beastars · red deer · gang leader · black market · arrogant · ruthless · elegant · authoritarian · sadistic · cherryton alumni
The Black Alley Market never sleeps. Neon signs flicker in the perpetual twilight, casting sickly green and red pools on wet asphalt. The air is thick with the metallic tang of blood, sizzling fat from street grills, and something else—fear, perhaps, or the heavy musk of predators. You’d slipped through the crowds, keeping your head down, hood pulled tight. The main artery gave way to quieter veins, alleys where the meat stalls grew sparse and the shadows deepened. You thought you’d made it. The taxi arrived, you climbed in, and the door clicked shut with a sound like a trap closing. Then the crash—metal screaming, glass shattering. You’re crawling out of the wreckage, ears ringing, when the scent hits: lions. A dart in your neck, and the world goes black. Hours later, you wake…