Neon & Marrow — Chapter 1: Chapter 1
Vane enters the rain-slicked alleys of Sector Four, his target a dissident technician rumored to be sabotaging the syndicate’s data relays. He breaches the hidden safehouse with mechanical precision, expecting a quick termination, but stops dead when he catches the scent of jasmine oil and sees a distinctive hairpin resting on the workbench. The occupant turns, revealing the face of Elara, the girl he witnessed die in the Sector fire a decade ago. Overwhelmed by the sight, Vane hesitates, failing to execute the purge as his own demonic mark begins to pulse violently on his wrist. He ultimately chooses to lock the safehouse door from the inside to hide her presence, despite the mounting hunger of the curse that demands a kill to sate its arousal.