CHAPTER 69: CH 69: EXTERNAL FORCES- PART 3

Evaya’s voice was calm, but there was an edge to it that even she couldn’t quite mask.

"What did you see this time, High Priestess?"

Her eyes were on Jenna, who sat with her elbows resting lightly on the carved armrests of her seat, shoulders slightly slumped. The faint scent of incense curled through the air, but it did little to hide the heaviness in the room.

Jenna didn’t answer immediately. Her fingers traced the edge of her robe’s sleeve before she let out a long, weary sigh.

"...Nothing. Again."

Evaya’s brows knit together.

"Nothing?"

"It’s as if...someone is blocking my way. My connection to the goddess—completely cut off."

Jenna’s gaze lowered, her voice losing its usual commanding tone.

Evaya’s expression darkened, and even Kana, standing silently to the side, felt the change in the atmosphere.

The thought of someone interfering with divine communication wasn’t just unusual—it was unthinkable.

"That’s... worrying."

Evaya said carefully, though her words did little to mask the weight in her voice.

Jenna’s eyes closed briefly.

"Our goddess’s authority is absolute. No mortal or spirit should be able to defy it. Yet, this has been happening. Consistently. And the fact that someone has been successful means..."

She paused, her voice lowering into something almost like a whisper.

"...they are as strong as our goddess. Perhaps even her equal. If such an entity ever turned hostile toward us..."

The rest didn’t need to be said.

Kana shifted uncomfortably, her gaze flicking between the two women.

"If... if this entity hasn’t interfered until now, maybe... it means they’re not a threat? Or at least, they don’t plan to harm us."

Her words were tentative, a small thread of optimism tossed into the growing pool of dread.

Jenna’s lips pressed together. She bit down lightly, as though weighing her reply, before finally speaking.

"...I hope you’re right, Kana."

But the slight furrow in her brow didn’t ease.

"The fact that my connection was cut off at all—it’s too suspicious to take comfort in. Even if they mean no harm now, what about later? Intentions can change."

Kana felt her throat tighten. There was so much she wanted to say, yet nothing that would truly offer comfort.

Her hands curled loosely at her sides, nails pressing into her palms, but no words came. The silence stretched, heavy and suffocating, until it seemed the whole room was sinking under its weight.

Jenna broke it first. She suddenly straightened and reached out, her cool fingers wrapping around Kana’s arm.

"Then... let’s have you try."

Kana blinked.

"...Me?"

"Yes. Try the water medium."

"What?" Evaya’s voice rose sharply, stepping forward immediately.

"High Priestess, no! That’s dangerous. Kana doesn’t have divine power anywhere near your level—"

"Which is why it’ll be fine. If something blocks me because of my authority, perhaps it won’t see her as a threat."

Jenna cut in, smiling faintly in a way that only made Evaya more uneasy.

"That’s not a reason to risk her!"

Evaya snapped.

But Jenna just chuckled, the sound oddly light given the circumstances.

"You worry too much. I have a feeling... Kana will be fine."

Kana, who had been silent through their exchange, realized that there was no way she was walking out of this.

Jenna’s grip was steady but not forceful, yet it carried an unspoken finality.

She sighed inwardly.

"Alright. I’ll do it."

Evaya turned sharply toward her.

"Kana—"

"It’s fine."

Kana interrupted softly. Her system had gotten her through worse.

In her mind, she sent a silent command.

’Help me out here.’

[Skill activated: Dreamwalk Medium]

The milky water in the ceremonial basin shimmered faintly under the candlelight. Kana knelt, her reflection wavering on the pale surface before her.

Slowly, she lowered her head until her skin touched the cool liquid.

The sensation was immediate—a weight pressing down on her mind, pulling her deeper. Her breath caught for a moment before her consciousness slipped, and the real world faded.

—

When her eyes opened again, she was... somewhere else.

A familiar room. Lysera’s bedroom.

Kana blinked slowly, disoriented. Lysera was there, sitting at the edge of the bed, while Irielle stood near the window. Both of them were looking at her, as if they had been waiting.

’I...am I back home? Somehow, things feel different. I don’t know how to explain it, but am I awake right now?’

Kana felt a slight worry in her chest as she blinked. She could feel that she was waking up, but the haze of sleep still covered her eyes and threatened to drag her down with it.

Her chest felt tight. She knew this wasn’t real—could feel the soft, dreamlike distortion in the air—but the sight of them still stirred something inside her.

"What...?"

Kana murmured, glancing toward the door.

She pushed herself to her feet, an unease growing in her gut. Without quite knowing why, she felt an urgent need to check outside.

’I need to check the outside. I feel like I would know more about what is happening if I manage to look outside. I...what should I do? I need to move my legs.’

Kana’s legs felt stubborn, but thankfully, she was finally able to move them after a short struggle.

But as soon as her fingers brushed the doorknob, a hand clamped firmly around her arm.

Irielle. Her grip was cold, her eyes unblinking.

"Don’t look out. If you want a calm life, don’t open that door."

She said quietly.

Kana frowned.

"I need to know what’s happening."

"You don’t."

Irielle replied, her voice eerily calm.

Lysera rose from the bed and crossed the room, placing herself between Kana and the door. Her hand, too, reached out as if to hold Kana back.

"Stay here. Please."

Their expressions were wrong. Too still. Too restrained. A prickle of unease crawled up Kana’s spine.

"I...No. Something’s wrong."

Kana took a step back, shaking her head.

She turned away from the door abruptly, heading toward the window instead.

"Wait—!"

Lysera’s voice sharpened, but Kana had already reached for the curtains.

The moment she threw them open, the light in the room shifted.

The outside world was drenched in red. The ground, the buildings, even the air shimmered with a molten heat, as if everything were melting.

The sky above was black streaked with crimson, clouds writhing like they were alive.

The contrast hit her hard—the peaceful, warm-toned room behind her and the nightmare landscape beyond the glass.

Her breath hitched.

Something was wrong with the two women, too. She turned back toward them, and the sight made her stomach drop.

Their skin... it had a faint red tint, almost like rust creeping beneath the surface. The edges of their clothes looked frayed, not from wear, but as if reality itself were eroding them.

Irielle’s eyes met hers, sharp and cold.

"You shouldn’t have done that."

And then, right before Kana’s eyes, Irielle’s form began to break apart—not into blood or ash, but into something far more unnatural.

Her edges blurred, and her body seemed to melt like wax under a flame.

Kana stumbled back, her mind screaming at her to wake up, but the nightmare didn’t end.

If anything... it felt like it was just beginning.