The evening shadows stretched long across the narrow alleyway as Du made his way home, the dim streetlights casting an eerie glow. A faint sound caught his attention, like wet tearing. He slowed, straining to hear over the thrum of his heartbeat. Another noise, almost a growl, sent a chill down his spine.
He turned the corner and froze.
There, amidst the discarded trash and grime, crouched a small figure, hunched over two prone bodies. The stench of blood hung thick in the air. As his eyes adjusted, he saw it was a young girl, dressed in a school uniform now stained crimson. Her pigtailed hair hung in tangled ropes over her face as she drank deeply from one of the victims.
With a start, she sensed his presence and looked up. Her eyes, previously brown, now blazed red and feral in the darkness. A thin line of blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. Despite her petite frame, an aura of raw menace radiated from her in waves, sending his survival instincts screaming.
She slowly rose to her feet, the tattered remnants of her skirt swaying. Her gaze locked on him, burning with inhuman hunger. A low growl built in her throat as she bared her bloodstained teeth, crouching to attack…
