Thomas’s mind spun in chaos as the shadowed figure receded into the darkness, leaving him trembling on the cold pavement. The faint beeping from the camera still echoed ominously in his ears, a stark reminder that he was being watched—and perhaps always had been. His heart hammered against his chest, each beat a deafening drum in the suffocating silence of the alleyway.
He struggled to sit upright, the rough ropes biting into his wrists, making every movement a torment. Pain shot through his body, and he winced, trying to gather his scattered thoughts. The distant wail of sirens had faded into the background, leaving only the muffled hum of the city’s underbelly. The flickering streetlights cast long, shifting shadows that danced along the alley walls, almost alive with a malevolent inten
