The tide roared, the rain pattered, and the campfire crackled. When her voice vanished, it actually left people with a sense of loss. Miss Belinder, in Shade's arms, had wanted to raise her head, but then she immediately heard something like a huge fish rolling over on the sea surface. Frightened, she shrank back into Shade's embrace, trembling.
But Shade knew that "Mermaid" had probably already left, because the campfire in the small campsite was swelling back to its original size, while the dense fog surrounding the reef beneath the sea cliff rapidly dispersed.
In truth, only a few dozen seconds had passed before the dense fog of unknown origin disappeared completely. The rain was still falling. Sitting on the reef and gazing into the distance, all they could see was the endless sea surface and the silhouettes of ships traveling to and from Moon Bay Port.
The indescribable power of mental contamination had faded, but its effects would linger for quite some time. Still, this was not Shade's first encounter with Desire, and his experience allowed him to quickly compose himself. The blonde lady in his arms, soft and boneless as she seemed, continued burying her face against his chest and refused to look up.
Although Desire had left, this was hardly a place to linger. Shade tried calling "Miss Belinder" a few times. After receiving only a couple of wriggles and a headshake in response, he directly lifted her into a princess carry amid the witch's shrill cry.
The two returned to the room at the bottom of the elevator. By then, the maids who had fainted there were all beginning to awaken. Though Miss Matilda was not the highest-ranking among them, she possessed the most witch power due to her identity as a Witch Apprentice, and thus