The week of preparation Samael had been given passed far too quickly.
Quickly enough that he barely noticed time slipping away.
All the fear.
All the anxiety.
All the despair he felt whenever he thought about America…
Had been torn away from him that night.
Or rather—
Consumed.
When Haru briefly crossed his mind, Samael could almost smell once again the delicate scent of blue lilies soaked in rain.
Even though he knew it was probably just his imagination.
During the past week, his greatest struggle had not been training.
Nor preparing for the mission.
It had been controlling his addiction to that feeling.
The lightness.
The emptiness.
The dangerous comfort left behind after Haru devoured his despair.
If he was not careful…
He would eventually lose himself inside that sweetness.
Silently, Samael slowly looked around the apartment.
He decided to take one final look at home before leaving.
His gaze landed on the living room sofa.
Instantly, he remembered the epic battle against the Lord of Shadows.
That tiny demon had transformed the couch into an actual battlefield.
Samael even felt a slight urge to fight again.
But unfortunately…
When he cleaned the apartment before the trip, he had failed to locate any hidden Lords of Shadows.
Continuing through the apartment, he arrived at the kitchen.
And immediately remembered the black cat with an extremely questionable personality.
The memory brought a small smile to his face.
It was strange.
But thinking about Mister Fool genuinely made him feel lighter.
After that, Samael walked toward the small improvised training area.
His gaze stopped on the Dreamscape Pod.
And inevitably, he remembered the fight against Sunny.
Or rather…
The absurd way Sunny had looked incredible that day.
That battle still remained vivid in his mind.
"I should've appreciated that moment more…"
His voice came out low.
Filled with regret.
"Instead of drowning so deeply in defeat."
For several seconds, Samael simply stood there staring silently at the Pod.
Then he finally turned away.
Slowly walked toward the front door.
And cast one last glance at the apartment.
Silent.
Empty.
Strangely cozy.
Then he left.
Outside, an elegant black PTV was already waiting for him.
His belongings had been stored inside a small spatial Memory provided by the government specifically for the mission.
When he entered the vehicle, Samael immediately noticed a man dressed entirely in black seated in the front.
The man's serious expression looked as though it had been carved from stone.
"Good morning."
Samael greeted politely.
The man merely gave a small nod in response before starting the vehicle.
And then the journey began.
While watching houses pass by through the window, Samael remained silent.
Until his eyes landed on a particular residence.
Haru's house.
It resembled his own.
Simple.
Discreet.
But for some reason…
It felt different.
Quieter.
Deeper.
Almost mystical.
Samael knew that was probably just an impression caused by her Aspect.
Even so…
He could not shake that feeling.
The remainder of the trip passed in complete silence.
Apparently, his driver was not particularly fond of conversation.
And honestly…
Samael loved that.
After approximately thirty-five minutes, they finally arrived.
An enormous gray hangar stood before them.
The moment he stepped out of the vehicle, Samael immediately spotted the other eight members of the team.
Elizabeth.
Vanitas.
Liu.
And the others.
He greeted Elizabeth with a small wave before walking toward the teachers.
Master Wein stood near the hangar entrance.
Clearly waiting only for Samael to arrive.
"So… how exactly are we getting to America?"
Master Yuji asked while crossing his arms.
A small smile appeared on Wein's face.
"By air."
Silence.
"Consider this a rare experience."
Then he slowly opened the hangar doors.
Behind them…
Was an enormous white aircraft.
Elegant.
Intimidating.
Far too beautiful to exist in that world.
"This beauty can exceed the speed of sound several times over."
Wein commented with a hint of pride.
"In less than an hour, you'll be in America."
Yuji narrowed his eyes slightly.
"I thought airplanes were practically extinct."
"They are."
Wein answered calmly.
"The skies belong to the Nightmare Creatures. Transporting large numbers of people through the air is practically suicide."
Then he pointed toward the aircraft.
"But nine Awakened traveling at extremely high speed?"
A small smile appeared on his face.
"Relatively safe."
Relatively.
That word definitely did not help.
"Alright, enough stalling."
Wein clapped his hands once.
"Get inside already."
Everyone obeyed.
The interior of the aircraft was silent and incredibly sophisticated.
Samael sat beside Elizabeth.
And on the other side, Vanitas occupied the remaining seat.
While they waited for takeoff preparations, a comfortable silence settled over the cabin.
Or at least… comfortable for Samael.
Until Vanitas broke it.
"Hey, Samael."
His voice came out low.
Samael slowly turned his head.
"What?"
"That strategy during the fight…"
Vanitas rested his face against one hand.
"Did you seriously improvise all of that on the spot?"
Samael blinked several times.
"Yes."
"Because honestly… if the albino girl hadn't stood up at that exact moment, none of it would've worked."
"I know."
Samael answered calmly.
"It was complete improvisation."
Vanitas remained silent for several seconds.
Clearly thinking about it.
Ironically, he was probably the strongest among all of them.
But he had also been the most injured.
"Interesting…"
Then, unexpectedly:
"What do you like doing in your free time?"
Samael looked genuinely confused.
Why does he keep trying so hard to talk to me…?
Even so, he answered:
"I like reading."
At that exact moment, the aircraft finally began moving.
A few seconds later—
The ground vanished beneath them.
The plane tore through the skies at absurd speed.
Heavy pressure filled the aircraft for a few brief moments before everything stabilized.
Unfortunately, almost nothing could be seen outside through the reinforced windows.
After some time, Vanitas spoke again.
"What do you think America will be like?"
Samael stayed silent for several seconds.
Then answered honestly:
"From what I researched… extreme temperatures, regions completely infested with Nightmare Creatures, and forbidden zones even Saints avoid."
His gaze darkened slightly.
"They say even Cursed Creatures live there."
Beings capable of destroying all humanity.
Elizabeth fell silent.
Vanitas too.
The atmosphere inside the aircraft grew heavier.
And then…
Several minutes later, silence completely returned.
Until, through the small reinforced windows, they finally caught sight of the lost continent.
America.
Even from that distance…
The sky above that land looked different.
Dark.
Heavy.
As though the world itself were slowly rotting there.
And for the first time since boarding the aircraft…
Samael felt his heart sink once more.