The voice still lingered in his ears, but before his eyes, everything had already become nothingness.
The experience from before was like flowers in a mirror, the moon in water, yet that glance exchanged with Time Thief felt as though it had truly happened within twisted time and space.
Angel did not know what had happened, nor did he know whether Time Thief had truly seen him across time and space. But that scene had been deeply etched into his heart, making him feel as though he had witnessed a miracle of time and space.
Putting aside those illusory, cloud-wrapped mysteries, he returned to reality.
Whether Time Thief's whisper was true or false, Angel could be certain of one thing: Spotty Dog's bark had definitely been real.
Yet when Angel turned to look around, Clock Forest was gone. This place had become nothingness, neither touching heaven above nor earth below—a void without markers. At a glance, there was nothing but darkness. He could not see Spotty Dog at all.
But Angel was utterly certain that he had heard a dog bark earlier. It was precisely because of that bark that Clock Forest had burst into bubbles and vanished.
But why was Spotty Dog nowhere to be seen again? Did it not want to come out and see him, or was it playing hide-and-seek with him again?
"Good doggy, I heard you bark... Don't hide anymore." Angel spoke into the surrounding void in the soothing tone one might use on a child.
However, the surroundings were deathly silent, with no response at all.
"You're a grown-up little dog now. You should come out and see me on your own. Playing hide-and-seek is very childish." Angel changed his tone again, adopting the manner adults often used when saying, "You've grown up; we