After the shock of witnessing the absurd changes of that bizarre place, Samael decided to return immediately.
He needed to tell Liu about it.
Or maybe just confirm that he wasn't going insane.
When he returned to Rime's cemetery, 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 Rime.
Then he hesitated for a moment.
"I actually really liked that name…"
For some 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 seemed 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 Rime'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 someone 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 time 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 times it happened…
That sensation never became normal.
Samael looked at Liu again.
She was still asleep.
— She's not waking up anytime soon…
Silence.
Then a thought emerged.
"Should I leave her here?"
His chest tightened.
One part of him answered immediately:
Yes.
It was logical.
It was rational.
Carrying an unconscious person across America 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 me…
His voice came 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 immediately gritted his teeth.
— Shut up.
Then he entered the forest.
Elisa silently followed them.
The environment 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 time to go back."
Samael brushed leaves away from his face while walking.
"You're going to die because of this."
— Shut up…
The answer came 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!
Something exploded between the trees.
Two Nightmare Creatures violently burst out from the vegetation.
The same 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 immediately lunged forward.
The clash between the monsters made the forest tremble.
Samael quickly retreated while holding Liu in his arms.
And immediately realized the problem.
Dodging was already difficult normally.
Dodging while carrying someone 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 unharmed 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 slammed 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 immediately 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 time since arriving in America—
Samael began to suspect that he might truly die in that place.