After emerging from the Spell…
Just as Liu had predicted—
Her life changed.
Completely.
The first thing she noticed upon returning from her first nightmare… was her hair.
White.
Permanently white.
At first, it felt strange.
Uncomfortable.
She had lived her entire life with brown hair… and suddenly, that stark contrast became a part of her.
But, with time…
She got used to it.
And, in a way—
It suited her better.
Colder.
More distant.
More… herself.
But that wasn't the most significant change.
Her eyes…
That was the real problem.
Her Flaw did not allow her to meet other people's gaze directly.
It wasn't a simple limitation.
It was a sentence.
A constant trap.
The only solution she found was improvised—
A blindfold.
Semi-transparent.
Black.
Delicate.
With a small embroidered flower.
She could still see through it…
But barely.
Her vision was blurred, restricted, uncomfortable.
Even so—
It was better than losing her sanity.
Because her Flaw…
Was not something you "get used to."
It was something that devours you.
Slowly.
Relentlessly.
Like a living creature, starving for your mind.
The small mark on her chest—
Thin crimson roots, almost imperceptible—
Was proof of that.
A scar of what had happened.
And a constant reminder of what could happen again.
Liu closed her eyes for a moment.
She would never forget that feeling.
And she would never—
Want to feel it again.
Even if now… it already seemed distant.
Eight months had passed since her first nightmare.
Now, she was an Awakened.
Stable.
Recognized.
And well-paid.
At that moment, she was at home.
Sitting, staring at her communicator.
More specifically…
A group.
Recent.
She had been added without a clear explanation.
But that didn't matter.
Her contract with the government was straightforward.
She obeyed.
That was all.
—
A few days after adopting the Fool's name—
Samael was training.
Essence control.
Or at least…
Trying to.
"Damn it…"
He focused essence into his leg.
Felt the reinforcement.
Stable… for a second.
But when he tried to transfer it to his arm—
It collapsed.
It was like trying to shape dry sand.
The form simply wouldn't hold.
His concentration faltered.
And with it—
The enhancement vanished.
Samael moved again.
Strengthened his leg.
Ran.
Tried to reinforce his fist—
Failure.
The reinforcement in his leg faded.
His speed dropped abruptly.
And he stumbled.
"You need to maintain your focus," Layla said coldly.
Samael remained on the ground, breathing heavily.
"I know…" he muttered. "It's hard."
"You've improved," she continued. "But you still can't sustain multiple points at once. Keep trying."
He let out a tired sigh.
"What did you think of the dagger?"
Layla glanced at the weapon.
Samael had created that memory using his own aspect.
A clear attempt to prove his worth.
And maybe…
Convince her to join his court.
"It's good."
Silence.
Samael blinked.
"…That's it?"
Layla didn't hesitate.
"Yes. To be honest, your memories aren't anything special."
She crossed her arms.
"Their strength is that they're fast and cheap to produce."
Direct.
Cold.
Precise.
Samael fell silent for a moment.
Then…
Pretended not to care.
But deep down—
He agreed.
He extended a hand toward Elizabeth, expecting help to get up.
She completely ignored him.
Samael stayed still for a second.
Then snorted.
And got up on his own.
"I'm surrounded by cold women…" he muttered, annoyed.
But there was no real bitterness in his voice.
In fact…
It was the opposite.
Even like that—
Even cold—
They were…
The only connections he still had.
As soon as training ended, Samael left quickly.
There was something he wanted.
Something… important.
His steps were quick.
Eager.
A video game store.
A game.
The game.
The stage where he would face one of his idols.
Even if his words denied it…
His body said otherwise.
He wanted to win.
And he was excited.
Very excited.
The streets blurred past as he approached the shop.
Until—
He stopped.
Suddenly.
Someone was in his way.
"Hey, Sammy."
Leon.
Samael frowned slightly.
He didn't want to run into him again.
Leon had recently returned from the Dream Realm.
For him…
It had been fun.
Far more than the suffocating monotony of reality.
And now—
Samael was the only thing even remotely interesting.
"You're still impressive…" Leon commented.
His gaze was fixed.
But not on Samael.
Something around him.
An invisible presence.
A kind of mist… or aura.
Other people had something similar.
But Samael's…
Was absurdly larger.
"What do you mean?" Samael asked, wary.
Leon smiled.
"Nothing."
A faint smile.
Enigmatic.
"You are… perfect."
He murmured, almost inaudible:
"The best possible test subject…"
In the next instant—
Something changed.
Samael froze.
A brutal pressure crushed his chest.
Suddenly—
His emotions spiraled out of control.
Without warning.
Without logic.
Tears streamed down his face.
At the same time—
An overwhelming irritation surged within him.
Everything bothered him.
Everything irritated him.
Everything felt wrong.
Intensified.
Distorted.
Artificial.
His eyes widened.
"What…?"
His body trembled.
His mind screamed.
That—
Was not natural.
Someone…
Was messing with him.