Chapter 37: Golden Core - Rotten Shell
The air was suffocating.
The scent of scorched dirt, rust, oily smoke... and something else.
Something Fade couldn’t quite name—a sense of corruption that didn’t belong.
To call it a street was generous.
Containers piled side by side, alleys surrounded by rusted barrels, makeshift shelters draped with torn tarps.
Children weren’t playing—they just stood, still and silent.
Their eyes didn’t hunger. They had already given up.
Zeyna let out a breath. "Damn... this is supposed to be a city?"
Darin clenched his jaw. "Feels more like a graveyard."
Kaela scanned her device while glancing around. "System marks this zone as ’Wasteside.’ Zero security access. No patrol logs."
"What about the people?" Arven asked. "Aren’t they recorded?"