2 and I’m near

In the moonlit lake, a man sits cross-legged on the water's surface, as if the lake itself acknowledges its presence. The gentle ripples of the water reflect the starlit sky above.

He dips his hand into the water, swirling it lazily, his reflection staring back at him with a smirk.

"He's gone" he says, almost to himself. "Not that I care. He was of no use to me anyway."

The man pauses, his gaze shifting to the distance. "Now, I can focus on you and only you."

He leans back slightly and the calm lake seems to darken subtly, its glow dimming under his influence.

"You'll come to me eventually" he whispers. "Afterall… someone needs you."

----

The study hall was filled with the murmurs of discussions as trainees reads the texts from the book they're reading. Meanwhile, back in the chamber, I sat curled on the floor with tears streaming down my face. I hugged my knees tightly, seeking comfort in the embrace of my own arms.

[Why are you crying? Is it because of him?]

I sniffled, wiping my face roughly with the back of my hand, but I didn't reply.

[You know this isn't like you] the voice inside my head continued. [Why hide here when the world out there is waiting for you?]

"Waiting for what?" I muttered bitterly. "I'm useless. I can't control this world. I can't even help Exian."

[You're not just anyone. You're this worlds creator]

I froze and snapped. "So what? What good is a creator who can't fix anything? Exian… I can't even do anything to stop it."

[You've already done more than you realize. You gave him strength, gave this world life.]

[Creation isn't about perfection.]

"But what's the point? I can't even do anything right? I keep messing up"

[Listen to me] the voice spoke.

[You're a creator, yes. But creators aren't gods of control, they're seeds of possibility. You don't need to fix everything instantly. See how humans always say I'll do it later? It's the same thing here but you just have to keep moving forward.]

Tears welled up again as I stared at the floor.

[Do you think Exian needs perfection from you?]

[No. He needs your courage. Your world, needs your courage.]

I swallowed hard. The words rang in my ears and it refuses to let me sink deeper into despair.

"You're right… I could still do something."

I stood up, wiped my tears, and made way toward Exian's chamber. When I arrive, I caught sight of two guards standing by the door. I stopped, ducking back behind a corner before they noticed me.

"Great" I muttered under my breath, pacing back to my room. "Now what?"

The hours dragged on as I sat on the edge of my bed, trying to come up with a plan.

"Maybe if I cause a distraction – no, that's too obvious." I mumbled to myself.

"Or what if I sneak in through a window? Wait, this is a temple not some random house!"

I groaned, falling back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Why is it so hard?!" I shouted. The voice inside my head stayed silent, offering no suggestions.

As the bell rang, its chime snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Wait…" I sat up. "I could ask for help."

I hurried out of my room, my bare feet tapping against the cold stone floor. The corridors were bustling as the trainees made their way toward the hall for the evening prayer session. I slipped into the crowd, my eyes scanning everyone.

"Lylia, Koichi… where are you?" I murmured.

The hall was already filling up with people kneeling and preparing for prayer. Then, I spotted Lylia and Koichi was next to her, casually leaning against a pillar. I approached them.

"Excuse me, can I borrow you two for a moment? It's important"

Lylia looked concerned, glancing at Koichi, who raised an eyebrow but shrugged. "Sure" Lylia said before standing.

We moved to a quieter corner, and once were out of the hall I sighed.

"I need your help" I admitted.

"With what?" Koichi asked, crossing his arms.

"Exian's been locked up."

"What?!" Lylia gasped. "What do you mean locked up?!"

Koichi smirked. "Never thought I'd see the day. Exian, of all people, in trouble? What did he do, refuse to talk to Tsukiyomi?"

"This isn't a time for that Koichi!" I snapped. "He openly defied the priests and announced he's no longer loyal to Tsukiyomi. They locked him in his chamber for 'cleansing'"

"That's serious and what's more concerning is me knowing you'd do something." Lylia sighed.

"I tried going to his chamber" I admitted. "But there are guards and I can't figure out how to pass them."

Before they could respond, a sudden thud caught our attention. A wooden box had fallen and we turned to see Yzette standing awkwardly, caught red-handed.

"Sorry for eavesdropping" she said, stepping forward. "But I could offer a help…if you want."

"You'll do that?" I asked.

Koichi grinned. "Well, this just got interesting. What are you up to Countess?"

Yzette ignored him. "It's not just any guards at the chamber. I believe it's the divine guards usually stationed at the entrance of the dark forest."

"And what made you that assumption?" Koichi asked. "C'mon those guards will always – "

"I saw them entering the praying hall not too long ago. In other words, they're here." Yzette replied bluntly.

We went silent.

Divine guards were a whole other level of trouble.

"So…what do we do now? If the divine guards are involved, things are more complicated." Lylia looked between the three of us.

"That's the thing… it's quite hard to think of a plan." I replied. "Also the hallway to his chamber is one way."

Koichi grinned. "Well, I've got a plan." He paused, clearly enjoying the suspense.

"We sneak in, of course."

Yzette raised an eyebrow. "Sneak in? How? It's a one-way hall."

Koichi waved his hand as if it's obvious. "Simple. We'll use the shadows. Yzette can cover us with her skills. Lylia, you're fast and stealthy. Iris, you can distract the guards. I'll handle the rest."

I looked around at all of them. "Why am I always the one who's about to get chased? Why can't you all be the ones to distract the guards for once?"

Koichi gave me the most innocent smile. "Because Iris, you're the one with the most… distracting presence. Besides, you have the best chance of drawing attention without getting caught."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine but this better work."

Koichi patted my head. "It will I promise. You ask for help, I'd do it."

----

As we stood near the chamber, the tension was too much. Yzette leaned in behind me, her voice low. "I know you're nervous but remember always say 'heal' if things get out of hand. It'll help trust me."

"Heal?" I repeated and she nodded.

"Alright, Iris. You're up." Koichi says while watching the guards.

I took one last breath. "Alright let's move."