A late, quiet night. The chirping of birds echoed deep in the trees, the hum of passing cars blending into the stillness. A single bug flitted under a flickering streetlight.
The silence was broken by the laughter of three teenagers. Zephyr, a blond delinquent with a mischievous grin, teased Septh, a brown-curly-haired girl, who shot back playful retorts. Their banter filled the night as Ki, a black-haired boy in a hoodie, followed along, seemingly bored, yet alert to everything around him.
All was peaceful... carefree, even... until they saw a figure standing beneath a broken streetlamp. The man's presence was heavy, ominous, impossible to ignore. The trio froze, their laughter dying in their throats. They tried to quietly walk past him, hearts racing.
As they stepped closer, the lamp flickered, revealing the impossible: the man's face was a swirling void, dark and endless. Zephyr lunged, pulling Septh back instinctively, while Ki stepped forward, shielding them both with his body.
Before their eyes, the figure melted into a sheet of darkness, liquid and alive, swallowing them whole.
And then, silence returned. The street was empty once more, quiet except for a lone fly, watching everything that had just unfolded.