Nancy barely slept.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the alley — the way he'd looked at her, the way he'd said her name like he already owned it. She could still feel the echo of his voice, low and dark, threading through her dreams.
When the morning light finally bled through her curtains, it felt too bright, too real, too ordinary for what had happened last night. She tried to shake it off, to remind herself that it didn't make sense. People didn't just appear and disappear like that. People didn't know your name without asking.
But no matter how many times she told herself that, the feeling in her chest wouldn't fade — that something in the city had shifted, and she'd stepped into a part of it she wasn't supposed to see.
She dragged herself out of bed, threw on an oversized hoodie, and wandered into the kitchen. Her roommate, Lila, was already there — perched on the counter with a mug of coffee, scrolling through her phone.
"You look like hell," Lila said without looking up.
"Good morning to you too." Nancy yawned, grabbing her own mug. "Late shift again tonight?"
Lila nodded. "Yup. You?"
Nancy shrugged. "Probably."
"Then we're both doomed."
It was their usual rhythm — easy, teasing, normal. But even as they talked, Nancy's thoughts drifted. Her phone buzzed on the counter; she half-expected it to be him, even though she didn't know his name or number. Of course, it wasn't.
She went through the motions of her day — shower, bus, work — trying to convince herself last night was just a story her tired brain invented. Yet every reflection — every window, every passing glass door — made her glance twice.
By late evening, the city was once again wrapped in its usual glow: amber streetlights, flickering neon, the hum of traffic and life.
Nancy didn't like walking home alone, not after what had happened. But her shift ended late again, and Lila had texted that she was crashing at her boyfriend's place. So it was just Nancy — and the city.
She pulled her hood up and walked fast, earbuds in but no music playing. Her mind was alert, listening. Every sound — the scuff of her shoes, the hiss of rain starting up again — felt amplified.
Halfway down her usual route, she froze.
Someone was standing under the streetlight across the road.
She couldn't see his face clearly, but the shape — tall, broad-shouldered — made her chest tighten. It couldn't be him.
She blinked. The streetlight flickered, and the space was empty.
Nancy's pulse jumped. "Okay," she whispered, "you're just tired."
She took a breath and kept walking, but she couldn't shake the feeling of eyes on her again — that electric tension, that weight pressing on her spine.
The city's sounds grew thinner as she turned down the alley near her building. Her footsteps echoed off the walls. Her keyring jangled in her pocket. She was almost home when—
"Walking alone again?"
Nancy's breath caught.
He stepped out of the shadow like he'd been waiting there. Same man. Same dark eyes that seemed to swallow the light.
Nancy stumbled back, hand flying to her pocket. "What do you want from me?"
He didn't move closer. "You shouldn't be out here."
"Yeah, I figured that out last night."
A hint of amusement tugged at his mouth, but his eyes stayed sharp, unreadable. "You think this city belongs to you," he said quietly. "To the people who fill its streets and paint its walls. But it doesn't. Not really."
Nancy's pulse raced. "What's that supposed to mean?"
He looked past her, scanning the rooftops like he was expecting something. "You shouldn't have been there last night."
"Where? The alley? I live here!" she snapped. "You can't just—"
The sound of metal clattering somewhere down the street cut her off. Both their heads turned.
He tensed, shoulders rigid, gaze locking on the end of the alley. Nancy couldn't see anything, but the air shifted — colder, heavier.
"What is it?" she whispered.
"Too late," he muttered. "They've noticed you."
"Who's they—"
Something moved in the darkness. Not footsteps — something faster. The shape darted between the shadows, silent but solid enough to make her blood run cold.
Nancy stumbled back. "What the hell is that?"
"Stay behind me," he said, his voice dropping, harder now.
A blur lunged out of the dark — too big, too fast, with eyes that glowed faintly red. Nancy screamed, but the stranger moved like lightning. His arm slashed through the air, and a burst of light — bright and silver — cracked through the alley.
The thing hit the wall, dissolved into ash, and vanished.
Nancy gaped at the empty space. "Oh my god…"
He turned to her, breathing steady, eyes dimming back to normal. "You shouldn't have seen that."
"Yeah," she said shakily, "you keep saying that. Start explaining it."
He looked at her, something unreadable passing through his expression. "You're not supposed to be part of this world."
"Part of what?" she demanded.
He hesitated, then said softly, "The one that hides behind yours."
Nancy's heartbeat thudded in her ears. "You sound insane."
"Maybe." He glanced down the alley again. "But insanity doesn't make monsters disappear."
She didn't have an answer for that. The air between them pulsed — alive with adrenaline, confusion, and something deeper she didn't want to name.
"Who are you?" she whispered.
He exhaled slowly. "Someone who shouldn't have noticed you either."
Before she could ask what that meant, headlights flashed across the alley — a car turning the corner — and in that blink of distraction, he was gone again.
Nancy stood alone, shaking, the night closing in around her. The smell of burnt air lingered faintly.
She pressed her hand to her chest, trying to calm her racing heart. None of it made sense — the creature, the man, the light — but denial wouldn't erase the truth. She'd seen something impossible. Twice.
And both times, he'd been there.
When she finally reached her building, her hands were trembling too much to fit the key in the lock. Inside, she sank against the door, sliding to the floor. Her phone buzzed again — Lila, probably checking in — but she didn't answer.
Instead, she whispered to herself, "What did I just get pulled into?"
Outside, the city kept moving. Cars. Sirens. Laughter. Ordinary life. But Nancy knew the difference now.
Something in this city watched from the dark. And somehow, it wanted her.