"I'm going home too."
After Hailey left, Shade said to Miss Aurora:
"The fog will be here soon. I need to make some preparations. I'll be back shortly."
The witch nodded lightly and watched Shade walk toward the basement without looking back.
Less than half a minute after the two of them left, the vast white fog originating from Green Lake Central Island finally spread to the area around Green Lake Inn on this rainy night.
It was difficult to imagine such heavy fog appearing in weather close to a rainstorm, but the fog drifted over silently nonetheless. Slowly yet irresistibly, it eventually swallowed the entire block where Green Lake Inn stood.
No one had known beforehand whether Green Lake Inn could keep the white fog out, so the young ladies on the 1st Floor and third floor had all remained on high alert. For the first half minute, the walls, doors, and windows put up an excellent defense. Outside on the street, the thick fog did not seem as terrifying as expected. Although the gas lamps' light had been reduced to faint halos, compared to the dense fog on Green Lake Central Island, the fog at this moment was quite thin.
However, the inn's resistance against the fog lasted only half a minute. Then, the mist that symbolized fragile space slowly entered the building.
Although the fog itself was harmless, its appearance meant that space was no longer stable. Miss Aurora on the 1st Floor watched the fog appear and was about to gather the young ladies to retreat to the third floor when she suddenly felt the temperature indoors rise rapidly. Then, a warm glow appeared behind her.
Turning around, she saw Shade holding a battered old lantern. Its wick emitted light like the Sun. The glow was