Strange Gift

Outlander, have you gained a new perspective on death?

"She" suddenly asked softly.

"Perhaps death is not always the worst ending."

Shade answered in his heart, then felt the box he was carrying sway slightly. Only then did he realize that it was already Monday night in the Material World, and even by his own sense of time, it was long past Little Mia's dinner time.

So much had happened along the way that Shade had nearly forgotten about the cat in the box.

Thus, under the curious gazes of those around him, Shade threw the woman bound behind him with Iron Chains onto the ground. Then he crouched and set down the box, carefully sliding open its lid. To prevent Life and Death Limbo from affecting the still-living cat, Shade pressed a hand against Little Mia's head inside the box to stop it from rushing out.

When he looked down into the box again, he saw the cat curled up inside, lifting its face and looking pitifully at Shade outside with its large amber eyes.

"Oh, my Little Mia."

Seeing Red Butterflies still fluttering around, he carefully lifted the cat from the box and held it tightly against his chest. Sure enough, whether due to the Red Butterflies or the afterglow surrounding Shade at that moment, Mia had not been affected by the Interstice.

However, when the cat was completely lifted out of the box, a bronze-colored curved hook tied with white thread was unexpectedly caught on its tail.

"Oh, what is this?"

Only then did Shade realize that this was this week's "gift," and that Mia had "taken" it again. The requirement for this gift was to give presents to two different friends during the week. There was no requirement regarding the gifts' value, but they had to