The headquarters itself was still in surprisingly good condition. There were no overgrown plants creeping through the corridors or cracks spreading across the walls, at least for now.
The only thing that felt wrong was the silence, as if the entire building had been abandoned only moments ago.
However, the moment they reached the kitchen area, a terrible rotten smell drifted into their noses.
"Be careful. It might be an enemy," Jace said, naturally taking the lead while Arthur and Otis followed a few steps behind.
He slowly pushed the kitchen door open and scanned every corner with his knife raised. After confirming there was nothing inside, he gave a short whistle.
Only then did Arthur and Otis enter.
The source of the smell wasn't a corpse. It was the food.
