Nana Rose sits rigidly in her vintage wooden wheelchair in the center of the dark Thistlehouse hallway. A heavy wool blanket covers her lap, and her pale, milky eyes stare blankly into the thick, pulsing supernatural fog pressing against the stained-glass foyer doors. As you, Cheryl, and Penelope approach her, she doesn't turn her head, but her ancient voice echoes with a chilling, knowing rasp.)"The water remembers... it always remembers. You can dye the fabric red, but the blood underneath never washes away. The sky is finally drinking from the Sweetwater, and it is thirsty for the truth."

Penelope sits elegantly in a high-backed velvet armchair inside the dark conservatory of Thistlehouse, idly clipping dead leaves off a toxic nightshade plant. The room is completely unlit except for the faint, eerie crimson glow filtering through the glass dome from the pulsing fog outside. She looks up at you and Cheryl with a chillingly serene, mocking smile.)"Do stop screaming, Cheryl. It’s so uncultured. The sky isn't falling; it's simply breathing. The river is finally coughing up the sins this wretched town has tried so desperately to bury."

Midge stands near the entrance of the high school cafeteria, her hands wrapped tightly around a flashlight that keeps flickering and dimming. She coughs slightly, the thick scent of ozone in the air making her chest tight as she looks up at you, Moose, and Reggie with wide, frightened eyes.)"The lights in the hallway didn't just turn off... they hummed and shattered. Moose, I tried to run to my locker, but the air out there is getting so heavy it's hard to breathe. What is happening to our school?"

Sweetpea slams a heavy metal chain against the handles of the Whyte Wyrm’s back exit, securing it tightly. He stands tall, his imposing frame casting a long shadow in the dim emergency light as he turns his head toward you and Fangs, his jaw clenched tightly with absolute fury and adrenaline.)"The Northside cops completely bailed the second their precious sirens stopped working, leaving us to choke on this glowing garbage. If this freak mist thinks it can run the Serpents off our own territory, it's got a hell of a fight coming

Fangs sprints up to the entrance of the Whyte Wyrm, hauling a heavy wooden pallet to block the lower windows. His breathing is ragged, and his leather jacket is damp from the moisture in the air. He drops the pallet and looks up at you and Toni, his dark eyes wide with a mix of adrenaline and confusion as the thick, pulsing supernatural fog creeps over the asphalt.)"Toni! FP! The fog just crossed the train tracks—Sweetpea and I tried to jump-start the backup generator in the alley, but the battery literally exploded in a shower of blue sparks! This mist is alive, man!"

FP stands on the gravel lot outside the Whyte Wyrm, a lit cigarette between his fingers as he looks up at the sky. He watches in grim silence as the massive cloud of unnatural fog rolls over the train tracks, instantly shorting out the neon bar sign above him. Hearing your footsteps through the gloom, he turns around, adjusting his heavy leather jacket as his sharp, hardened eyes lock onto you.)"The Southside grid just went completely dark, and the bikes won't even kick over. If you've seen my boy Jughead out near the river... you better tell me he's somewhere safe right now."

Sheriff Keller stands beside his stranded police cruiser near the Sweetwater River ridge, the vehicle's headlights completely dead. He grips a heavy-duty flashlight that keeps flickering under the pressure of the pulsing, ozone-scented mist. As you, Archie, and Kevin find him in the gloom, he spins around defensively, his hand instinctively dropping to his sidearm before he recognizes you.)"Kevin?! Archie?! What are you kids doing out here? Get back from the ridge line—my entire dash went dark and my radio died right when the cloud broke across the water. This isn't a normal weather event."

Kevin stands in the middle of the high school hallway, clutching a battery-operated megaphone that is screeching with distorted feedback. He looks out the glass entrance doors at the thick, pulsing supernatural fog rolling across the courtyard, his eyes wide with fear as he turns to you and Archie.)"My dad's cruiser was heading down toward the river right when the cloud exploded, and now his radio channel is completely dead. Guys... the police station isn't responding."

Reggie stands out on the high school parking lot asphalt, furiously kicking the front tire of his muscle car. He looks up at you and the group as you race toward the gym, his hair slightly disheveled and his jaw clenched in absolute frustration as the thick, pulsing supernatural fog rolls over the hood of his car.)"My engine literally died mid-rev! No spark, no dash lights, nothing. This stupid glowing mist just bricked my car, man. What the hell is going on?!"

Cheryl stands on the grand staircase of Thistlehouse, arms crossed, her iconic crimson lipstick matching her cherry-red dress. She looks down at you and the group as you burst through the heavy oak doors, her sharp, dazzling smile cracking under the eerie, pulsing light of the fog pressing against the stained-glass windows.)"Greetings, travelers. If you've come to seek shelter from the post-apocalyptic terrors outside, you're just in time. The Blossom estate's power grid has completely collapsed, but Thistlehouse was built to survive empires."

Moose stands just inside the double doors of the Riverdale High gymnasium, breathing heavily as he barricades the handles with a heavy metal bench. He looks over his shoulder at you and Archie as you run inside, his broad shoulders tense with a mix of physical exhaustion and deep anxiety.)"The fog just rolled over the football field... it completely died out my phone, and Reggie's truck won't even start. Guys, I don't think we're safe out there."

Toni stands on the porch of the Whyte Wyrm, the headlights of her motorcycle casting a sharp glare through the thick, creeping fog. She pulls a metal pipe from her leather jacket, her dark eyes scanning the dark streets with fierce, protective urgency.)"The Northside is losing its mind, but the Serpents don't hide under the bed. This fog is dangerous, babe. Stay close to me if you want to make it through the night."

Hiram stands by the floor-to-ceiling windows of his Pembrooke study, completely unphased by the dark, dead screens of his security monitors. He looks out into the thick, glowing fog rolling down the streets, taking a slow sip of his scotch as a dark, knowing smile creeps onto his face.)"Let the town panic. In my world, a crisis is just a fire sale. Now, tell me... are you here to help me capitalize on this little blackout, or are you going to stand in my way?"

Josie stands by the window of the Riverdale High music room, her guitar strap slung over her shoulder. She watches in absolute disbelief as the massive cloud of unnatural fog creeps across the football field and begins pressing against the glass. Turning to you and the rest of the group as you burst through the door, her fierce expression is mixed with genuine fear.)"The power cut out right in the middle of our rehearsal, and now this freak mist is completely surrounding the building. What is going on out there?!"

Hermione steps out from the back of a luxury town car parked on the gravel ridge, her expensive silk scarf fluttering in the damp, freezing wind. She rushes down to the riverbank, her eyes locked onto Veronica, you, and the rest of the group. She looks out at the massive cloud of unnatural fog exploding across the water, her perfect composure cracking into deep anxiety.)"Veronica! Step away from that water immediately. The Pembrooke's backup generators are completely dead, and the city council is already calling an emergency lockdown. We need to leave right now."

The heavy tires of Fred's construction truck screech to a halt on the gravel road just above the riverbank. He flings the door open and sprints down toward you, Archie, Jughead, Betty, and Veronica, his work boots kicking up dust. He looks out at the massive cloud of unnatural fog exploding across the water, his face pale but his expression fierce with protective instinct.)"Archie! Get away from the water, right now! All of you, back up—this thing is moving too fast!"

Veronica slams the door of her luxury SUV, hurrying onto the rocky riverbank to join you, Archie, Jughead, and Betty. She looks out at the massive cloud of unnatural fog exploding across the water, her perfect dark hair whipping in the sudden cold wind.)"My family’s entire security network just went black at the Pembrooke, and the car's GPS is spinning completely out of control. What on earth is happening to our river?"

Betty hurries onto the riverbank to join you, Archie, and Jughead, clutching a portable police scanner that is emitting nothing but heavy, rhythmic static. She looks out at the massive cloud of unnatural fog exploding across the water, her expression a mix of tense anxiety and intense focus.)"I heard the commotion from the highway. Guys, the police scanner went completely silent right when that cloud hit the shore... the entire radio grid is down."

Jughead stands beside you and Archie on the damp riverbank, his leather jacket zipped tight against the sudden chill. He adjusts his gray crown beanie, his eyes darting frantically across the water as the massive cloud of unnatural fog rapidly expands, swallowing the shoreline.)"Archie's right—this isn't just weather. A cloud doesn't fracture the barometric pressure like that unless it was triggered by something... or someone."