The streets felt endless. Cory walked a little ahead of the group, trying to keep his distance. The fog had thickened, hanging in the air like an oppressive weight, and the city seemed to stretch farther and farther, like a maze that was closing in around them. He hated how unfamiliar it all felt. No matter how far they walked, it always seemed like they were in the same place, stuck in some kind of loop

He tried not to think about it. He kept his eyes forward, not caring if he was leaving the group behind. They probably wouldnt notice. They never did.

“Cory,” Amj’s voice broke through his thoughts. “You okay?”

Cory gave him a half-hearted wave, brushing him off.“Yea sure. Im fine. Just—keep moving.”

They didnt have time to stop anyway. They had to reach The Core. Cory wasnt even sure what that meant yet, but something in the back of his mind told him it was important. Whatever it was, they had to get there first. He didnt know why, but the sense of urgency gnawed at him.

Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from behind them. Cory turned just in time to see a figure flailing through the fog. It was Daniel, who had tripped over a pile of broken bricks, falling face-first into the street with a loud thud. He didn’t even seem to notice the damage he’d caused to the trash scattered everywhere.

“Oh great,” Amj muttered, though his tone wasn’t angry— more like resigned.

Daniel scrambled to his feet, brushing dirt off his clothes. He looked completely unfazed, like falling down was just part of his routine.

“Can you be more careful?” Jinx asked, his voice flat, not even stopping as he walked.

Daniel didn’t respond. He just gave a thumbs up, then continued walking like it was nothing.

“Can we just go already?” Cory muttered under his breath, pulling ahead again. He wasn’t interested in the tripping over guy, or in anything that didn’t involve him getting out of here.

Amj and Jinx exchanged a glance but didn’t say anything more.

The path ahead grew darker as they walked, the fog thickening even more. Cory could barely make out the outlines of the buildings surrounding them,their tall, jagged forms looming like giants. The city felt alive—like it was watching them, waiting for them to make a mistake

“That thing from earlier” Tia said, her voice low. “What was that?”

Jinx didn’t look back. “Itss nothing,” he said. “We’re just getting closer. The closer we get to The Core, the more...... strange things are going to happen.”

They kept moving. The city had started to shift—just a little at first, but enough to make Cory nervous. The ground beneath them trembled, the buildings creaking and groaning like they were alive. The city was moving, changing, responding to their presence. And every step they took, the air seemed to get thicker

A low hum filled the air, vibrating through the ground. It wasn’t loud, but it was there, persistent, as though the city was alive and breathing with them. Cory felt it in his chest, his heart beating faster with every step. He hated it. He hated how it felt like they were being pulled deeper into something, like the city was dragging them toward an inevitable end.

Then, out of nowhere, the figure appeared again. A shadow in the fog, tall and still, standing at the end of the street.

Cory stopped. Everyone else halted, too. The figure didn’t move. It just stood there, watching them. But they couldn’t make out its face. The fog made everything blur.

“Should we—?” Tia started, but Jinx held up a hand to silence her.

“No. We don’t have time for this"” Jinx said, voice cold. He turned sharply, leading them in the opposite direction.

But as they walked away, the hum grew louder. It was almost deafening now, and the streets around them began to shake again. Cory gritted his teeth, trying to block out the noise, but it felt like the whole city was pressing in on them, trying to hold them in place.

Daniel, of course, had managed to trip again. He was now tangled up in a nearby pile of abandoned crates, completely oblivious to the chaos around him. His grunts and muffled curses only added to the absurdity of the situation. It was almost like he didn’t belong here—he was always just there, but never quite part of what was happening.

“Seriously, Daniel?” Amj called out.

“Im fine!” Daniel yelled back, waving his arms, not even looking up.

Jinx didn’t stop. “We're wasting time,” he said, his voice sharp. “Keep moving.”

The group pushed forward, but it was clear they were running out of time. The fog seemed to thicken with every step, and the city was still shifting, still alive. Cory couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever was watching them, whatever was waiting, was getting closer.

“I don’t like this,” Kash muttered, his eyes darting around. “We need to get to The Core—now.”

“Agreed,” Jinx said. “But dont trust anything you see from here on out.”

As they kept walking, the figure from earlier disappeared into the fog, but Cory couldnt shake the feeling that it had never really left. And the closer they got to The Core, the more the city seemed to grow darker, more dangerous. Something was waiting, and Cory wasn’t sure he was ready to face it.