The city had once pulsed with life, a hive of bustling crowds, neon lights, and endless movement that filled even the latest hours of the night. Now, it lay in silence, frozen in time, like a museum of its own decay. The streets were empty, the buildings hollowed and derelict, as though some unseen force had drained the very soul from the place. Shattered windows stared out blankly over cracked sidewalks, and the air carried a stale odor of neglect and rot.

Alex moved carefully, his breath held as he navigated the wreckage that stretched across the street. In the week since The Change, the night had become a cage, locking him in a realm of nightmares. He scanned his surroundings with a faint, jittery beam of his flashlight, illuminating pockets of darkness that seemed to swallow light as fast as he could cast it. He had been lucky so far, surviving each night on skill and the few scraps of knowledge the survivors had managed to piece together.

But tonight, he had to venture further than usual. Supplies were dwindling, and the nearest safehouse was a mile away. His knuckles were white around the handle of the flashlight, his heartbeat drumming against his ribcage as he advanced.

“Just need to get through this,” he murmured to himself, as though his own voice could reassure him. The darkness felt different tonight. Thick, oppressive. Almost as if it were watching him, waiting for something.

Then came the sound. Low and guttural, it echoed from somewhere behind him, too close. Alex froze, every muscle in his body tightening, a cold chill prickling his spine. He knew that sound. A creature’s growl—animalistic, yet far too intelligent. They were hunting.

Without a second thought, he darted toward the ruins of a once-busy store, slipping through the shattered glass doorframe and crouching low behind an overturned display. Inside, the darkness was even heavier, smothering, as though it had a life of its own. He crouched down, stifling his breath, ears straining to pick up even the faintest noise.

Silence. But he knew better than to trust it. The creatures could be as quiet as shadows, melting into the dark and waiting with patience that was terrifying.

The flashlight flickered, its feeble light threatening to go out, and for a split second, he saw it. In the corner of the store, an elongated figure, crouched, watching him with eyes that glowed faintly. They were not the eyes of any animal, but something more—something with a predatory intellect.

Alex bit back a scream, his mind racing. He hadn’t seen one up close before. He’d heard stories from survivors about the creatures—some described them as demons, others as living nightmares. No two accounts were ever quite the same. All he knew was that they weren’t supposed to be here in the daylight, but the sun had long vanished, leaving him in their realm.

The creature slithered forward, the faint light catching glimpses of its elongated limbs, claws that seemed too long for its body, and a mouth that stretched impossibly wide. It was thin, almost skeletal, but there was an unnatural strength in the way it moved, each step careful, deliberate.

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Alex’s mind screamed at him to run, but he stayed rooted, paralyzed by fear and an instinctual understanding that sudden movement would be fatal. His heart pounded so loudly he thought it might give him away.

The creature tilted its head, eyes narrowing as it observed him, as if deciding what to do with its prey. Then, just as he thought he’d reached his breaking point, another noise echoed from outside—a distant rumbling, metallic and heavy. The creature snapped its head toward the sound, hissing softly before retreating into the shadows, disappearing as though it had never been there.

Alex didn’t waste a second. As soon as the creature vanished, he scrambled to his feet and darted toward the back exit, his steps careful to avoid anything that might make noise. His lungs burned, and his legs felt like lead, but he pushed through, fueled by pure survival instinct.

He burst out into the back alley, taking a second to catch his breath and let his eyes adjust. The night sky was hidden by clouds, casting the city in complete darkness, with only the distant glow of fires illuminating the edges of the skyline. He took off down the alley, knowing he had only a few hours until dawn and no guarantee he would make it that long.

The distant noise grew louder—the sound of metal scraping against concrete. He paused, glancing over his shoulder, but there was nothing there. He continued, weaving his way through the ruins until he found himself standing in what had once been a bustling square. The memories of what this place used to be—the crowds, the laughter—were ghosts in his mind, almost too painful to recall.

He spotted movement on the far side of the square, a flickering light that bobbed up and down. It was another survivor. Relief flooded through him, and he hurried toward the figure, keeping his steps as quiet as he could.

“Hey,” he whispered as he approached, trying not to startle them.

The figure turned, and Alex recognized her instantly. Sarah, one of the few survivors he’d crossed paths with. She looked worn, her face gaunt and her eyes hollow, but she was alive.

“Alex,” she whispered back, her voice barely audible. “I didn’t think anyone else was out here tonight.”

“Needed supplies,” he replied, holding up his near-empty backpack. “Didn’t think I’d run into one of them.”

Her expression grew somber. “They’re getting bolder. I saw three of them just on my way here. It’s like… they’re learning.”

A chill ran down his spine. The creatures were animals, hunters, but the idea that they could adapt, that they were learning, was a terrifying prospect.

“We need to find somewhere safe,” Sarah continued, glancing nervously around the square. “Dawn is still hours away.”

They moved quickly, navigating the maze of abandoned buildings until they found a small, boarded-up shop. The windows were covered, and the doors were locked, but after a bit of prying, they managed to squeeze through a broken side entrance.

Inside, the air was stale, but it felt safer. They sat in the darkness, both catching their breath, too exhausted to speak.

After a long silence, Alex spoke up. “Do you think we’ll ever know why this happened? Why they came?”

Sarah shrugged, her gaze fixed on the ground. “Maybe. But does it matter? Even if we knew, it wouldn’t change anything. They’re here, and we’re… nothing more than prey to them.”

He wanted to argue, to say that there had to be a way to fight back, but he couldn’t bring himself to. The evidence was all around them—the ruined city, the lost lives, the creatures that prowled in the dark, hunting anything that moved.

Hours passed, and they remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts, until the faintest hint of dawn began to seep through the cracks in the boarded windows. The light was weak, but it was enough. The creatures would retreat, disappearing as they always did, leaving the world to them, if only for a few precious hours.

As the first rays of sunlight broke over the horizon, Alex felt a glimmer of hope—a reminder that, for now, they had survived another night.

But as he glanced at Sarah, he saw the fear in her eyes, the understanding that there would be another night, and another after that. And each one would be a battle, a test of their will to survive.

Outside, the city lay in silence, empty and desolate under the light of dawn. The creatures were gone, hidden away in whatever dark places they called home, but Alex knew they’d be back.

They always came back