章 95: The Awakening (1)

Arthur stepped cautiously into the 7/11, his senses immediately on high alert. The sliding doors closed behind him with a soft hiss, sealing him off from the outside world. The moment he entered, a chill ran down his spine, a shiver that had nothing to do with the temperature. There was something wrong here—something deeply unsettling. He could feel it in his bones, a primal instinct warning him of danger.

The atmosphere inside the store was unnervingly still. There were no slimes oozing through the aisles, no sounds of people rummaging through the shelves. The air was thick with an unnatural mist, a fog that seemed to hover just above the floor, swirling lazily around his ankles. This was supposed to be summer, yet the cold dampness of the fog felt more like an unwelcome guest, creeping into his skin and making him shiver.