CHAPTER 51: CH 51: THE TEMPLE VISIT - PART 4

Everything inside Kana screamed at her not to move.

This was a world of monsters and magic, where even the most innocent-seeming creatures could hide fangs beneath their smiles. Logic told her to step back, to call for help, to walk away.

But something deeper—instinctive—pulled her forward.

The pink-haired female was caught awkwardly in the dense bush, her hood tangled in the branches and her limbs twisted like she’d tripped and fallen straight into it.

She didn’t look threatening. In fact, her wide, dazed eyes made her seem more like a frightened rabbit than anything dangerous.

Kana’s heartbeat sped up.

She hesitated a moment longer, then sighed.

"This is stupid,"

She muttered to herself—and pushed aside the thick leaves.

"Here. Give me your hand."

Kana said softly, reaching forward.

The pink-haired girl blinked up at her. Then, slowly, she reached out, her fingers grazing Kana’s palm. Her hand was warm and trembling.

Kana wrapped her fingers around it, steady and firm, and gently pulled her free from the grasping branches.

The girl stumbled into her, unsteady on her feet. Kana caught her shoulders and helped her stand.

Now that the girl was out in the open, Kana could see her clearly—delicate features, flushed cheeks, and large, shimmering eyes that looked right into hers. Her pink hair spilled from her hood in soft waves, and for a brief second, Kana forgot how to breathe.

This girl—she looked familiar.

The girl stared up at Kana, her gaze intense and confused.

"I... I had something I needed to tell you."

She whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Something important. But I—"

She paused, eyes glazing over.

"I can’t remember."

Kana’s heart skipped.

"What do you mean?"

The pink-haired girl leaned forward, lifting a trembling hand. Her fingers reached toward Kana’s face, so close now that Kana could feel her breath.

The look in her eyes—soft, lost, pleading—sent a strange pang through Kana’s chest.

That protective feeling came again.

She didn’t know this girl. She didn’t even know why she was here. But something about her made Kana want to shield her from everything.

Before the girl’s fingertips could brush her cheek, a sudden voice called out from the far end of the sanctuary.

"Kana!"

Kana flinched, heart leaping. She turned her head instinctively—and saw High Priestess Jenna and Evaya approaching, their long robes trailing behind them.

Relief flooded through her. She waved to them, about to explain—

But when she turned back to the girl—

Kana stood frozen. Her hand, still half-raised from helping the girl up, trembled slightly as she stared at the empty space before her.

She was gone.

Just like that.

Kana’s breath caught in her throat.

One moment the girl had been there, reaching for her face with that strangely familiar expression—so soft, so vulnerable—and the next, she was gone without a trace, not even the sound of her footsteps echoing in the silence.

It didn’t make sense. It didn’t feel real.

Kana glanced around, half-expecting the pink-haired girl to be hiding behind another bush or ducking behind a tree, but the sanctuary grounds were quiet and empty again.

Almost too quiet. Only the distant murmurs of prayer from the other end of the temple could be heard, growing louder as footsteps approached.

She turned and saw Evaya and High Priestess Jenna walking toward her. Their expressions were unreadable.

Kana’s heart raced. Her mind still spun from what had just happened.

"Are you well?"

High Priestess Jenna asked as she came to a stop beside Kana. Her voice was calm but carried an underlying sharpness to it, as if she already knew something had happened.

Kana blinked and forced herself to nod.

"Y-Yeah... I just thought I heard something."

Evaya’s eyes swept the area, narrowing slightly, but she said nothing.

The High Priestess’s gaze lingered on Kana for a moment longer, then turned toward the sanctuary entrance.

"We’re glad you made it here safely. Come, we don’t have much time."

Kana hesitated, glancing once more over her shoulder. No sign of pink hair. No footprints. No rustled leaves. Nothing.

Still, the memory of those eyes—wide and innocent, like a frightened animal—lingered in her mind. That face. That presence. That strange, inexplicable connection.

She couldn’t shake it.

Even now, her chest ached with the need to protect whoever that girl was. And more than anything... she wanted to know who she had just met.

As she followed the pair into the temple, Kana found her hand drifting to the spot where the girl had almost touched her cheek.

She felt the phantom sensation of fingers that never quite made contact, and the strange sense that the world had shifted slightly beneath her feet.

She didn’t know who that girl was.

But deep down, she had the unsettling feeling that the girl somehow knew her.

Kana’s hands hung loosely at her sides. Her breath came faster now. She stared at the space the girl had just occupied. There hadn’t even been time for her to run.

Evaya reached her first, frowning.

"Is something wrong?"

Kana looked down at her hand—the one that had held the girl’s just moments ago. It still tingled with phantom warmth.

She shook her head slowly.

"No. I... thought I saw someone, that’s all."

Jenna’s golden eyes lingered on her a moment longer than necessary.

Neither of them said anything else.

And neither of them seemed surprised.

Before Kana could fully process the pink-haired girl’s disappearance, a pair of arms wrapped around her shoulders.

She stiffened instinctively—but the scent of incense and old parchment calmed her nerves. High Priestess Jenna pulled her into a gentle embrace, warm and firm, as if shielding her from the world.

"There’s no need to look so shaken, dear child. You’re safe now. You’re with us."

The High Priestess murmured beside her ear.

Kana stood still, her heart still pounding from what she’d seen—or maybe imagined. The embrace was comforting, but it also made her feel smaller than she liked to admit.

The High Priestess pulled back just enough to look into Kana’s eyes. Her hands stayed on Kana’s shoulders, steady and gentle.

"Whatever is troubling you, you can tell me. Anything at all. I’m here for you. I’ll help you through whatever burdens you carry."

She said softly. Her smile was tender, motherly.

"But I can’t help unless you confide in me. Just tell me what happened."

Kana hesitated.

She opened her mouth, but the words caught in her throat.

The image of that dazed, pink-haired girl—her eyes, her voice, the sudden vanishing act—flashed through her mind again.

Something about that encounter felt private. Like it wasn’t meant to be spoken aloud. And for some reason she couldn’t explain, she had a strange feeling—deep in her gut—that she shouldn’t say anything.

Not yet.

"I’m fine. I was just feeling a little overwhelmed. I think the temple atmosphere is still a bit new to me."

Kana said instead, forcing a smile.

The High Priestess studied her for a moment longer, then gave a soft chuckle.

"Of course. That’s only natural. Come. Let’s walk together. You’ll find the temple can be quite welcoming, once you understand its rhythms."

She wrapped an arm around Kana’s shoulders.

Kana nodded, but her heart remained uneasy.

Some things... she’d have to keep to herself.