A Mirror

That afternoon, at Earl Hall's estate in East Chester County, Hobart and Audrey lay on the grass beneath the shade of a tree, chatting idly.

Listening to the cicadas and gazing at the distant sky, Hobart gradually felt waves of drowsiness wash over him.

Before he knew it, Hobart had fallen asleep amid the fragrance of wild grass.

At the Archangel level, there was no real need to sleep. Sleep was more of a psychological comfort, and one had to use "meditation" to enter it.

For Hobart, this deliberate way of falling asleep had rarely occurred in recent years.

While deeply asleep, Hobart even had a dream. He had not dreamed in a long time either, and he rather enjoyed the experience.

A magnificent city appeared in the dream. At its center stood a gray palace hundreds of miles tall, surrounded by several massive stone pillars.

The last remnants of Hobart's awareness told him that this should be Levi Seed, the "City of Miracles."

The next second, the "City of Miracles" vanished, and Hobart suddenly woke up.

Audrey had gone somewhere unknown, leaving Hobart alone on the grass.

The sky had been clear moments ago, but now dark clouds filled it. The light gradually dimmed, as though a heavy rain was about to fall.

A fierce gust swept through, making the leaves rustle and slap against one another. It gave him a very bad feeling.

Hobart called for Audrey, telling her to head back with him, but no one responded after two shouts.

He froze slightly, realizing something was wrong. He used "Distortion" to return to the villa's hall, only to find the enormous three-story villa completely empty! Hobart looked coldly at the scene and immediately realized that he might still be dreaming.

Just as he was about to use