CHAPTER 68: CH 68: EXTERNAL FORCES- PART 2

Kana lounged on the bed, one knee drawn up, her cheek resting lazily against her palm.

From her vantage point, she could watch Evaya and High Priestess Jenna bustling around the room, moving with a strange mix of grace and urgency.

The rustle of fabrics, the faint clink of containers being set down, and the soft murmur of their voices filled the air.

It wasn’t the first time Kana had seen the pair working together, but today their focus seemed sharper, almost solemn. Eventually, curiosity got the better of her.

"What are you doing?"

She asked, tilting her head slightly, eyes following Jenna as she set down another ornate object on the table.

The high priestess glanced back at her with a faint smile.

"I’m preparing for a reading. Normally, I ask our goddess if anything important is going to happen. But with her silence lingering for so long... it’s better that I take matters into my own hands."

She said, her tone calm but deliberate.

That piqued Kana’s interest immediately. She pushed herself upright, watching more closely as they continued their work.

The air seemed to hum faintly with energy, as if the very act of preparation was drawing something unseen into the room.

One by one, items were pulled from pouches and chests—small bowls of herbs, talismans etched with intricate symbols, a vial of shimmering powder that caught the light.

Then came the centerpiece: a large vessel, polished so clean it reflected the room like a mirror.

It was placed right in front of Kana’s bed. Jenna began filling it with water—though it wasn’t truly water.

The liquid swirled milky-white, opalescent, almost alive as it rose to the rim, trembling at the edge but never spilling.

Kana’s gaze locked onto it. The surface rippled faintly despite the still air, and something about it seemed to tug at her, like a whisper curling around her thoughts.

Without thinking, she leaned forward, hand outstretched, fingers nearly brushing the surface.

A sharp smack

broke the spell.

She blinked and looked up, startled, as Evaya withdrew her hand from the strike.

"Don’t touch it. Holy water can have... strange effects on people who aren’t trained to handle it. Only someone with the appropriate skills should even think about interacting with it."

Evaya said firmly, her tone brooking no argument.

Kana rubbed her hand, though it didn’t hurt. Still, she pulled a slight pout, feigning a reluctant retreat.

"Fine..."

Her system’s voice chimed quietly in her mind:

[Would you like to use your skill to interact with the water and catch a glimpse of the future? Probability of accuracy: approximately 50%.]

Kana stilled.

Fifty percent wasn’t bad—but it wasn’t good enough. She frowned inwardly.

’That’s basically guessing.’

She thought. Her mind drifted to something Evaya had once mentioned: High Priestess Jenna’s perfect record with future readings. One hundred percent accuracy.

"Why?"

Kana asked her system silently.

[High Priestess Jenna’s luck cannot be recorded at this moment.]

Kana’s eyes narrowed slightly. That was unusual. Maybe that unmeasurable quality was exactly why her readings were always right.

Her attention returned to the preparations, which were finally coming to an end. The faint scent of the herbs hung in the air, mingling with the sharp coolness of the holy water.

Evaya glanced back at her.

"Come and sit with me. We’re about to see something incredible."

She said, patting the space beside her.

Kana slid off the bed and joined her, tucking her legs beneath her as she settled in. All her attention now was on the high priestess.

Jenna moved with serene precision. She removed her outer robe, leaving only the thinner ceremonial layer beneath, and knelt in front of the vessel.

Her hands hovered over the water, and Kana swore she could feel the shift in the air—like the room itself was holding its breath.

Then Jenna leaned forward and, without hesitation, submerged her head fully into the holy water.

The surface stilled almost instantly, the swirling light fading into perfect calm.

Seconds ticked by.

A minute passed.

Kana’s brow furrowed. She turned to Evaya.

"Shouldn’t we... you know... get her out of there?"

Evaya didn’t even look concerned.

"No. Let her be. The divine magic will protect her."

"That’s still a long time to hold your breath."

Kana pointed out.

Evaya’s lips quirked faintly.

"Once, she was under for nearly an hour. She came out perfectly fine."

Kana blinked, unsure whether to be impressed or unnerved.

"...An hour?"

Evaya only nodded, her gaze never leaving the vessel.

Kana looked back at the water, its milky-white surface undisturbed, as if the high priestess had simply vanished into another world beneath it.

Her earlier curiosity deepened, threading now with a thin coil of anticipation.

Whatever was happening inside that vessel, it wasn’t just a ritual—it was something that brushed against the edge of the impossible.

And Kana had the feeling she was about to see exactly why High Priestess Jenna’s readings were so famous.

_

After what felt like an eternity, ripples disturbed the surface of the water.

High Priestess Jenna finally emerged, drawing in a long breath as droplets cascaded from her hair and robes.

She exhaled slowly, a sigh of relief that seemed to drain the tension from the air.

Her cheeks were flushed a deep crimson, her lips slightly parted, and her eyes glistened—not just from the water, but from a fine layer of tears welling in them.

Kana blinked, momentarily caught off guard.

The sight was... strangely distracting, enough that she instinctively turned her head away before her expression could betray her thoughts.

Evaya, however, had no such restraint. She smirked openly, leaning closer to Kana’s ear.

"Do you find this as amusing as I do?"

She asked, voice low but carrying a teasing lilt.

Kana kept her gaze fixed stubbornly on a far corner of the room, refusing to meet Evaya’s eyes.

"No comment."

She muttered.

Her tone was casual, but the truth was far more complicated. She wasn’t laughing, at least not for the reason Evaya assumed.

The heat in her cheeks wasn’t from humor—it was from the fact that she doubted the high priestess would appreciate knowing exactly what crossed her mind in that moment.

Across from them, Jenna straightened, brushing strands of wet hair from her face with measured grace, as though half an hour underwater was nothing more than a short prayer session.

Her breathing had already steadied, her focus returning to the solemnity of the ritual, but the faint flush on her face lingered, betraying just how taxing the reading must have been.

Kana, unwilling to be drawn into Evaya’s teasing, simply folded her arms and tried to look as though she was studying the now-still water instead of the high priestess herself.

It was easier to feign indifference than to explain her real reaction—and safer, too.

Evaya’s amused glance lingered for a moment longer before she finally turned her attention back to Jenna, though Kana could still feel that faint undercurrent of mischief in the air.

Kana said nothing.

After all, some thoughts were better left unspoken—especially in front of someone like Jenna.

Kana could already imagine the sharp, knowing look she’d receive if the truth ever slipped.