After spending some time hugging Mister Fool, Samael finally managed to think of someone who might be able to take care of him.
He picked up his communicator and searched for Elizabeth's number.
Honestly, it was ridiculously easy.
Samael only had two contacts.
And one group chat.
After several seconds of hesitation, he sent the message:
— Liz, do you know anyone who could take care of Mister Fool?
The reply came almost instantly.
— You can leave him at my house.
Samael blinked.
— Your parents won't mind?
This time, Elizabeth took a few seconds to respond.
— If they can tolerate you, they can tolerate the cat too.
Samael stared silently at the screen.
Then another message appeared beneath it:
— That was a joke.
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
— What's gotten into her lately…?
Over the past few days, Elizabeth had been trying to make jokes surprisingly often.
What Samael didn't know was that Elizabeth, who had never really had close friends before, had found an online forum teaching people "how to treat your friends."
And apparently, the first piece of advice had been:
"Make jokes constantly."
A few seconds later, another message appeared.
— My mom said she doesn't mind.
Samael let out a small sigh of relief while looking at Mister Fool lying beside him.
— Mister Fool problem solved…
But then another message appeared on the screen.
— But she said she'll only agree if you bring the cat personally.
Samael immediately frowned.
— …Why?
The reply came quickly.
— No idea.
Silence.
Samael stared at the message for several long seconds.
For some reason…
That sounded extremely suspicious.
Samael slowly placed the communicator down on the couch before walking toward the bathroom.
After so many days of barely sleeping, obsessively training, and practically rotting inside his apartment…
He finally decided to try looking human again.
Warm water slowly ran down his body while silence filled the bathroom.
For several minutes, Samael simply stood motionless beneath the shower.
Trying not to think about America.
Trying not to think about the possibility of dying.
Trying not to think about anything at all.
When he finally stepped out of the bath, his body felt slightly lighter.
Not better.
Just… less heavy.
After drying himself off, he walked into the bedroom and opened the wardrobe.
His gaze lingered over the clothes for several seconds before stopping on the pieces Elizabeth had chosen for him some time ago.
Samael fell silent.
Then he picked them up.
— …Her taste is way too good.
Several minutes later, now fully dressed, he picked Mister Fool up into his arms.
This time, the cat offered no resistance whatsoever.
After all…
Samael was in his female form.
— Traitor.
Mister Fool merely purred innocently.
Ready to leave, Samael passed by the hallway mirror.
But avoided looking directly at his own reflection.
His image was becoming blurrier.
More distant.
As though even the mirror itself was slowly forgetting who he was.
Samael immediately looked away.
Then she left the apartment.
The night was pleasant.
Neither cold.
Nor warm.
Silent streets were illuminated by urban lights while the night breeze gently swayed her long pale hair.
Samael walked calmly along the sidewalk wearing loose tailored pants and a simple black blouse.
For the first time in days…
The world felt peaceful.
What a pleasant kind of peace…
Even so, her expression still looked slightly exhausted.
As she wandered absentmindedly through the streets, a soft melody caught her attention.
Samael stopped in front of a small music accessory shop.
A song quietly echoed from inside the store.
The singer's voice was delicate.
Melancholic.
Almost nostalgic.
For some reason…
That song struck her heart immediately.
Samael stood there silently listening for several seconds before memorizing part of the lyrics.
Then she pulled out her communicator and began searching frantically while continuing to walk.
A few minutes later, she finally found the song.
The singer's name was Haru Nagisa.
Unknown.
Very few listeners.
But at that moment…
Samael felt like she had completely fallen in love with her music.
The rest of the walk was spent obsessively searching for more songs by the artist.
Until, without realizing it, she finally arrived in front of Elizabeth's house.
It was a very beautiful home.
Obviously, it could not compare to Layla's absurd mansion.
But it still made it clear that Elizabeth's family was extremely well-off.
Samael stopped in front of the gate before sending a message saying she had arrived.
Then, absentmindedly, she quietly hummed part of the song again:
— I love you so much… but the abyss between us won't let me bloom…
The next instant—
The front door opened.
And a beautiful older woman with long black hair appeared at the entrance.
Her eyes slowly swept over Samael from head to toe.
In complete silence.
"Nice to meet you, ma'am… I'm Samael."
The introduction came out polite and surprisingly steady.
Even while speaking softly, her voice still sounded more stable than usual.
The beautiful woman observed Samael for several more seconds before offering a small smile.
"So you're Samael… I finally get to meet you."
Her voice was gentle.
Warm.
"It's a pleasure."
Samael blinked softly.
…Wow.
For some reason, that woman resembled Elizabeth quite a lot.
Not only physically.
But also in the small mannerisms.
The calm way she looked at people.
The serious expression hiding kindness underneath.
Without noticing it, Samael relaxed slightly.
Then the woman stepped aside near the entrance.
"Come in. We have quite a lot to talk about."
Those words immediately made Samael tense up again.
Talk?
That sounded dangerously suspicious.
Even so, she entered.
The moment she crossed the doorway, she immediately felt the cozy warmth of the house.
Everything was impeccably organized.
Warm lights softly illuminated the hallways while the pleasant scent of coffee and food filled the air.
Everything felt…
Alive.
Familiar.
Safe.
And that was precisely what made Samael uncomfortable.
Because it had been a very long time since she had felt something like that.
Her arms tightened slightly around Mister Fool.
As though she were trying to anchor herself to something.
Elizabeth's mother noticed the small movement.
But said nothing.
She simply guided Samael calmly toward the kitchen.
And there…
Elizabeth was sitting at the table, holding a cup of coffee while absentmindedly scrolling through her communicator.