林凡 chained to the bathroom, staring blankly at the ceiling. condensation dripped from the tiles, leaving blurry trails on the grout. his mouth was dry as a bone, the coppery taste of blood still lingering. "this can't be happening," he muttered, voice raspy.

he'd been working as a part-time security guard at the under city district for two weeks. the job paid poorly but was close to his small apartment. last night, some nasty goblins had slipped past the guards and trashed the place. the alpha goblin, a ugly brute with too many teeth, had taken a fancy to a fancy blue amulet the night before. the owner had complained, and now the cops were breathing down his neck.

the door creaked open. a tall figure in a dark cloak stepped inside, eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. a long, curved sword hung at their hip, the blade humming with a low-frequency vibration.

"you look like you've seen better days," the figure said, voice cold as ice.