CHAPTER 83: CH 83: BLAME - PART 2

The voices outside had grown so loud that Kana could no longer make out the words—they blurred into a heated storm of shouting and accusations, rising and falling like waves against the walls.

She sat still at first, pretending to focus on the scroll she had been unrolling, but her eyes kept darting toward the door.

Her fingers toyed with the edge of the parchment, the texture rough under her nails, yet her attention was fixed entirely on the muffled chaos beyond the room.

Irielle stood by the window, arms crossed, gaze carefully avoiding the commotion outside.

"Don’t."

She said without turning around. Her voice was calm but firm, the kind of tone meant to anchor someone in place.

Kana blinked.

"Don’t what?"

"Don’t get involved. Whatever’s happening out there has nothing to do with you."

Irielle finally glanced over her shoulder, her expression a composed mask, but there was an unmistakable sharpness in her eyes.

"Stay here."

The words should have been enough. Irielle was rarely wrong about when to avoid trouble.

But the sound outside wasn’t just noise—it carried an edge, a kind of charged tension that made Kana’s chest feel tight.

Something was wrong, and the longer she sat there, the more it gnawed at her.

"I’ll just... take a quick look."

Kana murmured, rising to her feet.

Irielle moved to block her.

"Kana—"

But curiosity had already sunk its claws deep. Kana slipped past before Irielle could fully react, the faint scent of incense clinging to her robes as she hurried into the corridor.

The air outside was cooler, carrying with it the acrid tang of unease.

Just ahead, a group of guards were gathered, their attention fixed on a single figure—Sergeant Delran.

Delran’s gaze shifted almost immediately, catching sight of Kana. Her eyes narrowed, calculating.

"There you are. Come with me."

She said, her voice smooth yet carrying the weight of authority.

Before Kana could step back, the sergeant closed the distance in two long strides and took hold of her arm.

The grip was firm—not painful, but impossible to shake off.

Lysera appeared from around the corner, eyes flashing with alarm.

"Let her go."

She demanded, already stepping forward. Her hands twitched as if ready to summon power, but she wasn’t fast enough.

Delran had Kana positioned behind her before Lysera could reach them.

"What is going on?"

Kana asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"You’re to be taken to trial. For the disappearance and possible death of a priest."

Delran said plainly.

Kana’s stomach dropped.

"I didn’t do it."

"I know."

Delran replied, and for a brief moment, her grip softened.

"But this is no longer in my hands to deliver justice. High Priest Rudy has called for you. You should be prepared for what’s coming."

Her tone grew heavier, as though weighed down by what was left unsaid.

Kana felt her heart skip—not in surprise, but in the creeping dread that wrapped icy fingers around her chest.

She forced herself to inhale, to steady her breathing. Fear was a luxury she couldn’t afford.

"Then I’ll face it."

She said quietly, more to herself than to anyone else.

Lysera moved closer, her presence like a shield at Kana’s side.

"You’re not taking her anywhere."

Delran’s eyes flicked between them, the corner of her mouth tightening.

"Don’t make this worse."

A sudden rush of movement at the far end of the hall drew their attention— Irielle was approaching at speed, her expression a storm.

The tension spiked instantly. Both she and Lysera were ready to strike.

Delran sighed as though disappointed, then reached into her belt and tossed something small to the ground.

It clinked faintly upon landing, then burst into a cloud of thick gray smoke.

Kana coughed, but Lysera and Irielle staggered back as though struck—the smoke clung to them unnaturally, sinking into their limbs.

Their movements slowed, then stilled entirely, as if the very air had solidified around them.

"What—?"

Lysera managed, her voice weak.

"A paralytic blend. It won’t harm you, but you won’t be able to move for a short while."

Delran explained briskly.

She crouched slightly to meet their eyes through the dissipating haze.

"I know she’s innocent. But if you make a scene here, in front of the wrong witnesses, that innocence will be tainted before she even stands trial."

Lysera’s glare was sharp enough to cut, but her body refused to obey her will. Irielle’s jaw clenched, frustration visible even through her stillness.

"You want to help her? Then find a way to clear her name. Only then can you save her."

Delran continued.

The words hung heavy in the corridor, cutting through the lingering smoke.

With that, Delran straightened and guided Kana away, her grip steady but no longer harsh.

Behind them, Lysera and Irielle remained frozen in place, the echoes of their halted resistance fading into the distance.

Kana didn’t look back. She didn’t want to see the helplessness in their eyes—it would only make the knot in her chest tighten further.

Ahead lay the unknown, and the summons of High Priest Rudy. Whatever waited for her there, she had no choice but to meet it head-on.

The smoke thinned slowly, its acrid bite fading from the air.

Lysera forced a breath past the tightness in her chest, fingers twitching as sensation returned. Irielle coughed beside her, still pale from the paralytic haze.

By then, Sergeant Delran was already gone—along with Kana.

Lysera pushed herself upright, her movements sharp despite the lingering numbness.

"She’s taking her straight into a trap. If Priest behind this..."

She said, voice tight with frustration.

She trailed off, unable to finish the thought.

Irielle steadied herself against the wall.

"We can’t rush in blind. If what she said is true, any mistake we make will only make Kana look guilty."

Lysera’s jaw clenched, but she didn’t argue. She knew Delran was right, and that made it worse.

"Then we don’t waste time. We find proof. Anything that ties Rudy to the priest’s disappearance."

She said finally.

Irielle’s eyes flicked toward the corridor where Kana had been taken.

"And we do it before he decides her fate."

Without another word, they moved—still unsteady, but driven by urgency.

Somewhere ahead, Kana was walking toward a trial she had no hope of winning unless they acted fast.

By the time Lysera and Irielle managed to force their way past Delran’s obstruction, the corridor was silent.

The bed was empty, the blanket tossed aside. A cold draft lingered, the only sign that Kana had been there moments ago.

Lysera’s hands curled into fists.

"Damn it... we were too slow."

Irielle scanned the room quickly, her face pale but her voice steady.

"She didn’t leave on her own. This was deliberate."

Lysera’s jaw tightened as she stepped toward the door.

"Then whoever took her wants us chasing shadows while they finish their real plan. We need to clear her name before they decide she’s guilty by default."

She turned sharply to Irielle, her tone clipped but laced with urgency.

Irielle nodded, determination flickering in her eyes.

"We can’t do it alone. Not against the defense office... and certainly not against Delran."

Lysera’s gaze hardened.

"Then we’ll go to the only person who can protect her from them."

"High Priestess Jenna."

Irielle said without hesitation.

"Exactly. If anyone can shield Kana and expose whoever’s behind this, it’s her."

Lysera replied.

Without wasting another word, they left the empty room behind, their footsteps quickening toward Jenna’s wing.

"Tsk, I don’t like this at all."

Irielle complained, but followed Lysera nonetheless.