The silence that followed was suffocating.

The high elder's body still smoked faintly from the divine surge that had incinerated him moments earlier.

His lifeless form slumped on the polished floor, robes charred, his expression frozen in disbelief.

For a man who had commanded the temple with unquestioned authority, the suddenness of his death struck like a lightning bolt through everyone present.

The guards stood rooted in place, wide-eyed, unable to process what they had just witnessed.

Some trembled, some averted their gazes, but none dared to move.

The oppressive aura of divine judgment lingered, searing into their hearts the truth that not even the highest of elders was safe from the goddess's will.

High Priestess Jenna was the first to recover. Her shoulders squared, her chin lifted, and the weight of authority returned to her eyes.

She glanced over the stunned soldiers, her voice sharp as a blade.

"Who will be next?"

The words rang in the chamber like a challenge.

Not one dared to step forward. Instead, the guards exchanged nervous glances and, almost as one, took a step back.

Their loyalty to the elder had died with him. Fear outweighed obedience now.

Evaya stepped in front of Jenna, her hand firmly gripping her sword hilt.

"Enough. You've seen what happens to those who overstep. Leave, all of you. The high priestess has no need of your blades. I will protect her."

She barked. Her voice carried the command of a seasoned warrior.

The soldiers hesitated only a moment longer before panic and self-preservation overtook them.

One by one, they turned and bolted from the chamber, boots pounding down the corridor until the echoes faded.

The oppressive silence returned, broken only by Jenna's slow exhale.

She turned her gaze toward her companions—Kana, Lysera, Irielle, and Evaya—and spoke with steady resolve.

"This is the time. We need to see for ourselves what the elders are plotting. The goddess's hall will give us answers."

They wasted no time. Moving swiftly through the half-deserted corridors, the group pushed deeper into the temple.

The weight of divine power still clung to the air, a reminder of the confrontation, but it also cleared their path. No guard dared to intercept them now.

When they arrived at the sacred chamber where the goddess's statue stood—the very place through which divine words were spoken to mortals—they froze.

They were not the first to arrive.

High Priestess Lumine already stood at the altar, her presence radiating its usual effortless charm.

At her side was another elder, an older woman robed in ceremonial silks, her face carefully composed though her posture betrayed unease.

The atmosphere tensed immediately. Lysera's hand moved instinctively to her weapon. Irielle stiffened, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Jenna, however, did not flinch. She stepped forward, her voice sharp with accusation.

"So, Lumine. Have you sold yourself to the elders? Is that why you stand here already—doing their bidding while the rest of us are silenced?"

Lumine's lips curled in an exaggerated grimace, and she waved her hand dramatically as though shooing away an insect.

"Ugh. Please. Don't insult me with such nonsense. The thought of aligning myself with those decrepit men makes my skin crawl."

She tossed her hair back, her golden earrings clinking faintly.

She tilted her head, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips.

"No. If you must know, I charmed this one here into following my side."

The elder at her side flushed faintly, shifting uncomfortably under Jenna's piercing stare.

But instead of denying it, she gave a deliberate cough, drawing everyone's attention back to the statue at the center of the hall. Her voice was firm but restrained.

"Enough posturing. Whatever our methods, we are here for one purpose. The goddess is speaking."

As if summoned by her words, the great statue of the goddess blazed with sudden brilliance.

Golden light poured from its eyes and crown, filling the hall with radiance so bright that even Kana had to squint.

The air thrummed, heavy with sacred mana, until the sound of a voice resonated within every corner of their beings.

"Children of the temple. The time of trial is upon you. A great danger approaches."

The goddess's voice rang, both gentle and commanding.

Kana's heart raced, her breath catching at the divine resonance vibrating through her very bones.

"The wolf goddess has lost herself to her own power. She no longer sees the balance of the world, only her own hunger. Soon, there will be war between her people and yours. The elves march under her shadow."

The voice continued, steady yet mournful.

Gasps filled the chamber. Lysera's eyes widened, Irielle's lips pressed into a firm line, and even Evaya's normally stoic face betrayed a flicker of unease.

"You must prepare. Gather allies. Rally strength. For if you stand alone, you will be crushed beneath the tide."

The goddess intoned.

Her words rippled like thunder.

The elder beside Lumine, clearly shaken, blurted out.

"How can this be? Goddesses are the highest form of life, the pinnacle of wisdom and power! How could one… fall?"

Silence answered her at first, heavy and suffocating. The light of the statue dimmed slightly, the golden radiance softening as if the goddess herself grieved.

She did not answer the elder's desperate question.

Instead, her glow gradually faded, voice lowering as though carried off by the wind.

"You have been warned. Heed it well."

And then, she was gone. The statue dulled, its light extinguished, leaving only the echo of her presence in the stunned silence of the hall.

No one moved.

Kana's hands trembled at her sides. She felt the words sinking into her heart, the image of Rimeru's golden eyes flashing in her mind. A war between humans and elves.

The wolf goddess herself leading the charge.

Jenna drew in a slow, steady breath, her expression grim.

"So it has come to this."

She murmured.

Lumine arched a brow, smirking faintly even as tension radiated from her.

"Well, it seems our goddess has left us quite the task."

She said, almost playfully.

No one replied. The weight of prophecy pressed down on them all, heavy and suffocating.

The war had already begun.

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