"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Damon replied, his eyes searching through their surroundings.
Whether or not this was the rift leading to Ayame's and Yuki's world, didn't matter if they couldn't get through it.
They needed to focus on the basics, surviving and reaching the rift core.
Yuki pulled back, seeing he was not sharing her excitement.
The smile on her face dimmed slightly, though it didn't disappear completely.
"Right," she said, taking a slow breath. "One thing at a time."
Damon gave a small nod and turned his attention back toward the path ahead.
The shrine gate stood silently in the distance.
Up close, it looked old.
Weathered wood. Faded red paint. Thin cracks ran through parts of the structure as if it had endured countless years of wind and rain.
For some reason, it looked more real than anything they had seen throughout their journey.
Not because it was impressive.
Because it wasn't.
