The night was a predator's domain, cloaked in shadow and silence. Xavier crouched low against the cold, damp bricks of an alley, his breaths shallow and his heart pounding in his chest. He had been running for hours, ducking through the labyrinthine streets of the city, desperately seeking a place to hide. But now, his instincts screamed at him to freeze.
Just beyond the alley's mouth, a group of nightcrawlers prowled the deserted street. Their pale skin seemed to glow faintly under the dim streetlights, and their hollow eyes scanned the surroundings with unnerving precision. Xavier clenched his jaw, forcing himself to remain motionless, though every fiber of his being wanted to flee. The faint scent of blood wafted through the air—a sharp reminder of the horrors they were capable of.
