175: A Sensible Apology - Part 3

James had wandered deeper into the city, his small feet dragging as the weight of exhaustion pressed down on him. 

When he stumbled upon a store with dimly lit windows and an eerie silence, he hesitated but pushed himself to enter. 

His innocent mind didn't register the red flags—the shadowed alleyway, the boarded windows, and the unsettling quiet that wrapped around the place like a fog.

The door creaked as James stepped inside, the scent of mildew and dust filling his nostrils. Shelves lined with strange, unidentifiable objects loomed around him, casting long shadows in the dim light.

The store was empty, or so it seemed, until a figure emerged from behind the counter. The shopkeeper, a man with a crooked smile and eyes that gleamed with ill intent, approached James slowly, his steps measured and quiet.