章 206: Chapter: The Hidden Vault

Chapter: The Hidden Vault

The chapter begins in a dimly lit pet store, the air filled with the chirping of birds and the bubbling of aquariums.

Shelves line the walls, stacked with bags of pet food, cages, and colorful toys.

At the counter, a middle-aged shop owner, slightly hunched with gray streaks in his hair, sits restlessly.

His wrinkled face is tense as his mind churns with paranoia from the telepathic suggestion implanted by Sona.

His small, sunken eyes dart toward the young boy working part-time near the front of the shop.

"I should've never hired that boy," he mutters under his breath, the corners of his lips twitching. "No one can be trusted these days."

He stands abruptly, his chair scraping against the tiled floor.

The boy looks up curiously, but the shop owner barks, "Mind your own business!"

He moves toward the back wall, lined with cages holding chirping parakeets.