"Of course," Mason replied. "There isn't a single Awakened who doesn't know who you are."
He noticed the suspicious look in Samael's eyes and quickly added:
"We're from the sa academy."
For a mont, Samael fell silent.
Then, understanding finally dawned.
"Ah…" he murmured.
Now it made sense.
The fa.
The looks.
The excessive caution.
Elizabeth stepped forward, her violet eyes fixed on him like sharpened blades.
"Then tell one thing," she said, her voice firm, devoid of any kindness. "Why did you attack ?"
The silence stretched for a second longer than necessary.
Samael tilted his head slightly.
"No particular reason," he replied.
The answer hit like a bucket of cold water.
Elizabeth's expression hardened instantly. Her eyes narrowed, and the tension in the air thickened.
"You almost killed ," she said coldly. "And you're saying it was… for nothing?"
"Yes," Samael answered without hesitation.
Mason swallowed.
That wasn't arrogance.
Nor provocation.
It was indifference.
Elizabeth took a deep breath, clearly restraining her irritation.
"Then let rephrase," she said carefully. "What do you want?"
"Caution," Samael replied.
She frowned.
"Explain."
"I want you to take care of ."
Silence fell once more.
"And what do we gain in return?" Elizabeth asked. She clearly disliked the idea of soone attacking first and demanding afterward.
Samael studied her for a mont.
"You're the leader?" he asked.
"She is," Mason answered before Elizabeth could speak.
Samael's gaze returned directly to her.
"You'll have in return," he said coldly. "I'll do whatever you want."
The crater seed to grow even quieter.
Elizabeth held his gaze, assessing every detail: the injured body, the firm posture, the eyes empty of fear.
That didn't sound like submission.
It sounded like soone offering a weapon.
And waiting to see if she had the courage to wield it.
Elizabeth let out a short, humorless laugh.
"Hah… you're just as problematic as the rumors say."
She took another step forward.
"I accept the deal," she said. "But make this very clear: if you betray us, slow us down, or beco a burden… we will kill you."
Her voice carried no threat.
It was a statent of fact.
"And one more thing," she added, her eyes locked onto his. "You will obey compulsively. alone. No one else."
Samael imdiately understood what that ant.
He didn't belong to that group.
Not truly.
He would belong only to her.
A one-sided alliance.
Unbalanced.
Toxic.
But at that mont…
It was everything Samael wanted.
To hand himself over to soone.
To not have to decide.
To not have to think.
To simply obey.
And walk the path soone else chose for him.
"We need to inform the rest of the group," Elizabeth said, glancing at Mason.
"Right," he replied. "We've got a new mber… and Sumr's going to have her hands full. He's in tatters."
"True," Elizabeth agreed.
Samael took a step toward her, but imdiately stopped when he heard:
"Stop right there."
"Why?" he asked.
Elizabeth wrinkled her nose slightly.
"You stink. Go wash yourself first."
Samael looked down at himself.
Only then did he notice the awful stench clinging to his body.
He didn't argue.
He turned around and walked toward the Storm Sea. In the shallow waters, where it was safe, he began washing the dried blood and gri from his skin.
"What are the others going to think when we bring soone with that reputation?" Mason murmured. "And worse… if they find out he attacked us?"
"Henry won't like it one bit," Elizabeth replied.
Then she raised her voice:
"Hey, Samael! What's your Aspect? And your Flaw?"
"I can turn objects into mories," he replied casually. "My Flaw is that my gender switches at night."
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Your Aspect is very useful," she said. "And your Flaw isn't debilitating in combat."
She paused, observing him.
"That's already more than most can offer."
"Hey, if you're done washing, let's go," Elizabeth called out. "We need to arrive before nightfall."
Samael stepped out of the water.
He was shirtless.
The shirt had torn while he was cleaning himself, and there was no replacent.
Elizabeth gave him a quick look and narrowed her eyes.
"Put on a shirt."
It wasn't that she truly cared.
Elizabeth wasn't irrational enough to be bothered by sothing like that in this environnt.
This was a test.
A simple test.
Obedience.
Without a word, Samael turned toward the nearest tree. He tore off several large leaves and, with a thought, transford them into a mory.
A simple shirt.
Its durability matched the previous one.
"Done," he said calmly.
Elizabeth examined the mory for a mont.
"Let's go. And… your Aspect really is interesting," she comnted as she turned away.
Then she looked back at Mason.
"Mason, move ahead carefully. Stay alert for Nightmare Creatures."
"There aren't any Nightmare Creatures on the beach," Samael said suddenly.
Elizabeth stopped.
She turned slowly toward him.
"How do you know?" she asked.
"I've already escaped one along the beach," Samael replied. "It retreated when it saw the sea."
He hesitated for a mont, then added:
"I think they're afraid of sea creatures."
Elizabeth's eyes lit up.
"That's excellent information," she said, visibly relieved. "Then we're safe as long as we stay on the beach."
Mason frowned and looked at Samael.
"You've already fought the creatures here?" he asked. "Alone? They're Awakened."
"Yes…" Samael replied quietly. "I fought them alone."
The near-whispered tone contrasted sharply with the coldness he had shown earlier.
Elizabeth noticed.
During the negotiation, Samael had spoken normally.
With her as well.
But now…
Isolated.
Exposed.
He seed withdrawn.
As if the ti spent alone had worsened sothing that was already broken.
Even so, he continued walking behind her.
Without questioning.
Without complaining.
Without hesitation.
As if, for the first ti since arriving on that island…
Soone else was choosing the path for him.
And that was enough.
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