Fade disappeared.

Shadow of Death and Fade had walked nearly half a day to reach the middle of the ghostly land, Rascal Land. The area was eerie and devoid of life, filled with Sinners he had yet to fully understand. Yet here, Fade asked him to sit in the never-melting snow and meditate.

It was fine initially. Despite knowing the land's Absolute Sinner could devour everything at any moment, Fade was keeping watch over him. But once he entered meditation, the bastard vanished.

This made him panic a bit. He wasn't supposed to open his eyes, but in this treacherous land, any Sinner could take his head off without even trying. Worse still, Sinners grew more dangerous at night. He might as well be offering himself to them on a platter.

But then he understood the purpose, mastering fear and rationality in life-threatening situations. He had to push through. Clear his mind and finish the training.

His desperate desire alone couldn't carry him through this so easily. Anxiety pervaded every part of him, persistent for hours, until he finally felt it begin to fade.

Once he understood his mission wasn't to get rid of fear but to control it and rationalize through it, he managed to keep his composure.

Even as Sinners circled overhead, even as some crept close enough to smell him, he remained motionless like a monk in deep meditation. His scent had become nothing but dry and dead as a tree's bark.

Before morning came, he felt about a dozen that neared him but never struck.

This was an earned victory. Though he was relieved the training had lasted only one night, completing all six sessions, he noticed something odd, he couldn't feel any significant change in his muscles.

There wasn't anything spectacular about how he felt, which puzzled him. He'd endured hours under a waterfall and stood in a river performing martial katas. Yet his body felt lighter, as though he'd been fasting rather than training.

Even through his confusion, he still held on to some clarity, and his training had everything to do with his mind rather than his body.

***

When the sun was finally at its peak, Fade lazily stood before the castle, his hands resting on his waist.

"Wait… you're leaving? That's not going to make the castle come after us again, is it?"

The words left Liam in a swift breath.

"Relax. The castle only reacted that way because you forced him out against my will. I was maltreated."

Initially, Fade had been returning to the castle while Halo trained alone. There was caution and urgency in everything he did. Everyone knew the reason.

"Kysa has her sword, so she knows I'm alive. I thought she'd make a move by now… yet she seems to be having fun wherever she's hiding."

Fade's expression darkened.

"She'll seek me out eventually. I don't kill children, and I won't allow you to be caught between us."

Halo gave him a lazy look, while Liam and Seraph remained grateful that Fade had stayed so long. Still, Halo had expected Fade to duel him or test him somehow. But it seemed his earlier claims about Halo needing to forge everything himself were genuine.

"I expected you to remain and help protect the castle from the Absolute Sinner. And if Kysa is on her way… she won't hesitate to kill us, will she?"

The moment Seraph spoke, Fade turned to his left and stared into the sky for a moment.

"No… your Purpose will end in a few days, maybe a week. But it's your Purpose, not mine."

His expression darkened.

"Kysa's presence would have been obvious to me if she were even a few days away. Even you would have noticed that bloodlust, if she wanted you to."

As soon as the words left him, he sighed. Without uttering another word, he began to leave.

"Aren't you supposed to be able to fly or teleport or something by now?"

Halo said with a sarcastic tone, watching with a calm demeanor as Fade walked away.

Without looking, Fade waved.

"Don't forget… you owe me now, lad. One day, our paths will cross again, and it will be quite the journey."

Halo's facial muscles relaxed.

He couldn't predict what Fade might ask of him in the future. He was certain their paths would cross again, eventually. But what would Fade make of him when that day came?

"I really had hopes with him around."

Seraph said with a saddened expression.

"His ability to connect with Sinners has been invaluable. I managed to collect around 60 Sin Fragments in the past weeks without even having to fight."

Halo's clones had accumulated several Sin Fragments as well, bringing his total into the 140s. Yet Fade's decision to leave was the right call.

If Fade fought Kysa, the result wouldn't be mere damage but total calamity. Their presence would only hinder Fade. And if Kysa won the fight with them there, they would be doomed.

Fade had taught him everything needed to reach his peak potential. Now he just had to shape those lessons into something uniquely his own. With the Absolute Sinner's outbreak approaching, that mastery would prove essential.

Seraph glanced at Liam and Halo with a smile.

"It's been too long since we got a moment alone. How about we eat something and catch up?"

Her cheerful smile and delicious meals were things Halo hadn't experienced in about a month. The last curry he'd eaten from her had ruined his tongue, though, it was as though everything else tasted like sand now, except for her cooking.

He didn't wait around for her to repeat herself. The moment she spoke, Halo was already on his way to the kitchen.

But still, something Fade had said lingered with him. Their Purpose was supposed to end soon. Did his ability to connect with Sinners extend so far that he could predict when the Absolute Sinner would strike? Or maybe he only spoke from experience.

He smirked.

"He's indeed the Fade of Bridle."

He muttered.

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