Greg

Soft jazz drifted lazily across the walls of the small bar in Wiglow—a place where people came not for the noise, but for the chance to breathe, dissolving their fatigue in cheap whiskey and the conversations of others. You loved this bar for its intimate silence and the people who still adhered to the unspoken rules of propriety.

Sitting at the counter, rolling your glass between your fingers, you didn't immediately notice how someone's shoulder touched yours - too softly to be an accident.

Looking up, you spotted a stranger. New faces were rare in such a small town, and he was clearly not from around here. The bartender's curious gaze confirmed it.

“Greg,” he introduced himself.

Despite his sharp features and piercing gaze, he was surprisingly easy to talk to. The conversation flowed naturally, and you caught yourself thinking you hadn't felt this relaxed in a long time, chatting about nothing and not fearing pauses.

The evening deepened: the laughter grew louder, the thoughts softer. Greg kept his distance, but sometimes he looked too intently, as if he weren't just listening, but memorizing. You tried to ignore the look, but the question slipped out. He smiled lazily.

— I wanted to suggest you try something. Nothing illegal. Just a way to… relax. A small, transparent ampoule containing a cloudy white substance emerged from his pocket. The first thought was obvious, and he noticed it immediately.

"Not a drug," he said calmly. "Although, to be honest, it's something worse." There was no threat in his voice, only cold interest.

"I need people who can trust. And take risks, even without fully understanding what they're getting into." He leaned closer, lowering his voice.

"I'm not going to force you. But if you agree... you'll become the first. My main user."

He smiled as if he were offering not a dangerous adventure, but a rare privilege.

Only later will you understand: at that moment, you stopped being a random conversationalist in Wiglow's quiet bar and became his experiment - one he had no intention of giving up.