God's Blessing is a Curse

We left before sunrise.

The cold hung Low over the fields, touching the rooftops with frost. Rin walked beside me, quiet, her breath clouding in the morning air. She wore a light blue haori over her kimono, tied at the waist with a faded sash. Practical. Simple. A change from her old elegance.

Something had hardened in her while I was gone.

And something in me recognized it.

***

Shuji saw us off with a quiet nod and a folded map he'd marked in ink.

"Start with the river towns," he said. "If the shikigami are moving, people won't name them—but they'll describe what they saw. Listen carefully."

Rin tucked the map away.

As we turned to leave, he called out again.