Annanu left after accepting Ereshkigal's embrace.
Along the path of his departure, the gate rails lit up, illuminating the road ahead, though Annanu had no need of it.
He retrieved his remaining four portions of vitality from the gatekeeper and stood where he had first arrived.
The hole that had vanished before had reappeared. As long as Annanu jumped through it, he could leave the Underworld.
However—
There were still other matters left unresolved.
Annanu turned around and looked behind him.
It was a hound—a Gallura Spirit Hound.
A hound of the Underworld. It existed to hunt down those who escaped from the Underworld, and normally traveled in packs of sixty-six. Yet only one seemed to be following him; there was no sign of the other hounds.
This should have been a manifestation of Ereshkigal's will. She loathed Ishtar, so when Ishtar left the Underworld, all sixty-six hounds had assembled, eager to tear into her and drag her straight back down. But now, Ereshkigal was sincerely grateful to Annanu, so only one hound followed behind him.
Yet one still existed. That was the rule of the Underworld—those who left the Underworld had to find another living being to take their place within it. No one could be exempt, and even Ereshkigal could not break that rule no matter how grateful she was to Annanu.
Annanu looked at the hound sitting quietly and obediently on the ground, then smiled. He controlled the magic power within him and rose into the air, flying toward the hole glowing with white light. The hound followed close behind.
After a moment of disorientation, Annanu opened his eyes again.
What met his gaze was a dim sky, scarcely brighter than the bluish-gray rocks of the Underworld, but—
He was back.
He had returned from the Underworld.