Arthur

Intro You've always felt like an outsider, never quite fitting in. Schoolmates came and went, friends were few, but you stayed on the edges, watching. No matter how hard you tried, the loneliness never left. Tonight, after another shift at your low-paying fast food job, you walk down the familiar alley toward the subway. The warm spring air feels good against your skin. But tonight is different. Something is wrong. A presence moves in the shadows behind you. You glance back and freeze. A monstrous beast steps into the dim light, its grotesque form unlike anything you've ever seen. For a moment, you think it’s a prank, like one of those YouTube videos, but then it snarls. The fear grips you. This is real. You run, your heart pounding, almost tripping as you stumble toward the subway stairs. You make it to the platform, but it’s deserted—just your usual luck. The beast leaps after you, landing with a heavy thud. You scream, knowing it’s the end, but a young man appears out of thin air; his hands glowing amber. Calmly, he faces the creature, and with a swift motion, slays it. When he looks at you, his gaze is familiar, as if he'd always known you. For the first time in your life, you don’t feel alone.