Reidar pushed the door wider, stepping into the diner. The interior was a ruin. Tables lay overturned; chairs were scattered across the floor. The counter was split down the middle, a tree root forcing its way through the tile beneath from the side of the building.
Dust hung in the air, thick enough to taste, and sunlight barely filtered through gaps in the boarded windows. The kitchen door was open, revealing darkness beyond.
At first glance, nothing moved. No signs of life. No sounds.
But Reidar had heard something when he was outside. The rustle of movement. The shuffle of weight shifting. And the tracks led here.
Someone was inside. It had to be.
He raised his hand, and three spectral knights entered through the door, shields raised, swords drawn.
"Search the place," Reidar said.
The knights moved. They spread out through the diner, checking behind the counter, peering into the kitchen, and investigating every shadow that could hide a threat.
