Louis stomped his foot ten times, shut his eyes tight and jumped to the left.

It felt like he'd passed through a thin, damp veil — the sensation made him snap his eyes open, and what he saw next made him freeze.

The place was shrouded in strange shades of red and black — the black belonged to the darkness, while the red came from the lights.

Darkness had swallowed the entire Supermarket S-54, leaving only the crimson lamps illuminating the butcher counter and a small patch of space beyond.

At this moment, Louis's height was only about a meter and thirty centimeters; everything within his sight loomed far larger than usual.

Suddenly, the sharp clang of a cleaver striking a cutting board echoed through the air — loud, reverberating, becoming the only sound in this place.

Louis almost trembled with each resounding clang. Just then, an irritated voice came from behind him:

"A kid? Why the hell is there a kid here?! What's the guard team even doing?!"

The voice wasn't loud but rang clearly in Louis's ears. Before the speaker could finish, another voice followed:

"Maybe… a child trapped in the invaded zone…"

Judging by their tone and words, these people weren't even approaching him despite the conversation. Louis's mind raced, analyzing the situation, and in the end, he decisively turned around.

A group of six stood there — three men and three women. Some looked frightened, others wore stern expressions. Only the red-haired young man lifted his chin arrogantly, glaring at Louis with visible annoyance.

The group finally got a good look at the child before them.

A boy of about seven or eight, thin and small in stature, yet dressed in surprisingly fine clothes — a sailor shirt under a small vest, knee-length shorts, and below that, black leather shoes and gartered socks.

His soft, slightly wavy black hair framed an adorably delicate face — too beautiful. Yet he looked lifeless and gloomy, dark circles under his eyes making him seem like he hadn't slept in days.

Someone murmured, "Is he… really human…?"

"Kid, out with it. Why are you here?"

The red-haired man stepped forward. He looked young, and his hair seemed to burn even brighter under the crimson light. His face was full of arrogance, and from his tone, Louis could tell he was the one who had spoken first.

Blaze narrowed his eyes at the child before him. Even if it was just a kid, that didn't soften his attitude.

This was a Level-B Invasion Zone — once discovered, it would immediately drag any ordinary person within range inside. The government's only option was to evacuate civilians as quickly as possible. Still, those who'd already been marked would continue to be pulled into the zone at fixed intervals… until the Invasion Zone was destroyed.

Blaze had entered the area with three of his team members and had managed to find two civilians who'd just been dragged in.

They were utterly terrified, trembling in panic. Since they'd only just arrived, they were still alive — unlike the ones who'd been pulled in earlier, who were, as usual, presumed dead.

Louis glanced at Blaze, said nothing, and turned to leave, keeping to his own script.

Blaze had never encountered a civilian who reacted like this before. He frowned, then strode forward.

Before Louis could even react, his collar was grabbed from behind, and he was lifted clean off the ground like a chick being plucked up by its neck.

That irritating voice rang out again:

"Don't run around if you don't want to die!"

Louis pressed his lips together and said coldly, "Let me go."

"Feisty, aren't you? What's your name, kid?" Blaze sneered.

Louis glared at him, expression icy. "I'll kill you."

Blaze narrowed his eyes — and just then, a bright crimson pop-up suddenly appeared in midair, reflecting vividly in everyone's eyes.

[Supermarket S-54 has a butcher. Kill him.]

Notes:

Don't step into the darkness.Don't eat the meat.Don't trust the guard.Don't answer the voices outside.

Short and to the point. The blood-red letters looked as if they were dripping, and the sound of cleavers striking flesh grew even clearer in the silence.

Blaze tossed Louis backward without hesitation. "Aria, keep an eye on this troublesome kid."

Aria caught Louis easily — in her hands, he felt as light as a paper doll.

She was a beautiful woman with gentle features and a ponytail that brushed over her shoulder. Looking down at Louis, she offered a comforting smile.

"Don't be afraid. We'll definitely get out of here."

Louis frowned, saying nothing.

Aria seemed equally surprised by the boy's demeanor. She chuckled softly and didn't press further.

Another Blaze squad member approached — a man with curly brown hair and a face dusted with freckles. He looked at Louis with open curiosity.

Right after that pop-up appeared, something changed. The red lights flickered erratically as Blaze gazed around the butcher counter. The counter was only about twenty square meters wide — one glance was enough to take it all in.

The sound of a cleaver chopping meat still echoed clearly, yet there wasn't a single person in sight. The butcher was clearly not within their field of vision.

"If we're not allowed to enter the darkness, how are we supposed to find anything?"

One of the civilians muttered. Being trapped in this cursed place drove him crazy — he was desperate to get out.

Blaze glanced at him, then sneered. "You think we really shouldn't because the note says not to go into the darkness? That's how these damned places work — full of taboos. And the only way out… is to break them."

Louis cast his eyes around. The butcher counter looked completely different from the outside — much cruder. The meat shelves were made of wood, and the slabs of meat looked disturbingly fresh, even dripping with blood. They weren't arranged neatly either; instead, they were piled haphazardly, giving the place an unsettling sense of chaos.

Blood was still dripping slowly from the shelves, pooling into a thin, continuous stream across the floor.

Thomas frowned as he scanned the surroundings, then turned to Blaze grimly. "Blaze, the light's shrinking."

The change was subtle, but Thomas had a sharp eye — he could see it.

Blaze's response was calm and measured. "Wait."

Wait a little longer — their chance to go outside would come soon. No matter how twisted this place was, it always offered some opening.

Sure enough, cheerful music suddenly began to play moments later — the kind of bright, chirpy tune one might hear in a kindergarten, echoing grotesquely through the gloomy darkness.

At the same time, the shadows beyond seemed to fade just a little, and they could make out vague silhouettes swaying in front of other crude stalls — as if those figures were… selling things.

"Thomas, you're with me. Aria, watch the others," Blaze ordered briskly before leaping out.

"Captain, wait for me!" Thomas shouted, then followed without hesitation.

Louis frowned as he watched Blaze's back disappear into the darkness, his gaze deep and unreadable.

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