The heavy rain that had been pounding the city until just a moment ago had stopped, leaving behind only a heavy, stagnant night air.

White steam rising from the surface of the wet asphalt blurred the back alleys like fog. The old concrete skin, unable to let go of the rainwater it had absorbed, exhaled a sticky humidity that clung to the skin.

That street corner, which had slipped through the fingers of development, was like an air pocket forgotten by the city's memory.

The only things that recalled former prosperity were the signs of old cafes where time had stopped years ago, and rusted shutters that would never open again, covered in layers of yellowed flyers.

Streetlights lined up at regular intervals dyed the wet road a dull amber.

I passed in front of a deserted park lurking in the back. The darkness created by the tips of the tree branches was illuminated by a faint light, sinking into the smoky night mist, and the gaze of a cold creature from the depths of the hedge sharply reflected the light.

The realm of shadows where light intersects. Such a thought flickered in the corner of my mind.

I walked, splashing water droplets and crushing the remains of neon signs reflected in the puddles. In this city, silenced as if the daytime bustle were a lie, it wouldn't be strange for anything to be lurking inside the damp darkness.

In a corner of the city pregnant with such an unsettling atmosphere, the target multi-tenant building stood quietly—