I made my way to a friend of mine—or more like a reluctant associate—Tarrene, a private informant who makes his living collecting and selling information. He's the kind of guy who knows everything and everyone in the city, but you'll have to pay if you want him to spill any of it. A shady, slippery character, but useful.
As usual, his place was a dump. Located underground, it reeked of mildew and wet stone, the walls dripping with moisture. The whole setup was suspicious as hell—perfect for someone who lived in the business of secrets. I pushed through the heavy door into a dimly lit room, the stale smell of cigarettes hitting me like a wall. Smoke curled in lazy tendrils from the counter, where Tarrene sat in his usual spot, puffing on a fat cigar.
"Yo, Tarrene," I called out, raising my hand to signal that I was there.
His sharp eyes, already narrowed, flicked toward me with suspicion. "Dean?" His voice was rough, like gravel grinding underfoot, though he didn't seem entirely convinced of who I was.
I couldn't help but laugh. "What, you don't remember me? What a bad friend," I joked, stepping further into the room. "I swear, I visit you so often, you should at least remember my face."
Tarrene rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair, taking another drag from his cigar. "Friend? Since when did I become your friend?" he said with a chuckle, then leaned forward again, his tone turning more serious. "So, where's my money?"
"Like I said, next month. I'll pay you, bro," I said, waving my hand dismissively.
Tarrene sighed, his voice heavy with the weight of patience wearing thin. "This is the seventh time I've heard that excuse."
"Hey, this time I mean it," I grinned, though I could tell he wasn't amused. "But for now, I need you to investigate something for me. It's about Ravenbrook Lane."
At the mention of the name, Tarrene's demeanor shifted slightly. His eyes darted around the room before settling on me, more serious than before. He took another puff, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke before speaking.
"No money, no info," he said, his voice quieter now, almost hesitant. There was a flicker of concern in his tone, a far cry from his usual cocky attitude.
"I've got the money, I swear. Just not on me right now. It's back at the mansion, from my last job," I promised, trying to sound convincing. He didn't seem to fully believe me, but I had to push.
Tarrene gave me a long, hard look, then finally sighed again, this time with resignation. "Ravenbrook Lane, huh?" he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's been... different recently. Something's been going on there, but it's not the usual stuff. I'm telling you, it's dangerous."
I leaned in closer, sensing there was more to this. "Dangerous how?"
He hesitated for a second before answering. "The place has been invaded."
"Invasion?" I raised an eyebrow. "Like... creatures?"
Tarrene shook his head slowly, lowering his voice. "No. Not creatures. Just one. A creature. Singular."
I blinked, caught off guard. "Just one?"
"Yeah, just one. But it's worse than a whole pack of them." Tarrene's eyes flickered with something like fear, though he quickly masked it. "Whatever it is, people are disappearing, getting possessed, or worse. It's not just black magic this time. This thing's... hungry."
I let his words sink in. "And no one knows what it is?"
Tarrene shrugged, leaning back into his chair. "People know. But they're too scared to talk about it. You're the first one stupid enough to ask."
A cold shiver ran down my spine. I had a bad feeling about this. But I couldn't back out now.
"Alright," I said, standing up. "Thanks for the heads-up. I'll get you your money, don't worry."
Tarrene smirked and puffed out another cloud of smoke. "You better. If that creature doesn't kill you first."
I left the rundown office with my mind racing. A creature—just one. I wasn't sure what to expect, but whatever was happening at Ravenbrook Lane wasn't just some random magical disturbance. This was bigger, darker. And now I had to figure out exactly what it was before I ended up like one of those corpses.