"You've got bruises… don't worry, I'll fix them."

After a warm embrace, typical of Seraph, she began healing Halo's wounds. The accumulated pain and discomfort, the internal bleeding, even his slight fever, all of it vanished within seconds.

Her ability to heal had improved.

Yet Halo had mixed feelings about her presence. Part of him was overjoyed at the prospect of finally eating he'd enjoy, but his confusion pushed that excitement into the background.

"Uhm… how exactly did you know I was done with my Purpose?"

She smiled.

"Oh, don't be silly. I promised I'd visit after your Purpose was over."

Halo frowned.

'What a shallow way to evade a question.'

Seraphim's eyes widened in realization.

"Oh, yeah. You've been skipping meals, haven't you? I brought some snacks."

She untied a small sack from her belt and handed it over to Halo.

Shadow of Death was bought. He immediately forgot about his concern.

'Yum…'

The moment the snack touched his lips, he even forgot he existed in the Lost World.

However, everything resurfaced the moment he gulped them down in a matter of seconds.

Still, the Child of Deceit only smiled.

"Let's get going, shall we?"

After a moment's hesitation, Halo gave her the benefit of the doubt. She was Seraphim, after all.

"I'd like to take you somewhere. What do you think?"

Halo nodded in a heartbeat.

"I don't mind, but before anything else, I must give someone a proper burial."

Seraph didn't argue. She simply followed as they searched for a better place to bury Iris.

After a few minutes and a dozen rejected locations that weren't good enough for Iris, they found the right spot.

Atop a nearby hill, where StoneHaven and the surrounding lands unfolded beneath a silent horizon, Halo found a solitary stone.

Remembering how Iris had written her final message in blood, he mirrored the act with his own, carving her name into its surface.

The stone became more than a marker, it stood as a quiet witness, a grave for a life that ended too soon, and a vow etched into the land itself.

And bid her farewell.

Seraph didn't know who Iris was and had barely heard of her since Halo hardly spoke of her, but she did the honors and ensured she rested well after such a brave sacrifice.

"I've never visited a graveyard for humans. Well… except once in my past life, when my father killed my pets, Tough and Sunday. I had to bury them with my own hands."

Seraph said as they exited the hill to finally get back on their journey.

Halo stared at her with understanding. Her parents had always demanded perfection from her. Maybe those two pets brought out something in her that didn't fit their standards. He understood her.

"So you named my clones after them?"

She nodded.

"They fit them perfectly, too. My pets—a pitbull named Tough and an Irish Setter named Sunday—shared the same toughness and burning spirit as your clones. I couldn't resist."

The names could have been chosen on a whim, but Halo didn't mind. If Seraph hadn't named them, he was certain they'd still be nameless.

As their journey continued, Seraph asked Halo about his Purpose. He was glad to share but never went beyond saying anything extreme.

She was weird. Very strange.

She smiled, and when that faded, she smiled again. And smiled again.

"So, Iris betrayed you… and you didn't feel any hatred toward her?"

Halo shrugged his shoulders.

"Honestly, I couldn't see why at the time, but it still affected me. Eventually, I realized she did everything just to put her life on the line for us."

The words left him casually, nostalgically. But this still didn't answer many questions. Iris had wanted to face Hex alone, but she died. Why did he have to be tortured? Was that pain relevant to the plan somehow?

Seraph turned to Halo, her smile was no more.

"So what if I betray you, too?"

Halo's expression darkened.

'Okay, I get it. Whatever comes next isn't good.'

He forced a smile.

"It depends on the situation, sure. But you? Betray me? That's not who you are, and we both know it."

Seraph met him with silence.

Then she spoke:

"Can I keep Sunday a little longer? If we get separated someday… I want him to lead me back to you."

Halo motioned positively.

He didn't know what was going on, but he knew whatever it was wasn't good. At that moment, he didn't know what to think or even how to feel, but until he'd seen the depth of the situation, he'd remain uncertain.

A few hours into their journey, stopping periodically by the road to rest, Seraph got them to exactly where she wanted to go.

Halo was hesitant. Should he just leave? Something felt wrong, but it could just be a misunderstanding.

On the narrow road, just before they could branch to their destination, Seraph paused and tilted her head upward. The sun didn't seem to affect her eyesight at all. After staring for a moment, she spoke:

"How do you think I can get rid of my Flaw?"

Halo remained bemused.

"Uhm… I'm not sure. Fade once said that his training was what kept him sane. You might be able to lighten the load with some mental practice, like cultivation or martial arts classes in the safe zones."

She shook her head, as though shrugging off all unwanted ideas.

"And one thing…

"Would you forgive me if I ever betray you?"

'Oh, great. Very good. I'm being betrayed.'

He weighed his thoughts for a moment. He didn't want to die, not when things were about to get better. He had to give her a response that would scare her off.

"First of all, that's not like you. But if you ever betrayed me… you'd need to do more than just say 'sorry.' I'm not easily pleased, after all, Iris had to die to make up for hers."

Seraph smiled. It was unmistakably forced.

"Great! Ha! Great! I'd do just that!"

'Huh?!'

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.