Liam's vision through his crows wasn't what Halo had imagined. He'd assumed Liam saw everything they saw, all at once.

But no, that would be impractical. Liam controlled more than five shadow crows simultaneously.

This meant constant vision-sharing would be exhausting, even dangerous for his mental health. But how it actually worked was quite simple and logical.

Each crow could act independently, like Halo's clones. But every movement drained Liam directly, from eye rolls to wing flaps, everything. Nothing came without a cost.

Still, they could share their vision with Liam. He could see through any of them at once if he chose to.

This also had its drawbacks. Multiple crows could attempt to share visions at the same time. He was certain he knew how to handle such situations but refused to go into details.

***

Halo, Liam, and Seraph strolled through Inferno Moist. The forest was bathed in a crimson-red hue. The trees were tall, gnarled, and appeared almost alive, with dark red bark and twisted branches that snaked through the red landscape.

Most branches had enormous skeletal remains suspended on them. But what caught their eye most often were the skulls of Sinners, their jaws open as if frozen mid-roar.

For safety reasons, unbeknownst to whether the red mist was poisonous or not, they covered their faces with cloaks as they trekked cautiously through the land.

Liam had a crow circling above the trees, while Tough and a few crows guarded the castle.

Halo wanted to save Light as much as the next guy, but he wasn't inclined to do this.

Light wasn't a child, and it wasn't mortal like any of them. Still, he believed the clone was smart enough to do anything necessary if it found itself in an inescapable situation.

Light would have exhausted its energy.

But he felt the pull to go. Light might be trapped or experimented on. And if anyone learned which god he served, Death itself, their attitude would shift. Sinners or not, everyone feared Death.

Death was never a good thing, even in this world.

"Why do you make more clones? I think that would've made our work slightly easier."

Halo glanced in Liam's direction to see his blue eyes piercing in his direction, while Seraph trailed behind.

"It's not as easy as it seems…"

The moment he spoke, Liam paused for a moment.

"What do you mean?"

Halo rolled his eyes lazily as he began to understand why Liam would ask such a question. Liam's ability, Blackwings, allowed him to create crows from darkness as long as he had enough energy. But Halo's was different. He had to pay for his with Sin Fragments.

Before Halo could utter a word, Seraph spoke:

"We serve different gods, you know?"

They turned to get a glimpse of her faded eyes. Even with the cloak covering her face, Halo was certain she smiled.

"What do you mean? Do our abilities work differently?"

Seraph responded to Liam with a gentle motion.

"Each Only Sin and the way their powers are used. I serve the God of Despair, and the price for wielding its power is something that feeds despair itself…"

The moment she spoke, it clicked for Halo. Liam's Only Sin was Darkness, letting him control shadows, like the hero from the game.

Halo's god was Death, explaining why he could only clone what he'd killed or possessed. And Seraph? Her power required self-immolation, burns from her own flames to gain strength.

This gave him a different perspective on how their abilities worked. But now, after careful consideration, he wasn't envious of those two anymore, their abilities came at a higher cost compared to his.

"So that's what they meant when they said using our abilities was a form of worship to the gods."

Seraph gave Liam a firm nod.

Halo sneered.

He wished he could stop using his ability, but in this world, his survival would be slim with it gone.

From a different perspective, his ability came at a higher price than Liam's and Seraph's. Unlike theirs, his ability was nothing but a loan. Death could come anytime and claim it back, rendering him useless, if it didn't kill him first.

Realizing he was feeding the god who would most likely end him by using its ability made his blood boil with rage.

"Don't you think we've gone far enough?"

Liam changed the topic immediately, as though Halo's silence bothered him. But Halo said nothing; the rage from his discovery still burned hotter. Even so, it seemed as though Liam wanted an answer from Halo alone, as he stopped Seraph before she could speak.

The moment Halo realized they were both waiting for him, he let out an annoyed sigh and spoke.

"This is the largest land among the triad lands for a reason…" His eyes traced the skulls and skeletal remains scattered around.

"We should keep going. Light doesn't know fear, it's likely ventured deeper into the land."

They'd walked for hours with only a sack of water. The danger was everywhere, with skulls scattered across the landscape and human remains as warnings.

Whatever Sinners controlled this land made visitors afraid. But Light had been missing for five days. They'd stay as long as necessary, costs be damned.

"How did you know? How sure are you that Light didn't just abandon you?"

Halo turned to Liam with a lazy look.

"Because I am a pro…"

He barely waited around after saying that.

Light was part of him, literally. A clone, a piece of his own soul. He'd never abandon himself. But he couldn't explain that, couldn't share the details. His anger for Death still loomed.

After walking in silence, with nothing but the boat's echoes disturbing the distance, Halo made a decision. Let it all go. He was supposed to be dead. Whether Death itself had saved him or something else, he was alive by sheer chance. That had to mean something.

However, the instant he concluded, Liam halted abruptly before gesturing toward their left.

"I can see Light… it's there!"

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