Over the past few days, sunlight grew more and more scarce as heavy clouds filled the sky, along with a festive cheer.
With the first night of the festival two days away, the streets were full of people putting up decorations and building stalls.
It was the same for the inner compound of the Ember Shrine. The maidens were scattered about, doing all sorts of chores in preparation for the festival.
They did this with cheerful smiles, as these two days would be their only chance to see their families before their terms were finished.
Coming from the mail room was Takae, who had with her a letter. She did not read it in secret as she often did and had it in her hands for all to see.
A faint smile crossed her face as she read its contents, one that persisted until she came across Yuriko, Taki, and Leina by the laundry fields.
"It's rare to see you smiling, Takae," Leina said. "What's got you so happy?"
"It's just that I got some good news from back home," she replied.
"What is it?" Yuriko asked.
"Kanami just gave birth yesterday without any complications," she replied.
"Really?" Yuriko said, jumping up. "Is it a boy or a girl?"
"They're twins, a boy and a girl," she answered.
"Wow, that's incredible," Leina said. "Congratulations."
"I've never heard of her," Taki said, her face hinting at confusion. "Who is she?"
"She's kind of like our big sis," Yuriko replied. "She was the one who brought the two of us together to join the shrine when we first came in."
"Was she already pregnant then?" she asked.
"She was," Takae replied. "I think at around three months."
"Oh, and what did the father say about the news?" she asked.
Their sharp smiles faded a bit as Takae said, "He isn't around anymore."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," she said. "What happened?"
"I don't know the details, but he was found dead by the bridge one day," Takae answered. "She didn't talk much about it, and the little we know, we learned from our other sister Miyuki, who helps her around the house."
"What a big family you guys have," Taki said, shocked. "All I have are my parents."
"It's not always about the family you're born with, but the family you choose," Yuriko said.
"Philosophical much," Leina said with a smirk.
"You see, this is the reason why I don't talk about these things," she shot back, furious.
"Calm down," she said, looking like she was on the verge of tearing up. "I do get where you're coming from, though, so there's that."
"You really get on my nerves, you know that," Yuriko said, her tone sharp.
"You guys shouldn't be arguing," Taki said in that soft voice of hers. "Read the room. There's a festive mood all around."
"I prefer this place without all the cheer," Takae said. "It's suffocating."
"Taki's right, though," Leina said. "We have to savour it."
"Oh, that's right. This is your final festival in the shrine, right?" Yuriko said. "No wonder you're so sentimental."
"It's just a few days away until the dashing prince comes and sweeps her away," Takae joked.
"I can't wait to see her in those uncomfortable wedding robes, trying to act civilised for once," Yuriko added.
But instead of shooting back, she just looked ahead and said, "It really is just a few days away."
"I've been waiting for it to come for two long years, and now it's finally here. I just hope it doesn't get ruined somehow, that I can actually make it to the finish line."
"Everything's going to be okay," Takae assured her. "You're going to be an old lady with grandkids before you know it."
"I hope so," she said.
"You don't need to just hope because we will make it happen," Yuriko thought. "We will overcome this."
"We have to."
As the chatter kept on, Yuriko noticed a snowflake land on the palm of her hand and watched as it melted away.
As the sun set, hidden away by the cover of the clouds, the darkness of a starless night set in. The wind that came with it was sharp and cold, echoing through the forest with such a frightening intensity.
In front of the base of the cliff, Keitaro Kobayashi was standing alone in this wind, not bothered in the least.
All his attention seemed focused on the patch of trees ahead of him as if he was anticipating someone, and sure enough, a hooded silhouette came into view.
Keitaro approached him and they stared each other down before he passed his hand over the figure's shoulder and said, "You're late, Renthos."
"You'll have to forgive me, Zeiros," he replied. "I get lost sometimes."
"Anyway, why did you call me out here?" he asked.
"The captives have refused to talk, so I'm afraid that we have no choice but to resort to the other plan," Keitaro replied. "Which means that we need you."
"I've been assigned the duty to take care of those bastards in the council on the second night while the mistress and the imposters handle things at the shrine," he continued. "This means that there won't be anyone here to defend the place."
"If we're abandoning this town, then what reason is there to guard this place?" he asked. "Haven't the captives outlined their purpose? We should just kill them with the rest of the townspeople."
"You're right, but there is another variable at play," he said.
"And what is that?"
"The mistress suspects that there are people out there who have been seeking us out and that our plans might have been leaked to them," he replied. "If that's the case, then it's in their best interest to come and save the captives."
"It's only natural to come to the same conclusion that you did, so they're probably expecting that there won't be anyone left to guard the place."
"So that's where I come in," the hooded figure said. "You want me to capture these guys and learn their agenda, right?"
"If it's possible, yes," he replied. "But if you determine that their agenda isn't something that's related to our objectives, then you can just eliminate them."
"I'll take care of it," he said. "Don't you worry about a thing."
"It's time to prove our loyalty to the mistress," Keitaro said, "and see wherever it is that that loyalty will take us."