His Hunger, My Curse

Chapter I : The Man in the Shadows.

The night air was crisp as Lena Carter navigated the quiet streets of New York City, the familiar sounds of traffic and distant chatter muted by the late hour. She could feel the cool, dampness of the evening moisture seeping into her worn-out sneakers as she hurried onward, her fingers gripping the fraying straps of her bag tightly. After a long shift at the café that had stretched well beyond the planned hours, she was bone-tired. It had been one of those days—too many orders, too few tips, and a persistent feeling that each hour was dragging along like an anchor. With rent due in little more than a week, the extra hours felt more like a desperate attempt at survival than relief.As she walked, she brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Sighing deeply, she glanced at the flickering streetlights that illuminated her path. Life had thrown relentless challenges her way, and though she had become skilled at weathering them, exhaustion weighed heavily on her shoulders. Just then,...