Having left the room, Noah launched himself into the sky immediately, making the surrounding tiles tremble and the small branches of the tree in front sway. The nearby servants froze upon witnessing the scene, taking a while to return to their tasks elsewhere.

  Brief cracks echoed as his clenched fists shook.

  Damn it..!

  [I warned you it would end like this.]

  Shut up!

  With no more cracks occurring, from above, his narrowed eyes scanned the property.

  [Just apologize, Noah. She'll forgive you.]

  Shut up! The nearby clouds wavered at the abrupt clenching of his fist. She'll do it out of fear, not because that's her real feeling.

  [That...]

  In a contained burst of air, the clouds parted as he came down to the ground. He was repeating an old habit, even if what he was feeling was different from usual. It wasn't fiery like anger but bitter and somewhat unpleasant. He wanted to get rid of it quickly.

  Thud!

  Rising with the impact, dust was thrown everywhere. The quicker and more alert ones turned and covered their eyes. Some others weren't able to. As sudden as it was, in an instant they saw something clouding their view, irritating it, entering their nostrils, and scratching their throats.

  — What the- What happened...?

  Whispers soon began to spread through the dust. Meanwhile, with slow steps and raised guards, everyone took silent steps, trying to move away. From what? They weren't sure. They couldn't even say if the direction they headed was the right one. Some soon realized it wasn't.

  — You see what I see, right?

  — Uh-huh..

  Should they feel relieved or remain worried? This wasn't a monster, for the shape rising through the thick dust was human. Because of that, those who saw him breathed a sigh of relief. However, those eyes were profane and horrifying in their composition. When they saw him, everyone froze.

  The figure's disappearance caused the dust to dissipate, clearing the area.

  Those who kept moving away looked around, confused. Whoever saw the figure fell to the ground. And those who witnessed the gaze stayed as they were. They couldn't move until saved; the fear alone was inescapable.

  — What happened? Did anyone see anything?

  — There was someone in the dust.

  — Someone...?

  — God...? — they muttered in unison, all talking to themselves.

  — Did you see what he looked like? Where was he?

  One of the men pointed the direction, but didn't dare approach. Even if he couldn't see him anymore, he felt there was still something there.

  They all approached the arena but couldn't go up. Their legs didn't obey the order to walk there. The small flight of stairs they used to climb indifferently now seemed too high for them to reach it.

  — And what happened to those four? — someone commented, trying to focus on something else. His legs shook and his heart was almost stopping, he couldn't force himself to keep going anymore.

  — Did he... do something to them?

  Some approached slowly.

  — No, they're still alive.

  — Then why aren't they moving?

  — And how the hell should I know? Tsk!

  Those closest nodded, though not very confidently. They would touch their shoulders... would touch... weren't very convinced about it. They sweated without even exerting themselves. Their hands shook as they extended into the air. As if there was a barrier between their bodies, it was hard to get close. Every moment brought new pressure to their agitated chests.

  — Hurry up already.

  — Want to try instead of us? Then shut up.

  They sighed. They were almost there. The last barrier to cross, just touch them. They did, then immediately recoiled, jumping back.

  The four fell with uncontrollable breathing. As with their own bodies, the air seemed too heavy. Their eyes vibrated with terror. Words failed along with trembling voices. Crawling with their fingers and nails scratching the dark tiles that made up the floor, they struggled to move away from the grand steps leading to the seemingly empty arena.

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  — Hey, it's fine, calm down. He's gone now.

  — N-No! He hasn't! He's still here! He's... — raising a finger without any firmness, the man pointed to the empty space — He's still there.

  Everyone turned to the arena.

  It seemed ridiculous, they weren't seeing anything after all. However, focusing, they noticed fine dust rising simultaneously in various places of the solid rock and then disappearing.

  A small crack appeared on the surface. The left end of the arena crumbled.

  They shuddered and couldn't move away immediately. They couldn't; they were frozen.

  — Is that still human...?

  It didn't matter how hard they tried, none of them saw even a blur, let alone real images. They wished to move away but were incapable.

  — What are you doing? I was gone for a moment and you already stopped training? Come on, move!

  — Shhh...

  — Shh? Who's the idiot that shushed me?

  — Mr. Jun, he's here. — someone whispered.

  — He? Who are you—?!

  The arena shook. Fine cracks etched across the floor, reaching the feet of those closer to the structure.

  They looked up fearfully. Swallowed saliva that wasn't there. And tried to move their legs, only making them tremble.

  In the center of the block, they could see the clear figure.

  — Tsk!

  The tongue click made their blood freeze in their bodies.

  [Are you sure you don't want to talk to her?]

  [This way of venting isn't very good, Noah.]

  I thought I told you to be quiet?

  [What will you do now that there's no one to take it out on?]

  Guess you don't know the meaning of the word "silence".

  Rolling his eyes, he turned to the people surrounding him.

  [Are you just going to pick any target?]

  [Are you sure this will solve your problem?]

  What the—

  After a step, the arena shook. As he descended the stairs, all the stone gave way, falling apart.

  Holding their breath, they forced their bodies to move to clear the way. They had to. They felt the chills from whatever was screaming inside them, their own instincts.

  The sound of a stone falling from the mass and rolling across the ground put them on alert. They all turned to it, hearts in panic.

  With a distant look, Noah walked on the other side of the walls.

  He wandered completely detached from his surroundings. The wind ruffling his hair didn't actually touch him, let alone the smell of tea that came from some open and closed windows as he passed. He didn't notice the people he passed by and ignored Isadora's existence in the distance because he didn't see her. That depressing feeling persisted, and what he'd done was far from having any effect.

  When he finally lifted his head, he found himself in front of the bedroom door but was unable to touch it. He couldn't hear the heartbeat or breathing, but he had to check. He pushed the surface, finding the bed empty.

  —...Where is she? Show me on the map.

  [A point will be used to do that.]

  All right.

  [As long as she's alive, her location will be shown on the map.]

  ...That sounded like a curse.

  [No... It was just a warning.]

  His ascent was not as intense this time. It was fast, but not so intense. Noah stopped among the clouds over the city and looked where the map pointed. There, Ting smiled as she helped Mr. Hu repair the wall of his house. That vision bothered him.

  It's different, isn't it?

  [...What?]

  How she acts when she's with me. Always thoughtful, searching for the best answer. Fearful. And... acting like she's in danger.

  The system took a while to respond.

  [I'd rather not get involved in this.]

  I see..

  He watched her smile a while longer. Then he turned, flew to the forest southeast of Radiance residence. He was still in the city's territory, but in a remote spot. There Noah sat down to think, cleared a small area, and went on thinking for a while longer.

  [I still think just apologizing would be much easier... And faster too.]

  I thought you said you wouldn't get involved?

  [...]

  While visualizing and planning, he would sometimes forget that time was passing. However, this changed when Noah saw the yellowish sky gradually darken and realized he was alone. The silence reaffirmed it. In that place, only the sound of the wind kept him company.

  On the grass, a small structure began to take shape. Halved logs were placed as a floor, while the walls rose up around him.

  — Hmm, it's starting to look like something.

  [That doesn't even have a door... or roof.]

  He reconsidered for a moment.

  — Something unfinished.

  Watching the sky constantly changing, Noah pondered returning. He wanted to see her, but wasn't sure he could control himself.

  He sighed.

  He looked at the building one last time before leaving. He flew above the trees back to the room. He figured that if Ting wasn't there yet, he could just lie down and wait for the next day. He didn't want to argue or try to talk. He would leave her alone. His first and last gift to her would be a place where she could rest in peace.

  Maybe she wouldn't like it, since he was building it according to his idea of what would be good. An isolated place where she could have peace. But Ting seemed to enjoy people's company, and she wouldn't find that there.

  Withholding information about the room, he pushed the door open. If he didn't, he would likely leave. If she was already there, it was best for him to discover by seeing her, so he wouldn't have a way to run away.

  His body froze for a moment when he saw the covers moving in the dark.

  After closing the door, he walked to the bed in silence. He didn't touch her. He simply lifted the blanket so he could lie down.

  Is she crying..?

  He could hear the sobs and feel her trembling. He wanted to ask what was wrong, but he didn't. He wouldn't get close to her anymore. He wouldn't force her to accept him anymore.

  Closing his eyes, he tried to ignore it. However, he felt his back warming up.

  — I'm sorry... — Ting said between muffled sobs — Please...

  Her tears soaked the torn fabric. The tremors hit him, as if they were being shared through the touch.

  — You don't need to do that. I was the one who was wrong. But don't worry, I won't do that again.

  Noah didn't push her away. However, he didn't return the hug. Noticing this, Ting clenched her fists and forced her eyes. Her teeth ground.

  He's going to leave too.. She soon understood.

  Blood trickled from the corner of her lips.