Hours were spent under the relentless glare of Hueco Mundo's moon. This eternal night was strange in some ways, not at all affecting Silas's resolve to scowl through it.

The eerie beauty of the moonlit desert paralleled Silas's character as he tirelessly scanned the vast wasteland below. There was one specific Hollow he had to find after so long.

When suddenly, his senses pinpointed the toxic storm that was Sol Desierto's spiritual pressure. He was sitting alone, nestled among the bleached dunes. Yet Silas was sure he had scanned this area before. So why was he able to find Sol now?

Nonetheless, Silas was content with him. Not because he had located Sol, but because the latter hadn't separated himself into two. That could only have meant that the Great Hollow was merely biding his time, waiting for the opportune moment to re-emerge.

With that in mind, Silas descended, his form dissolving as he moved through the shadows, invisible to any prying eyes.

When he saw him, Sol's eyes filled with anticipation. In a lax tone, he said, "Ichigo, you've… finally come back."

Silas hadn't said a word as he looked around to try and understand where Sol was. When he didn't see anything on the surface, he concluded the Great Hollow had been underground.

"It's been some time, Sol... Where have you been?"

Sol's attitude was relaxed as ever, almost as if he had spoken to Silas yesterday. Without hesitating, the Great Hollow kneeled to touch the sand. A pulse of his spiritual pressure caused the ground to slightly quake, until a hidden cavern emerged from below.

Inside, it had walls stained and pitted, marred by the corrosive effects of Sol's untamed spiritual powers. Silas touched the walls, only able to sense any lingering spirit particles after making physical contact. It was a tad unnerving to believe something like this existed.

Sol, however, seemed utterly at ease in this self-imposed prison.

Silas was confused. To think Sols' power allowed him to create something like this, something that could keep himself hidden for so long.

Silas filed the question away, opting to play along for the moment, asking, "Did you truly wait so long for me in here?"

"I did, resurfacing whenever I felt a month had passed," Sol answered, scratching his chin. "Well, I'm glad you kept your word. I was getting pretty bored down here."

Silas's mind raced. Sol had been waiting, hiding himself in this cavern for six years!

But why? It was clear that Sol had been actively containing his power and suppressing his presence, explaining why Silas's search had proved to be difficult. Yet this was still an unexpected development. It hinted at a level of control and cunning that contradicted Sol's usual depiction as a force of potent toxicity.

"Staying hidden like this," Silas prodded. "It's not your usual style; wouldn't you agree?"

Sol gave a subtle smile, answering, "You could say that. But there wasn't much choice." He gestured at the exterior. "Sense all those other Hollows out there? I believed if I waited long enough, you'd come back and keep your promise that one day I'd be able to interact with them."

The revelation clicked into place. Sol had been deliberately isolating himself—not out of fear or protection, but out of trust. Of course. In his own way, the Great Hollow still possessed a sense of kinship with other creatures apart from Hollows.

"Hiding won't change who you are," Silas mused. "But... I did bring you something that might help."

Silas took out the spiritual pressure-suppressing collar. Although he had time traveled, this was the only device that stayed with him throughout the journey. The passage of time didn't have a chance to corrode it.

Sol's head tilted with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

"What's that, if I may ask?"

Silas could tell that his voice was laced with a hint of nervousness. So he answered, "A way to control your power." He then held out the collar. "This will let you be around others without causing them harm."

Sol was hesitant at first, but his hand reached out to take the collar. Then, fear flickered in his eyes as he looked at Silas to ask, "You... You're not planning on leaving me again, are you?"

Silas's gaze hardened. Forget about seeing what a dog a Great Hollow could become. Six years trapped below ground, starved of companionship, had taken their toll even on this character.

"I am not," Silas reassured, a subtle thread of manipulation woven into his voice. "Like I said when we first met, we can go anywhere, Sol. But you have to listen to me obediently."

Silas then watched as Sol, his eyes filled with a desperate mixture of hope and fear, carefully fastened the collar around his neck. It hummed faintly, and Sol let out a sigh, his spiritual pressure slumping to an all-time low.

"You mean it?" Sol asked, his voice thick with emotion. "I won't… I won't be alone anymore?"

"As long as you follow me, Sol… you will never be alone again," Silas intoned. He had no intentions of being Sol's saviour, but by offering him this, a respite from loneliness, he was securing the Great Hollow's loyalty.

If Sol rejects, Silas won't hesitate to slay him where he stood.

Sol beamed, a satisfied expression on his face, as he said, "Then I'll follow you anywhere, Ichigo!" To the ends of Hueco Mundo and back."

"Hmph…"

"Uh… What's wrong, Ichigo?"

"The way you've been addressing me," Silas answered. "I've been letting it slide until now."

Sol took careful consideration of what he was referring to. Then he inquired as to what he should be calling Silas.

"Figure it out," Silas answered, turning to leave the cavern.

Sol got into a deep thought, placing his hand over his chin while looking at the ground. By the time he understood, Silas was already walking out of the cave. He quickly chased after him.

There was only one other place the two could possibly go. And Sol would follow him straight into the crucible of war, no matter how dangerous it would be. For this was the reason Silas designed the device to look like a collar: it was Sol's leash.

"Ready to see this world turn upside down?"

"Yes… lord Ichigo."