CHAPTER 64: CH 64: WELCOME BACK- PART 1

Kana sat on the bench, her hands folded in her lap, eyes fixed on the spot where High Priestess Jenna had just left.

It hadn’t been a stormy departure—Jenna hadn’t snapped or raised her voice—but there had been something in the way she smoothed her robe and walked away without another glance that made Kana’s chest tighten.

She had the sinking feeling that she’d irritated her somehow.

Her throat felt dry as she turned toward Evaya, the words almost catching before they left her mouth.

"Evaya... did I... do something wrong?"

Her voice trembled, almost tearful despite her best effort to hide it.

Evaya, standing by the doorway with her arms loosely crossed, let out a long, quiet sigh.

"No. You didn’t do anything wrong. The High Priestess is just... in one of her moods again. Ignore it."

She said simply.

Kana blinked, unsure.

"One of her moods?"

"You’ll see them now and then. She’s not angry at you, she’s just... somewhere else in her head."

Evaya continued, her tone matter-of-fact,

Kana still felt a pinch of guilt in her stomach, but the reassurance helped—at least enough for her to breathe normally again.

"I guess... I’ll take your word for it."

Evaya’s lips quirked faintly, then she glanced toward the doorway Jenna had used.

"You should rest for now. We have about an hour before we head back, and we’ll need to take a look around the area first—see what people are saying. Best to get ahead of any rumors before they start twisting out of control."

"Damage control."

Kana murmured.

"Exactly."

Evaya said.

Kana leaned back slightly, absorbing the words.

She’d known life in the temple wasn’t all prayers and ceremonies, but hearing it laid out so plainly drove the truth deeper into her.

Especially at the higher levels, it seemed to be a careful game of influence, words, and watchfulness.

Her gaze shifted to Evaya, and an unexpected pang of sympathy rose in her chest.

"I’m sorry."

She said softly, reaching out to place her hand on Evaya’s shoulder.

"Good luck with... everything. I feel kind of sorry for you."

Evaya’s brow lifted in mild amusement, though her smile was crooked.

"I feel sorry for myself too. If the High Priestess hadn’t pulled me up when I was at my lowest, I wouldn’t be with her at all."

She admitted with a scoff.

There was something about her expression—about the way her voice softened for just that moment—that made Kana tilt her head. It almost felt like Evaya’s attachment went deeper than duty.

The thought slipped out before she could stop herself.

"Do you... like her? More than just as a friend?"

Evaya froze. The color rose in her cheeks almost instantly, and she turned her head away with a quick, sharp laugh.

"What? No! Don’t be ridiculous."

Her denial was quick, almost comical, but she soon composed herself, her eyes turning a little more serious.

"My connection to the High Priestess is far deeper than that, Kana. I’ll never betray her. But that doesn’t mean I have to romantically love her."

Kana found herself a little surprised by the bluntness of the answer.

"Oh..."

She murmured.

It was then she noticed the way Evaya was looking at her—something intense in her gaze that sent an odd tingle through Kana’s skin.

Before she could say anything about it, Evaya spoke again.

"I have someone else I like. Someone I’d want to spend my life with... but they don’t feel the same. They probably never will. They wouldn’t even look at me that way."

She said plainly.

Kana felt her chest tighten with something she didn’t fully understand.

"If they don’t like you back the same way... then it’s their loss."

She said firmly.

Evaya chuckled, low and almost amused, but her eyes lingered on Kana with a weight that made it difficult to keep looking back.

"Mm. I agree."

She murmured.

The weight of her gaze was too much. Kana looked away, and her heart skipped—just once, but enough to make her notice.

Kana’s gaze darted around the quiet interior, her shoulders tightening as an odd tension settled in her chest.

The longer she stood there, the more she wanted to leave. Evaya seemed to notice—her eyes narrowing slightly, reading Kana’s unease without a word.

"It’s time for us to head back."

Evaya said at last, her voice steady but carrying a note that allowed no room for argument.

She extended her hand toward Kana. For a moment, Kana hesitated, unsure why such a simple gesture made her feel so hesitant.

Then she placed her hand in Evaya’s, and an unexpected jolt shot through her—subtle but enough to make her breath catch.

Her mind went blank, and the weight of her own thoughts scattered like leaves in the wind.

Before she could piece together what she was feeling, Evaya had already tugged her forward with effortless strength.

Kana stumbled slightly, catching herself only to realize that she was being pulled out of the house entirely.

All she could see ahead was Evaya’s back—straight, steady, and unyielding. That back felt like a shield against everything that had happened today, a silent assurance that Kana didn’t have to think or speak until they were somewhere safe.

She focused on that, her grip tightening faintly around Evaya’s hand as they stepped into the cool air outside.

—

Elsewhere, High Priestess Jenna stood alone, the faint rustle of her robes the only sound in the otherwise empty surroundings.

Her sharp eyes swept the area, but there was nothing out of place—nothing that explained what had happened.

Closing her eyes briefly, she summoned her magic. Threads of power laced outward, weaving through the air like an invisible net, searching for lingering traces of disruption.

The energy pulsed, stretched, then returned to her... empty.

Her jaw tightened.

No matter how much magic she poured into the search, there was nothing to find. Not a single disturbance.

That only confirmed her growing suspicion—this was Rudy’s doing. High Priest Rudy, with his talent for weaving deception so subtly it could hide even from her. This had his mark all over it.

But the bigger question pressed at her mind: how had he managed to pull this off without alerting a single soul? Even she hadn’t sensed the trap until it was too late.

That thought alone made her grip her staff just a little tighter.

As she pondered the implications, her eyes narrowing, the sound of approaching steps broke her concentration.

Evaya appeared from the narrow street, her pace measured but purposeful, Kana in tow.

"It’s finally time for us to return."

Evaya said simply, stopping at Jenna’s side.

Jenna’s gaze lingered on her for a moment longer, as though searching for unspoken answers, before she turned toward the direction of the temple.

The matter was far from over.

Kana followed in silence, her steps quickening to match theirs. The faint rhythm of the city surrounded her—distant voices, the creak of wagon wheels—but it all felt muted beneath the weight of unspoken tension.

She could feel Jenna’s presence ahead, steady yet distant, and Evaya’s grip beside her, warm but firm, as though neither intended to let her drift away in thought.