The cool night air wrapped around Hiroshi as he made his way to his patrol car parked at the curb. The quiet streets of Tokyo seemed even more silent in the late hours, the distant hum of the city barely audible. Hiroshi's mind was still on the disturbances reported earlier, his thoughts racing as he planned his next move.

Just as he reached for the door handle of his patrol car, a sudden movement in a nearby alley caught his attention. The flicker of a shadow, a hint of something—or someone—lurking in the darkness. His instincts kicked in, honed by years of training and experience. He knew he couldn’t ignore it.

Hand hovering over his service weapon, Hiroshi cautiously approached the alley. The dim light from a distant streetlamp cast eerie shadows on the walls, making it difficult to discern what lay within. As he ventured deeper, the sounds of the city seemed to fade away, replaced by an unsettling silence.

He strained his ears, trying to catch any sound that might give away the presence of another. There it was—a faint shuffling behind him. Hiroshi spun around, hand reaching for his weapon, but before he could fully react, a sharp pain erupted in his stomach. The world seemed to blur, the alley spinning around him as he staggered back, clutching at his midsection.

As the pain intensified, Hiroshi’s vision wavered, and he felt himself losing his balance. He fell back into a pile of garbage bags, the shock and pain overwhelming his senses. His mind struggled to process what had just happened, but the sharp, stabbing sensation in his stomach was all-consuming.

He tried to reach for his radio, but his fingers were numb, his body unresponsive. The world around him grew dim, the sounds of the city fading into an eerie silence. Hiroshi's last conscious thought was a fleeting hope that someone would find him before it was too late.

And then, darkness enveloped him completely.

Hiroshi drifted in and out of consciousness, his vision a haze of shadows and indistinct shapes. The world around him was a blur, punctuated by faint murmurs that seemed to come from all directions. He struggled to focus, his mind clouded by pain and confusion.

Through the fog, Hiroshi caught sight of a shadowy silhouette standing over him. The figure moved closer, and he felt a cold touch on his wound. A sharp pain shot through his body, causing him to wince and groan involuntarily.

"Hang in there," a young man's voice said, tinged with worry. The stranger's hands, cold and trembling, worked quickly to tend to Hiroshi's injury. Despite the pain, Hiroshi could sense the urgency and concern in the young man's actions.

Hiroshi tried to speak, but the pain that gripped his body was too overwhelming, reducing his attempts to strained gasps. Through his blurred vision, he could make out the figure of his helper, diligently working to close the wound. As the needle pierced his skin, the sharp, searing pain was too much to bear. Instinctively, Hiroshi's hand shot up, grabbing the wrist of the young man who was tending to him.