Chapter 124
Karl climbed the stairs to the upper floor, keeping his steps light. When he reached the door, he knocked softly.
"Amber? Chloe? It’s me, Karl."
There was a brief shuffle before the door creaked open. Amber stood there, her face pale and her hair disheveled. "Karl... thanks for coming." Her voice was weak, barely above a whisper.
Karl stepped inside, and the state of the room hit him immediately. It was dimly lit, the curtains drawn, and the air felt stale. A few empty plates and bottles were scattered on the small table, and Chloe was slumped on the couch, wrapped in a blanket. She looked even worse than Amber—her face pale and her movements sluggish.
"What’s going on?" Karl asked, his tone calm but concerned.
Amber gestured for him to sit. "We’ve been feeling awful the past few days," she explained, sinking into a chair. "At first, we thought it was just a cold or something, but it’s not going away. And... we ran out of food."
Karl frowned, glancing at Chloe. "Why didn’t you say something sooner?"
Amber looked away, embarrassed. "We didn’t want to bother anyone. And honestly, I thought we could handle it, but..." She trailed off, her voice trembling slightly.
Karl sighed and stood up, scanning the room. It was clear they hadn’t had the energy to take care of themselves. "Alright, first things first. You both need food and probably some medicine. How bad is it?"
Amber shrugged weakly. "Mostly fever and nausea. Chloe’s been having a harder time eating anything. We just need something light—maybe soup."
Chloe nodded faintly but didn’t say a word, her eyes half-closed.