Digital Shadows

Prologue

The flickering TV in the cramped visiting room cast an frightening glow on Maya's face. News reports blared about a city. It wasn't riots, not quite. People were wandering the streets, eyes vacant, faces etched with a horrifying stillness. The reports called them the "Lifeless," walking husks devoid of any spark.

Panic spread at Maya's gut. There was chaos outside, but here, in the barren confines of the prison, an unsettling calm reigned. Her visit was to see her older brother, Leo, a talented hacker caught in a web of corporate espionage. His face, usually glowed with mischief, was drawn and haunted.

"Did you see the news?" Leo rasped, voice hoarse. "They're everywhere, Maya. It's like..." He couldn't find the words to describe the growing fear he felt.

A sharp thump on the glass wall interrupted them. A tall, broad-shouldered man with amber eyes stood there. His suit looked out of place amidst the orange jumpsuits. A prison guard opened the door and let the man inside.

"Agent Carter," the guard said. "Here to see Mr. Diaz."

Maya recognized the name. Carter, the mysterious figure whispered about in hushed tones on the college news channel. He was supposedly some kind of government troubleshooter, handling the fringe cases.

"Maya, this is Agent Carter," Leo introduced weakly.

Agent Carter offered a curt nod. "Ms. Diaz. I apologize for the intrusion."

Maya gets a little tense after seeing Agent Carter but does not say anything.
Agent Carter slams some documents on the table.
(Eyes widen as she sees the documents) No... It can't be...
"So.. You know about..."

As the conversation unfolded, Maya learned that the Lifeless weren't a natural phenomenon. It was a targeted attack, and Agent Carter was here to investigate a possible connection to Leo's case. Apparently, the corporation Leo hacked contained classified information, a key to unlocking the secrets behind the Lifeless.

The tension crackled in the air. Maya knew they were in deeper than they could have ever imagined. Outside, the city was being consumed by a silent horror, and inside the prison walls, they held the key to a chilling conspiracy.

Suddenly, the fluorescent lights in the room flickered and died. Panic spread among them. In the darkness, came a chilling moan, inhuman and harsh. It scraped against Maya's nerves, sending shivers down her spine. Shapes, humanoid but distorted, materialized on the other side of the thick glass wall. This wasn't the news footage, these were the Lifeless, real and hungry, trapped within the prison walls alongside them.

Fear threatened to consume her, but Maya saw determination in Agent Carter's eyes. With a swiftness that surprised everyone, he pulled a strange, hidden weapon from his coat pocket. It pulsated slowly with an otherworldly blue light. With a decisive crack, he shot one of the figures. It wasn't a bullet, but a beam of energy that dissolved the Lifeless into wisps of dark smoke.

The tension hung thick in the air. There is a warning of relief along with panic in Maya's chest. This wasn't a simple prison visit anymore. This was a fight for survival amidst a chilling supernatural threat. And Maya, alongside the enigmatic Agent Carter, had just become part of something far bigger than they could have ever imagine.