After leaving the cave with Casey, Samael brought her back to their hut.

Walking through the same, familiar forest that she has been used to take, Casey was excited and ran ahead of Samael.

Seeing the smile on the child, Samael smiled but this was soon replaced by sadness.

How should I tell her?

This question plagued his mind all the while they were walking back.

From the moment Casey was abducted to the moment her mother was killed, Samael felt guilty. He had the strength to protect them on both occasion but he was not there when it happened. It tore him inside to know that he could've saved them if he didn't left.

What was the use of my strength if i couldn't even protect a single girl from losing her own mother?

From inside the hut, he heard Casey, calling for her mother.

"Mom~ I'm back." She called upon entering the front door.

"Mom?" She called when he entered their kitchen.

"Mom, where are you?" She slowly started to get worried and tears started welling up.

Hearing her sweet voice calling her mother, turning from excited to worried. Samael just couldn't bare it anymore and followed her inside.

He tried his best not to cry as he crouched before her, holding her shoulders. Samael said nothing, just wiped her tears and took her hand. He guided her to the side of the hut, which wasn't easy to see from the usual path they took.

There, Casey saw the grave stone Samael put up. She read the words written and her voice trembled.

"For being s-such a great mother and r-raising such a good *hic* child, rest in peace..."

Tears flowed down her face as the realization hit her and her emotions gushed out. Casey finally cried her heart out letting everything that she had experience and everything that she is currently experiencing flow like river under a bridge...

Hearing her unrestrained cries, unknowing why, Samael felt his own heart slowly breaking. Her cries seems to be resonating with some strange feeling deep inside of him.

But...this was not the time for weakness...

He thought, but this was not directed at Casey but to himself. Samael knew that this girl in a critical moment and needed someone that she can lean on.

Wiping the tear that welled up in his eyes, Samael walked forward till he was behind Casey. He crouched down again, placing his hands on her shoulders before turning her towards him and finally embracing her.

Samael then stood up, holding the child. Holding his head upward while trying his best not to cry, he stroke the little girl's back.

"That's it...cry...cry your heart out..." Samael softly said.

Hearing this Casey, didn't cry louder or anything, she didn't cry while spouting dramatic words, instead she cried like how a child should...letting the world witness the raw emotion of a young soul...

What she was doing now was fully venting all of her feelings, letting it all out in her cries. Samael felt his left shoulder getting wet from her tears but he didn't mind at all. He wanted her to let it all out before he comfort her. If he had comforted her earlier, it would do more harm than good, she wouldn't be able to release all that emotion and would continue to bottle it all inside till it eventually breaks her from the inside.

Once he felt that Casey had relatively calm down, calm enough that she could process and understand what you would say to her. Samael gently said.

"You're in pain, saddened by the lost of your beloved mother but you have to remember." He paused here and gently placed the little girl down, wiping her tears.

He continued "Remember, she loved you more than anything...and she would want you to live on."

"Mnm...*hic." The girl uttered a sound but she continued to sniffle as she cried.

Samael smiled as this because he knows that though her heart is broken, she's strong enough to go through this.

"Live! Live and become strong. Strong enough to proclaim to the world that you are the proud daughter of a wonderful mother."

Slowly Casey stopped crying but her eyes were red from crying. She uttered again "Mnm."

"Your mother was a great mother, carve that into your heart. Remember her teachings but most importantly...remember her love..." Samael gently said.

He didn't know why but as he uttered those words, not only was it meant for Casey and the other was meant for him, he even find it hard to utter the last part trying to keep his tears from flowing.

But he knew he had to look strong and dependable in front of this fragile girl so he forced these emotions down and looked at her with an reassuring and gentle smile.

Casey finally was calm enough but you could still feel her loneliness. She knelt down her mother's grave and she bowed her head, saying.

"Mom...thank you...for everything..." Then Samael heard her sniffling again, looks like she couldn't contain the remaining emotions within her.

But the girl pushed forward "But I swear that I will become strong like big brother so that other children won't experience what I have."

Samael's eyes widened at her words, not only because it contained a hint of maturity in them but also because it was similar to his own oath...just a little different.

At this moment, Samael was sure that even though he had to take care of her, he mustn't influence her too much, for this little one chose to walk the path of justice and to fight for others while he walked the path of chaos and bloodshed.

But for now...such things doesn't matter.

Moments passed after, the two of them lit candles in front of the grave and offered their prayers. Samael told Casey that she could bring whatever Items she wanted.

The girl rummaged through the house and as she did so Samael walked around the perimeter of the hut. He carved mystic runes that were more advanced than anything this realm knows but as for it's strength and capabilities? It was merely a warding array laced with a defensive array to protect this hut from intruders and wild Archaic beasts.

A while later Casey came out of the hut with a bag full of items. But it was so heavy that the little girl stumbled and the things she packed scattered around. The girl quickly stood up, picking these things one by one like they were some treasure...well, they probably were...to her anyway.

Samael walked forward to help her, crouching down to pick one of the things she packed. He noticed that most of them were wooden toys for children, a couple set of clothes and the others were the wooden utensils her mother used to used.

The atmosphere suddenly started to get heavy again but Samael quickly ruffled her hair. He continued to help her without saying anything, Casey was a smart girl and noticed right away what Samael wanted to convey.

"Big brother is right, mother wouldn't want me to be sad. She would want me to smile." Casey thought to herself and the two of them continued to pick up the things littered on the ground.

Samael kept all her stuff inside his storage ring, holding her hand they then began to walk away from the hut. Once they reached the perimeter at which Samael drew the runes at, he bit his own finger, letting his blood drip to the ground.

The runes he carved on the trees around the hut began to glow and soon an invisible field was laid down, protecting the hut along with her Mother's grave.

Allowing a moment for the little girl to say one last goodbye, Samael also thanked Casey's mom for letting her feel the familiar love of a mother.

"Come, let us go." Samael walked back ahead of Casey.

Hearing him, Casey had one last look at the house she lived at with all the precious memories.

"Goodbye...Mom." She muttered with a smile before catching up to Samael and holding his right hand.

Samael held Casey's hand as they began their journey back to the academy, they didn't pass through the village, instead they took a direct root through the forest. The sun had began to set when they began their journey. Along the way Casey got tired and Samael gladly carried her, as he carried her, the little girl fell asleep.

Night had come and they only had traversed 1/4 of the journey back.

He woke up the sleeping girl and when she woke up, the skies were dark, Samael had already started a bonfire and finished cooking dinner. Because all he had now where Archaic beast meat, the little girl was a little reluctant to eat meat straight from a stick.

But as she took a bite, her face quickly brightened and she ate faster.

"Hahaha, don't worry we still have more of it, eat slowly." Samael laughed seeing this.

The girl blushed and started to eat more moderately.

Rustle... Rustle...

Suddenly hearing the rustling of the bushes, Samael instinctively took out his spear and stood in front of Casey. The rustling continued and Samael roused his battle spirit.

It was then that out from the bushes, a furry white creature came out. It was small, clearly just a cub, it had white fur with a light blue accent on the tip of the fur. On it's forehead was a gold, crown-like, bone formation. Having a blue, innocent eyes, it met Samael's gaze and directly ignored Samael's hostility.

This furry little creature dashed straight towards Samael, arriving at his feet and rubbing it's little on it. Before he could react the little girl to his side moved faster than him that he was surprised.

"Aww~ So cute!" Casey quickly knelt and petted the little creature.

The little creature seemed to have enjoyed but it quickly ignored it and continued to rub it's head at Samael.

Samael also knelt down and began to examine the creature. "It seems to be an Archaic Beast Lion cub...White fur, Golden crown...what's this? There's a red orb in the middle of the crown?"

Hmm?

He started to recall something that he had read way back in his clan. They had extensive records of numerous archaic beasts, even mysterious heavenly beast.

"It can't be, right?" Samael was a little skeptical but he remembered a defining characteristic that particular Heavenly beast had.

A mark on it's belly.

Samael grabbed the little lion cub and flipped it on it's back. The little lion cub protested at first but with Samael's strength it had no chance of retaliation.

"...It's...there." Samael saw the mark on it's belly and couldn't believe that a Heavenly beast such as this was hear in this lower realm.

"What is it big brother?" Casey seemed to have notice the change in his expression.

Samael was jolted back and smiled at her "No, it's nothing"

He then released the lion cub and it got back up on its feet and resumed rubbing it's head on Samael's feet.

Why? Why would a cub of one of the four Heavenly Guardian Beast be here?

The Heavenly Guardian Beasts, four beast that rules above other Heavenly Beast and because of their combined strength they were only below the Heavenly Dragon Beasts.

Suddenly he felt something tugging the hems of his robes and he saw that it was the lion cub. Like it was trying to get his attention. It was only now that he saw that there was a piece of torn cloth in it's mouth.

Samael crouched down, and took the piece of cloth from the Lion cub's mouth and he recognized it.

No...it couldn't be, right?

He felt a foreboding feeling of disaster that he couldn't ignore, like a shadow of fear creeping into his heart.

Samael turned to the Lion cub with a serious face and he said to it "Lead me to her."

The Lion really looks like it had intelligence close to human as it happily nodded and ran back to the mountain.

Samael carried Casey again and said to her "Close your eyes."

Black Lightning then coiled around his feet as he disappeared from his place, catching up to the Lion Cub. The little beast seems to be strong for something so small, it was fast, leaving a white streak behind it. Samael closely followed behind.

He then felt a shockwave cause by a clash of energy essence. He hurried towards this direction.

The scene then shocked and angered him.

Silvia was fighting a Tri-horned Demon wolf under the moonlight, her clothes torn and tattered and there were several wounds on her body. As he arrived, her body seemed to have given into exhaustion and she collapsed in front of the beast.

Of course as a Archaic Beast, the Tri-Horned Demon Wolf wouldn't pass on such a opportunity and it pounced towards Silvia in the attempt to finish her off.

"Silvia!" Samael screamed.

He couldn't use his Mercurial step as if might cause injury to Casey whom he was carrying and if he were to put her down first, he wouldn't have enough time to save her.

Samael was conflicted and slowly started to panic.