Hasty footsteps disrupted the tranquility of the sanctuary, as a middle-aged priest clad in a deep blue robe embroidered with gold swiftly passed through the long corridor. Under the silent watch of numerous sages depicted on the murals on both sides, he arrived at the doorway to the prayer room. Before he could knock, a gentle female voice already emerged from inside, "Come in."
The middle-aged priest pushed open the door and saw a figure standing before the statue of the Storm Goddess—it was Helena, dressed in a simple priest's robe, her wrists entwined with a string of ocean-blue crystal beads. It seemed she had been devoutly praying until just a second ago. Hearing the sound of the door opening behind her, she did not turn but remained quietly fixated on the veiled statue of the goddess and softly began to speak, "How are things outside now?"