I found Sora in the garden, sitting cross-legged beneath the cherry blossom tree. The petals were starting to bloom, pale pink against the crisp morning air. She looked up as I approached, her notebooks balanced on their lap.
“You look like hell,” they said, a small smile tugging at their lips.
“Thanks,” I muttered, sinking onto the bench beside them. “I feel like it too.”
They didn’t press. They just closed their notebook and waited. It was a skill Sora had always had—giving me space without making it feel like they were waiting for me to break.
“The mission was… rough,” I said finally, staring at the blossoms. “The artifact we found—it’s dangerous. It’s more dangerous than anything I’ve dealt with before. I’m starting to think someone’s testing us.”
Sora frowned. Their gaze was thoughtful. “Testing you, you mean.”
“Maybe.” I hesitated. “But it feels bigger than that. Like it’s tied to Kage-no-Oni somehow.”
They were quiet for a moment, then reached out to touch my arm. “You’ll figure it out. You always do.”
I wanted to believe them. But as the petals drifted down around us, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning.
End of Chapter 2
