Three days ago, Mine found Addai.

After leaving Lydia and Blanche at the hospital—and entrusting Belial’s orb to his friend—Mine set off to find Addai, with Tieran in tow.

The baby demon had insisted on coming along, even though his mission report was already complete. No matter how many times Mine tried to send him back to his own dimension, Tieran would warp right back to his side, giggling and beaming. Mine tried it again, and again, and again, but Tieran always came back.

So, Mine figured: the sooner he found Addai, the sooner he could finally send the little demon home.

Still, there were no traces of the man anywhere, and all Mine had was Addai’s mysterious necklace in his hands.

He had no clues about anything else.

He was stuck in a void with walls and flooring.

“What do I do…?” Mine mumbled, looking at the necklace in his hands. Tieran, sitting beside him on the couch, cooed as if asking himself the same.

Mine looked around, his home was unsettlingly stuffy with that feeling taking over his mind and body.

Dread.

He didn’t know where Addai was or what condition he was in.

The cold necklace in his hands offered no answers by itself… but somehow, it gave him just enough confidence to believe he’d find him.

“Ah… Tieran… how do I track someone only having this and my poor mana?” Mine asked the baby, showing the necklace.

Tieran looked at the item and raised his chubby hands. Mine gave him the item, and the baby brought it closer. “Buh…” he babbled and touched the cold stone on his forehead.

Mine sighed and chuckled softly, caressing the baby’s soft hair. “Don’t force yourself too much.”

“Buh!” Tieran beamed at Mine with his small horns growing on his forehead. Mine chuckled and pinched the baby’s cheek.

“He’s difficult to track, isn’t he?” Mine sighed, looking at the necklace. He then looked at the back of his hand and caressed where the diamond pattern used to appear. “… Tieran… let’s work together in this,” he stood up, and the baby eagerly followed him with his eyes.

Mine shuffled on the drawers in the living room, tossing aside everything he pulled out. He was looking for the last bottle of the mana enhancer he confiscated from Ajal’s locker the other day.

“Ah, shit!” Mine cursed, taking the bottle from the last drawer.

The liquid had spilled all over the wood, and there was only half of the dose inside it.

It had to be enough.

“I had an idea,” Mine said and drank the rest of the liquid, tossing the empty bottle away.

Mine took the baby and placed him on the floor. Tieran looked at him, confused, and still holding the necklace in his hands. Mine bit the tip of his own finger and drew a small pattern on the bare floor, placing the necklace gem on it.

“Please work…” Mine prayed silently and placed his hands around the circle. Tieran did the same and giggled.

The small pattern then glowed violently, oozing miasma from it. Mine coughed blood, and the Chronos patterns in his body lit up. He looked at Tieran, who was looking back at him in concern.

Mine smiled weakly, “It’s okay, I don’t die easily. I’ll find our friend, okay?”

“Buh!” Tieran finally beamed again.

Mine gently touched the baby’s forehead, and a diamond-shaped pattern formed on it. Tieran, mesmerized by the soft glow radiating from Mine, couldn’t help but stare at him in awe. Mine chuckled and blew lightly on the baby’s face. Soon, Tieran turned sleepy and slumped on the floor, right beside the glowing pattern.

Mine stood up and tore the pattern open.

A dimensional hole in the middle of his living room appeared.

He pinched his nose and jumped inside it.

It was dark, and the landing was wet.

His feet sank slightly into the ground.

Frowning, Mine raised a hand and conjured a mana candle to light his surroundings.

Blood.

Flesh.

Gore.

Just as he was about to take a step, a guttural growl erupted around him.

Mine froze, clapped a hand over his mouth, and extinguished the mana candle.

A tall creature slowly appeared in the darkness, and only his crimson eyes were visible.

It bared its teeth and claws, snarling like some rabid dog from Hell.

Mine locked his knees and clenched his fists. But as he raised his hand to cast a spell, the mana enhancer’s effects began to fail. He coughed up a mouthful of blood on the floor and felt his body weaken.

But he refused to accept it.

Dropping to his knees, he kept his gaze locked on the creature

Another coughing fit sent Mine to the bloody floor. He landed on his own warm blood, his face splattered with it. His lungs ached, and he could hear the Chronos approaching to take over his shell.

Still, he looked up and raised one trembling hand… the diamond-shaped mark on the back glowing faintly in the dark.

The creature pounced on Mine and screeched. Just as it was about to devour him, it froze.

Mine, seconds from surrendering to Chronos, stopped as well.

Confused, he stared up at the creature’s sudden stillness.

The thing was no bigger than a man, just a little bit taller. Their hands were robust and rude, but their claws didn’t pierce Mine’s skin.

“… What? I don’t need your pity…” Mine mumbled.

What he didn’t expect was that the creature started sniffing Mine's hair, cheeks, and neck. Then, it started dazing, slowly stepping back and sitting on its feet a few meters from Mine, but nothing more than four steps.

Mine took the opportunity to quickly crawl away. He stared at the creature and conjured a light mana ball.

When its first light rays reached the creature, it revealed its appearance. 

Mine gasped and shouted in fright. The light mana ball fell on the floor, shattering completely.

Quickly covering his mouth, Mine crawled a few more meters away, his heartbeat as fast as a runaway. His head spun, and he slumped on the floor.

Everything went black.

After a few minutes, Mine sat awake in a gasp.

He looked around, but there was no sign of the creature. Instead, he found a limp body on the floor beside him.

It was Addai’s body covered in bruises.

They stood there, frozen.

One tried to speak, but the other also did, so they ended up quiet.

Addai didn't dare to move. He watched Mine’s emotions gradually gain colors.

A single tear rolled down Mine’s cheek and landed on his hands.

The next tears stained his eyes and the tip of his nose with warm, reddish hues.

Muffled sobs rose in his throat—but he swallowed them down.

Just as Addai started to move toward him, Mine raised a hand and slapped him across the face.

Addai froze, stunned.

Then came another slap—on the other cheek.

“You moron!” Mine burst, his hair turning into a deep shade of red. “You told me you’d go back home, and you went missing for three fucking days!!!”

Another slap burnt Addai’s cheek, and he just accepted it.

“Do you know how I found you?! You were almost reduced to minced meat!” Mine shouted, hot tears still rolling down his cheeks. “It took me another three days to heal your body and recollect the shards of your fucking soul! What have you done?! Huh?!”

Another slap burnt Addai’s other cheek, and he just accepted it.

Mine raised his hand once again, only to drop it and cover his face with both his hands. His chest trembled as he finally let go, sobs tearing free from his lungs in ragged waves. His hair color was no longer red, but a deep shade of gray – even his skin was turning gray.

Addai looked at Mine. His face was burning, but he paid no mind.

Approaching Mine, Addai wrapped his arms around that cold body with a wet face. He then buried his face in Mine’s hair, feeling the scent of his shampoo. It took a few seconds, and Mine also embraced him back, making sure to hide his face in his friend’s shoulders.

Shame? Anger? Or just plain tantrums? Addai didn't know what was going through Mine’s head – in fact, he never knew what was going through Mine's head.

“You were fading...” Mine said, his voice meek and low.

“I… I’m sorry…” Addai whispered.

Mine loosened the embrace and wiped his own tears. “I guided your soul back, but you were too far,” he explained and sniffled. “I had to dig deeper and use the Seraph's Tear petals extract to bring you back. I just… didn't know it could react so bad with you so…" he showed his hands, completely black as if it was dead or burnt.

Addai gasped. His eyes went wide in shock.

How hadn’t he noticed…?

How hadn’t he noticed Mine’s hands were that way?!

Mine was afflicted with miasma corruption.

That kind of contamination was dangerous. He did that. His nature, his damn nature, and essence did that. He doesn't remember what he had done while he was in that addictive frenzy. What if Mine had more bruises on his body? What if he was the one who caused them? What if-

Addai yanked Mine’s arms and held them tightly, his grip rough and rude.

Mine, of course, fought back—twisting, pulling, resisting—but every attempt ended in failure.

Just as Mine was about to bite Addai’s hand, his friend’s eyes flickered crimson, and the dark stains along Mine’s arms began to fade.

“There,” Addai released Mine’s arms.

Mine rubbed his wrists and looked at Addai, “Thanks…” he nodded, a bit confused. “I could do it on my own,” he grumbled with his pride on the line. “Seriously, what if you contaminated yourself-”

“Are you okay?” Addai quickly asked.

Mine swallowed his scolding and wrinkled his nose. “Hmpf, of course I’m fine.”

Addai didn’t seem convinced enough, but he finally sighed, relieved.

“Now that you’re a jerk again, I’ll leave you to rest.” Mine stood up and turned his heels. “You’re at my place, by the way,” he started walking.

But when Mine was about to give his second step, Addai held his hand, interrupting his walk.

“Can you… Stay for a while?” Addai asked, his voice sounding wobbly.

Mine sighed and crouched back down on the cold floor, settling just inches from Addai—whose eyes were filled with desperate hope, silently begging him to stay.

Lifting a hand, Mine gently brushed Addai’s bangs aside, fingers grazing the soft texture of his hair. Up close, he could see his friend’s irises—now thinner, sharper even if his eyes were glossier.

Addai felt his face turn hotter and hotter, and so did his nose and eyes. Before he could rub them, Mine slowly wrapped his arms around Addai.

Addai’s chest tightened, and he clung to Mine even harder.

It was a huge relief to feel his warmth once again.

“I don’t want to be alone,” Addai confessed, burying his head in Mine’s shoulders. “Please… stay.”

Mine felt his chest flutter and his cheeks burn a bit.

“I… I will,” Mine reassured, his cheeks blushed. “Just don’t wander away again, okay?”

Addai nodded silently.

“Then, let's make a pinky promise,” Mine suggested. “Let's promise not to do things by ourselves if it's too much and rely on each other,” he slowly loosened up their embrace, finally being able to at least hold one of Addai's hands, “We're not alone if we can count on each other.”

Addai lifted his head—not too high, just enough to seal the moment—and gently intertwined his pinky with Mine’s.

A pinky promise.