Chapter 47: The Shrine of Silent Echoes

The rain had slowed to a faint drizzle by the time Hotaru and her team left the dockyard. With Sai leading the way, they navigated through winding back roads, leaving the city behind. The air grew colder, the buildings thinner, and soon they were surrounded by dense forest.

Tora's complaints started exactly twelve minutes into the hike.

"My legs are allergic to uphill. My lungs are filing for divorce."

"Your mouth works fine though," Mira shot back, pushing aside a branch.

"Of course it does! My mouth is a national treasure."

Hotaru was too focused to laugh, though the corner of her lip twitched. The forest air smelled like earth and rain, and under any other circumstance, she would have found it calming. But tonight, her thoughts churned like a storm — Kurogane, Wraith, the tracker in her weapon. They had been steps away from death, and somehow, they were still standing.

Sai finally stopped in front of a narrow, crumbling staircase covered in moss. It led up to a forgotten-looking shrine barely visible through the trees.

"We're here," he said, his voice softer than usual.

The shrine itself was ancient — wooden pillars cracked with age, paper lanterns hanging crookedly, and a single tattered curtain fluttering in the wind. Despite its run-down state, there was a strange serenity to the place. Almost like it was waiting for them.

Ryuuji looked around. "Well, this is… charming. Definitely not haunted."

Tora squinted at the shrine's roof. "I swear I saw a face in that window."

"You're seeing your own reflection," Kuro said, leaping onto the first step.

"DON'T TALK, CAT!" Tora yelped.

Hotaru ignored the banter and climbed the steps first. The floor creaked under her boots, and a faint scent of incense lingered in the air. As she slid open the door, a gust of cold air swept past them.

"Definitely haunted," Mira muttered.

Inside, the shrine was simple. A few old mats, faded scrolls on the walls, and a small altar covered in dust. Sai walked in last, his expression unreadable.

"This place belonged to my master," he said quietly. "He trained me here until the day he disappeared."

Hotaru glanced at him. "Disappeared?"

Sai nodded, eyes fixed on the altar. "No one knows what happened. One day he was here. The next, gone. All he left behind was his sword."

He reached into the folds of his jacket and pulled out a slender blade wrapped in cloth. Even under the dim light, the metal gleamed with an unsettling sharpness.

"Creepy sword inheritance aside," Ryuuji said, "this place is perfect. Off the grid, no tech signals, and no Kurogane breathing down our necks."

"Except for the part where it might be cursed," Tora added.

Kuro sniffed the air and padded around the room. "There's no curse. Just… memories."

Hotaru set down her pack. "It doesn't matter. We need a place to regroup, and this is it."

The team settled in, spreading out blankets, checking weapons, and trying to make the shrine feel less like a haunted movie set. Mira started cleaning the altar, Sai sharpened his sword, and Tora set up a tiny camping stove to make instant noodles.

Ryuuji sat next to Hotaru, his usually playful eyes serious.

"Do you trust him?" he asked softly, nodding toward Sai.

Hotaru was quiet for a moment.

"I don't know," she admitted. "But right now, I have no choice."

Outside, the rain picked up again, tapping gently against the old wooden walls.

For tonight, they had shelter. But outside the forest, Kurogane's shadow still stretched long — and the real storm was only just beginning.

End of Chapter 47