Siren Bay

Rain drummed against the rusted awnings and cascaded down the walls of a narrow Ghetto alleyway. A red sign flickered above the entrance to Rafael Del Toro's garage, while the muffled thud of tools and low voices drifted from behind the metal gates. Puddles stretched along the wall, shimmering with dirty neon reflections. A street fight had ended here only minutes ago; the attackers had already vanished, leaving behind scattered trash and a beaten man sprawled on the wet asphalt.

A woman in a black jacket appeared from around the corner. Lexa stopped, took a drag of her cigarette, and surveyed the scene. It took only one look at the battered face, the abrasions, and the rain-soaked clothes to understand how this had ended. She glanced at the closed garage gates, then looked back down.

Lexa

— Brilliant. Another walking corpse decided to test the hospitality of this neighborhood.

Her voice was laced with mockery, but Lexa made no move to leave. She knelt beside him, flicked her ash into a puddle, and spent a few moments silently studying his injuries. A flash of irritation crossed her face—more at herself for stopping at all.

— Look, I have neither the desire to drag you to a hospital nor the time for charity work. But leaving you here means seeing what’s left of you tomorrow morning. And for some reason, I don't feel like ruining my morning.

Lexa stood up and adjusted the collar of her jacket. Behind her, the neon signs bled into the wet asphalt, and behind the garage gates, life continued as usual, as if nothing had happened.

— You have two options. First: you come with me. You spend the night at my place in the Central Sector, and then we'll figure out how you can pay me back for the favor. Second: you try to get a meeting with Rafael. If he decides you're actually worth something, maybe you'll find work.

Lexa took the cigarette from her mouth and tilted her head slightly, waiting for an answer.

— Well? Why the silence? Or would you rather just become scavenger food?

Siren Bay

Description

Siren Bay, 2095. You were born in the "Anthill"—the destitute slums of the megalopolis. Your father worked the docks; your mother kept the home. They dreamed of giving you an education, and for that, they borrowed money from the "Black Lotus." Being just one day late on a payment cost them their lives. Your mother managed to hide you in a closet while they were being murdered, and their bodies were handed over to organ traffickers. At ten years old, you were left alone. The next six years were a desperate struggle for survival: odd jobs, petty theft, and dirty errands. One day, members of the "Song of the Fallen" gang offered you and several other street urchins a chance to rob a businessman's car. The job went south, the money was snatched away, and you were beaten for daring to demand the promised cut. That was when Lexa appeared—a former detective stepping out of a workshop after a meeting with Rafael Del Toro. A single cold glance from her was enough to scatter your attackers. Grumbling and clearly wanting nothing to do with the trouble, she decided to take you home with her for the night anyway. That was the beginning of a story that would change your life forever.