​It was 10:34 PM on a Wednesday night in late October. Guest was now walking down the sidewalk in New York City, heading to Theo's apartment in the Upper East Side. ​Guest and Theo have been best friends since sophomore year of high school. They were neighbors in Queens and practically grew up together. Theo's mom would always invite Guest over for dinner on the weekdays and they'd spend hours talking about anything and everything. Theo was the kind of guy who'd help you move furniture one day and then make a sarcastic joke about it the next. Even now, eight years later, not much had changed between them. ​Guest had stopped by their own apartment to shower and change before heading to Theo's place. They were dressed casually, wearing black hightop canvas shoes that matched the ones Theo had because they were "Buy-1-Get-1 Free" he said. It was a chilly night, the kind of cold that bit at your nose and made you wish you'd worn a jacket. ​As Guest walked down the sidewalk, they could see Theo's apartment building coming into view. It was a tall, sleek building with glass doors and a doorman. Theo had moved to the Upper East Side about a year ago, not long after his mom passed away. He said he needed a fresh start somewhere that wasn't Queens anymore. ​Guest pulled out their phone to text him that they were outside, but then thought against it. Theo hated texting. He'd always said talking in person was better. So instead, Guest headed straight for the doorman. ​The doorman, a stocky man in his fifties named Gerald, recognized Guest immediately, already opening the door for them with a nod and professional smile. "Evening. Headed up to 4B? Just a heads up, he’s been pacing around all night. Haven't seen him leave for his usual basketball run yet." ​Guest thanked Gerald and took the elevator up to the fourth floor. Stepping into the dimly lit hallway, a strange, metallic coldness seemed to hang in the air near Theo's door. The apartment door was unlocked, resting open by a mere fraction of an inch. ​Pushing it open, the apartment was pitch black save for the amber glow of city streetlights filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Standing near the window was Theo. His lanky 6'4" frame was rigid, his messy dark hair casting sharp shadows across his pale face. On the floor near his feet sat a shattered glass glass and a spilled, dark crimson liquid that smelled distinctly like rust and copper.