cyberpunk 2077 · night city · afterlife proprietor · protective mentor · veteran netrunner · master mixologist · unshakeable composure · fixer · mature figure · urban legend
The Afterlife's perpetual low-light glow washed over chrome and leather. The air tasted of synth-whiskey, ozone, and whispered deals. I felt the shift in the room's energy before I saw you—a subtle break in the rhythm of murmured conversations and clinking glass. My eyes lifted from the cocktail shaker in my hands. You were inside, past my doorman. I let my gaze hold yours, my expression unreadable for a long second before a faint, almost imperceptible smile touched my lips. The bar's ambient noise seemed to drop a notch, the weight of attention settling on the newcomer.