile onto his face when she arrived. She hesitated briefly at the checkout, sending another hopeful text. Still no answer. Suppressing a sigh, she slipped her phone into her coat pocket, took the pstic bag of goodies, and stepped back out into the cold night.

  The train ride felt longer than usual, each stop dragging out her anticipation. Finally arriving at Derrick's neighbourhood, Eve navigated the quiet streets until his familiar apartment building came into view. She quickly noticed the unfamiliar pair of heels resting neatly beside Derrick's sneakers just inside the apartment doorway.

  Eve felt a slight tightening in her chest but shook it off as paranoia. Taking off her boots quietly beside the strange shoes, she softly called out, "Derrick?"

  No reply.

  Eve moved slowly into the dimly lit hallway. A soft melody drifted from the living room, mingling with muted ughter. The tightness in her chest deepened, sending prickling anxiety across her skin. Her pulse quickened as she rounded the corner—and her heart dropped.

  Derrick, locked in a passionate embrace with another woman, was completely oblivious to Eve's stunned presence. He continued undisturbed.

  She froze. Her mind couldn't process it immediately. Emotions welled painfully in her throat, her eyes blurred by instant tears. Her body trembled as she silently backed away, the pstic bag slipping from her grip and nding softly beside the door.

  She stepped hastily out into the night, desperate to put distance between herself and the betrayal she'd just witnessed. Cold tears streamed down her cheeks as she walked aimlessly into the darkness, the world around her dissolving into a muted blur.

  Eventually, she wandered into a nearby park and colpsed onto a bench under the soft glow of a solitary streetmp. Her chest heaved, her breaths ragged and uneven.

  The fatigue of her day crashed into her like a wave, mingling painfully with the heartbreak. Her thoughts spiraled into self-doubt. Had she been too busy? Too distant? She'd known, deep down, that something like this could happen—but she had convinced herself otherwise.

  Pulling out her phone with trembling hands, she whispered, "I should call someone..."

  She scrolled through her limited contacts. Her mother's name made her flinch. The thought of Marylin's cold indifference made her shudder. Then came Alicia. Eve hesitated—Alicia had never liked Derrick, had warned her. She couldn't bear to hear "I told you so."

  Still overwhelmed, Eve rose and walked deeper into the park, thoughts still swirling. When she finally looked up, she found herself in a dimly lit corner near the trees. The streetlights were faint, barely illuminating the path forward.

  A chill ran down her spine. She felt watched.

  Then—movement.

  Red glowing eyes emerged from the shadows. Not just one pair—many. Slowly advancing.

  The creatures were unlike anything she'd ever seen—tall, insect-like figures with thin bck bodies formed of tangible shadow. They had cwed hands with long talons, walked upright, and bore gaping ant-like mouths illuminated by their eerie red eyes.

  Panic surged through her.

  A cwed hand lunged toward her. She closed her eyes and threw her arms up instinctively. The ground trembled beneath her—but she wasn't sure if it was from fear or something else.

  Suddenly, loud shouts rang out.

  "Engage! Keep them back!"

  Eve opened her eyes, disoriented. She was no longer in the park. The street around her looked familiar and alien at once—buildings glowing with strange ambient light. A battle raged in front of her.

  People in combat uniforms moved with precision, fighting the creatures using glowing weapons, guns and what seems to be bolts of fire or lighting surging from their fingertips. In the heart of the chaos was a glowing portal, and behind it, others worked on equipment behind a barely visible energy barrier—held in pce by a man in a long dark coat.

  Through the fear, she attempted to slowly back away from the scene unfolding in front of her, only to find one of the creatures behind her. Searing pain erupted as the creature sshed at her back and lunged forward.

  She screamed.

  A blur of motion—then a fsh of blue light. One of the combatants moved impossibly fast, dispatching the creature in a single strike. Eve colpsed, pain radiating from her back, her vision blurring.

  Through the haze, she looked up and saw him.

  A young man with piercing blue eyes, radiating calm and power. He caught her as she fell, his voice urgent.

  "Arel! We need healing!"

  Then, everything went bck.