After the shock of witnessing the absurd changes of that bizarre place, Samael decided to return imdiately.
He needed to tell Liu about it.
Or maybe just confirm that he wasn't going insane.
When he returned to Ri's cetery, he felt his body relax slightly.
That place felt… safe.
No creature dared to enter it.
Not even the colossal monstrosities outside.
Samael stopped in front of the silent portal.
— I'll be back, Kingdom of Ri.
Then he hesitated for a mont.
"I actually really liked that na…"
For so reason, he felt a small childish pride about it.
Even frightened, Samael had grown up in the world of the Awakened.
Adaptability was a basic necessity for survival.
Taking a deep breath, he crossed the portal.
The world seed to distort around him.
Then—
Samael slowly opened his eyes.
It was still night.
The sea breeze blew softly across the silent beach.
His hair was dirty with soil from digging through Ri's grave.
Beside him, Liu remained unconscious.
Still trapped within the Dream Realm.
Samael observed her calm face for a few seconds before looking away.
— If she didn't find a citadel…
The sentence died halfway through.
There was no need to finish it.
Without a nearby citadel, surviving in the Dream Realm was practically impossible for soone at their level.
Samael let out a slow sigh.
"I'll wait until sunrise."
Then the silence returned.
Heavy.
Boring.
— What a drag…
he muttered while staring at the dark ocean.
For several minutes, only the sound of the waves existed.
Then, absentmindedly, Samael began humming softly:
— The love that binds us… greater than the cold abyss that separates us… brings us the loneliness of two broken souls…
His voice was low.
Almost swallowed by the sea wind.
And so ti passed slowly.
Until dawn arrived.
The first rays of sunlight slowly pierced through the forest canopy.
And then the flaw activated.
Samael felt his bones shift.
The uncomfortable sensation spread through his entire body as his structure slowly changed once more.
His pale hair shortened.
His shoulders broadened.
His voice returned to its usual tone.
Within a few seconds, his male form returned.
Samael let out a tired sigh.
No matter how many tis it happened…
That sensation never beca normal.
Samael looked at Liu again.
She was still asleep.
— She's not waking up anyti soon…
Silence.
Then a thought erged.
"Should I leave her here?"
His chest tightened.
One part of him answered imdiately:
Yes.
It was logical.
It was rational.
Carrying an unconscious person across Arica was practically suicide.
But another part—
Another voice—
Violently rejected the idea.
Samael brought a hand to his mouth, unconsciously biting his nail while trying to decide.
— It's way too dangerous to carry an unconscious person with …
His voice ca out low.
Weak.
Almost as if he was trying to convince himself.
After a few seconds, Samael slowly turned around.
— I'm sorry…
The words were barely a whisper.
Then he started walking away.
Elisa silently slithered behind him.
"I didn't do anything wrong."
Samael clenched his teeth.
"It's the only way to survive here."
He took a few more steps.
Then stopped.
Silence.
The wind blew through the trees of the forest.
— Damn it…
Samael closed his eyes in frustration.
Then turned around once again.
He walked back to Liu.
— This is so stupid…
he muttered while carefully picking her up in his arms.
Liu was absurdly light.
Too light.
"She should eat more."
"…And you should leave her behind."
Samael imdiately gritted his teeth.
— Shut up.
Then he entered the forest.
Elisa silently followed them.
The environnt changed almost instantly.
The beach had felt open.
The forest felt alive.
Gigantic trees partially blocked the light.
Massive roots spread across the ground.
The air was humid.
Heavy.
Every sound felt too hidden.
"There's still ti to go back."
Samael brushed leaves away from his face while walking.
"You're going to die because of this."
— Shut up…
The answer ca out irritated.
But the voice inside his head did not disappear.
"You don't even know her."
Samael ignored it.
He kept walking.
Protected only by the enormous white serpent.
Then—
CRAAASH!
Sothing exploded between the trees.
Two Nightmare Creatures violently burst out from the vegetation.
The sa beasts from the previous night.
— Ah, of course…
Samael's bad mood worsened instantly.
— As if this bullshit wasn't enough already.
The creatures roared.
Elisa imdiately lunged forward.
The clash between the monsters made the forest tremble.
Samael quickly retreated while holding Liu in his arms.
And imdiately realized the problem.
Dodging was already difficult normally.
Dodging while carrying soone was hell.
The creatures and Elisa destroyed trees around them as they fought brutally.
— I can't get too far away…
Samael realized he was retreating farther than he should.
But then one of the creatures broke away from the fight.
And charged directly at him.
Samael's eyes widened.
He concentrated essence into his legs and leaped sideways.
BOOM!
The creature smashed the ground where he had been standing.
Samael landed awkwardly.
Almost fell.
Liu remained unhard in his arms.
But his balance was gone.
The creature instantly turned.
And attacked again.
Elisa tried to intercept it.
But she was too far away.
"Use her as bait."
The thought appeared instantly.
Cold.
Natural.
Cruel.
Samael hesitated for less than a second.
Then tried to dodge.
But he was too slow while carrying another person.
The impact hit like a truck.
CRAAASH!
Samael instinctively twisted his body.
Protecting Liu.
One of the ivory horns tore through his ribs while the rest of the impact slamd into his shoulder.
Pain exploded through his entire body.
The world spun.
Then he was violently thrown away.
Samael crashed against the ground and rolled through the wet earth.
But even so—
Liu remained protected in his arms.
"You don't even know her."
The voice imdiately returned.
"Is it really worth it?"
Samael remained motionless on the ground for a few seconds, feeling the pain pulse through his ribs.
Then he gritted his teeth.
— Shut… up…
In the distance, Elisa continued brutally fighting the two heavily wounded creatures.
And for the first ti since arriving in Arica—
Samael began to suspect that he might truly die in that place.
User Comments
0 comments from readers