Angel crossed the Dream Bridge, returning from the Dream Wilderness to reality.
When his thoughts came back under his control, he sensed vague shadows of light swaying before his eyes.
Angel groggily opened his eyes, only to find that at some point, a tall yellow-leaved oak had grown beside him. Gentle sunlight filtered through the dense leaves, scattering mottled shadows across his face.
The swaying light and shadows he had sensed earlier were the shifting patches of sunlight cast by leaves stirring in the wind.
When did a tree grow here? Angel yawned as he sat up, still pondering the tree's origin.
"Was my sun chair comfortable to sleep on?" a lazy female voice sounded beside him.
Angel turned his head and saw Gloria sitting on the windowsill of the Magic Cottage, raising a brow at him.
By now, Gloria had reverted from her previous flamboyant Meat Mountain demon king appearance to her usual form. Clearly, her conversation with Lydia had already ended.
"It was quite comfortable." Angel replied casually, then changed the subject. "How did your talk with Lydia go?"
Just as Gloria was about to speak, a gust of wind suddenly whistled overhead.
Angel looked up and saw a gray shadow drop from the tree, pouncing straight at him.
Angel neither dodged nor moved aside. He even held out his hand. When the swift blur settled, Toby was standing in Angel's palm. Toby had been the gray shadow that came flying at him.
Angel was about to smooth Toby's feathers, but unexpectedly, Toby had no intention of lingering in his palm. It pulled a large, pitch-black brick-like object from Snow-Kissed Feather and dropped it into Angel's hand, then immediately darted into the Magic Cottage like a streak of lightning.
Angel froze for a moment, then looked closely and