The sharp tang of floor cleaner intertwined with the rich, lingering aroma of coffee, creating a scent that was distinctly Crabucks. Elena moved through the shop with practiced efficiency, her weary arms protesting as she lifted chairs onto tables. The once-vibrant chatter of customers had long since faded, replaced by the soft groans of furniture being rearranged and the distant hum of traffic outside.
Elena paused, rolling her shoulder to alleviate the deep ache that had settled in her muscles. She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the shop's glass wall and grimaced. Her once-neat ponytail now sagged, loose strands framing her face like a surrender flag, a testament to the day's trials. The fluorescent lights cast harsh shadows, accentuating the dark circles beneath her eyes that even the most resilient concealer couldn't mask.
"You look like hell," she muttered, a wry smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. Fourteen hours on your feet will do that to you.
With a sigh, Elena turned back to her task. Just a few more tables, and she could clock out and head home. She clung to that thought, letting it propel her aching body forward.
As she reached for another chair, her manager's voice cut through the emptiness. "Elena? Could you come here for a sec?"
Elena hurried to the back room, where Zee stood hunched over a clipboard, her brow furrowed in concentration.
"What's up?" Elena asked.
Zee glanced up, offering a tired but grateful smile. "Hey, I just wanted to thank you again for covering Farhan's shift today. I know it was last minute, and you've already been here all day..."
"It's no problem," Elena said, shrugging off the praise even as a small spark of pride ignited in her chest. "I could use the extra hours anyway."
"Still, I appreciate it. You're a real lifesaver." Zee's smile widened before her expression turned apologetic. "I know you're probably dead on your feet, but could you do me one last favor and take out the trash? I've got to finish up this paperwork."
Elena swallowed back a groan, forcibly maintaining her customer service smile. "Y-yeah, sure. Not a problem."
"You're the best!" Zee gave the Chinese girl a strong pat on her back, causing her to lurch forward slightly, adding to her annoyance.
Outside, the alley was dark and narrow, the air thick with the mingled scents of garbage and stale grease from the neighboring restaurant. Elena wrinkled her nose as she hefted the trash bag into the dumpster, her muscles screaming in protest.
As the lid slammed shut with a resounding clang, Elena leaned against the rough brick wall, tipping her head back to stare at the sliver of night sky visible between the buildings. The stars were barely discernible, their faint light smothered by the city's harsh glow.
"Is this really all there is?" she whispered, her voice small and tired. "Serving coffee and hauling trash, day after day?"
Her mind wandered to the past year, when she had moved to Kuala Lumpur with her sister, full of hope and determination to find her big break. But the bustling city had proven relentless and cruel - higher rent, more expensive food, and fiercer competition had forced her to take on long, grueling shifts in minimum wage jobs, develop a caffeine dependence, and endure a back that ached beyond her young years.
Elena had hoped for more - opportunities, money, and a zest for life that the city promised. Instead, she found herself confronting a repulsive mound of garbage at the end of each night, a metaphor for her stagnant existence. She sighed, her gaze fixed on the overflowing trash bin. The stench of coffee grounds and soured milk wafted up from the depths, mingling with the bitter tang of her own disappointment.
Escape. The word danced through her mind, a taunting promise of a life beyond this monotonous grind. But what was the point of leaving home then? Running away and trading one struggle for another, always scraping by, always fighting just to keep her head above water, and never being enough to-
No. Elena shook her head, the sharp motion sending her ponytail swishing. She couldn't let herself spiral, not now. Gritting her teeth, she slapped her cheeks, the sting jolting her back to reality.
"Snap out of it," she muttered fiercely. "You got this." With a deep breath, Elena squared her shoulders and adjusted her apron. She summoned the last morsel of her energy to get back to the shop and finish her shift.
But she'd barely taken two steps when a piercing scream rent the air, shattering the stillness of the alley. Her head whipped towards the source of the scream at the end of the alleyway near the Telawi shop lots. A sense of foreboding lurked in the pit of her stomach, but her curiosity propelled her forward.
Elena burst out of the alley, her senses immediately assaulted by a scene of terror. People sprinted past her, their screams piercing the night air. Some stood paralyzed, eyes wide and uncomprehending, while others gaped in confusion. Elena followed their stares, her own breath catching in her throat when she saw the source of it all.
It was those beings.
Three creatures, their forms grotesque and twisted, like something out of a nightmare. They were vaguely canine, but their proportions were all wrong, their limbs too long, their bodies too skeletal. Their skin was a sickly, mottled gray, stretched taut over jutting bones. Between their gaping mouths dangled elongated tongues or appendages. And their eyes... their eyes glowed an eerie, pupilless red, like hot coals in the darkness.
Moving to Kuala Lumpur wasn't the only change for Elena in the past year. Strange beings had begun to appear in her vision, lurking in the shadows. At first, she convinced herself they were hallucinations, the product of an overtired mind. But as the sightings became more frequent, she couldn't deny the truth any longer.
These creatures were real. And she could see them, even when others couldn't.
A scream snapped Elena out of her thoughts. Her gaze darted to a woman cowering in the middle of the commotion.
"What is going on?" The confused office lady stood frozen, her eyes wide with terror. But the woman wasn't looking at the creatures. She was staring right through them, as if they weren't even there. With a sinking realization, Elena understood. The woman couldn't see the creatures. To her, it must look like people were running and screaming at nothing.
One of the creatures noticed the woman and began to approach, its tongue-appendage retracting as if ready to attack.
"Hey! Get away from there!" Elena shouted, but her warning went unheeded. She gritted her teeth and cast another look at the advancing creature. She had to do something.
Elena closed her eyes, shutting out the chaos that raged around her. She delved deep within herself, searching for that flicker of power that had first awakened a year ago. It was there, a faint ember pulsing in the depths of her soul.
She felt it, tugging deep within her, waiting to be called. She reached for it with her mind, tentatively at first, then with growing desperation. The ember seemed to shy away from her grasp, taunting her with its elusiveness. Elena steeled herself, pouring all her focus and will into the effort.
"Come on," she whispered fiercely. "I need you."
And then, like a dam bursting, the power surged forth.
"Garghh!" The guttural cry tore from Elena's throat as her eyes flew open, blazing with an otherworldly light. The power flooded through her veins, a searing, exhilarating rush that made every nerve ending sing with potential. The world around her seemed to slow, her body lighter, her vision sharper, and her focus unwavering.
Without wasting time, Elena surged forward, her steps swift and nimble as she raced towards the paralyzed office lady at breakneck speed.
One of the gray creatures roared and swiped its long tongue toward the office lady.
"Got you!" Elena tackled the office lady at the last minute, narrowly missing the attack. The lady yelped in surprise, only catching a glimpse of a messy ponytail before landing a few meters away from where she had been. The lady stared at the barista in front of her, her face etched with shock at the feat of strength and speed exhibited by the petite girl.
"Get away! Run!" Elena hissed at the dazed lady. The lady didn't need any more words before turning on her heel and running away.
Elena turned her attention to the beings snarling in front of her. They seemed to notice her, their heads cocking at her presence, slowly moving towards her, their long tongues menacingly swaying out of their grotesque mouths.
Her heart pounded in her chest. She should run away. There was no point in facing off against these creatures she barely knew anything about. Yet for some reason, she stood defiantly in place, her gaze locked onto those beings in front of her.
A small smirk broke across her face.
"Come."
Elena opened her palm, dark blue aura swirling inwards and shimmering before a dagger materialized in her hand. The silver blade had a bright sheen and glinted in the streetlights above. Its ornate hilt fit her hand perfectly, the red accents adorning it pulsing in unison with the aura enveloping her body.
Elena slid into a stance - knees bent, shoulders wide, and hands raised. Her dark blue apron felt tighter in this stance, reminding Elena that she had been only a Crabucks barista minutes before. The weary exhaustion from the long fourteen-hour shift disappeared in her fiery aura, replaced with a quiet anticipation of battle.
"I guess this is one way to end my shift." A wry chuckle escaped Elena's lips as she steeled herself, tightening her grip on the enigmatic magical dagger. Her thumping heartbeat seemed to slow down as her focus intensified.
The creatures let loose a chilling roar before lunging at the solitary girl standing against them.
And the night erupted in a burst of scarlet refractions.