Wednesday; around 9:00 PM
USA, Las Vegas, Nevada
—often dubbed the 'Night City' or the infamous man-made 'Sin City'.
As the world succumbs to the moon's silvery isolation, this city blazes to life, outshining the darkness with its vibrant glow. Clubs, hotels, motels, casinos, gambling hall, prostitute dens, and all the trappings of nocturnal indulgence thrive in this artificial haven of hedonism.
"Hey young man~ come and take a look here."
"Anyone up for a photo with us~?"
"Sin City wasn't made for you ♪
Angels like you~♪"
"Hey Mister! Can you guess how many balls are inside the cup?"
The streets, ablaze with neon, teem with street performers, tricksters, and revelers, many scantily clad, embodying the city's seductive allure. Now this is what you call 'Sin City'.
Amid this vibrant chaos, against the backdrop of a brightly illuminated skyscraper, a solitary figure stands cloaked in shadow. Upon closer inspection, his features and attire become discernible. The wind tousles his silky black hair, his coat, and loosened tie dancing in the breeze. His eyes, aglow with a faint, crimson hue, are veiled by enigmatic shadows rising from his feet.
In his hand, he holds a smartphone displaying a message:
Old man—
Place:- Angel's Garden, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Objective:- spirit.
Time left: 25 hours.'
His gaze fixes on a specific point in the distance, 'Angel's Garden' was spelled out in hazy yellow lights above the gated entrance.
Sniff~
Inhaling deeply, the sinful air of the city fills his lungs, carrying a scent both acrid and foreboding, he murmurs, "Hmm, shall we begin our hunt?"
Slipping the smartphone into his coat's inner pocket, dark, misty shadows swelled from the ground, enveloping him. In an instant, he dissolves into the darkness, vanishing from the scene.
—
Somewhere, in the labyrinthine alleys of Las Vegas, pulsing with energy, stands a sleek black door framed by neon lights flickering in rhythm with the muffled bass thumping from within. A velvet rope cordons off a line of eager patrons, their chatter mingling with the cool night air. A towering bouncer, clad in a tailored suit, stands sentinel, scrutinizing some black card with a no-nonsense glare. Above, a bold sign in hazy yellow spells out the club's name, 'ANGEL'S GARDEN', casting a glow on the polished concrete below. The air carries the scent of expensive cologne and eager anticipation as the door swings open, revealing flashes of strobe lights and writhing bodies inside.
Step—
As he stepped forward, the man was stopped by the bouncer, "May I see your invitation card, sir?"
"Hmm? What? What invitation?"
"Sir, standard entry is closed tonight. Only those with invitations may enter."
"What are you talking about? I am a regular here! How dare you try to stop me?! Do you know which gang stands behind me?!"
"Sir, Without an invitation, I can't let you in."
"What?! You!!" Before he could express his anger and frustration,
"Next." The bouncer called out for the next entry.
Bypassing the arguing man, a couple steps forward, presenting a black invitation card. The bouncer nods, stepping aside to grant them entry.
"What bullshit!" Furious, the man tries to force his way past, only to be swiftly restrained by additional bouncers who escort him away, leaving him humiliated.
"Hmph! Fu*king vermin." A young man standing near the entrance mutters with contempt.
"There seems to be some trouble ahead." a voice from behind remarks.
"Nah, it's nothing. Just some lowlife dirtying the ground, oblivious to his place," The young man sneers.
"Oh? Sounds like you come from a powerful background," the voice replies, tinged with curious intrigue.
"Of course I do! Who do you think I am?" the young man boasts smugly.
"Some Nigerian Prince, perhaps?" The voice made a guess.
"Huh?!" Dumbfounded by the response, "What did you said you pretentious bastard?" The young man spins around, bristling with anger, to face the speaker who judged him as a scammer—a tall figure in a pristine black suit. It was Karan.
"Just a guess." Karan says with a disarming smile.
"Look here you as*hole. My father is a major player in the international real estate market. I can buy a hundred of vermins like you on the spot." The young man brags.
"Is that so? Then what is someone as 'esteemed' as you doing here?" Karan questioned, subtly steering the conversation.
"Hmph." The young man scoffs, "What's it to you?"
"Ah, nothing. I was just curious about this place." Karan replies with a casual chuckle.
"Heh! So at the end, you are also a nobody like the peasant from before. Coming here without even knowing what this place is." The young man says haughtily.
"I am just a normal tourist, after all. I am not too familiar with the local spots. I just stopped by here because someone recommended this place to me. He said that this place is the closest thing to heaven on earth." Karan shrugs.
"Oh, so you are a foreigner. That explains. Well, since you are new here, I will graciously overlook your ignorance," the young man says condescendingly. Pointing to the club's entrance, he continues, "As for this place, like the one who recommended you this place said, behind the gates is indeed the greatest heaven you can experience on the face of earth."
"What is so unique about this place?" Karan inquires.
"Unique you ask? Let me tell you. Beyond that gate, you can find every kind of 'dope' imaginable—cocaine, marijuana, snake venom, fentanyl, heroin, meth, you name it. And tonight, they're unveiling something new, something never seen before. A one of its kind, more potent, more intoxicating than anything else." He grins, pointing to himself. "And I'm here to secure exclusive rights to it." he said proudly.
"And the authorities turn a blind eye to all this? How does a place like this stay under the radar?" Karan asks, genuinely curious.
"Hmph! Authorities? Toss them some cash or a few hits of the good stuff, and they're more obedient and docile than any stray dog. And if they don't, you can have them replaced anytime. And above all, like I told you before, tonight, there is something special that will be entering the market soon, and only those with special invites," he pulls a black card from his coat's pocket, "such as myself, are allowed to enter."
"Babe! I am here!" Amidst their conversation, a feminine voice interrupts from the entrance of the alley. Following the voice, a blonde girl with fair complexion, wearing a sparkling red one-piece approached the young man.
Putting the black card away, the young man opens his arms and hugs her, "Honey, you are finally here!" Unnoticed, a shadowy, smoky tendril creeps from the ground, slithering toward the pocket where he stashed the card.
"Sorry, the traffic was a mess." The girl apologises.
"Come on, let's head inside."
"Okay!"
"Now move aside, you vermin!" he snaps at Karan, who's already standing to the side.
"Hmph." Following her partner, the girl also sneerd at Karan.
"Can I see your invitation card, sir?" The bouncer asked them respectfully.
"Sure." The young man reaches into his coat pocket. "Huh?" He fumbles through every pocket, but only emptyness came to his grasp.
"What's wrong, babe?"
"I—I swear I had the invitation in here just a moment ago!" He pulls off his coat, frantically searching. "Where did it go?"
"Sir, if you don't have the invitation, please step aside and let the others through." The bouncer says firmly.
"W-wait! I definitely had it on me a while ago—" before he can finish, the bouncer called for the next person, "Next."
To which, Karan stepped forward.
"May I see your invitation card, sir?" The bouncer asks him.
Looking at Karan, "Pfft. No need to ask him. He is some foreign bum. There is no way he got the invitation." The young man scoffs.
Unbothered, Karan slips his hand into his coat's inner pocket and produces a black card identical to the one the young man displayed. "Huh?" The young man's jaw drops, leaving him flabbergasted.
"Is this it?" Karan asked the bouncer.
Taking the card from his hand, the bouncer verifies it's authenticity, pockets it, and steps aside, opening the door for Karan.
"H-how?" The young'en stammers, still in shock, to which, "Bumpkins." Karan sneers and entered inside. The door shutting behind him.
Returning to face the two youngsters the bouncer says, "Sir, if you don't have the invitation, please leave."
"But I had one just now—" Remembering that he'd shown the card to Karan before it vanished, "Hey! The invitation that bastard just showed you was mine!!" He belowed in anger as he came to realise what he was missing. "That thief stole it from me!!"
"Sir, this is your final warning, please leave if you don't have the invitation."
"I told you that it was my invitation! Call that bastard out!" He yells as he tried to force his way in to get to Karan.
"Babe what are you doing! Stop!" The girl tried to stop him but all in vain.
Looking at the aggression of the person before him, the bouncer held him back and tosses him to the side, Baam! "Sir, please leave. You are not allowed to enter without an invitation."
"Harry! Stop it!" The girl approached Harry who was sprawling over the concrete floor, "It's okay! I don't wanna go anymore. Let's just leave."
Propping himself up from the ground, Harry glares at the bouncer and then towards the gate with bloodshot eyes. Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, he snarls, "I swear I'll pay you a hundred time for humiliating me like this, you fu*king, filthy vermin!"