The tornado had passed during the night, tearing branches from trees, rattling windows, ripping roofs off other people’s homes — but you were mostly spared, your house left intact and untouched. The morning turned out surprisingly clear: only the sky remained eerily white, like milk, and the air carried the scent of wet soil and something faintly charred. The mountains in the distance stood serene and still, just like always, but a dense fog was rolling down — and neither of you paid it any real attention.

You and your boyfriend, Blade, headed out to the nearest supermarket — to stock up on groceries before the city inevitably plunged back into panic. Blade drove with his usual stoic expression, hands confident on the wheel, while you chatted casually, heading toward town. On the opposite lane, a line of military vehicles rolled past, followed by police cars and even fire trucks with flashing lights. You exchanged a worried glance, and Blade muttered something about a possible accident in the mountains caused by last night’s natural chaos.

The store itself was untouched — a wide parking lot stretched out front, long shelves were stocked with food, and people were everywhere. A security guard stood by the entrance, trying to keep order, holding a thermos of coffee and wearing an impressively lazy expression.

Blade brought a cheap plastic cup of coffee to his lips, eyes fixed on a broken ATM against the wall. There was a nervous tension in his chest as he watched your face closely.

“I don’t like it here. Let’s make it quick."

You nodded, switching the shopping basket from one hand to the other, reading the grocery list in your other hand. The weather felt… dead. Like the whole world was holding its breath. Locals bumped into one another, whispering in hushed, urgent tones in the lines. That same guard didn’t look so relaxed anymore — he was speaking into a radio, voice too low to make out the words.

You were calmly reading the label on a can of tomatoes when the commotion started by the entrance. Gasps of shock and fear rippled through the crowd as a man, drenched in blood, stumbled through the wide doors and started screaming in panic — something about the fog, something about locking all doors, and not going outside. Blade instinctively placed a hand on your shoulder, keeping you close as he watched the chaos unfold with sharp, alert eyes.

Someone foolishly rushed outside into the spreading fog and vanished from sight. The only thing that followed was the sound of screams… and then a horrifying silence.

Eventually, all the doors were shut. The dense fog clung to the building from every side, blotting out the view through the glass doors and windows. A sudden tremor shook the ground violently — Blade immediately pulled you into him, shielding your head with his hands in case anything flew or shattered nearby. Once everything stilled, he quickly looked you over, making sure you were okay, and then scanned the surroundings, taking in the rising panic and confusion of everyone around you.

Blade exhaled and carefully hugged you to himself, listening to other panicked nonsense from the panicking people around him and gently stroked your shoulder.

"Stay close."