The team stood frozen, staring at the place where the smoke had begun to fade. No one spoke. After a while, their gazes shifted at the same time, all landing on the Master, as if waiting for a single signal, a single word of approval.
But the Master didn't even turn to them.
His eyes were still fixed on the distance, deep within the forest. As if there was something there… something only he could see.
It was Sakura who finally broke the silence.
Sakura:
"Alright," she said through clenched teeth. "Let's go after those ashes!"
Her words hadn't even fully settled in the air when the Master turned to her sharply. His brows were drawn tight. He had always admired Sakura's determination, but that didn't mean he would let her push past her limits.
Master:
"I don't recall telling you to move, Sakura."
Sakura paused for a brief second, then snapped back. There was no anger in her eyes—only impatience.
Sakura:
"For God's sake!" she burst out. "How are we supposed to find those jewels if we just stand around doing nothing?! We've been stuck here for days—same training, same waiting—"
Before she could finish, the Master raised his hand. He lowered his head, falling silent for a moment.
He was thinking.
Sakura had always been the most eager among them. The most restless. The closest to burning out. He took a slow breath, then lifted his head again.
Master:
"It's not time," he said, his voice calm but final.
"Don't even think about defying me, Sakura."
Sakura narrowed her eyes but said nothing.
Master:
"Prepare for archery training," he continued.
"We begin in two hours."
His words were sharp, his decision absolute. The direction the smoke had come from still lingered in the air. And none of them knew how close it really was.
Sakura frowned, glancing between the sky and the Master. Then she hesitated, as if something had just crossed her mind. Her lips parted—but this time, she held back.
She didn't challenge him again.
Quietly, she stepped away.
Soon after, they all returned to the temple and began preparing for training, just as they had been told. Archery training wasn't as exhausting as it used to be. Arrows were hitting their targets more consistently now, hands pulling back bowstrings without hesitation. Ayoi could finally feel herself adapting to this new rhythm. That small sense of progress left a quiet pride within her.
Ryuji's support had played a big part in that.
He was clearly ahead of the others when it came to physical strength—his power, endurance, and confidence made him a natural guide for Ayoi. He seemed to enjoy mentoring. Whether it came from a genuine desire to help or the satisfaction of training someone he saw as weaker, Ayoi couldn't quite tell. But one thing was certain: it was helping.
Daichi, on the other hand, stood somewhere entirely different.
Whenever something required focus of the mind—spells, meditation, synchronization exercises—he was always there. Unlike Ryuji, he didn't treat it like a duty. He wanted to help. He was patient when he explained things, attentive when he listened.
And he never made it feel like an obligation.
Ayoi could feel it.
And here, in this abandoned temple, she felt like she was beginning a new life.
When the training finally ended, everyone scattered to their own corners. The sun burned overhead, warming the forest, light slipping through the leaves and scattering across the ground. The air was calm. Peaceful, even.
Ayoi sat on a fallen tree trunk near the edge of the clearing. Whenever she wanted to be alone, her feet seemed to carry her there. She took a deep breath, letting the clean forest air fill her lungs. Tilting her head back, she closed her eyes and let herself drift into the quiet of her thoughts.
Until a familiar voice broke it.
Ryuji:
"The forest's been dangerous lately," he said, his tone calm, edged with teasing.
"Standing around like a clueless rabbit isn't the best idea."
Ayoi let out a soft laugh despite herself. She opened her eyes, looked at him, and motioned for him to come sit beside her. Ryuji dropped onto the trunk—and the moment he did, his weight tipped it slightly, lifting Ayoi's side just a bit. She struggled to steady herself, laughing again.
Ryuji:
"You're getting better," he said. "Seriously."
Ayoi:
"Well…" She hesitated briefly, then added,
"I couldn't have done it without your support."
Ryuji gave her a warm smile. When Ayoi noticed, she quickly looked away, a faint warmth rising to her cheeks. She absentmindedly twirled a strand of hair between her fingers.
They fell into a brief silence. Ryuji's gaze drifted toward the forest again, scanning as if there really might be danger lurking.
Ryuji:
"You know," he said after a moment,
"when we first got here… no one used to sit on this log."
Ayoi turned to him, curious.
Ayoi:
"Oh... why?"
Ryuji shrugged lightly.
Ryuji:
"No one liked being alone. Especially not with silence."
Ayoi lowered her gaze, brushing her hand lightly over the wood.
Ayoi:
"I think I do," she said quietly.
"Sometimes… being alone is exactly what you need."
Ryuji looked at her for a moment.
No teasing this time.
Ryuji:
"Yeah," he said simply. "I think so too."
They sat in silence a little longer. The wind rustling through leaves, distant birdsong…
It wasn't uncomfortable.
It was calm.
Ryuji:
"So… have you gotten used to this place?" he asked.
"Or does it still feel unfamiliar?"
Ayoi parted her lips, about to answer—then stopped. Instead, she tilted her head slightly.
Ayoi:
"I don't know," she admitted.
"But… it doesn't feel as hard to stay here anymore."
Ryuji smiled. This time, softer. More genuine.
Ryuji:
"Then you're on the right track," he said.
"Sometimes, that's enough."
Ayoi nodded. That quiet warmth stirred inside her again—but this time, it didn't feel unsettling.
It felt… right.
For a brief moment, Ryuji's attention drifted away from her. At the edge of the forest, he noticed Sakura watching them from a distance. There was something unreadable in her expression—neither quite displeasure nor open irritation. She stood there for a moment, then, as if making up her mind, started walking toward them.
She stopped right in front of them. First, she raised one eyebrow at Ayoi. Then her gaze shifted to Ryuji, scanning him from head to toe.
Sakura:
"Don't you have wood to chop, Ryuji?"
Ryuji stood up, that familiar wide grin still on his face. He ran a hand through his dark brown hair, his hazel eyes catching the sunlight as he looked at Sakura with an easy, almost careless expression.
Ryuji:
"We figured we'd chat with Ayoi for a bit," he said with a shrug.
"Not every day you come across someone this polite."
Sakura's pupils visibly shrank. She crossed her arms.
Sakura:
"Right," she said coolly.
"Especially since the Master isn't very polite when his orders are ignored. You wouldn't want to upset him."
For a brief second, Ryuji's smile faltered—but it didn't disappear entirely. He gave a small nod.
Ryuji:
"Fair enough," he said. "See you around."
He cast a quick glance at both of them before walking off. Sakura watched him go for a moment, then sat down beside Ayoi.
Sakura:
"I like your way of dealing with stress," she said in a detached tone.
"But you won't always find someone to talk to."
Ayoi frowned slightly, trying to understand what she meant. Still, she turned to Sakura with a polite smile.
Ayoi:
"Actually—"
Sakura:
"Taking a walk is better," she cut in.
"That's what I'm doing. Want to come?"
Ayoi didn't like being interrupted—but since it was Sakura, she couldn't quite bring herself to refuse. Sakura had never openly treated her badly, yet her shifting attitude made Ayoi uneasy at times.
Slowly, Ayoi nodded. "Sure," she said.
And stood up.
Within minutes, they had left the temple grounds behind. The stone floor gave way to a dirt path. The wind slipped through the cedar trees, almost as if it were swallowing their voices. Sakura walked deliberately slower, matching Ayoi's pace.
Sakura:
"You seem a lot more cheerful lately compared to your first day. You were quite depressed... I'm curious why."
Ayoi blinked in surprise—she hadn't realized she came across that way. The question caught her off guard.
Ayoi:
"Do I? I wasn't depressed… just unprepared, I guess."
Sakura nodded with a faint, understanding smile. She didn't push further—just left the door open.
Sakura:
"So now you're prepared?"
Ayoi smiled gently as the wind brushed her hair back.
Ayoi:
"Let's just say I'm keeping up."
Sakura's eyes scanned their surroundings as they walked, her hand tightening slightly at her corset, as if trying to keep something from slipping.
Sakura:
"I wonder… is that more thanks to Ryuji, or Daichi?"
Ayoi hesitated. She didn't like the implication. Her brows knit together for a brief moment, but she kept walking.
Ayoi:
"They've both helped me a lot… I won't deny that. But I can't credit just one of them. I'm just getting used to everything, that's all."
Sakura finally stopped. She glanced around once more, then loosened the tie at her corset slightly and pulled out a folded piece of paper. She opened it.
Ayoi looked at her, confused—then at the paper.
Ayoi:
"What is that?"
Sakura glanced at her over her shoulder, grinning like a child caught doing something mischievous.
Sakura:
"A map. Of the forest."
Ayoi's eyes widened immediately. She understood at once.
Ayoi:
"Don't tell me this is about the fires!"
Sakura nodded without hesitation, her grin widening.
Sakura:
"Of course. Based on the direction of the smoke, I marked a few… 'possible' areas."
Ayoi shifted uneasily. Instinctively, she glanced around. The forest looked as quiet as ever—but that silence no longer felt safe. She stepped forward, blocking Sakura's path.
Ayoi:
"This… isn't right. And where did you even get that map?"
Sakura's gaze flickered away. For a split second, she bit her lip, as if weighing her answer. Ayoi caught that hesitation—and felt a chill run through her.
Ayoi:
"Sakura. Don't tell me you actually did this." Her voice hardened.
"You stole it from the Master, didn't you?"
Sakura straightened immediately, her shoulders stiffening. Defensive.
Sakura:
"I didn't steal it." A brief pause.
"I just… borrowed it. I'll put it back when I'm done."
Ayoi frowned, looking her up and down. Disappointment outweighed anger.
Ayoi:
"No. I won't be part of this. We're going back right now. If the Master finds out—"
Sakura moved in an instant. She grabbed Ayoi's arm, her grip firm and unyielding.
Sakura:
"Don't be ridiculous! We're not going back. And… you're coming with me. You're part of this now."
Ayoi yanked her arm free, stepping back. Her chest tightened—but her voice didn't waver.
Ayoi:
"No. I'm not! I follow the Master. I made a vow!"
Sakura's expression shifted. Not anger—something sharper. A restrained impatience.
Sakura:
"The Master is too afraid to act. We're wasting time. Do you really think we'll find those jewels like this? I'm not defying him… I'm helping him."
The wind lifted the edge of the map. The faint scent of ash grew stronger, as if agreeing with her.
Ayoi didn't answer. Her gaze drifted from the map back to Sakura.
For the first time… she realized they were looking at the same goal, but seeing completely different paths. Sakura started walking again. Even though she didn't want to, Ayoi followed.
They both scanned their surroundings—broken branches, patches of ash on the ground, that lingering, uneasy smell in the air…
Ayoi:
"Sakura… aren't we training for synchronization for a reason? We're a team. That includes the Master! We shouldn't be going behind his back."
Sakura said nothing. She picked up her pace, heading straight toward where the scent of ash was strongest. Ayoi hurried after her, almost breaking into a run.
Nothing she said mattered anymore.
Sakura had already decided.
After a few more meters, they stopped.
The area ahead of them was almost entirely burned. Grass reduced to ash, tree trunks blackened, branches stripped bare. The ground looked cracked and lifeless.
Ayoi instinctively held her breath.
The air was still hot.
Like the fire had only just died.
Ayoi:
"We're… deep in the forest! Sakura, no one even knows we're here. What if something attacks us right now?"
Sakura crouched, examining the scorched ground carefully—touching the soil, the bark, the ash. At Ayoi's words, she glanced up and rolled her eyes.
Sakura:
"Is this your 'getting used to it'?" she said.
"We haven't even felt real adrenaline yet. What are you going to do when we actually have to fight?"
Ayoi's patience snapped. Her hands clenched into fists.
Ayoi:
"When we have to fight, I'll be at peace with it! Because it'll be under the Master's orders!"
Her voice rose, echoing faintly through the burned trees. She flinched as she realized it.
Sakura, on the other hand, just laughed.
She crushed a charred leaf in her hand, then let the pieces fall.
And then—
A fresh scent of smoke filled the air.
The heat spiked instantly.
Ayoi's throat went dry. She looked around frantically.
And froze.
Flames were rising again—from the ground itself.
They spread rapidly, forming a circle around them. Ayoi staggered back. Sakura did the same.
In an instant, they ended up back-to-back.
Trapped.
The circle tightened. The heat burned against their skin, smoke filling their lungs. They both started coughing, their throats raw, breathing becoming harder with every second.
Sakura narrowed her eyes, scanning for an opening.
Ayoi, on the other hand, searched in panic.
Her heart felt like it was about to tear through her chest.
Ayoi:
"We're going to die!"
Sakura:
"Not before we get the jewel!"
In the direction Sakura was staring, the flames suddenly thinned. As if they were being parted on purpose.
Without hesitation, Sakura grabbed Ayoi's arm.
They ran.
They burst through the flames—but the fire didn't let them go. It chased them.
Like a starving creature.
Ayoi's breath hitched. The way back was completely blocked now. Ahead of them, there was nothing but deeper forest.
And the map—
was gone.
Left behind in the fire.
They had no direction anymore.
They ran as far as their bodies allowed.
Branches scratched their faces, roots caught at their feet. Sakura never let go of Ayoi's arm—not even for a second. As if letting go meant losing her to the flames.
But eventually, their bodies gave out.
Their legs trembled. Their knees buckled.
They collapsed almost at the same time.
Their chests burned. Every breath dragged heat and ash deeper into their lungs.
And then—
The flames surged again.
They shot upward from the ground, twisting, turning— and slammed down right in front of them.
Blocking the path completely.
There was nowhere left to run.
Sakura narrowed her eyes.
The fire…
was being controlled.
Its movements weren't natural. The flames pulled back, then lunged forward again—like they were breathing.
Like something was guiding them.
And then—
someone stepped out of the fire.
The silhouette was clear. Two shoulders. Two arms. A straight, unwavering stance.
The flames didn't touch them.
They moved around them.
Made way.
With every step they took, the fire retreated… then rose again behind them.
Their walk was calm.
Fearless.
As if this place belonged to them.
Ayoi's throat tightened. She instinctively stepped back—but Sakura immediately moved in front of her. Her shoulders tense, fists clenched.
This wasn't a monster.
This was someone who carried fire.
And they had led them into a trap.