Dinner had gradually settled into a comfortable silence.
The lively conversation from earlier had faded into the background, replaced by the quiet sounds of chopsticks resting against ceramic bowls, the occasional clink of dishes being collected, and the soft footsteps of the shrine maidens moving through the dining hall.
Warm lantern light filled the traditional wooden room, casting a gentle glow across the tables and tatami flooring. Beyond the open windows, the mountain night had grown considerably darker. The forest surrounding the White Fox Temple was almost completely still, save for the occasional rustle of leaves stirred by the evening breeze and the distant chorus of insects.
A faint scent of cedar and incense drifted through the room.
Serena leaned back slightly after finishing the last of her salmon fried rice.
She stared down at her empty bowl for a few seconds.
For the first time since waking before sunrise, she allowed herself to admit just how exhausted she was.
Her arms felt heavy. Her legs were beginning to ache, and even keeping her back straight required more effort than she wanted to admit.
Still, beneath all that exhaustion was a small feeling of satisfaction.
She had succeeded.
After spending almost the entire day struggling with a single leaf, she had finally managed to gather Spiritual Energy and make it flow around it.
It had taken hours of frustration, countless failed attempts, and enough stubbornness to make even Tamayo comment on it.
But she had done it.
Serena slowly turned her attention toward the other side of the table.
Himari had nearly finished her own meal as well. She carefully ate the last few bites while occasionally glancing toward Serena with a warm smile.
Serena's gaze eventually shifted past her.
Tamayo was sitting nearby, calmly observing the two girls.
Serena raised a hand and rubbed the side of her face before looking directly at her sister.
"Tamayo."
Tamayo turned toward her.
"Hm?"
Serena hesitated.
She wasn't entirely sure she wanted to hear the answer to the question forming in her mind.
"What are we doing now?"
For a moment, Tamayo simply stared at her.
Then a small, amused smile appeared on her face.
She picked up a napkin from the table and leaned toward Serena.
Before Serena could react, Tamayo gently wiped a small spot of food from the corner of her mouth.
Serena immediately frowned.
"I can do that myself."
"I know."
Tamayo continued wiping her face anyway.
Serena sighed, deciding that arguing would probably take more energy than simply allowing her sister to finish.
Once Tamayo was satisfied, she folded the napkin neatly and placed it beside Serena's bowl.
"Nothing."
Serena stared at her.
"...Nothing?"
Tamayo let out a soft laugh.
"That's right. We're finished for today."
Serena's eyebrows drew together.
"But it's still early."
"That doesn't matter."
Tamayo leaned back and looked over Serena carefully.
"You completed your daily training. Your body needs time to recover."
Serena glanced down at her hands.
"They don't feel that tired."
Tamayo gave her a knowing look.
"You're barely able to keep your shoulders straight."
Serena immediately straightened her back.
"I can."
Tamayo's smile widened.
"You see? That's exactly what I'm talking about."
Serena frowned at her.
Tamayo's expression softened as she continued.
"We aren't here to destroy ourselves, Serena. We're here to become stronger."
She gestured toward Serena's exhausted posture.
"If you continue training when your body is already exhausted, your recovery will suffer. Your muscles need rest. Your mind needs rest. Even your Spiritual Energy needs time to settle."
Serena listened quietly.
"Training isn't about seeing how much pain you can endure in one day," Tamayo continued. "It's about giving yourself enough time to improve tomorrow."
Serena lowered her gaze.
The explanation made sense.
She had always believed that working harder meant becoming stronger. Whenever something was difficult, her first instinct had always been to push harder until she overcame it.
But Tamayo had already taught her that Spiritual Energy required patience.
Perhaps physical training wasn't so different.
Serena slowly nodded.
"Okay."
Tamayo smiled.
"Good."
She then turned her attention toward Himari.
Himari had already finished eating and was quietly holding her bowl in her hands.
Tamayo's smile became slightly more playful.
"In the meantime..."
Serena looked at her.
Tamayo gestured toward Himari.
"It seems the two of you have some long-awaited catching up to do."
Serena blinked.
"Huh?"
"You haven't visited the temple in a very long time."
Tamayo looked between the two girls.
"And judging by how quickly Himari recognized you, I'd say you have quite a few things to talk about."
Serena turned toward her childhood friend.
She hadn't realized just how much time had actually passed.
The White Fox Temple had once been a familiar place to her. When she was younger, she had visited regularly, running through the temple grounds and spending time with Himari whenever their schedules allowed.
Back then, things had been simpler.
There had been no Geist responsibilities weighing on her shoulders. No Poltergeists. No arguments with her father about her future. She hadn't spent her days wondering whether she was strong enough or questioning what kind of life she wanted to live.
She had simply been a child.
Serena smiled faintly at the thought.
"Yeah."
She pushed herself up from her seat.
"Come on, Himari."
Himari nodded.
"Okay."
The two girls began walking toward the exit together.
Stud, however, remained floating beside the table.
He watched Serena and Himari disappear toward the doorway before slowly turning his attention to Tamayo.
Tamayo looked back at him.
Stud's tiny tentacles gradually lowered.
"...Why are you looking at me like that?"
Tamayo smiled.
"Because I want to talk to you."
Stud froze.
A bead of imaginary sweat seemed to appear beside his face.
"About what?"
"Several things."
Stud slowly floated backward.
"Before we begin, I'd like to remind you of something very important."
Tamayo raised an eyebrow.
"I'm an ally."
"I know."
"I'm a peaceful Poltergeist."
"I know."
"I'm not a fighter."
"I know."
Stud pointed a tiny tentacle toward himself.
"I'm a talker."
Tamayo's smile widened.
"That is precisely why I want to talk to you."
Stud's body seemed to deflate.
"...I suddenly miss Serena."
Tamayo laughed quietly.
Outside the dining hall, Serena and Himari disappeared down one of the temple's long wooden corridors.
The temple had changed considerably since Serena's childhood.
Or perhaps she was the one who had changed.
Serena wasn't entirely sure.
The long wooden corridors still looked familiar. Their polished floors reflected the warm glow of the lanterns hanging along the walls, while paper windows allowed glimpses of the dark mountain forest outside.
A cool breeze slipped through the open sections of the corridor, carrying the scent of cedar through the temple.
Somewhere in the distance, a temple bell rang.
Its deep sound traveled through the mountain air, lingering for several seconds before gradually fading into silence.
Serena walked beside Himari.
For a while, neither girl said anything.
There was something strange about walking beside her again.
It felt familiar, yet unfamiliar at the same time.
Himari had grown.
So had Serena.
Neither of them was the child they had once been.
Eventually, Serena broke the silence.
"I honestly never expected you to become a Geist."
Himari gave a small smile.
"Neither did I."
Serena looked at her in surprise.
"What?"
Himari gazed toward the forest as they continued down the corridor.
"I wasn't originally planning to become one."
"You weren't?"
Himari shook her head.
"No."
She folded her hands behind her back.
"I actually wanted to become a doctor."
Serena's expression softened with surprise.
"A doctor?"
"Yeah."
Himari laughed quietly.
"I always liked helping people. I thought becoming a doctor would let me do that."
Serena nodded.
"That sounds like you."
Himari's smile lingered for a moment.
"But that changed one night."
Serena immediately noticed the change in her voice.
Her smile disappeared.
"What happened?"
Himari slowed her steps.
"It was back when we were still in elementary school."
Serena remained silent, allowing her friend to continue.
Himari took a slow breath.
"One evening, I was playing with some friends after school. We lost track of time."
She gave a small, nervous laugh.
"By the time I realized how late it had gotten, the sun had already gone down."
The memory seemed distant, but the way Himari spoke made it clear that she still remembered the important details.
"I started walking home."
The two girls continued along the corridor.
"The streets were almost empty. I remember thinking that I should hurry because my parents were probably worried."
Himari's fingers tightened slightly behind her back.
"Then I noticed something."
Serena glanced toward her.
"What?"
"Someone was following me."
Serena's expression immediately became more serious.
Himari continued.
"At first, I thought it was just another person walking in the same direction."
She swallowed.
"But every time I turned a corner, I could hear footsteps behind me."
Serena said nothing.
"I walked faster."
Himari's voice became quieter.
"The footsteps got faster too."
She stopped walking.
Serena stopped beside her.
Himari stared toward the dark forest beyond the temple grounds.
"Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore."
She slowly turned around.
"And that's when I saw it."
Serena already knew what she was going to say.
"A Poltergeist."
Himari nodded.
"It was huge."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"At the time, I didn't even know what I was looking at. I'd never seen anything like it before."
She could still remember the creature towering over her.
Its unnatural body.
Its strange movements.
The oppressive presence that had made every instinct inside her scream at her to run.
"I didn't understand what it was."
Himari lowered her eyes.
"But I understood one thing."
She looked at Serena.
"I had to run."
Serena quietly nodded.
Himari continued.
"It chased me."
Her voice became softer.
"I thought I was going to die."
Serena's hands tightened at her sides.
"What happened?"
"Lady Tamayo came."
A faint smile appeared on Himari's face.
"I didn't even see her attack."
Serena blinked.
"What?"
"Everything happened too quickly."
Himari looked down at her hands.
"One moment that thing was there."
She paused.
"The next moment, it was gone."
Serena could almost picture it.
Tamayo moving with impossible speed.
A single decisive strike.
The creature that had terrified a young girl disappearing almost instantly.
"I remember standing there afterward," Himari continued. "I didn't understand what had happened. I just remember staring at the place where the monster had been."
Her expression softened.
"But that image never left my mind."
Serena listened without interrupting.
"That was the moment everything changed."
Himari began walking again.
"I went home that night, but I couldn't stop thinking about it."
She looked toward Serena.
"I wanted answers."
The two girls eventually passed beneath an old wooden gate.
Beyond it was a smaller courtyard surrounded by trees. Stone lanterns stood along the path, their surfaces weathered by years of wind and rain.
Serena slowed as she looked around.
She remembered playing here.
For a moment, she could almost hear the laughter of her younger self echoing through the courtyard.
Himari continued.
"I went to Lady Tamayo privately and asked her what happened."
Serena smiled.
"That sounds like you."
"I wouldn't stop asking."
Himari laughed.
"At first, she told me to forget what I saw."
Serena raised an eyebrow.
"She told you that?"
"She did."
"That doesn't sound like Tamayo."
Himari giggled.
"She was trying to protect me."
They continued walking.
"But I kept asking."
"How long?"
"Months."
Serena's eyes widened.
"Months?"
Himari nodded.
"I asked her almost every day."
A mischievous smile appeared on her face.
"Eventually, she gave up."
Serena laughed.
"That definitely sounds like Tamayo."
"She finally told me the truth."
Himari's expression became serious again.
"She was a Geist."
Serena nodded.
"And the creature she killed was a Poltergeist."
The words settled quietly between them.
"That's when everything started making sense," Himari said.
She looked toward Serena.
"I remembered all those times we played together when we were younger. The temple. Your family. The way everyone here seemed to know things ordinary people didn't."
Himari smiled.
"I had already suspected that your family was special."
Serena scratched her cheek.
"Was I really that obvious?"
"No."
Himari laughed.
"You weren't obvious."
She paused before adding, "I just noticed things."
Serena smiled.
"Of course you did."
Himari looked ahead.
"Once Lady Tamayo told me the truth, everything became clear."
She stopped beside one of the stone lanterns.
"That's when I decided."
Serena looked at her.
"I wanted to become a Geist."
There was no hesitation in Himari's voice.
"I decided that I would dedicate my life to it."
Serena remained quiet for a moment.
"Why?"
Himari smiled.
"Three reasons."
She held up one finger.
"The first was simple."
Her expression became determined.
"I didn't want what happened to me to happen to another child."
Serena's eyes softened.
"I want to help create a world where children don't have to walk home at night wondering if something is following them."
Himari looked toward the forest.
"A world where people can live without knowing that creatures like Poltergeists are hiding in the shadows."
She turned toward Serena.
"I want to protect people."
Serena smiled.
"That sounds exactly like the doctor you wanted to become."
Himari blinked.
Then she smiled.
"Maybe."
She looked down for a moment.
"But there was another reason."
Her cheeks suddenly became slightly red.
She turned her face away.
Serena noticed immediately.
"...What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"You just turned red."
"I did not."
"You definitely did."
Himari shook her head.
"Forget it."
Serena tilted her head.
"If you don't want to tell me, that's fine."
Himari sighed.
She remained silent for several seconds before finally looking at Serena.
"Promise you won't laugh."
Serena raised a hand.
"I promise."
Himari took a breath.
"The second reason..."
She looked away again.
"...was you."
Serena blinked.
"Me?"
Himari nodded.
"Back then, I hoped that if I became a Geist someday, I'd eventually get the chance to see you again."
Serena's expression softened.
"I hadn't seen you for so long."
Himari smiled.
"So I thought becoming a Geist might somehow bring us back together."
Serena stared at her for a moment before smiling.
"You could've just written to me."
Himari laughed.
"I know."
The two girls continued walking side by side.
"I guess I was thinking like a kid."
"You were a kid."
"So were you."
Serena laughed.
"Fair enough."
They passed another courtyard before Serena suddenly stopped.
Her eyes moved toward a large framed painting hanging beneath the covered walkway.
She recognized the person immediately.
Tamayo.
The painting showed her standing in traditional Geist attire, calm and composed, with the White Fox Temple rising behind her.
Himari stopped beside Serena and followed her gaze.
A gentle smile appeared on her face.
"The third reason," she said.
Serena looked at her.
Himari placed a hand against her chest.
"I owe Lady Tamayo my life."
Her voice was sincere.
"That night, she saved me."
She looked toward the painting.
"I don't know what would've happened if she hadn't arrived."
Serena remained quiet.
"I want to become a Geist like her."
Himari's eyes reflected the warm lantern light.
"Not because I want people to praise me."
She shook her head.
"I want to become strong enough to repay the life she saved."
Her gaze dropped toward her hands.
"I know Geist bloodlines matter."
Serena listened carefully.
"And I know that Spiritual Energy is one of the things that makes Geists different from ordinary people."
Himari smiled faintly.
"But I don't have a Geist bloodline."
She slowly clenched her hands.
"So if I want to stand beside people who were born with that advantage..."
Himari looked directly at Serena.
"...I have to work harder than anyone else."
Serena stared at her childhood friend.
For the first time that evening, she understood something.
Himari wasn't trying to imitate her.
She wasn't trying to become a Geist because she thought it was impressive.
She wasn't chasing some childish dream.
She had found her own reason.
A reason born from fear, gratitude, and a desire to protect people who might one day experience the same terror she had.
Serena smiled.
Then she extended her hand toward Himari.
"Himari."
Himari looked at her.
Serena's expression was bright and sincere.
"Let's get stronger together."
For a moment, Himari simply stared at her.
Then her face lit up.
"Yeah."
She reached out and took Serena's hand.
"Let's get stronger together."
The two childhood friends stood beneath the quiet temple lights, their shadows stretching across the polished wooden floor.
Neither of them knew what the future would bring.
They didn't know how difficult their training would become, nor what kind of Poltergeists might eventually await them beyond the safety of the White Fox Temple.
They certainly didn't know how much their paths would eventually change.
But for tonight, none of that mattered.
Serena had returned to the temple.
Himari had found her again.
And after years apart, the two girls were finally walking the same path.
Together.