The cold wind whistled through the gaps of the old amusement park, carrying the scent of damp earth and rotting wood across the empty plaza. Abandoned game stalls with sagging roofs lined the perimeter, their faded paint peeling off under the faint, scattered light of a few dead hanging lanterns. Broken string lights swayed gently from rusted metal poles, clicking against each other in a slow, eerie rhythm that amplified the stillness of the area. Zeven skidded onto the overgrown gravel path, his boots kicking up coarse sand as his sharp eyes quickly scanned the layout of the desolate grounds. Lyra flanked him immediately, her breath shallow and visible in the midnight chill while she maintained a tight grip on her defensive gear.
"The laboratory henchmen retreated through the main entran
