His chest tightened. Even though she had abandoned him. Even after he had confined her.

“Um, can I ask something?”

Making an effort to meet Ru’s eyes, Hayden, mocking himself, tried to look into her eyes.

“Yes, of course.”

“Is it okay?”

He wanted to ask who says it’s okay to whom, but Hayden nodded generously.

“It’s okay.”

It was okay for Carlos to drain her strength. Ru’s visible relief made her cheeks regain color.

“…I see.”

Was that what she wanted to hear? Hayden’s heart sank again at the significantly changed appearance of Ru. What does it matter now?

“I’m sorry for making you worry while you’re busy.”

He apologized again. She didn’t know that with each apology, the one apologizing felt their blood run cold.

Actually, now Hayden couldn’t read his own expression well. He looked so dispirited that it was even more apparent. He only felt sorry and more sorry towards her ever since they met again.

Pull yourself together. The boy who used to ardently gaze at her, shouting his rescue silently, doesn’t do that anymore. He is fine and much stronger than her. So, she should quietly stay by his side until he allows otherwise.

Yes, it was just wishful thinking. Ru closed her eyes. Everything she did was just foolishness, like an ignorant girl babbling about things she knew nothing about. Useless and foolish Rustica Genesis.

‘Maybe luck is on my side since I met Hayden again.’

Did she fall asleep for a moment? When she opened her eyes again, the surrounding air had cooled down a bit.

In the indistinguishable time between cool evening and dawn, Ru felt a massive presence sitting quietly next to her. Hayden was sitting as he had seen her before closing his eyes.

It felt like she unwittingly shivered since she hadn’t moved at all since she fell asleep.

“Are you awake? Feeling better?”

At Hayden’s question, Ru shook her head.

“Then get up.”

He lifted the blanket, supported her, and put a coat on her as if they were suddenly going out.

Is it ending now?

Suddenly, Ru felt like her body beneath the neck had disappeared. The organs beneath seemed to be falling vertically.

“Don’t think about useless things. I don’t want to get angry with a sick person.”

Hayden tightened his jaw, closed and opened his eyes. It seemed like an expression holding back anger, and she felt completely helpless in his gray eyes.

“We’re going together and coming back together. Got it?”

“Oh? Yeah.”

Nodding her head in surprise, she was suddenly embraced by the thick knitted Hayden who was wearing her.

“Where are we going?”

“Inside the barrier.”

“Kaleta?”

“No.”

Hayden took a step. In an instant, Ru found herself standing at the southern border of the Cathart and Perseita. Hayden kicked the barrier with his foot.

“Inside this wall.”
And he, without any warning, moved forward and entered the wall. Ru, who closed her eyes in surprise, opened them again when she didn’t feel a collision with the wall.

“Do you remember how we parted ways? Do you recall?”

Ru nodded her head slightly.

“Yeah, I remember.”

“The place we came to after being sucked in is here.”

Somewhere, faint screams could be heard. Ru’s face, looking around, gradually paled. The emerald light flickered, and amid the light, darkness spread like viscous slime, turning dark.

“It’s hell.”

Before the grotesque monsters or whatever they were could reach them, they shattered into pieces in the white light. Monsters with red and yellow eyes, opened wide, looked at them from various places, dripping saliva as they watched.

The emerald light dripped heavily onto them, like venom.

Yes, this place was truly hell.