The city didn't sleep.
It never did.
But tonight… something was wrong.
It wasn't the constant noise of engines, nor the flickering neon lights that looked like they were about to die. It wasn't the smell of rain mixed with garbage and rusted metal either.
It was something else.
Something that didn't belong.
Damián felt it before he saw it.
He stopped at the end of the alley, his hoodie soaked, his breathing steady. His eyes scanned the darkness as if searching for a crack in reality.
Silence.
Too much silence.
—…This isn't normal —he muttered.
Then he saw it.
A man.
Standing in the middle of the alley, completely still.
Not breathing.
Not moving.
Not reacting.
Nothing.
Damián frowned. Seeing dead bodies in that area wasn't unusual… but this wasn't that.
This was different.
The body had no visible wounds.
No blood.
And yet… something about it screamed danger.
His instincts tightened.
—Leave —his mind whispered.
But it was already too late.
The body moved.
Not like a person.
Not like something alive.
It was a jerky, unnatural motion, like something had pulled an invisible string.
The head turned.
Straight toward him.
The eyes…
Empty.
Dead.
But staring.
Damián took a step back.
Then another.
His heart began to beat faster, but his face remained cold.
—No way…
The body stepped forward.
One step.
Clumsy.
Uncoordinated.
But each movement seemed to… correct itself.
Adapt.
Learn.
—…That's not human.
The air grew heavy.
And then—
The man disappeared.
Damián barely had time to react.
A sharp impact.
Pain.
His body slammed against the wall.
The hit knocked the air out of his lungs.
—…!
Before he could recover, the figure was already in front of him.
Too fast.
Too close.
A hand wrapped around his neck.
Brutal strength.
Crushing.
Damián tried to break free, his hands striking the attacker's arm, but it was like hitting steel.
—…Die…
The voice didn't sound human.
It was… hollow.
Like it came from somewhere lifeless.
The pressure increased.
His vision began to darken.
His body screamed.
His mind… didn't.
It thought.
Calculated.
Searched for a way out.
It had always been like that.
Even now.
Even while dying.
His eyes moved.
Quickly.
Evaluating.
Distance.
Angle.
Weakness.
Nothing.
There was nothing.
And yet—
—…No —he thought.
He wasn't going to die there.
Not like that.
Not like no one.
Not like a mistake.
His hand moved.
Desperate.
Blind.
His fingers found something on the ground.
A shard of glass.
Without hesitation—
HE STABBED.
Straight into the thing's neck.
One second.
Nothing happened.
Then—
Resistance.
Flesh giving way.
And then—
Blood.
Dark.
Thick.
Slowly dripping.
The body froze.
Its empty eyes trembled.
For the first time…
Something changed.
Damián didn't stop.
He stabbed again.
Once.
Twice.
Again.
Until the pressure on his neck vanished.
The body dropped.
Heavy.
Dead.
Now… truly dead.
Damián collapsed against the wall, gasping, his chest rising and falling violently.
His hands trembled.
Not from fear.
From adrenaline.
He looked at the body.
Then at the bloodied glass.
Then at his own hands.
—…What the hell was that…?
Silence.
And then—
Something appeared.
Not in front of him.
Not in the world.
But in his mind.
Cold.
Clear.
Impossible to ignore.
[NEXUS SYSTEM DETECTED]
Compatibility: Confirmed
Status: Critical
Initializing activation...
Damián froze.
—…What?
The air shifted.
The world… felt heavier.
As if something invisible had set its eyes on him.
```id="0pu4r0"
Evaluating subject...
— Survival in anomalous event
— Adaptability
— Response under stress
Result: QUALIFIED
```
His pulse quickened.
—This isn't real…
```id="3hmh91"
[NEXUS SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
```
The message appeared with absolute clarity.
There was no doubt.
It wasn't a hallucination.
It wasn't a dream.
It was real.
And he knew it.
```id="ux6j40"
Welcome, Bearer.
Your evolution has begun.
```
The body on the ground…
Disintegrated.
Not slowly.
Not naturally.
It simply… ceased to exist.
As if it had never been there.
Damián's eyes sharpened, fully alert.
—…No.
This had gone too far.
```id="alz9v3"
First mission assigned.
```
A new message appeared.
Colder.
Sharper.
```id="5q3v7t"
[MISSION: SURVIVE]
Description: You are not the only one.
Objective: Stay alive for the next 24 hours.
Reward: Full system activation
Failure: Death
```
Silence.
The city returned.
Noise.
Lights.
Rain.
Everything the same.
Except…
It wasn't.
Damián slowly stood up.
His body ached.
His mind… didn't.
He smiled.
Just slightly.
—…Good.
His eyes hardened.
—Then let them come.
Because if this was a game…
He had no intention of losing.
And somewhere—
Something…
Was watching him.