shadows or iron and neon

Chapter one (Part one)

The narrow alley stood in stark contrast to the clean, futuristic streets of the Overworld. Neon lights from distant signs bathed the slick, metallic walls in a cold, artificial glow. The hum of electric energy and the soft thrum of hovercrafts filled the air, but down here, in the dark alleys beneath the glittering skyline, all was quiet, save for the occasional drip of condensation falling from the pipes overhead.

In the shadows, a figure stood still as stone. His tall frame was draped in a long coat, the high collar concealing most of his face. The brim of a wide hat cast his features in darkness, leaving only a glint of his pale chin visible. His hands, gloved in sleek black material, rested casually at his sides. Though his posture was relaxed, there was something dangerous in his stillness, like a predator waiting for the right moment to strike.

From the mouth of the alley came a shuffling sound, followed by the heavy, uneven footsteps of someone approaching. A man appeared, stumbling into the dim light of the alley. He was unmistakably an Underworlder—his clothes were in tatters, patched together with scraps of fabric and leather, the colors faded and stained with dirt. His hair was wild and unkempt, matted with grease and filth. Dirt streaked his pale skin, and his gaunt face showed the telltale signs of malnourishment.

His eyes were bloodshot and frantic, darting around as though expecting to be ambushed at any moment. His breath came in ragged gasps as he hurried toward the cloaked figure, his hands trembling with a mixture of desperation and fear.

"You got it?" he rasped, his voice rough and hollow, the sound of a man on the edge of collapse. His eyes were wide, fixed on the shadowy figure in front of him, but there was no mistaking the hunger in his gaze.

The cloaked figure did not speak. Instead, he reached into his coat with a slow, deliberate movement, pulling out a small glass vial. The liquid inside shimmered with an eerie, iridescent glow, reflecting the neon lights in unnatural patterns. In his other hand, the figure produced a sleek, chrome injector, its design far too advanced for the grimy world of the Underworld. The injector gleamed under the dim light, a polished tool made for precise, lethal efficiency.

The Underworlder’s eyes widened at the sight of the vial, and he licked his cracked lips, reaching out with trembling hands. But before he could touch it, the cloaked figure stepped forward and, with cold precision, pressed the injector to the man’s neck. There was a soft hiss as the liquid was injected into his bloodstream.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then the Underworlder’s body convulsed violently. His eyes bulged wide, and a guttural scream ripped from his throat as his veins darkened and pulsed beneath his skin. His hands flew to his neck, clawing at the injection site, but it was too late. The drug coursed through him like wildfire, its effects immediate and brutal.

His limbs twisted at unnatural angles, bones cracking and popping as his body contorted. His skin stretched tight over his skeleton, turning an ashen gray as his muscles bulged and his joints bent in ways they were never meant to. His face twisted in agony, lips pulled back to reveal teeth that were lengthening, sharpening into jagged points.

He dropped to his knees, his hands scraping against the cold metal ground as his fingers elongated into clawed appendages. His spine arched grotesquely, and his eyes, once filled with desperation, clouded over with a milky white film. His transformation was brutal and fast—within moments, he no longer resembled the man he had been.

The creature that now knelt in the alley was hunched and monstrous, its skin mottled and gray, muscles bulging beneath its grotesque frame. Its mouth hung open, rows of sharp teeth glistening as it let out a low, guttural growl. Its hands, now twisted into claws, flexed and scraped at the ground, leaving deep gouges in the metal surface. The creature sniffed the air, its once-human eyes now filled with primal hunger.