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 imdiately beca 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 dismbernt.
Halo hadn’t experienced a morable 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 bewildernt crossed his features.
He’d killed many people. His first kill in his previous life had been his own ntor, Light. Yet Light’s exit barely affected him. He’d never been consud by remorse before.
Could this be the doing of his clones’ evolution?
After a mont, he stood and left the room. Morning had already co, and he needed to freshen up. Maybe he was going insane.
He’d noticed sothing strange about his Flaw lately. It felt like sothing was accumulating within him, separate from his Flaw and the Sin Fragnts he’d consud. Whatever it was remained a mystery, but he was sure it connected to his clones sohow.
But this particular anomaly didn’t feel like anything related to that. He’d already been feeling as though sothing or soone 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 so 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 ntal replay, but not this ti. 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 sohow keeping things moving.
Liam had his own thoughts and problems to share, and he didn’t want to co 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 re survival.
Seraph gave Liam’s words a beat before speaking:
"Dreaming here ans nothing. But I guess being human ans 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 sothing else I refuse to die before making happen."
She turned to Liam.
"What about you?"
He smiled.
"At the mont, I don’t need anything else. I just want to reach the end of this world with Halo. Soday I might dream of more, but not now."
"Really?"
Liam nodded enthusiastically.
"What about you, Halo?"
Halo glanced at them for a mont. His life wasn’t as straightforward as theirs, but he had a few things he wanted to see co 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 so 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 tornt began, was how peaceful and effortless his transition into this world had been.
If none of the others were experiencing anything similar, did that an whoever or whatever had given him that feeling was responsible for his transmigration? Was it Death? Or so 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 mont. 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 et so 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 beco a target for so vague desire for supremacy or fa. 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 soday."
"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 mbers."
Seraph was hesitant for a mont 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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