CH1-EP1:

“Humans are good at pretending.
We laugh, smile, make jokes... but inside, we bleed.
We tell the world, ‘I’m fine,’ while carrying the weight of our wounds.
Most of us hide behind a mask, afraid to face reality — a mask we wear so well, even we start to believe it.
But masks crack. And when they do, the pain leaks through.
And when it does — some people run. Others break.”

The sun was setting, and darkness began to envelope the city.

Lucio, drenched in sweat, had just finished his shift at the local construction company. The sting of the sun clung to him like a bad curse, and every muscle screamed in agony. But nothing compared to the deeper, darker pain that lingered inside him — the kind that couldn’t be washed away by sweat or hard work.

The city around him pulsed with life, bustling with people and noise, but for Lucio, it felt as if the world was a distant dream — one he was merely drifting through. His thoughts were far off, disconnected from the present, consumed by shadows of a past he couldn’t outrun.

He made his way down a quiet street, the streetlights flickering above, casting uncertain glows across the cracked pavement. Then, in the distance, he spotted an unusual figure — a man draped in a tattered cloak, his face hidden beneath a hood.

As Lucio passed, the figure unexpectedly bumped into him, causing him to stop.

The stranger’s voice was low, but its weight hit Lucio like a heavy blow.

“Where light fades, shadows stir. Unveil the truth — or become part of the lie.”

Before Lucio could react, the man reached into his cloak and handed him a pair of sunglasses. The frames were oddly cold to the touch. The man chuckled — a sound hollow and dry — before turning and walking away, disappearing into the shadows of the street.

Lucio stood there, staring at the strange sunglasses in his hand. They didn’t look or feel like a cheap knockoff you’d find at a local store — sleek, well-made, and tinted in his favourite colour: matte black.

“Not half bad... but who was that guy?” he muttered.

He didn’t think much of it. Slipping the sunglasses into his pocket, he felt a sudden chill crawl up his spine.

He brushed it off and continued home.