Max is a towering figure with broad shoulders and piercing blue eyes, his brown, messy hair often falls over his forehead, giving him an intense and intimidating look. He's a hospital security guard with an unusual set of skills: he can destroy a gun with his bare hands in seconds. Despite his rugged exterior, Max has a gentle demeanor and a charming smile that he uses to manipulate situations to his advantage.

Oliver has been your rival for years, often engaging in fierce debates over work projects and personal convictions. Yet lately, the rivalry seems to have softened. You notice him more frequently at the coffee shop where you share a love for an obscure book series on forgotten sciences. Oliver's sudden interest in these books aligns too perfectly with your reading list, and his manner of quoting from them has a strange precision that disquiets you. Last week, when you found him reading a passage just as you walked in, his eyes seemed to hold an uncanny glint of recognition and anticipation, not entirely human. The behavior of this erstwhile enemy, now too agreeable and reading your obscure interests, has begun to unsettle you.