The city never sleeps.
Even in its silence, it watches, listens, and judges.
I stepped into my apartment, the door closing with a soft click behind me. The rain had stopped hours ago, but the city's wet breath still clung to everything—metal, concrete, and skin. I set my coat down and noticed the envelope on the mat.
Not there before.
No one else had a key.
I knelt and picked it up. Thick paper, heavy with intention. No stamps, no handwriting. Just my name scrawled in bold black letters.
Inside, a photograph.
Eva.
Not the Eva I remembered. Younger. Smiling. In front of some building I didn't recognize. My stomach clenched. Memories I thought I'd buried clawed their way back to the surface.
Beneath the photo was another sheet. Just a time and a place:
11:45 PM — Dock 17, North Quay.
No explanation. No sender. Just a clue. Or a warning.
I sat at the edge of my bed, holding the photograph and sheet in my hands. Whoever had left this wanted me to come. Or they wanted me to make a mistake.
I leaned back, staring at the ceiling. The shadows there were longer than they should have been. I felt eyes on me. Not real eyes—but the feeling of being anticipated.
Liara wasn't here. Of course not.
I knew she would have stopped me if she could. She always tried to keep me alive. But this was mine to walk. My game. My move.
I studied the time, the location, and Eva's photo again. Patterns, possibilities, outcomes. I could feel the pieces moving before they were placed.
One thing was clear:
This was the first move.
And every game had rules.
I closed my eyes and breathed deep. I could almost hear her voice, whispering from years ago: "Ryan… watch the shadows, trust nothing."
A clock ticked somewhere in the city.
I stood up, folding the photograph carefully and tucking it into my coat. My fingers brushed the paper one last time.
I didn't know who had left it.
I didn't know if it was a trap.
I didn't know if Eva had anything to do with it.
But I knew this: someone wanted me to take the first step.
And the streets of Gravehaven were ready.