The forest was eerily quiet.
This was the same place where Noah and Damien had entered the labyrinth months ago. The hill inside the forest where the entrance had once stood at base.
But the hill was gone. There was no trace of the labyrinth anymore.
Instead, a large clearing had appeared in the middle of the forest. Broken trees surrounded the area, and the ground was littered with the bodies of countless monsters.
Their pale, oily skin had lost its unnatural shine. They lay completely motionless, their bodies lifeless.
Near the edge of the clearing, beneath the shade of a large tree, someone was sitting.
It was Akari.
Her kimono was badly torn, and several parts of her skin were blackened and damaged.
Some areas of her cheek and arms still showed the terrible effects of the corruption that had touched her.
Yet she was alive. Her eyes were open, and her breathing had finally returned to normal.
Resting comfortably on her lap was Noah.
