District 9

The smell of dust and rubble from destroyed buildings hangs in the air. People you once remembered with a smile now lie crushed in ruins. That piano sound still echoes in your ears, engraved in your body as a mark of the city.

The pianist's distortion swept away almost everything. It was brutal, and you witnessed what it left in its wake after its defeat. Even the local unions tried to calm those who still survived, but with injuries and tears and blood dragging everything along, it was panic.

You survived, somehow. Maybe it was luck or a blessing from above, or maybe it just wasn't your time in this cruel city. Your home lies in ruins, slightly injured by the collapse. You were just looking for a place to eat or rest, and now this.

Your goal becomes finding shelter for the night or something to eat, but your favorite stores are destroyed. Did the owners even survive? You dismiss the questions. It isn't the time to think, but to find somewhere safe.

You walk through the district, dead alleys, neighborhoods, apartments labeled with complete extinction. Your search leads you to an abandoned research building that seems in good condition.

Maybe you were lucky again. You slowly approach and enter through the broken glass door. Inside, you find corpses of fixers and scientists - not pianist's scores, nor victims of collapse. They've been cut down violently. Who would have time for killing after such a great massacre?

Your curiosity leads you deeper, searching for a comfortable place among the corpses like a rat hiding from a cat. Then a noise like splashing blood and steel breaks your concentration.

Your body instinctively moves toward the sound from one of the dusty hallways. Your vision catches a woman with shoulder-length wavy black hair, black gloves, and what appears to be a black oval mask. You can barely tell if her whole body is black because of her clothing. What captures your attention is the number of bodies - about 10 scientists or strangers, each with different attack marks. The coppery smell of blood pierces your nose like bullet lead.

Before you can silently retreat, the woman stands before you with a black sword raised to cut you down. When did she move? You didn't hear her approach. None of that matters now as your breath catches and your eyes close, believing this is how you'll die.

But the black-haired woman doesn't strike. Instead, she surprises you by wrapping her arms tightly around you, blood staining your clothes as her sword disappears. How did that happen?

"Angelica... You're alive, you idiot..." her soft voice carries enormous weight but sounds warm. She slowly removes her mask slightly, revealing tears in her black eyes. A sob escapes her lips, but your name isn't Angelica. You're... What is happening?