In the hallway lit by faint light, Shigu walked with a tray in her hands. From the porridge on the tray, wisps of steam rose in gentle, swaying ribbons. Her footsteps were absorbed by the old floorboards, barely audible. It was a way of walking that seemed intent on making no sound at all. In front of Riko's room, Shigu stopped. She took a small breath. Crouching down before the door, she quietly set the tray on the floor. "[gentle]Riko-nee, it's morning. Mushroom porridge today. It's warm... so please, just a little." No answer. For three days now, it had been the same. Shigu pressed her palm against the door. The cold feel of the wood. On the other side, Riko was there. Breathing. But her presence seemed to be fading, as if she were slowly turning transparent. "[whispers]...Yesterday, they said a big ship came into the port. A passenger ship from Korza, carrying rare spices." Shigu leaned her back against the wall and sat down right beside the door. Hugging her knees, she continued talking in a low voice. A story about a kitten she'd seen at the market, how beautiful the twilight sky had been, how the greengrocer lady had given her leftover fruit when she was out shopping. Just rambling, trivial things. And yet, Shigu came to talk to her like this every morning. Even without an answer, even if she was rejected. Believing that her voice was reaching Riko's ears. From the shadows of the hallway, Nat watched the scene. His deep crimson hair was tied back carelessly, and deep wrinkles were etched between his brows. The repair tools in his hand trembled faintly. (*Shigu can be by Riko's side like that.*) Nat felt something bitter welling up deep in his throat. Shigu's words held no pretense, no calculation. They were spun purely from a desire to reach Riko. It was something he could never do. The only things he could do for Riko were make porridge and protect this inn. He couldn't get any closer than that. Standing before Riko's closed heart, his words would clog up, and he couldn't say anything. (*I... say I'll protect Riko, but am I just looking away from my own powerlessness?*) Nat left without a sound. Only his footsteps going down the stairs echoed, strangely loud. That night, after finishing tidying the guest rooms, Nat stopped on his way back to the kitchen. In the second-floor hallway, the door to Riko's room was open just a few centimeters. Shigu's voice leaked out from inside. "[whispers]...Your hands are cold. Were you looking out the window the whole time?" No answer. But no words of rejection, either. Nat peered through the gap in the door. Shigu was gently wrapping both her hands around Riko's, who was sitting on the edge of the bed. Riko's silver-white hair shone with a pale blue light under the moonlight. She remained perfectly still, staring out the window. But she wasn't shaking Shigu's hands off. (*Riko's hands... aren't rejecting Shigu's.*) A thick, hot feeling spread through Nat's chest. Jealousy. If he reached out his hand, Riko would surely turn her whole body away. And yet, Shigu sat beside Riko as if it were the most natural thing, holding her hands, speaking to her. The sight was so dazzling that Nat averted his eyes. He left the spot, careful not to make a sound. He put a hand against the hallway wall and gritted his back teeth. (*Who... do I think I am?*) He wanted to protect Riko. That's what he thought. But wasn't the truth just that he wanted to be special to her, and only him? He felt he could see his own ugliness with sickening clarity. --- On the afternoon of the third day, Nat went to the Central District to buy groceries. It was about a ten-minute walk from the East District to the Central District. The cobblestone streets were crowded with people, and the bustle of the marketplace could be heard from afar. The relic market "Reeve's Ring," near the Guild building, was as crowded as ever with merchants and delvers. Colorful tents lined the area, with Grade Four to Grade Three relics packed tightly together. Glowstone lamps, metal fragments that floated slightly, scraps of cloth that absorbed sound—at a glance, they all looked like junk, but the authenticated, certified items had metal tags attached with prices written on them. Nat bought rice and dried fish at his usual grocery store, and on the way, stopped by an apothecary to buy a calming herbal tea for Riko. He didn't know if she would even drink it. Still, he couldn't help but prepare something. On his way back, a strange commotion came from the direction of the Central Plaza. The plaza, usually just a place for pigeons to flock around the fountain, was packed with a huge crowd today. A rough estimate put it at over a hundred people. Nat stopped in his tracks. He had a bad feeling. In the center of the crowd, a tall man with graying hair stood on a cobblestone pedestal. His gray eyes were clouded, and a burn-like mutation scar spread from his left cheek to his neck. The middle and ring fingers of his right hand were missing. But a gentle smile was on his face. Doreva Karsh—a guide of the Volnica Holy Covenant. "[gentle]My children. I am merely one who conveys the voice of the Abyss." Karsh's voice was surprisingly calm and pleasant to the ear. The murmur of the crowd quieted, as if absorbed by his voice. "[gentle]We are all separated from our Mother Abyss, living in suffering upon this earth. Fearing the curse of the Abyss, dreading the rampage of relics, having our loved ones stolen by the deep darkness. This suffering is the cry of a child torn from its mother's womb." Nat stood frozen at the back of the crowd, clutching his bag of groceries. Karsh's words spoke directly to emotion, not logic. Anxiety, fear, a sense of loss—he spoke gently, as if scooping up the pain that anyone living in Orth carries. "[gentle]However, there is hope." Karsh spread his arms wide. The gesture was as if he were trying to embrace the entire crowd. "[serious]From the bottom of the Abyss, a maiden has returned. A shrine maiden who, though in human form, touched the deepest part, received the blessing of the Mother Abyss, and miraculously returned—is now alive, in this very city." Silence ran through the plaza. The next moment, an uproar exploded. "[excited]A shrine maiden! The Abyss's shrine maiden is here!" "She returned! The White Whistle! It's true!" "A messenger sent by the Abyss! The Mother's blessing has descended upon the land!" The bag of groceries slipped from Nat's hands. With a dry sound, the bag of rice hit the ground. His heart pounded violently, and blood roared in his ears. (*Stop it... please stop.*) Karsh watched the crowd's fervor with the smile of a loving father. Only his eyes weren't smiling. His gray eyes, clouded with calculation and ambition, looked down upon the feverish people. "[gentle]She is the key to conveying the Abyss's will to us. By protecting her and offering prayers together, humanity will advance to a new stage of salvation." Nat pushed through the crowd and ran towards the road to the East District. His lungs burned with pain. From behind, frenzied shouts chased after him like waves. (*Riko is—Riko isn't a savior! She's just a wounded, single—*) --- When he returned to the inn, a crowd had already begun to form in front of Harubi's light. Onlookers and believers who had heard Karsh's speech. Still only a few dozen, but they filled the street, milling about restlessly. "Is the shrine maiden here!?" "Please let us see her!" "Messenger of the Abyss, grant us your blessing!" Nat pushed through the crowd and burst into the entrance. He barred the door from the inside and went around locking every window. His hands were shaking. Shigu came running down from the second floor. Her face was deathly pale. "[scared]Nat! Outside, it's terrible..." "[urgent]I know. That cult leader from the Volnica Holy Covenant gave a speech in the Central Plaza. He publicly announced that Riko is a shrine maiden of the Abyss." Shigu's amber eyes widened. From Riko's room, a thin figure could be seen peering out the window. Riko had her hands on the window frame, staring down at the crowd below. Her silver-white hair glowed pale blue in the dimness of the room. Her left eye was purple, her right eye gold. Her heterochromatic eyes, emitting an eerie radiance, quietly took in the crowd's fervor. Someone in the crowd looked up at the second-floor window. "[excited]It's the shrine maiden!! Up there!!" The uproar grew louder. People pointed, pressed their hands together, knelt. The last trace of color drained from Riko's face. (*Because... I'm here.*) She stepped back from the window and leaned her back against the wall. (*Because I returned... this city is going mad.*) The door opened, and Shigu burst into the room. With a face crumpled by tears, she knelt before Riko. "[crying]Riko-nee! Don't listen to what those people say!" Shigu grasped Riko's hands tightly. "[crying]You're not a shrine maiden or anything. You're just—just my big sister!" Riko quietly shook off Shigu's hands. "[whispers]...Let go." "[crying]No!" "[cold]Because I'm here... the city went mad. The relic rampage, that crowd... it's all my fault." Riko's voice was a faint sound, like wind blowing through. There was almost no emotional inflection. But there was a deep conviction there. "If I weren't here, Nat and Shigu wouldn't have been put in danger." Shigu shook her head violently and clung to Riko's waist. "[crying]That's not true! I'm happy you're here, Riko-nee! I'm happy we're together! I don't want to be apart!!" Riko's hand moved to touch Shigu's head—and stopped. Instead, she turned her face towards the window. The crowd's fervor showed no sign of abating. --- Evening. When the crowd had momentarily thinned, there was a discreet knock at the inn's entrance. Nat unbarred the door and opened it a crack. Standing there was a young man wearing the uniform of the Delvers' Guild. A guild member badge gleamed on his collar. "[polite]My name is Holst, from the Delvers' Guild. I have a notification regarding Lady Riko, the Deep Layer Returnee." Nat stared at the man with wary eyes. "[polite]First, a reminder for a periodic report based on the Deep Layer Returnee regulations. According to the rules, returnees are required to undergo a physical examination and report to the Guild every seven days. Ten days have already passed since the last examination, and we request your prompt compliance. Additionally, in response to Guide Karsh's speech today, the Autonomous Council will hold an emergency meeting regarding the returnee's safety. Therefore, we would like you to consider placing her under the Guild's protection." "[cold]...Protection, huh." Nat's voice was low. "[polite]If the public fervor continues like this, there is a possibility that her safety may be compromised. Our Guild facilities have thorough security—" "[angry]So you're going to store Riko like a relic? Appraise her, put a price tag on her, and sell her off to some rich guy?" Holst was at a loss for words for a moment, but quickly returned to a calm expression. "[polite]That is absolutely not the case. It is purely for her safety. Please consider it." Nat closed the door without answering. Strength surged into his hands as he barred it. When he climbed the stairs, Shigu was waiting in the second-floor hallway. She must have heard the conversation. Her amber eyes held a burning light. "[serious]...If it comes to handing Riko-nee over to the Guild, I'll protect her." It was a quiet voice. But those words held a will like steel. "[serious]Those people just see Riko-nee as a convenient tool. Shrine maiden this, whatever that is, they're just making her into something for their own purposes. I will never forgive them." Nat stared at Shigu's face. The figure of a weak girl who only sobbed was no longer there. She possessed a strength that made him wonder where in her small body she