The next stop for the group was one of the largest pharmacies in the city.
Unlike the factories, this place was not quiet.
It was crowded.
People lined up at the counters, voices overlapping, tension thick in the air.
Shelves were half-empty in some sections, overstocked in others, and attendants moved quickly, trying to keep up with demand that didn't feel normal.
Daniel frowned as they stepped in. "Why is it so crowded?"
"What are you doing?! I said that my brother has lost his mind! He was just fine earlier and now he's screaming that something is crawling under his skin!" a woman cried, her voice breaking as she clutched the counter.
The pharmacist on duty tried to calm her. "Ma'am, please, there's nothing crawling—"
"There is!" the woman snapped, eyes wild. "He's tearing himself apart—just give me something!"
The tension in the pharmacy spiked.
Voices rose.
