Theus sat on the ground, gasping for breath. He looked at Monica, whose breathing had steadied, then up at the starry sky overhead, unable to stop a weary smile from appearing.
The Banshees gathered around Monica, hurriedly carrying her aside to tend to her.
The furnace had been like a powder keg on the verge of exploding. If Theus had not ignited it, it would have done so on its own at any moment.
It had been so close.
If the Machine Soul's will had truly pierced through reality, even Theus could not say what would have happened. Perhaps Cognitive Interference would have occurred and Pollution would have descended once again, or perhaps the Machine Soul would have fully awakened and become the next god to lose control.
Fortunately, they had made it in time.
The Faithguard Army had been recalled from their quarters and assembled to maintain order. It was nighttime, and most of the workers had only just gotten off work. They had originally been told that the ignition ceremony would take place tomorrow, only to discover in astonishment that it had been carried out today.
When they learned that Castel had returned to reality, most people could scarcely believe it. They stood there dumbfounded for a long while before belatedly realizing what had happened.
The Banshees surrounded Monica several layers deep. With Castel's return, the gaps in their memories had vanished as well. They remembered everything.
Monica—the tiny Banshee, the little girl everyone adored—had borne so much all by herself.
The Banshees had always been the ones protecting her. Now, she had been able to save them all.
Looking at Monica, covered in blood, the Banshees recalled their past doubts and wariness. Now, all that remained was heartache.
Rarely, they said nothing. They merely stood quietly at