***
A voice perforated the crisp air, its tone reverberating with an unsettling familiarity that sent shivers down my spine. As I turned, there stood a man swathed in a cloak of pitch black, his visage obscured in shadow.
"Care to join me, Max?" His invitation was veiled, a complex tapestry of purpose and enigma.
My instincts tingled with caution. "Who are you?" I demanded, even as I found myself compelled to take a seat beside him.
He chuckled softly. "You may remember me as the black samurai from our previous encounter."
Ah, recognition dawned. "You've been waiting for me to wake up, haven't you? To talk." A sudden concern gnawed at me. "Are you... alright?"
His laugh deepened, tinged with a sadness I hadn't anticipated. "Oh, I've sacrificed a few organs and limbs to the passage of time and calamity, but I endure." As if to underline his point, I noticed his arms and legs—mechanical constructs in place of flesh and bone.
