The door slider moved aside with a soft sound. The relaxed air in the room paused for a moment. Sakura entered first; her steps were firm, as if everything that had just happened was exactly as it should be. Then Ayoi appeared.
Sakura:
"Finally, she looks like one of us..."
Ayoi slowed down unconsciously as she crossed the threshold. Her eyes flickered first to the floor, then to the room. The futons, the wooden floor, the dim light... it was all still foreign to her. As she moved, the lightness of the fabric of her new dress could be felt; it gave her an unfamiliar sense of confidence.
She was wearing a white, loose-fitting dress. It was off-the-shoulder, reaching down to her knees, with blue embroidery on the corners. She wore a dark blue corset that started below her chest, with its laces pulled tight. She had pinned a white flower clip to the side of her hair, with a few blue beads dangling from beneath it. She wore white, knee-high boots. And long white gloves...
Ryuji sat up. He stared for a moment, then almost whistled but decided against it. A smile settled on his face naturally.
Ryuji:
"Wow... Sakura, I admit it. You've done your best."
Ayoi instinctively clasped her hands in front of her. Her gaze shifted to Ryuji, then immediately found Daichi. Daichi was already on his feet. A slight, warm smile was on his face, as if he had been expecting to see her this way.
Daichi:
"It suits you."
(He paused)
"You look... more comfortable."
Ayoi was surprised that this was noticed. She looked at her dress once more, then nodded slightly.
Ayoi:
"I think... yes. A little."
Sakura crossed her arms over her chest and watched them. Her face again wore that familiar, hard-to-read expression. Neither fully mocking, nor fully satisfied.
Sakura:
"Keep it on until meditation. After that... we'll find something more durable."
Ryuji sprawled back on his futon, this time looking at Ayoi.
Ryuji:
"Don't worry. Everyone stands like that for the first few days. Then you get used to it. Or you run away."
Daichi looked at him sharply.
Daichi:
"Ryuji."
Ryuji shrugged.
Ryuji:
"What? I'm consoling her."
Ayoi smiled, but it was a smile of politeness. Still, the tension inside her had dissolved a little. Instead of standing in the middle of the room, she moved toward the empty futon Sakura had pointed out.
She smoothed the hem of her dress as she sat down. For a moment, everyone fell silent. Ayoi lifted her head.
Ayoi:
"...There's meditation in an hour, right?"
Daichi nodded.
Daichi:
"Yes. The Master doesn't like it when people are late."
Ayoi took a deep breath. There was still a hesitation within her, but she was now at a point of no return. She seemed to have accepted this.
Sakura scrutinized her. This time, there was no mockery in her gaze. Only a measuring, weighing attention.
Sakura:
"Rest until then. You're going to need it."
Ayoi nodded.
And for the first time, she felt that this place didn't entirely reject her.
---
The sun was directly overhead.
The students had already taken their places for the meditation arranged at the Master's signal. Everyone sat on their zabutons, silently waiting for Ayoi. The sharp yet soothing scent of incense drifted through the air.
After a while, Ayoi came out. She wore a loose, sky-blue t-shirt and short black leggings. Like the others, she was barefoot. This was a rule the Master emphasized: he believed the mind could not find peace without touching and connecting with the earth.
The Master stood before the zabutons. He didn't raise his voice; there was no need. Everyone in the temple could hear him regardless. This meditation was a tradition—a way to refresh the soul, curb overflowing emotions, and hold the mind together. It took place every day at high noon. To the Master, emotions weren't to be suppressed; they were to be guided. And a soul that lost its way would first harm itself.
Everyone closed their eyes. Ayoi tried to do the same.
But... it didn't work.
First, her knees went numb. Then her shoulders grew needlessly tense. She knew she had to breathe, but thinking about breathing only made it harder.
"Inhale... exhale..."
"No, that was too fast."
"Now it's too slow."
She was supposed to feel the ground beneath her feet, but the coolness of the earth distracted her instead of calming her. Had a bug moved? Or was it just her imagination? Ayoi frowned. It frustrated her that she couldn't handle something so simple. The others' breaths were steady, almost like a single body in rhythm. Ayoi, however, couldn't find the flow. Her shoulders slumped; she jerked them back into place, only for her posture to slip again.
"Calm down," she whispered to herself. "Just... calm down."
But the harder she tried, the more she failed. The Master said nothing. He didn't warn or correct her. He was simply there, which somehow made Ayoi feel even stranger.
The Master could no longer remain indifferent. He noticed Ayoi's breathing falter and her shoulders tighten further. He approached silently. Though short in stature, his presence beside her was heavy and reassuring.
His voice was low, audible only to her.
Master:
"Do not be angry with yourself for struggling," he said calmly. "The others were like this in the beginning... except for Sakura."
Ayoi didn't turn her head. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, then lowered her gaze and slowly released the air trapped in her chest.
Ayoi:
"You mentioned a long road ahead..." Ayoi murmured. "That there would be difficult moments, that we would have to fight. But I... I can't even manage a simple focus ritual. I think—"
The Master cut her off, gentle but firm.
Master:
"It is not simple. Training the soul is often harder than training the body."
The tension in Ayoi's shoulders eased slightly.
"I see a clear light in you, Ayoi. A light you cannot yet control, but one that is very powerful. In time, you will learn not to suppress it, but to guide it."
He paused, looking at her trembling hands.
"Do not give up. You can meditate several times throughout the day. Short, silent moments are enough. Peace is the food of the soul. And the only way to deal with stress is not to ignore it... but to learn how to soothe it."
Ayoi kept her eyes closed. This time, her breath was slower, more controlled. She still wasn't perfectly in sync, but for the first time, she felt relieved—not because she had succeeded, but because she wasn't alone.
After much effort, she finally managed to quiet her mind. Her thoughts were still scattered, but she stopped chasing them, letting them drift by. The team continued the meditation with her.
The Master had emphasized visualization and feeling. The mind had to accept before it could see; the soul had to be guided. The others entered this flow effortlessly, their breathing rhythmic and their postures serene. Ayoi, however, could only manage to stay focused. No images appeared, no distinct feelings arose.
But even this was progress for her.
Suddenly, Sakura's brow furrowed. Without opening her eyes, she spoke.
Sakura:
"I smell thick smoke... and it's definitely not incense."
The air grew heavy. A thin but dense mist, its source unknown, began to shroud the area. The scent of incense was smothered by this new vapor.
The Master opened his eyes and scanned the surroundings. This sign was not foreign to him. He had encountered similar omens before deciding to gather the warriors—brief moments, inexplicable feelings... but the source had never been clear.
This was one of them. A call. But to whom it belonged remained uncertain. The Master didn't interrupt the meditation. He simply waited for the smoke to dissipate, silently noting the event in the corner of his mind.
Following the meditation, they moved on to the day's training: martial arts, synchronization drills, and emotional resilience exercises. Time passed much faster than Ayoi realized. As the day ended and coolness set in, the team retired to rest while the Master stayed at the far end of the courtyard, practicing magic.
--
Ayoi lay on her back on her floor mattress. The training had exhausted her more than expected. Feeling a mix of shame and distraction, she questioned if she had made the right choice, then tried to cast the thought aside.
She got up, threw on a dark hanten she found in the temple, and stepped out onto the wooden veranda. The sky was clear, dazzling with stars. Leaning against the railing, she let her thoughts drift freely for the first time.
"Hello."
Ayoi started at the voice and turned around, trying to recover with a faint smile.
"Forgive me... I didn't mean to scare you,"
Daichi said. He held a small tray with two cups of hot hojicha; the roasted aroma mingled with the night air.
Ayoi:
"No, no... you didn't."
Daichi stepped closer and offered the tray. Ayoi thanked him and took a cup, feeling her shoulders relax as the warmth traveled down her throat.
Daichi:
"We haven't really talked, you seem... a bit sad."
Ayoi traced the rim of the porcelain cup.
Ayoi:
"Not exactly sad. Just... everything happened so fast. And what is expected of us... it's quite serious. I don't know if I can carry this responsibility."
Daichi smiled softly and looked at the stars.
Daichi:
"Your courage is just dampened. Don't let it be. We were all like this at the start. Actually..." He shrugged. "Most of us still feel this way from time to time."
Ayoi lowered her head, her expression softening.
Ayoi:
"I don't know..." she whispered.
Daichi moved a bit closer. He didn't speak for a moment, watching the clouds drift by.
Daichi:
"So... what kind of life did you have? Who were you, 'Ayoi'?"
The question hit Ayoi unexpectedly. Something tightened inside her.
Ayoi:
"Who was I?" She hesitated. "I... well... I was just someone ordinary."
Even to her, the words sounded unconvincing. Daichi noticed but misinterpreted it, his face showing a soft acceptance.
Daichi:
"I see... you don't like talking about yourself, I guess." He paused, his voice dropping to a more personal tone. "I wasn't very ordinary. I had a hard life... I was very... lonely."
Ayoi looked directly at him. Daichi's face flickered with regret, longing, and exhaustion.
Daichi:
"I wanted to run away. From everything. I wanted to start over. Then... the Master found me."
Ayoi nodded slowly.
Ayoi:
"Then... it's no wonder you adapted here so quickly."
Daichi smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "It wasn't easy. Leaving my family behind, despite everything..." He didn't finish the sentence.
Ayoi felt a pang of empathy. It was a reflex for her—feeling another's pain. Without thinking, she reached out and touched Daichi's hand.
Ayoi:
"Even if I don't know your whole story..." her voice was soft. "I can tell you've had a hard life. I would have known even if you hadn't told me. Your gaze is very... familiar."
Daichi flinched. He turned to her with a startled, vulnerable look, as if someone had seen something he was hiding. Realizing what she had done, Ayoi quickly pulled her hand back, her cheeks flushing.
Ayoi:
"I'm sorry... I—"
The silence settled between them, heavy yet fragile. Daichi didn't answer. For a while, they stood in silence as the steam from their cups vanished into the night. Finally, Daichi looked away.
Daichi:
"You don't need to apologize."
They stayed there a while longer, neither close nor distant, looking at the same sky with different thoughts. Eventually, Daichi put his cup on the tray.
Daichi:
"You should rest. We wake up early tomorrow."
Ayoi stepped back inside, the stars no longer in focus as she retreated to sleep.
--
Days flowed into one another. Every morning began with meditation, the Master repeating the same disciplined ritual. The training became familiar: combat, synchronization, magic. Muscles ached, minds tired, then the cycle repeated.
The team began to bond. Distant glances were replaced by brief chats and small jokes. Shared exhaustion wove an invisible thread between them. Ayoi still drifted off occasionally, but she was no longer as detached. She was trying.
Today, after a morning of meditation where she felt she was finally catching up to the others, the monotony was beginning to weigh on some.
Sakura:
"So boring!"
Sakura complained, tossing a small stone. "Are we just going to keep doing this? Meditation and light spells? Is this how we get the jewels back?"
Ayoi opened her eyes. Ryuji had joined them, watching with a smirk.
Ayoi:
"I think the Master has a plan," Ayoi offered. "Besides, there's been no sign other than that smoke smell from days ago."
Sakura laughed mockingly.
Sakura:
"That's because we aren't actually going into the forest to look."
Ryuji:
"I agree," Ryuji added. "Every day is the same. Why aren't we scouting?"
Before Ayoi could respond, the air changed. She was the first to notice. It wasn't incense hitting her lungs; it was something heavier, hotter.
Ayoi:
"Do you... feel that?" Ayoi standing up.
Sakura's mockery vanished. She dropped the stone. Ryuji straightened up, sniffing the air.
Ryuji:
"This is coming from close by."
Daichi appeared, his face turning serious as he caught the scent.
Daichi:
"Definitely not incense."
The wind shifted. The smell of smoke was now unmistakable—raw, uncontrolled, and hot. It felt as though it had been torn from the heart of the forest.
Sakura smiled, a sharp, keen expression.
Sakura:
"Finally..."
Suddenly, the Master appeared beside them, his footsteps silent. His brow was deeply furrowed, his eyes locked on the rising smoke. It wasn't uncertainty in his gaze, but memory. He moved to take a step, then stopped, his hands clenching inside his robes.
Images of past decisions and those left behind clouded his mind. The fear of hurting them again weighed on him. The warriors weren't ready.
The Master looked up at the darkening sky where smoke mingled with the clouds. The wind died down, and the scent vanished for a moment. But the trail remained.
The Master said nothing.
He only stared toward the source of the smoke, and waited.