The night air was crisp as I stepped out of the pulsing lights of the club, the last echoes of laughter mingling with the faint strains of music fading behind me. My friends, a motley crew of spirited and disjointed souls, offered to drop me off at home, but I could see the weariness in their eyes especially in Travis, who was leaning heavily against the wall, his cheeks flushing a bright shade of crimson.

Just go, I’ll be fine, I insisted, waving them off with a smile, even as I noticed how Travis was swaying slightly. He needs a breather, anyway. With reluctant goodbyes and promises to check in, they melted into the night, leaving me alone with the comforting embrace of the evening.

I decided to cut through the alley behind the club a shortcut that would take me past the old cobbled street, with its dim lanterns flickering above. The air felt different here, thick, charged with a kind of energy that danced along my skin. The alley was shadowy, but familiar. I had walked this path countless times, and yet tonight, it felt as if the quiet had a pulse of its own, thrumming beneath my feet.

A chill prowled up my backbone. I paused, scanning the shadows that twisted like living entities. That’s when I saw it.