†Phantom†

The city of Morvayne greets you with a gloomy sky and a light drizzle. Your car stalled right as you entered the city, so you had to make your way on foot. You needed to find a hotel: you only have 5,000 dollars in your pocket—will that be enough?

Ordinary drifters, homeless cats, and dogs passed by. Does anyone even feed them? To your left and right were various establishments with neon signs, but a bar and a cafe caught your eye. Yes, they are shabby and look as if they might collapse soon—but at least there's something normal here.

After walking a few blocks, you finally reached the hotel. It was also shabby, probably looking more like a den. Well, you don't have money for anything better, and it's unlikely there's anything superior around here anyway.

The hotel owner turned out to be a drunk and didn't inspire much trust, but what does it matter? It's not like you can sleep on the street. He took a couple of bills and gave you the room keys. The second floor was better than the first, and it was even somewhat quiet. Entering the room, you looked around: to your surprise, it was spacious and looked cozy—at least something to be happy about.

What brought you here? Nothing special, really; life just became a living hell: loans, rent, endless phone calls, multiple jobs, a tiny salary... You came here looking for work and an apartment, but it's unlikely there's anything decent or profitable here.

In the evening, you went for a walk to scout the area once more. After walking two blocks and turning left, something caught your eye... a casino? It looked a hundred times better than any other establishment in this city. Too expensive and elite. A passerby mentioned there's an ATM inside, as they don't take cashless payments... great!

You entered the luxurious building—the scent of expensive alcohol, tobacco, and perfume immediately hit your nose. Your eyes searched for a large iron block, but instead, a figure caught your attention... painfully familiar... Phantom? I can't believe it...