Asura Ranks

  Sarah’s heels echoed like a metronome against the desolate pavement, each sharp click ricocheting off the brick walls of the narrow alleyway. She pulled her coat tighter around her slender frame, the fabric rustling in the unsettling silence. Her breath puffed out in small, visible clouds, lingering in the cool night air before dissolving into nothingness. A breeze ruffled her chestnut hair, blowing loose strands across her face and sticking to the gloss of her pale lips. She tucked them back with a gloved hand, her fingers trembling slightly, though she wasn’t sure if it was from the cold or something else—something lurking just beyond her awareness. The streetlights, weak and flickering, offered little comfort. Their pale, sickly glow seemed to bleed into the darkness rather than push it back, casting long, distorted shadows that slithered along the pavement like restless phantoms. Sarah's normally bright hazel eyes darted around nervously, trying to pierce the gloom. The sha...

  Lyka shot up from her seat, her anxiety written all over her face, and quickly made her way toward the bathroom, her steps hurried and unsure. Alysa followed closely behind, noticing the way Lyka kept glancing back over her shoulder, her eyes wide and pleading as if needing constant reassurance that she wasn’t alone. The hallway seemed to stretch endlessly before them, the shadows pooling in the corners, deep and uninviting. Before reaching the bathroom door, Lyka turned to Alysa, her voice trembling slightly. “Don’t leave me, okay?” Alysa offered her a comforting smile, though the flickering light from the living room barely reached them, casting long, eerie shadows along the walls. “I’ll be right here, don’t worry,” she said softly, her tone gentle but firm, as if trying to banish the creeping dread with her words alone. Lyka hesitated for a moment longer, her hand hovering over the old brass doorknob, before finally pushing the door open and stepping inside. The bathroom...

    A week had passed since Danny's crew was rescued, but Danny himself remained missing. Hundreds of volunteers had scoured the woods to no avail. The station was eerily quiet, with only a handful of us left. The constant ringing of phones and officers scrambling to respond to calls created an unsettling backdrop of chaos. It was quarter past seven in the evening when I noticed another set of officers frantically standing up and leaving. The dim lights of the station cast long shadows, making the scene even more tense. James approached, his face etched with concern. "What's going on?" I inquired. "Multiple cases of public disturbance. Riots. Store raids. We are all being called to help," he replied. I nodded, grabbing my jacket and revolver from beneath my cabinet. We hurried outside towards the cars, the cold night air biting at our skin. The sight of people running in the streets, their faces twisted in terror, puzzled us. "What the hell?...