Chapter 57
As Clayton and the others were deep in conversation, someone seated nearby suddenly stood up and hurried away.
Meanwhile, Clayton continued celebrating with his father’s old friends late into the night. Just past midnight, the party finally came to an end, and Clayton’s group parted ways with Henry’s.
As Henry watched Clayton disappear into the distance, a flicker of emotion crossed his face.
"What’s wrong, Henry?" Vorax asked.
"Ah, it’s nothing..." Henry replied quickly, beginning to clean up the empty wine bottles in front of him.
...
Clayton, now heavily intoxicated, staggered along the road home. He regretted drinking so much—especially in the freezing night air. If he passed out or fell asleep on the street, he might not survive the cold.
With the help of Dingo and his tiny skeleton minions, Clayton struggled to stay awake and kept walking carefully. At first, everything seemed fine. It was nearly New Year’s Eve, after all, and people were still roaming around despite the late hour.
But as he entered a quieter part of town, Clayton felt a sudden chill—not from the cold, but from the creeping sense that someone was watching him. His senses sharpened.
As he passed through a deserted alley, Dingo suddenly growled, just like he had before when danger was near.
Clayton immediately went on guard, scanning the shadows. At first, he saw nothing—the darkness was too thick. But slowly, pairs of glowing eyes began to emerge from the gloom.