The faint light of the orchid flashed by, countless iron chains slowly receding like tides, sending Turing and Merka to an unknown place.

"Have we arrived?"

"This... isn't Central City. Where are we?"

Merka trembled as he got up from the ground, shook his drowsy head, and gazed into the distance.

The sight before him shook Merka's uneasy soul.

The boundless night of horrors, flooded with colorful waves, extended far into the distance, separated by the horizon between sea and sky.

Endless waves of the sea, like a series of small hills, crashing on the dim beach.

The dark sand mixed with seawater, gently soaking on the beach, as delicate as a baby's skin.

The mournful full moon hung above the vast sea and sky, resembling a blue-haired raven perched at the top of the rising tide, crying incessantly.

"Where... where is this place?"

Merka incredulously knelt on the chilly beach, his fists planted in the sand.

Wide-eyed, he weakly grasped the flowing yellow sand in front of him, clearly on the verge of mental collapse.

"We should be in Central City... I shouldn't be wasting time in a place like this!"

"I've already sacrificed so many people... so many people have died because of me..."

"But here I am, not knowing what I'm doing..."

"Sob... sob..."

"They were beloved children of parents, supposed to be enjoying their youth..."

"All destroyed by me!"

The salty sandy sea breeze blew on Merka's numb cheeks, a piercing sensation that seemed to touch his tear glands.

Two silent tears streamed from Merka's bright black eyes. He pounded the sand repeatedly, covering his head, weeping in pain, not caring even if sand got in his eyes.

Poor Merka, crushed by the terrifying pressure of Oedipus. Under this heavy burden, his mental state had become distorted.

What he didn't know was that Maria had gone through this stage too, even worse than him.

"Did I make a mistake...?"

"Where did I go wrong?"

"Damn it, damn it! I should never have messed with that cursed woman..."

"I... I will die... I will cause Turing to die too!"

"Damn it, damn it! I don't want this... why is this happening to me..."

Merka's crossed arms rested on the sand, his head hung weakly on them. He ranted to himself wildly, beating his chest, pulling his hair.

Only those who have faced Oedipus head-on would understand the sense of powerlessness akin to challenging death itself.

At this point, any sane person would think Merka was going mad.

But Turing just grabbed Merka's collar, lifted him up, and forcefully brought him into her embrace, holding him tightly and kissing him deeply.

Merka was stunned for a moment, then quieted down.

Turing's kiss was intense, her sweet lips burning as if leaving a mark on Merka's teeth.

"Feeling calmer now?"

Turing slowly moved her cheek away from Merka's body, speaking with a viscous, loving tone, her eyes misty as she gazed into Merka's shimmering eyes.

"Seems not quite there yet... then I'll go again."

Seeing that Merka still seemed shaken, Turing didn't give him a chance this time; she immediately embraced him with unreserved fervor.

This time, Turing's fiery kiss was even more passionate and unrestrained, like a wild tiger pouncing on its prey.

Her slender, delicate tongue slowly slipped into Merka's mouth – like an iron core delicately probing a lock, gently prying open the unguarded depths of Merka's mouth.

Strangely enough, the restlessness and anxiety that had been clamoring in his heart suddenly dissipated under Turing's scorching French kiss.

The chaotic storm raging in Merka's heart gradually subsided. A great, overshadowing force slowly approached from a distance, comforting his battered soul and faintly aching spirit.

In an instant, a profound sense of happiness, fueled by burning love, welled up in Merka's heart.

Merka hesitantly broke free from Turing's sweet embrace, at a loss for words, panting softly with exhaustion, like a child who had done something wrong and didn't know what to say.

"Feeling calmer now?"

"My brave good boy."

Turing smiled, her eyes seeming capable of seeing through mountains and oceans, erasing vast distances.

The almost boundless love in her eyes deeply affected Merka.