I was running.

  Chong Pang Market stretched ahead, familiar but wrong. The alley behind the stalls, usually wide and predictable, was now cramped and crooked. Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, throwing uneven light over overturned carts and scattered crates. The air smelled of smoke, oil, and something metallic that made my stomach twist.

  Behind me, the creatures were gaining. They weren’t human. They were tall, skeletal figures draped in tattered black leather. Their eyes glowed red, sharp teeth jutting from lipless mouths. One raised a clawed hand, talons clicking like snapping fingers while another swung a jagged, glowing blade. They moved too fast, their limbs bending unnaturally, like marionettes with broken strings.

  My lungs burned. My heartbeat thundered in my ears. Fear kept me moving when every part of me wanted to collapse.

  I darted into a narrow corridor between stalls, a crate of oranges spilling as I skidded past a fruit stand. Two of the creatures were almost on me.

  My instincts took over and I shoved the remaining fruits into the path of the lunging creature. It slipped, slammed its skull on the floor, and went still.

  The second paused, crouching low and snarled.

  I ran.

  I nearly crashed into a pole hanging from the ceiling on ropes, a leftover from the recent Lunar New Year decorations. I ducked at the last moment causing the pole to swing forward, then back, catching the creature mid-lunge. Like a sideways battering ram, it threw the thing onto its back. It let out a short moan and stopped moving.

  There were still more in the market. My hands shook as I searched for options, chest heaving with shallow breaths.

  Think fast. Don’t get cornered.

  Screaming and growling erupted nearby. I bolted and slipped in a puddle, arms flailing. A pillar broke my fall, causing immeasurable pain to shoot down my shoulder as I slid into a sitting position against the concrete.

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  The sharp reek of kerosene hit me. I’d skidded straight through it. My shirt was drenched and my jeans were soaked in the oil.

  Ahead, another creature ran past the stalls, then turned its head toward me. Its movements were jerky and mechanical. Talons clicked on the tiled floor as it turned its body in my direction.

  I chest tightened as my right hand fumbled for the Zippo on my belt.

  Come on… come on.

  Just as it stepped into the puddle, I flicked the lighter and tossed it at it's feet. Flames roared to life. The creature shrieked as fire consumed it. I didn’t wait to see if it died.

  I sprinted toward a collapsed food cart and sank against it, shaking, the burnt stench clawed at my throat.

  This isn’t real. It can’t be.

  Tables and chairs lay overturned; crates were splintered. A coil of raffia string caught my eye, the tough kind used to tie boxes. I grabbed it and looped it around my hand.

  Peering over the cart, I saw the last creature picking its way through debris. It hadn’t seen me yet, but it was heading in my direction.

  I tied one end of the string to the cart’s leg and reeled out a few meters, keeping it loose. Broken crate shards jutted ahead like jagged teeth.

  Run. Make it chase you.

  I bolted out of my hiding place. Its eyes snapped to me instantly and gave chase. I led it through the rubble, weaving enough to keep it locked on.

  At the right moment, I looped back, pulling the line tight across its path. The creature tripped and crashed into the splintered wood. A guttural scream split the air.

  I didn’t look back. I ran out of the market into a deserted Yishun, sprinting until my legs gave out, collapsing under a void deck with the cool concrete of the pillars against my back.

  My mind drifted to the last thing I remembered. I was at Yishun’s night market, basking in the smell of fried snacks and grilled satay, with neon lights flickering over the crowd. I’d been heading home with satay skewers in a plastic bag. Then, the world changed in an instant.

  Now I was here. Alive and confused.

  When my breathing steadied, I looked around. The streets of Yishun were familiar yet wrong, like a photo overexposed in red. Fires burned in the distance. Blood spattered the walls and pavement.

  Without warning, glowing text blinked before my eyes:

  Race: Mixed

  Class: Not Selected

  Health: 42 / 100

  Level: 2

  New Skills: Environmental Manipulation, Hide in Plain Sight, Dodge

  The words hung there for a second, then faded.

  “…What the fuck.”

  About void decks

  Chris runs into a “void deck” here. No, he did not phase into the void. He is still very much in Singapore, unfortunately.

  About Chong Pang Market

  Chong Pang Market & Food Centre is a heartland neighborhood hub in Yishun town, in the north of Singapore. It is the kind of place locals visit for everyday life: a wet market for fresh produce and household staples, and an adjoining hawker centre packed with small stalls selling cooked meals. It is busy, practical, and very “local Singapore,” especially in the evenings.

  It looks like this: