Clearly, her worry for him during this time had surpassed anything she had felt before.
They had been afraid something had happened to him.
Yet they had searched the whole world without finding him.
"Don't ever do this again."
Aivier's voice came softly, her nails almost digging into his back.
"No matter what happens, never do this again. At least tell us what you intend to do beforehand, instead of... instead of..."
She struggled to steady her heaving chest, then pushed Lynn away. Her eyes were faintly red as she held out her fist to him.
"But whatever happened..."
"Welcome back, you jerk."
Outside the window, Colossus and the others arrived one after another and saw the scene inside the room.
Holding the Monocle, Lynn smiled, showing his white teeth.
"Don't worry. Nothing like this will ever happen again, and I won't make you worry anymore."
"I swear."
Lynn reached out and bumped his fist firmly against hers.
"I swear..."
After reuniting with everyone, Lynn gave them an embellished account of his battle of wits with the Dreamwalker.
He described how he had steeled himself to die, how he had gained the upper hand in their final confrontation, and how the inner struggle he had experienced when resolving to end his life had successfully spared him a beating from her.
"So during those seven days, to fool her into believing you really would resist her through death, you actually dug yourself a grave and lay in it without moving, eating, or drinking for seven whole days?"
Mother Tree asked hesitantly.
Sitting atop Aivier's dragon head, Lynn raised his head wistfully and said:
"That's right. My entire mental state was negative at the time. To make my performance more convincing, I even had two coffins specially made, one for