A slight dizziness and a faint sense of wrongness washed over her again. At the last intersection before home, Heidi stopped in confusion and looked back in the direction she had come from.
A thin mist blanketed the streets, while low clouds pressed down upon the rooftops. The streetlamps gave off a cold, dim glow, and indistinct shadows swayed and writhed within the fog. From time to time, they made chaotic noises that humans could not understand, like muttering in a dream. Nothing seemed unusual.
She frowned. Then, from the corner of her eye, she noticed a line of writing carved into the nearby wall by someone unknown. The crooked symbols made her head ache.
By the street not far away, a burly woman stood in a doorway. Perhaps noticing Heidi standing absentmindedly in the road, she gave her a curious look. "Good evening. Do you need help?"
"...No," Heidi replied after hesitating. "I'm fine. I just felt a little dizzy."
"You should take care of yourself. Dizziness is no small matter," the burly woman said with a friendly smile. "If you're feeling unwell, come in and sit for a while. I have hot tea."
Sensing the woman's sincere goodwill, Heidi smiled and waved her hand. "Thank you for the offer, but I'm already feeling much better."
"Is that so? Looks like getting some fresh air really does help. It's such lovely weather today..."
Heidi nodded, politely thanked her, and looked away. Then she saw a stranger in a long blue coat emerge from the fog. He carried a package that looked quite heavy and hurried along with panic in his eyes—as though something terrible were chasing him through the mist. As he walked, he anxiously watched his surroundings, yet did not dare make any large movements, as if afraid