He hovered in nothingness. It felt swift and effortless, as though he'd launched himself from the moon, allowing his weightless form to glide through the void. It felt free and peaceful…

However, his sanctuary immediately became a nightmare as he felt his very essence being ripped apart. His limbs were violently torn away, his head severed with brutal force. He tried to scream, but the sound died in his throat.

It was a dream.

But thinking about it was equally agonizing.

The sensation was unsettlingly familiar. This was how arriving in this world had felt, save for the excruciating dismemberment.

Halo hadn't experienced a memorable dream in ages, but this felt too real. It couldn't be just a dream. He sat on his bed, rubbing his limbs, feeling phantom aches in his joints.

While he sat there, Light suddenly appeared and departed the room. Halo stared after it, confused, massaging his temples as bewilderment crossed his features.

He'd killed many people. His first kill in his previous life had been his own mentor, Light. Yet Light's exit barely affected him. He'd never been consumed by remorse before.

Could this be the doing of his clones' evolution?

After a moment, he stood and left the room. Morning had already come, and he needed to freshen up. Maybe he was going insane.

He'd noticed something strange about his Flaw lately. It felt like something was accumulating within him, separate from his Flaw and the Sin Fragments he'd consumed. Whatever it was remained a mystery, but he was sure it connected to his clones somehow.

But this particular anomaly didn't feel like anything related to that. He'd already been feeling as though something or someone with murderous intent was breathing violently against his neck ever since they'd buried Fade of Bridle's body deep in the ghostly land, Rascal Land, to drive Crawlers away from the castle.

He wasn't exactly on good terms with Light since that bastard had attacked him in his sleep. Then again, they weren't on bad terms either. They just hadn't connected like they used to.

It was weird, considering now he could understand all his clones to some extent, but this felt too violent for such emotional complexity.

By now, hours had passed since he'd woken, and the pain in his limbs from the dream persisted. He'd normally chalk it up to his own overthinking, his body responding to constant mental replay, but not this time. The anomaly made him cling to it like a parasite.

He sat by the castle's moat with Liam, casual conversation flowing between them even as his mind wrestled with conflicted thoughts, his responses somehow keeping things moving.

Liam had his own thoughts and problems to share, and he didn't want to come off as awfully colder than he already was.

However, while their chatter continued, Seraph closed in from behind, adjusting her black shirt with a warm smile.

"I knew I would find you guys here…"

The words left her casually as she joined them.

"I'm glad you're here, Seraph. In all this chaos, what keeps you fighting? What do you still hope to find beyond survival?"

Liam had asked Halo a similar question seconds before Seraph appeared. He hadn't answered yet, but he was curious about what these two looked forward to beyond mere survival.

Seraph gave Liam's words a beat before speaking:

"Dreaming here means nothing. But I guess being human means I can't help having a few dreams."

She smiled.

"I'll create a safe haven for myself and for any loved ones I gain along this perilous journey."

She clenched her fist.

"But beyond that, there's something else I refuse to die before making happen."

She turned to Liam.

"What about you?"

He smiled.

"At the moment, I don't need anything else. I just want to reach the end of this world with Halo. Someday I might dream of more, but not now."

"Really?"

Liam nodded enthusiastically.

"What about you, Halo?"

Halo glanced at them for a moment. His life wasn't as straightforward as theirs, but he had a few things he wanted to see come true.

"I'd like to visit as many lands as I could…"

After he spoke, he remained mostly idle, uneasiness still lurking in his limbs. The casual expressions Liam and Seraph wore gave him all the confirmation he needed, whatever was happening, he was in it alone. They'd be showing some paranoia if they shared his fate.

He was thinking harder about this than he wanted to. The first sensation he'd felt in his dream, before the torment began, was how peaceful and effortless his transition into this world had been.

If none of the others were experiencing anything similar, did that mean whoever or whatever had given him that feeling was responsible for his transmigration? Was it Death? Or some other force he didn't know of?

Amidst his thoughts, Seraph tapped him on the shoulder, snapping him out of his daze.

"What's the problem, Halo? You seem worn out."

"It's nothing…"

Both Seraph and Liam stared in silence for a moment. It was as though they could tell that he was lying.

Seraphim's cheerful persona broke the silence before long.

"Mill said we'd need to meet some conditions first before forming a cohort. Apparently, once you're branded, everyone starts coming for you, nobody wants to lose their spot at the top. But I was thinking… what if we make our own and only go official when we're strong enough?"

Halo exchanged glances with both of them, clearly, they waited for his response.

Truthfully, the only response he could give was no. He didn't want to become a target for some vague desire for supremacy or fame. But then again, he needed to locate the hero, and considering the hero's crew, they were most likely part of a cohort already.

He'd have to join that one rather than this. Given the violence such titles brought with them, joining two cohorts might be an abomination.

He sighed.

"No, I'm not interested. Still… if you ever decide to form one, I might consider joining someday."

"I figured you'd say that…"

Liam said and motioned toward Seraph.

"Seraph is far too calm and deliberate for matters like this. Go ahead and form it… Halo and I will join as members."

Seraph was hesitant for a moment as she believed Halo's cold nature would make him a perfect leader, but reluctantly gave in.

This felt like the right decision for Halo. He couldn't be certain Liam wasn't the hero, and joining a cohort with these two would ensure he could keep Liam around even after their Purpose. He just needed to take care of the actual hero first.

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