The Grand Narukami Shrine loomed above, nestled atop a cliff overlooking Inazuma's vast landscape. The Sacred Sakura's petals fluttered in the wind, painting the path in soft pink hues. Yet, despite the breathtaking view, the group was far from relaxed.
The journey had been quiet—at least, until Elysia decided to break it.
She casually slipped her arm around Noah's, leaning against him with a playful grin. "You know, walking all this way without a little fun conversation makes things feel so... formal. Don't you think, Noah?"
Noah, still a little unused to Elysia's complete lack of personal space, coughed. "I guess?"
Lumine chuckled, stepping closer. "I think she just wants to see how flustered she can get you."
"Whaaaat? Me? Never~" Elysia twirled dramatically, her coat fluttering like a cape, before looping back to Noah's side. "It's just that our dear Captain is always so serious. And serious people are fun to tease~."
Noah sighed, giving her a look. "I'm not always serious."
Kiana, swinging her bat lazily over her shoulder, grinned. "You kinda are. I mean, you're the only guy I know who'd hold a strategic briefing for picking out snacks."
Elysia gasped with mock horror. "Not the snack strategy! The sacred snack stratagems!"
Lumine laughed. "Don't forget the time he made a plan B, C, and D for picking a place to sleep in Sumeru. And we ended up camping under a tree anyway."
Noah rubbed his temple. "You're all never letting that go, are you?"
Kiana gave him a thumbs-up. "Not a chance, Captain."
Despite the teasing, their laughter rang out clear and warm. For a moment, it pushed back the weight of the unknown ahead. A crew walking through danger—but stronger together.
The banter continued until Kiana suddenly stiffened, her step faltering. One hand lifted to her temple as if warding off a sharp headache.
Noah instantly noticed. "Kiana?"
Lumine and Elysia turned as well, concern flashing in their eyes.
Kiana exhaled deeply, shaking it off with a smirk, though her breathing was a little too controlled. "Relax, I'm fine. Just... feeling a little off."
But Noah had seen the flicker of gold in her eye earlier. He knew what it meant.
He stepped closer, his voice low and steady. "Sirin?"
Kiana's smirk wavered, just for a second. Her shoulders tensed.
The atmosphere tightened around them.
"I'm handling it," she muttered, almost too low to hear. Her hand brushed against the crystal rose at her hip—the one Elysia had gifted her in Mondstadt. The gentle thrum of its warmth against her skin helped steady her heartbeat. She took a slow breath, then another, falling into the breathing rhythm the adepti had taught her back in Liyue: Breathe in clarity. Exhale fear.
Noah stayed near, his presence calm and grounding. "We're with you, Kiana. Every step of the way."
Kiana didn't reply immediately. Her eyes flicked to the sky, the drifting sakura blossoms above. "I'm not planning to," she finally said. "I just... need a minute."
Elysia stepped forward without hesitation, wrapping an arm around her with that same disarming warmth. "Then take two. Or five. And while you're at it, let's annoy the Abyss by looking cute and fabulous while kicking its butt~."
Kiana blinked, momentarily stunned. "Wha—Elysia?!"
Lumine chuckled as Kiana flailed briefly but didn't pull away. "It's fine. Let her distract you. It's surprisingly effective."
Noah simply sighed, but the corners of his mouth lifted. "It's her specialty." His voice softened with a kind of fondness he rarely showed aloud. "Just like when she pulled that fireworks stunt in Fontaine to distract a rogue Abyss mage. Nearly got us arrested—but it worked."
Elysia beamed. "And we got free éclairs from that café after! Worth it."
Lumine chuckled. "And then Noah had to convince the Fontaine inspectors that we weren't an outlaw troupe."
Kiana snorted. "Don't forget Liyue. She posed as a 'wandering opera spirit' and nearly got offered a contract to headline the Lantern Rite."
Elysia gave a proud wink. "I leave a trail of beauty and mild chaos wherever I go." She tossed her hair dramatically and added, "Sumeru proved it best. Remember that time I got roped into a philosophical debate on dreams and ended up rewriting half their lecture board with glitter ink?"
Lumine laughed. "You called it 'manifesting cognitive resonance through fabulousness.'"
Kiana grinned. "And you got invited back as a guest lecturer. Meanwhile, I just wanted the snacks."
Elysia waved a hand. "Inspiration comes in many forms, darling." She turned to Kiana and added, "Remember in Sumeru, when we crashed that scholarly debate because you mistook the hall for a food market?"
Kiana groaned. "In my defense, they had free samples outside. How was I supposed to know it was a lecture on leyline erosion?"
Lumine laughed. "And you asked the speaker where the dessert booth was."
Noah shook his head, chuckling despite himself. "And somehow, you still managed to walk out with an honorary research badge."
Kiana grinned. "That's the Kaslana charm for you."
Elysia clapped dramatically. "Truly, our legend grows with every land we cross."
Their laughter bubbled up again, lighter now, not in defiance of the heaviness around them—but as a reminder of everything they'd endured. Not just comrades anymore. Something more. Something stronger.
The tension loosened with the laughter, and the group moved forward again.
As they crested the final steps, the Grand Narukami Shrine revealed itself in full splendor—its crimson torii gates glowing in the soft afternoon light, its rooflines rising with regal poise beneath the eternal boughs of the Sacred Sakura. Petals fell in slow, deliberate swirls, as if even gravity paused in reverence. The scent of ancient incense lingered in the breeze.
The group slowed instinctively, a hush falling over them. It wasn't just beauty—it was weight. A pressure that reached beyond the skin and into the soul, like the shrine itself had been waiting for their arrival.
They all felt it. That subtle shift in the air, like a breath being held. A spiritual pressure, deep and ancient, curled around the shrine like a protective veil. The kind that made even the bold tread softer. Even Kiana's steps grew lighter, her hand still resting near the rose as if to anchor herself, her golden eye dimming beneath the weight of memory.
Lumine narrowed her eyes slightly, one hand brushing the hilt of her sword. Elysia stilled completely, her usual grace subdued by the moment's gravity. Noah's gaze sharpened, as though listening to a voice that spoke without sound.
And then they saw her.
A lilting voice cut through the silence like silk.
"Oh? What a lively bunch we have here."
The group tensed, instinct kicking in.
Standing before the shrine, poised in crimson and elegance, was a Miko with fox-like ears, her expression unreadable but her gaze far too knowing. Her arms folded leisurely, as if she had been expecting them.
"What interesting individuals you are," she purred, amusement twinkling in her eyes as if she'd just flipped the page of a story only she could read.