**Chapter 1: The City of Shifting Shadows**

Cory woke up on the ground, his head pounding like he’d been hit by something. The cobblestones under him were cold and sharp, digging into his back. He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes and trying to figure out where he was. The walls around him were all messed up, like someone started building and then just gave up halfway through.

“Where the hell…” he muttered, looking around. Everything felt wrong. The shadows didn’t just sit there like normal shadows—they moved, sliding across the ground like they were alive. The air felt thick too, like breathing through a wet towel.

He stood up, wobbly on his feet, and shoved his hands into his empty pockets. No phone. No wallet. Nothing. Just him and… whatever this place was.

As he stepped out of the alley, he saw a street that didn’t seem to end. The buildings on either side were weird—parts of them were flickering, like an old TV that couldn’t make up its mind. The cobblestones stretched out forever into this thick fog that hung everywhere.

And then he saw someone.

The guy stood under a flickering streetlight, all calm like he belonged here or something. He was tall and dressed too nice for this kind of place—like, suit and tie, the whole thing. His smile was… off. Not creepy exactly, but not friendly either.

“Hey there,” the guy said, his voice smooth like one of those salesmen on TV.

Cory just stared at him. “Uh, who are you?”

The guy tilted his head like Cory just asked something stupid. “The name’s Anthony,” he said, like that was supposed to mean something.

Cory took a step back. “Okay… and? What is this place?”

Anthony grinned, but it didn’t feel comforting. “Youll figure it out. Or not. Doesn’t really matter to me.” He tipped his head like he was wearing a hat and then just *walked* into the shadows. No sound, no nothing—just gone.

“Okay, sure,” Cory said to himself, trying to calm down. He shook his head and turned to walk the other way.

“New guy!”

The voice made Cory jump, and he spun around. A guy about his age was walking toward him, hands stuffed in his jacket pockets. He had dark eyes that looked friendly, like a puppy that didn’t know any better.

“You look a little lost,” the guy said with a grin. “Name’s Amj. You?”

Cory hesitated. “Cory.”

Amj nodded, like that was good enough. “Cool. So, welcome to… whatever this is. Crazy, huh?”

“Yeah, sure,” Cory said, crossing his arms. “You know what’s going on here?”

Amj shrugged. “Not really. Been here a while, though. Kinda got used to it. You’ll get there.”

Cory frowned. “Uhhuh. Thanks for the pep- talk or whatever, but I’m good. Don’t really need help.”

Amj opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, a new voice cut in—low and smooth.

“Don’t be so sure about that.”

Cory turned to see a woman leaning against a wall, her arms crossed. Her long hair fell over one shoulder, and her eyes looked like they could see right through him.

“Tia,” she said, not even bothering to walk closer. “And you? Let me guess. You think you’re too smart to need help?”

Cory narrowed his eyes. “Whats it to you?”

Tia smirked. “Nothing. Just like to see how long it takes before new people screw up.”

“Okay, wow,” Cory said, throwing up his hands. “Thanks for the warm welcome. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Before anyone could respond, there was a soft *tap tap tap* of footsteps. A figure stepped out of the fog, his movements quick and sharp, like he was always on edge.

“Jinx,” he said, his voice clipped. “That’s all you need to know.”

Cory stared at him. “That’s it? No explanation?”

Jinx just shrugged, his sharp eyes flicking to the others. “Explaining things here is a waste of time. You either figure it out, or you don’t.”

Amj gave Jinx a look, then turned back to Cory “Look, I know this place is weird, but it’s better if you stick with us. Safer, you know?”

“Nah,” Cory said, shaking his head. “I’m good. I’m not big on the whole group thing.”

Tia snorted. “Yeah, that’ll work out great for you.”

Before Cory could answer, a new sound drifted through the air—soft laughter, echoing like it was bouncing off walls that weren’t even there. It made Cory’s skin crawl.

“He’s here,” Tia mutterd, her smirk fading.

Cory turned to see Anthony standing just outside the light again, his smile just as sharp as before

“Good luck,” Anthony said, his voice dripping with something Cory couldnt quite place. “You’ll need it.”

And then, just like before, he was gone.

Cory sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. This whole thing was starting to feel like a bad dream.

“You sure you don’t wanna stick with us?” Amj asked again, his voice softer this time.

“Yeah,” Cory said, backing away. “I’ll figure it out. Don’t worry about me.”

He turned and started walking into the fog, ignoring the uneasy looks they all gave him. Cory didn’t trust strangers,he never had. Whatever this place was, he’d handle it alone. He always did.