Well, this isn’t ominous at all.

[Verso’s voice echoes throughout the abandoned, eerie mall, with no one to receive his commentary beyond the inky, frozen silhouettes and his current exploration partner. Warily, he steps up to one—a woman holding a child’s hand, stilled mid-stride—and reaches out to brush his fingers across their form. His hand is stained with a black residue after, but it seems harmless enough. Surely this won’t come back to bite him in the ass later.]

What happened to these people? If we were less foolish, we’d take this as a sign to leave this place.

[But ultimately, they’re all just fools looking to scavenge, aren’t they.

Which means that you can be so kind to accompany Verso:

Finding a display of children’s jewelry, which he then dons a plastic, pink necklace and asks if it suits him. Clearly trying to bring levity to the situation.

Looking at a Walkman in his hands like it’s an alien object. Help, how does this work?

Definitely glancing over his shoulder at times, wondering if you saw something move in the distance, too.

Scrounging around for snacks! He offers to carry them for you in his magical hammerspace if it’s too much.]

[The illusion has set in, as well as the sting of panic trying to claw its way out of his chest. It’s only because Verso is so familiar with battle, at this point, that he can tamp it down… for now.

Because, from his perspective, where there was once his fellow mall companion, now he sees only a Nevron. ]

How is one of you here?!

[He sees it as a large, spiked thing that looks as though it were carved from ice, that makes the ground shake with every step forward. If you try to break through to Verso, he does not hear your words — he hears only the grumble-warble of a creature he’s fought before, back home.

Verso’s sword, glowing bright with heat dazzling along its length of steel, manifests in his hand; the Expeditioner looks as though he’s on the verge of springing forward and attacking. Uh-oh!]