The silence after the goddess's departure lingered like smoke in the chamber.

The dim glow of the statue faded into nothing, leaving behind the faint scent of incense and the pounding of anxious hearts.

High Priestess Jenna exhaled slowly, her expression hardening with resolve.

She turned toward the remaining elders who still lingered near the back, shaken and pale.

"Call for a meeting. We will gather the representatives of the other species. If we are to face this danger, we must stand united."

Jenna commanded.

But the elders stiffened, hesitation written clearly across their faces. One of them fumbled with his sleeves before shaking his head.

"High Priestess… to involve ourselves with the affairs of others—it is dangerous. If the goddess speaks of war, perhaps we should shield our own temple first. It is not our duty to carry the burdens of outsiders."

Another elder nodded nervously.

"Yes, yes. To meddle is to invite destruction. Let us preserve what we can."

Their cowardice rang loudly, and Kana clenched her fists at their selfishness. But before Jenna could rebuke them, Lumine's soft laughter broke the air.

The golden-haired high priestess stepped forward, her smile dazzling yet edged with something darker.

She leaned close to the elders, her voice dropping into a silken whisper. The words did not reach Kana or the others, but whatever was spoken drained the color from the elders' faces.

Their lips trembled, eyes widening in horror, and without another word they turned and fled the chamber, nearly tripping over each other in their haste.

Kana blinked, bewildered. Even Lysera and Irielle exchanged glances of unease.

Jenna frowned deeply and fixed her sharp gaze on Lumine.

"What did you do to them?"

Lumine's smile widened just a fraction, her eyes glittering with amusement.

"Oh, nothing worth worrying over. A little… persuasion. A secret no one here needs to know."

She sang lightly.

Jenna pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing with a mix of frustration and exhaustion.

"You never change, Lumine."

She turned away, brushing aside the mystery. Her gaze settled on Kana, Lysera, and Irielle, her tone softening.

"Prepare yourselves. This storm is greater than any of us, and each of you must be ready."

Lysera stepped forward, her voice firm but her brows furrowed.

"High Priestess, the dragons will never agree. Their pride won't allow them to join forces with other species. Asking them will be a waste of time."

Jenna studied her for a long moment before laying a gentle hand on Lysera's shoulder. Her touch was surprisingly warm.

"And that is why I entrust this task to you. It is precisely because they are difficult that you must be the one. I trust you, Lysera. Do not let that trust go to waste."

Lysera stiffened, her lips parting, but no argument came. The weight of responsibility pressed heavily on her shoulders, and she bowed her head in silent acceptance.

Irielle cleared her throat, breaking the tension.

"For now, we should return home. Everyone's exhausted. Planning while half-dead will only bring mistakes."

Jenna gave a curt nod.

"Go, then. Rest while you can. Tomorrow will demand more from you."

The three of them left the temple, the corridors quieter now after the chaos earlier. Night had already fallen, the city blanketed in shadows lit by only a scattering of lanterns.

Their steps echoed as they made their way back to their inn.

Kana couldn't help glancing back at the looming silhouette of the temple, its spires stretching like claws into the sky. The weight of prophecy pressed on her chest, heavy and suffocating.

Back at their room, the exhaustion finally caught up to them. Irielle threw herself onto a chair, rubbing her temples with a long sigh.

"This entire day has been a disaster."

Lysera sat near the window, silent, her gaze lost in the night.

Kana watched her quietly. Something about Lysera's stillness gnawed at her. She had been unusually quiet the entire walk back, her normal sharpness replaced by silence.

Finally, Kana gathered her courage and spoke gently.

"Lysera… what's wrong? You've been quiet since we left the temple."

Lysera's hands tightened in her lap. For a moment, she didn't answer. Then, with a heavy exhale, she turned her face away.

"It's nothing. Just… fear."

"Fear?"

Kana leaned forward.

Lysera's lips curved into a strained smile.

"I'm afraid of facing my family. That's all. Don't read too much into it."

Kana studied her closely. There was something more beneath those words, but the weight in Lysera's tone told her it wasn't something she was ready to share.

So instead, Kana softened her expression and nodded.

"I understand."

Lysera glanced back at her, surprise flickering briefly before her gaze softened.

"Thank you."

Later, as the night deepened, Kana lay on her bed.

Sleep tugged at her, but rest would not come easily. The echo of the goddess's words, the memory of Rimeru's golden eyes, the looming war—all of it pressed into her heart.

And then it came.

The familiar, suffocating sensation of the wolf goddess's power, crawling into her dreams like dark tendrils of smoke. Kana gasped, clutching her chest as the weight tried to drag her under.

But then—light.

A barrier shimmered around her, warm and firm, cutting through the oppressive darkness. The power recoiled, unable to touch her.

And then a voice rang clear within her dream, calm yet sharp.

"Leave. Know your place."

Kana's eyes widened. Ruby's voice. The protective strength in it cut straight through the goddess's influence, banishing the darkness like mist before the sun.

The wolf goddess's power retreated, snarling and fading until the dream quieted.

Kana collapsed into the calm, her heart pounding but her body relaxing at last.

And for the first time in many nights, she slept in peace.

Kana collapsed into the calm, her heart pounding but her body relaxing at last.

And for the first time in many nights, she slept in peace—wrapped in the faint warmth Ruby clinging to her, like a lingering embrace.

Somewhere deep within her, hope stirred, fragile yet unyielding against the darkness.

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