"Let me reintroduce myself, my dear Chronos," the host released Mine's waist, but there was something else gluing his feet on the floor. "I'm Agarath, a humble businessman," he bowed.

Mine scowled and tried to move his feet but with no success. "What do you want from me?"

Agarath widely smiled, not matching the beautiful scenery around them. "I want you to work with me. Think about it: I can protect your family; you will live in peace once again and every trouble of yours will vanish! Isn't that awesome?" but Mine only snorted in return, and Agarath's mouth briefly twitched before he arched his eyebrows and rubbed Mine's shoulders. "Also, I can set you free from Aiden."

Mine's eyes widened, and he looked at Agarath. Behind the mask and wig, he felt his skin and scalp itch and his fingers felt oddly cold even beneath the gloves. He bit his bottom lip and snorted back, contrasting the turmoil inside him.

"I would be free from him anyway," Mine laughed bitterly, his eyes not matching the fake smile on his face.

Agarath cackled a burst of loud laughter again and slapped the nearest fence, its sound resounding in that eerie place and muting the birds' chirps and water drops. "You think you would be free from him with the money I'll give you? You're so innocent! I liked that! A beautiful Chronos and as naïve as an angel? My dreams came true! Ha ha ha ha ha!"

"What do you mean, you psycho?!"

Agarath slowly approached Mine again, touching his chin and pressing his neck. "Aiden is my most loyal dog, and he knows that he can't accept the money that comes from me."

Mine felt his heart sink, and his knees weaken, but he remained upright thanks to Agarath's hand on his waist, supporting him. Despite the action, Agarath's hand was as cold as ice, matching his twisted eyes and smile.

"Also, Aiden is a very naughty dog… when he takes a liking to something, he loves it until he possesses it completely," Agarath whispered in Mine's ears. "So, don't think you'd be free from him that easily…"

No… This can't be true… Mine thought, but his mouth couldn't reproduce it.

"Let me tell you a story! Come, come! Let's walk and talk like we did earlier, hm?"

Agarath smiled widely again and guided Mine for a walk around the beautiful garden. Mine's feet were moving, but only because Agarath was ordering them to do so like a puppet. Still, his mind was a mess. He couldn't think straight, and his body screamed for a mad run somewhere far from that Hell.

Focus, I need to focus!

While Agarath guided him to the nearby flowered gazebo, Mine started looking for breaches wherever he found a distorted portion – like AI-generated drawings. Maybe he could try breaking the errors and find his way back to the mansion-

"Your story with Aiden is quite… intriguing," Agarath voiced, and Mine's mind went numb again. "To think you failed to notice that guy you called 'love' used you to fuel his new addiction… What a shame, little Chronos, what a shame…"

"S… Stop…" Mine mumbled.

"To think this 'love' used not only your name, but he also put your family on the line… That was a true vile move! A tragedy!" Agarath faked a dramatic teardrop to roll down his cheek. "The mighty Mine Karawaga was targeted! Remember when you found your sister was being watched by Aiden's securities?"

"No! I don't remember!" Mine clutched his hair. Everything around him turned oddly nauseous.

"Ah… so, remember why your father died?" Agarath grinned widely, tracing Mine's cheeks.

"Shut up!!" Mine shouted, covering his ears.

"Aiden was mesmerized to know he was blessed by a certain Goddess when he revived… So, he thought that it was better to aim someone weaker like…" Agarath's eyes fixated on Mine. "But that's so unfair... isn't it? He didn't know you were another 'God', ha ha ha ha ha!" he cackled a loud laughter.

"STOP!"

"With that, he is now aiming at your dear mother! A pity she's a mortal… That's so fun!!!! Ha ha ha ha!!!!" Agarath clapped his hands like a maniac and almost didn't notice a murderous aura around Mine. "No hissy! I can help you!" he dodged a spell Mine threw on him. "I'm Aiden's boss, so be smart- AH!!!" he dodged another spell.

"I WANT TO DISSOLVE YOU!!" Mine broke free from the binding spell.

"Ah… you youngsters are really…" Agarath sighed and snapped his fingers.

Mine felt all his limbs shiver as if he was zapped by an electric current. Numb again, he kneeled on the floor, screaming in pain as the foreign attack still went rampage all over his body.

"Sorry to use this vile move, my dear… I hope you apologize for my rudeness and cooperate from now on," Agarath snapped his fingers again, and Mine fell limp on the cold floor. "So, back to our deal. I can help you with Aiden's situation, and you help me back with a small, little thing…" he approached Mine, who was having a hard time breathing.

Agarath whispered something in Mine's ear, and the boy immediately widened his eyes, trying to make his body go away from the monster that calmly followed his crawling with serene eyes.

The soft and smooth grass gradually became prickly and rough as Mine used it as a support to drag his body away from the demon that was slowly pursuing him.

His legs weren't moving.

His mind felt like static television.

His breathing sounded like an asthmatic person.

His hands were dirty with mud and grass which he clutched to them with fervor.

With another snap of Agarath's fingers, Mine dropped right where he was. His agonized screams filled the eerie, serene air, frightening the butterflies fluttering around the nearby flower bushes.

Agarath snapped his fingers again and chuckled. "Oh Darling, come here," Agarath took Mine from the floor, dusting his dress. "Let's place you into your beautiful den, which is… aha! Here!"

Dizzy and confused, Mine felt his body lay on something soft and comfortable. Also, it smelled good, a mix of lavender and jasmines, which made his reason numb…

WAKE UP! GET OUT OF HERE!

Mine blinked and saw Agarath's foggy face turn into a nasty scowl. He blinked once again and felt his throat cackle in a maniac laughter. It was delicious... and freeing.

He laughed out loud.

Agarath was saying many things to him, but he didn't listen until a glow blinded them.

Mine blinked once again, and he was back to the hallways. Well, it was narrower and darker. There were no windows, flowers, or fancy things, only eerie paintings and suffocating curtains hung on invisible windows.

Thanks to Mine's Chronos glowing, he could see what was around him. He was the only light source of that eerie space.

What... happened? Where's my wig?! Mine quickly brought his hands to his head.

It didn't make sense. It was so sudden!

Mine blinked a couple of times and felt the mask from his face fall on the floor. It cracked and vanished like bags of dust in the air. His breathing hitched when he heard loud noises coming from somewhere nearby. He attempted to stand up and fell. He tried again and succeeded – a bit wobbly but still.

He looked at his hands. They were dirty with a crimson and metallic liquid. Quickly wiping it on his dress, he looked back, and the same gargoyle statues from before were walking!

Gasping, Mine felt his legs weirdly light and noticed the Chronos cloak around his shoulders, but it was a little bit… harder? Mine looked back, and his eyes met with the menacing gaze of the gargoyles who screeched loudly, sending shivers down his spine. The cloak turned stiff and Mine ran. Oddly enough, he was faster than before, and his feet didn't touch the floor.

What happened?! It does not make any sense!! What's making me faster?! I'm so confused Goddammit!! His mind was a mess while he dodged a gargoyle's attack. Shit! Those ugly things are really chasing me!

Not only two, three, or four, but a squad was running after him!

"Ah, shit!!! I'm almost reaching the door, but I need to block the path with something," Mine looked around and looked upwards, finding a large, stone-hanged statue. "Perfect!"

Aiming his hand, Mine threw a single mana ball at the supporting cables, and the whole statue rumbled before crashing on the floor miserably and interrupting the squad's path.

Mine quickly closed the door behind him and locked it with a spell. When he turned, several people were standing still as if they were in a deep trance. The lights, once vibrant and joyful, were now morbid and dying. People were standing there with their mouths open, all looking at the big nothing above their heads. On the chests of the "zombie people," a faint, intermittent light shone.

"What… What's going on here?" Mine muttered to himself.