Saa’ir recognized his unexpected savior. Not its physical appearance, but rather its soul, as he had sensed it earlier, it was one of the souls connected to the boy—it was Nina.

Nina, weakened and grunting rather cutely, struggled to rise. Despite her battered state, there was a quiet resilience in her, a fierce loyalty that seemed almost palpable.

She wobbled slightly on her paws, shaking off the disorientation from being thrown against the wall, her black slits for eyes blinking as she tried to steady herself.

Saa'ir knelt beside her, his gaze soft with gratitude and curiosity. "Odd... This...thing is what helped me, but it looks nothing more than a toy. Yet, it moves as if a living being, it even has its own soul. In fact, the green fur, those blue vine-like spirals around its body, its stitching... Didn't Young Juin have something like that in the corner of his room, only in the form of a wolf?" he thought, noting to himself to question later.

Reaching out carefully, he extended his hand, allowing her to lean into him for support as she regained her balance.

Saa'ir watched as Nina stands, her fox-like form steadying itself. She tilts her head, her horizontal black slits widening slightly as she looks him over, an expression of curiosity painted clearly on her stitched face. He notices the wagging of her tail, which puts him at ease. "At the very least, she doesn’t seem hostile."

Petting Nina on the head, Saa'ir asked gently, “Excuse me, are you alright?”

Nina doesn’t respond right away. Instead, she approached him, her curiosity apparently overriding any urgency.

Saa'ir stood still as she began to circle him, sniffing him with calculated breaths. Her forehead creased with each inhale, her nose twitching as if something about him was puzzling her more and more with every sniff.

Amused but aware that time was slipping, Saa'ir reached down and picked her up as though she were just some regular soft plush toy. Nina’s eyes widened, clearly surprised, her body stiffening in his hands.

“Can you understand me?” Saa'ir then asked, locking gazes with Nina.

Nina tilts her head from one side to the other before giving him a slow, deliberate nod.

Relieved, Saa'ir nods in return. “Good. Do you know why and how you got here? Do you happen to know a girl named Giona?”

At the mention of Giona’s name, Nina’s eyes snap open wider, the small, thin slits turning into deep, black wells of shock. Without warning, she wriggled free from his grip and slips to the ground, landing like a feather.

She pauses only for a moment to look back at him, giving a quick nod before darting off deeper into the hallway.

Saa'ir straightened, briefly taken aback by her reaction. He realizes that she must be indicating for him to follow. The way she moves with purpose convinces him that she knows where she’s going, and he’s not about to waste this chance to uncover what’s happening in this labyrinth of nightmares.

Without hesitation, he strides after her like a jet, his senses on high alert in case those black hooded figures try to ambush him again.

As he flew through the endless, twisting corridors, taking turn after turn, his focus solely on keeping up with the small, stitched fox darting ahead, Saa'ir couldn't help but to marvel at her speed. Nina moved with an agility that felt almost surreal, and he knew that if he so much as blinked, she could easily disappear around a corner and out of sight.

Suddenly, Nina skidded to a halt, her tiny paws stopping in an abrupt fashion. Instinctively, Saa'ir glanced up in response, realizing with a heart stopping jolt that he was speeding straight toward a wall.

His heart skipped as he managed to halt himself just inches away, one hand pressed against the cold stone as he steadied his breathing. He exhaled deeply, relief flooding over him as he lowered himself to the ground and took stock of his surroundings.

They were at a dead end, the passage narrowing to an unyielding stone wall. Saa'ir looked down to find Nina sniffing around, her small nose twitching as she investigated the ground, then the walls, then every inch of the narrow corridor. She seemed intent on something both of them couldn’t see, her movements meticulous and searching.

Saa'ir watched with growing curiosity, trying to make sense of her behavior. "Is she tracking something? Searching for a hidden passage? For a toy fox, just how powerful is that nose?" he pondered as he crouched down beside her, observing as she continued her investigation.

Whatever she was onto, it seemed important, and he had a feeling that Nina, despite her size and plush exterior, was more perceptive in this maze than he was—a valuable asset.

Eventually though, Nina stopped at a certain spot of the wall beside the dead-end and stared. Her ears and tail perked up straight, signifying her curiosity, and piquing Saa'ir's own.

Her new ghost pal studied the odd section of the wall where she had sat down, her sharp eyes locked on a specific spot with unwavering focus. Following her locked gaze, he sensed something strange, like when a brain tries to decipher an optical illusion.

The stone looked solid—unremarkable at a glance—yet there was an intangible distortion that pulled at the edges of his awareness, giving him a sense of displacement and disconnection.

Seeing Nina glance back at him with a look of quiet confusion made him realize he wasn’t alone in feeling this. She seemed to sense the anomaly too, reinforcing his suspicions.

Taking a breath, Saa'ir extended a hand toward the wall. As his fingers met the stone, he felt the resistance soften, and to his astonishment, his hand phased right through. The wall appeared completely solid, yet both he and Nina watched his hand vanish seamlessly into its surface, almost like an illusion.

“This is…strange.” Saa'ir murmured to himself, bewildered. Ever since he’d entered this twisted realm, his abilities had felt muted, especially his ability to phase through objects in the real world. But now, this sudden break in the rules raised a few theories in his mind.

“Either this is the nature of a child’s mind—full of fluid, unpredictable logic…” he mused aloud, his hand still half-buried in the wall. “Or this is intentional. Like something, or someone, is actively trying to obscure the pathways.” his gaze darkened, considering his second theory. “If this is the work of that entity I encountered, then maybe…maybe it’s hiding Giona, or trying to keep anyone from reaching her.”

Nina watched him intently, her head tilting as if she were considering his words. Her tail gave a slight twitch, signaling that she, too, was aware of the weight in his tone.

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Saa'ir, cautious as ever, took a steadying breath before leaping through the wall, his guard raised, expecting something sinister on the other side. But as he passed through, he was only met by yet another identical hallway stretching out in front of him.

He took a breath of mild relief due to no immediate danger—but that feeling was quickly replaced by agitation as he looked around at the endless twists and turns ahead.

"Not this again..." he said with a tired sigh, sliding a hand down his face, wiping away the mounting irritation. He glanced back, ready to signal for Nina to come through, only to find her head already poking out from the wall, flicking back and forth to survey the area.

Seeing her like that, Saa'ir couldn’t help but grin. He raised a thumbs-up, signaling it was safe. At once, Nina jumped through in full, landing with an alert stance, and immediately began sniffing around again.

Saa'ir watched her as they continued to trudge down the hallway, his pace slowing as he anticipated that any moment now, she would pick up on a lead, then bolt.

They reached another corner, and that was when both of them froze. A soft, haunting sound echoed down the corridor—a girl’s whimpering and quiet sobs, faint but unmistakable, filtering through the endless hallways.

Saa'ir’s chest tightened. The sound was painfully familiar, the same sorrowful cries he’d heard from the girl lying in bed back in the eerie cabin.

Without a second’s pause, Nina took off at full speed, her ears perked, tail stiff, as she charged toward the source of the sound. Saa'ir surged after her, quickening his pace as he strained to keep up, his senses alert.

He watched as she dashed down the corridor, navigating each twist and turn with precision, her small form darting through each opening.

They came to another dead end, but Nina hardly paused. She bounded forward, jumping straight through the wall, vanishing without hesitation.

Saa'ir's figure began to ascend again, floating above the ground as he followed her lead, throwing himself through yet another fake wall.

They repeated this process over and over, weaving through hallways and passing through hidden walls, each transition bringing them closer. The whimpering grew louder with every wall they passed through, until at last, they reached one final barrier.

With a shared sense of urgency, Saa'ir and Nina jumped through together, emerging to find themselves facing a heavy, iron door.

Saa'ir stood silently, piecing together what lay beyond the door. He was certain now that the source of the cries—the girl in the bed—must be Giona, assuming from what he heard that boy say.

If he could reach her, help her confront the darkness gnawing at her, then he could help her break free of this place—the source of her trauma. "This place... It looks like she was kept here against her will and abused. She may have escaped physically, but mentally, she's still trapped here."

While Saa'ir reflected, Nina edged closer to the door. Her ears twitched, attuned to every faint sound—the ragged breaths, the soft gasps, and the muffled sobs drifting through the iron barrier.

With delicate determination, she reared up on her hind legs, placing her front paws against the door. For a brief moment, she stood there, her head tilted as if listening even more, before she began scratching at the cold, solid surface.

Though her tiny, soft paws resulted in the iron door being unphased, the faint rustling sound she created seemed enough.

From the other side, the crying paused. The silence that followed was heavy and uncertain, until a soft hiccup and sniffle from beyond the door broke the silence. Then, a trembling voice asked, “W-Who’s there? D-Dama?”

Inside, Giona shrank back, wiping her tear-streaked cheeks, her heart racing with both glee and fear as she waited anxiously for an answer.

The shadows on the other side shifted, fully blocking the thin sliver of light under the door. Then, a calm, yet unfamiliar voice instructed, “Stand back.” She took a hesitant step back, clutching her arms to her chest.

The heavy iron door creaked open, releasing a flood of light that was blinding to Giona after so long in the dark. She squinted, trying to adjust, but before she could fully see who had opened the door, a blur of green fur darted toward her.

Nina tackled her, pushing her to the floor in a flurry of excited sniffs and soft, affectionate cuddles. “N-Nina?” Giona stammered out as she sat frozen, processing what was happening.

As the realization sank in, a wave of joy unlike anything she’d felt in so long burst through her heart. She let out a shaky breath, wrapping her arms tightly around Nina, and pressed her tear-streaked face into the creature’s soft, familiar fur.

The tears came again, but this time, they were tears of relief and happiness. She held Nina close, feeling the warmth of her plush body, and Nina nuzzled her back, her little head rubbing comfortingly against Giona, as if assuring her that she was safe now, that everything would be alright.

After a few moments, Giona, still sniffling and wiping her face, looked up. That was when she noticed the tall figure standing just behind Nina. Her heart leaped in fear as her eyes took in Saa’ir’s imposing form, the piercing gaze, the dark skin, and the stern expression that, in her mind, dangerously resembled that of Matchi Tehew. The warmth and safety she’d felt seconds ago slipped away, and her body stiffened.

She scrambled backward, holding Nina close, her face paling. Giona’s breaths came shallow, her eyes wide with fear, memories of the cruel man who had tormented her flashing vividly in her mind. "W-Who… who are you?" she asked, her body beginning to tremble violently. "A-Are you…are you going to hurt me, too?"

Saa'ir was taken a back, feeling the weight of her question. Though, he understood, knowing that after all she’d endured, those words were a natural response. Her prison, the eerie hallway, and the malicious figures—all told him that she had suffered scars most could never heal from.

He wondered if the hooded figures they’d encountered were fragments of the memories of those who had hurt her, their shapes molded by her fear and trauma.

Slowly, he raised his hands, palms open in a non-threatening gesture. “My name is Saa'ir,” he said softly, “I’m not here to hurt you. I came to help.”

Despite his reassurance, Giona took a step back, clutching Nina closer. The little fox creature nuzzled against her, but Giona’s eyes remained wide with mistrust.

Saa'ir could tell his words weren’t reaching her heart, not yet. Realizing he needed to try a different approach, he decided to focus on something familiar. “You must be Giona,” he said gently, “and Nina, was it? She’s the one who led me to you.” he nodded toward the stitched fox, smiling. “She’s a clever little fox, isn’t she? And adorable, too.”

At the mention of Nina, Giona’s tense expression softened. She looked down at the little fox in her arms, blinking as if seeing Nina for the first time. “N-Nina...did that…?” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. She looked into Nina’s stitched face, meeting her little black slits for eyes.

Nina responded with a bright-eyed look, her stitched mouth turning up in what almost seemed like a smile. Nina’s quiet affirmation settled into Giona’s heart, melting away a fraction of her fear.

Looking back at Saa'ir, Giona stared at him, watching as his once-imposing, menacing figure slowly began to soften before her eyes, as if the previous vision of him was just an illusion. Blinking, she saw the smiling, reassuring Saa'ir—the same presence that Juin had trusted immediately.

Noticing her change in expression, Saa'ir gave a small nod and said, “That’s right, just like that. Don’t let your mind cloud your vision.” His words held a double meaning, knowing that the only way out of this place would be for Giona to conquer her own mind and face her fears.

Taking the initiative, Saa'ir slowly approached her, careful not to startle her further. Crouching as he got close, he extended a hand toward her. His movements mirrored Dama’s so closely from when she and Dama had first met, that Giona instinctively reached out and took his hand.

As he gently lifted her to her feet, Giona stumbled, unsteady in her weakened state. Saa'ir caught her immediately as she fell forward, his grip firm yet gentle, steadying her. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice low, opposite of Dama's, yet kind just like him.

Pressed against Saa'ir, Giona mumbled something, her voice muffled. Saa'ir pulled back a bit, still holding her hand to offer reassurance and give her space. “What was that?” he asked, prompting her to speak up.

"Dama... Mumu..." Giona began to say. "Did you...also found them?" her voice came out trembling with hope.

"Dama and Mumu? Those must be the names of the two other souls I sensed earlier!" Saa'ir thought as he grinned, the pieces were indeed starting to come together.

Before Saa'ir could answer however, an echoing, demonic roar would reverberate through the space, sending shivers down all three of them.

The growl felt tangible, filling the air with a dark, predatory weight that sent Giona trembling. Saa'ir instinctively pulls her close, his protective instinct kicking in as he surveys the area, alert to any movement. "It’s that thing...!" he muttered to himself, determination hardening his gaze. "And I fear, where I find it, I might find Dama too...!"

As Giona gasps, "What…what was that!?" Saa'ir crouches lower, petting her on the head. “Don’t worry,” he whispered to her, eyes scanning the shadows, "whatever it is, I'll get you, Dama, Mumu, and Nina out of here before it can hurt you, I promise.”

-

Next: (Chapter 62) Dama’s Nightmarish Struggle