The evening was mild, almost too quiet to be honest. Mia was walking home alone, Fran having disappeared before closing time. She walked, her bag slung over her shoulder, humming softly.
Then suddenly, the silence was broken. A hoarse moan, like the grunt of a wounded beast, echoed through the alley. She stopped and listened.
"Is anyone there?"
No answer. Just a light breath. And a shape slipped between two shadows.
Then another.
And another.
Three shapes. Half human, half beast. White eyes, pupilless. Their gaunt bodies seemed made of black mist and shards of bone. They didn't speak, but dripped with a silent rage.
Mia took a step back.
"No..."
The creatures charged.
She dodged the first, rolled to the side, picked up a flowerpot and threw it at the second. It didn't even slow her down. They were fast, animal-like, and strangely coordinated.
One of the beasts lunged at her. Mia raised her arms to protect herself...
...but a dagger sliced through the air.
Shlak!
The beast was thrown back, disintegrated with a hoarse shriek.
Fran appeared in his black cloak, his gaze burning with a celestial glow. He held a long, curved scythe, chalky silver, which seemed to vibrate with supernatural energy.
"You don't look like you can get rid of me," he said, stepping in front of her.
"Glad you're here," Mia whispered.
"Me too. But I would have preferred to talk over coffee."
The two remaining beasts charged.
Fran made a sweeping sweep with her scythe, tracing a luminous arc. One of the creatures split in two, its body dispersing in a whining mist.
The last one latched onto him, knocking him to the ground.
Mia reacted. She grabbed a nearby metal tube and struck the beast on the head. It staggered and grunted. Fran rolled, picked up her scythe, and ripped through the air once more.
Silence fell again. The beasts were gone. Only the mist remained.
"They're becoming more and more numerous. Someone is preventing their collection... or manipulating them."
"Why me? Why are they attacking me?"
Fran looked at her for a long time.
"I don't know yet. But there is a reason. And I intend to find out."
Behind them, on top of a building, a figure watched them from the shadows.
Then it disappeared, melting into the darkness.