Yasushi and Nandini trailed after Kuroti, keeping a safe distance. They stuck to the shadows, staying as invisible as the night would allow. Midnight cloaked much of the path, but the moon spread enough light to show Kuroti's form moving steadily ahead.
They pressed on quietly, pausing behind trees or ducking into bushes whenever Kuroti paused to glance around, as if he sensed someone watching.
The short walk through the trees led them to a small clearing, where an old, worn-down wooden structure crouched low among the shrubs and brambles. Its size and rough state made it nearly invisible from above, blending into the dense surroundings like a hidden secret.
Kuroti stopped at the edge of the clearing, his movements tense as he scanned his surroundings again, perhaps to assure himself he was alone.
In a hurried motion, he crossed to the door, disappearing inside. Moments later, a faint candlelight flickered from within, casting shifting shadows against the cracked walls and broken shutters.
Yasushi and Nandini watched carefully, crouched low, but from this distance, they couldn't make out what Kuroti was up to in there. They could only see his silhouette, pacing now and then, gesturing, absorbed in whatever strange business had brought him here so late.
Nandini and Yasushi exchanged a long look, neither of them entirely sure what they were seeing play out in front of them.
"What do you think is going on?" Yasushi asked, keeping his voice low as he pressed himself against a nearby tree, crouched down to avoid being spotted.
Nandini's eyes stayed locked on the worn wooden building, her brows pulling together as she tried to make sense of it. She finally shook her head. "We won't know without magic, but… I know a few spells." Her lips curled into a faint smile as she placed her hands firmly on the ground.
A few moments passed before a red circle formed under her hands, its edges traced in intricate lines and symbols, each glowing faintly in the darkness. The light intensified as a small creature emerged from the center of the circle. Round in shape, it had small wings on each side, with a single, large eye in the center, flicking back and forth as if alive.
Yasushi stared at the creature in shock before glancing back at Nandini, only to notice her left eye shining with the same light as the circle. Before he could say anything, the creature fluttered up and made its way to one of the building's cracked windows, pressing its large eye against the glass to spy inside.
Yasushi leaned back, waiting for Nandini to share what she'd seen. Her expression was intense, unreadable, but she stayed silent, giving him nothing. He expected something big, something serious happening in that rundown building, but he was left in the dark.
After what felt like an endless stretch of time, though it was barely five minutes, Nandini closed her eye, and the creature faded, vanishing along with the glowing circle beneath them. Right then, the building's door creaked open, and Kuroti stepped out.
Without hesitation, Nandini shoved Yasushi to the ground, covering him as they flattened themselves against the earth. Neither of them dared breathe too loudly, listening as Kuroti's footsteps crunched over the dirt, fading into the distance. They stayed frozen, waiting five more minutes after the sound faded before they finally relaxed.
Yasushi sat up, looking at her expectantly as she pulled herself off him. They settled back on the ground, but she didn't answer his question right away. Nandini shut her eyes, crossing her arms as if gathering her thoughts, searching for the right way to describe what she'd seen. In the end, she decided on a direct, no-nonsense approach.
"He was... dancing in front of a doll," Nandini said, her voice flat. There wasn't a hint of amusement, not even a trace of a smirk, just a deeper scowl pressing on her face. "The kind used in voodoo rituals, but it felt... off. He wasn't cursing anyone, though. He kept chanting something, but I couldn't catch any of it."
This was… unsettling for Yasushi. He'd hoped that Kuroti had come here to blow off some steam, to vent his frustration alone, maybe hit something. But this? This was something darker, something that carried an entirely different weight.
Yasushi leaned against the tree, exhaling. "If that's the case, then maybe he picked it up somewhere, learned it somehow. Could be the internet, or…" He trailed off, thinking of other possibilities.
"The people who visited him," Nandini continued, locking her eyes on him, the confusion in her expression only growing. "Why were they here? What's their link to him?"
Yasushi sighed, then got to his feet. "Let's see if we can get into his search history. If you need it, we can arrange a full setup. We'll get a team out here with equipment, a place set up just for you and Yinhaie to dive into this properly. But first, we should bring this up with her."
Nandini gave a quick nod. They were facing too many issues at once, and with everything that had surfaced — Kuroti's strange behavior, the recent remodeling of the bakery and restaurant — it felt like they were treading into murky territory.
This whole situation seemed out of place, unsettling in a way they couldn't quite define, and they both knew they'd need better tools and resources to handle it.
Keeping their steps careful and unhurried, they started their way back to the house where they were staying. Moving through side streets and alleyways, they kept to the shadows, both instinctively making sure they stayed unnoticed.
Yasushi and Nandini exchanged silent glances, both on edge, as if expecting someone to be watching, waiting. They couldn't risk being seen, especially by Kuroti, who'd seemed far more on edge than usual.
+-+
The next day, after they gathered without Catherine — who still remained unaware of anything supernatural — the group's concern grew. They all knew that eventually, they'd need to clue Catherine in, especially if Kuroti decided to press further with his recent actions involving the supernatural.
Xinyi crossed her arms and mumbled, "It's worrying…"
"Yeah, but think about it. Nino's aware of this kind of stuff, so it's not surprising Kuroti might be, too. Still, I doubt Nino has a clue Kuroti's actually involved in anything like this," Jingliu said, her tone cutting through the quiet room. She glanced around at everyone, her brow furrowing. "This brings up a question…do we tell him?"
Catherine turned to face them, concern plain in her eyes. "So…what's our move? Do we just watch him, or stick with the original plan?"
"We follow the original plan," Yasushi replied. "We've got something set up for Kuroti already. As for Nino…let's wait. Knowing him, he'll likely try confronting Kuroti if he finds out, and that could make things worse."
With their tasks divided, everyone went off in different directions for the day. Their equipment wouldn't arrive for another two days, leaving them little choice but to spend the time among the locals, learn the streets, and keep watch on Kuroti from a distance.
Yasushi moved with Nandini, Layena, and Jingliu, while the others split into smaller groups — Yunxue stuck close to Yinhaie, and Catherine stayed with Xinyi.
As they wandered, Jingliu asked, "Where exactly are we going?"
Yasushi glanced back at her. "Nowhere specific. If you've got a place in mind, we can check it out. But for now, there's not much we can do. With our supplies still two days out, reopening the bakery won't get us anywhere. Everyone avoids it like a plague spot, so we'd just be burning through electricity. Until we can get the place in shape again, it'll just sit there, closed up."
He made a solid point, and the others agreed without hesitation. Nandini spoke up then, saying, "If that's how it is, I'd like to check around the edges of this place. Lord Shiva has visited here countless times — he helped set up that bakery back in the day and holds it close to him. But right now, I sense that something isn't right here."
"Not right? What do you mean by that?" Layena asked, puzzled.
Nandini's expression turned serious as she explained. "Since Lord Shiva cares for this place, he set up some barriers — not strong ones, just enough to keep out weaker supernatural beings. But I'm sensing that someone has tampered with it. Something, or someone, has broken through."
Yasushi took in her words. "So you're saying there's a gap in it?"
Nandini nodded. "Yes. I can take you to the spot. It's best if we see it ourselves — this is looking more serious than I thought. Why would anyone even set their sights on such a small town?"
They changed course as Nandini continued, "Most people know that Lord Shiva blessed this place. Gods with grudges against him have tried petty tactics to irritate him — sometimes even hiring mages to mess with things he cares about. It's happened time and again, but Shiva never considers it a serious matter. That's why he usually sends others to handle it. This time…"
"It's our turn," Yasushi cut in, and Nandini nodded in agreement. "He's making this place our 'test,' using it as a way to solve a problem and assess us. Jingliu's father is clever that way. The media isn't wrong when they say he might have some ability to see ahead."
"Seeing ahead… that's terrifying," Layena muttered, shaking her head at the thought. Then, pausing, she asked, "Doesn't that mean Lord Shiva already knows how this will play out?"
Nandini turned, looking at her directly, a small smile breaking through. "Exactly."
As they neared the town's edge, Nandini pressed on with her explanation. "Most in the pantheon know this — Lord Shiva only sends humans or newer mages when the chance of success is at a full hundred percent. Anything less than that, and he would have sent more…seasoned mages from the pantheon to deal with it."
"So, this means we're guaranteed to resolve it ourselves," Jingliu commented, glancing over at Nandini, who confirmed it with a nod.
"We're here," Nandini said, lowering herself to the ground, fingers brushing over the soil as if feeling for something concealed just beneath the surface. They stood in an open field, stretching out in every direction except for a stone wall encircling the town some distance away.
Sparse trees dotted the land, scattered across the fields of grass that extended to the horizon. Nandini continued inspecting the ground, her focus sharp as if piecing together a hidden message that the earth alone seemed to hold.
"Did you find anything?" Yasushi asked, staring down at her.
"There's been a breach," Nandini replied, her expression darkening. "I can't pinpoint the exact pantheon or group behind it, but it's definitely forbidden magic. Whoever broke through…they're skilled, experienced. But from what I can tell, they only entered once and never returned. So, this wasn't a long-term plan — they were probably just hired to set things up and leave."
"Can you fix it?" Jingliu asked, but Nandini shook her head, brushing off the thought.
"Even though this is one of Lord Shiva's lesser techniques, it's still divine. To counter it, we'd need something of equal power. Meaning, whoever tampered with it…they're either a close subordinate of another god, a direct descendant, or even a god themselves," Nandini explained as she rose to her feet.
"I'll need to notify Lord Shiva about this. Even if he already knows, he'll likely decide to intervene at some point," she added, moving a few steps away to pull out her phone and make the call.
After a few minutes, Nandini returned, finding the others still standing around, quietly exchanging theories. She didn't waste any time, delivering the news with a grim expression. "Lord Shiva…he'll be here before our summer break ends. So, until then, we're on our own to handle this. He assured me that whoever was directly responsible has already been dealt with — they won't be coming back. But the rest of those involved, the humans, they're ours to handle."
Layena narrowed her eyes, processing the information. "So it's come down to this, huh? There's still a good chance someone else will show up, especially that one who meets with Kuroti. We need to stay alert."
"Yeah," Yasushi agreed. "For now, let's head back and leave this area untouched. Maybe we can add some cameras out here, though that'll mean more equipment and work. This situation is turning into a real problem," he muttered, rubbing his forehead as if warding off an oncoming headache.
"I'll handle it. This part of the…test falls to me," Nandini said, her voice holding a calm acceptance. She was already tapping away on her phone as they started moving away from the scene.
Their summer break, once easygoing, had turned into something else entirely. Yasushi felt a rush he hadn't anticipated — a jolt of something that mixed curiosity and anticipation, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Whatever it was, it made him feel drawn toward the mysteries of this place, a strange eagerness to pull back its layers and find whatever truths were hidden there.