Evening settled gently over the village of Edo.

  The sun sank slowly behind the forested hills, painting the sky in a sea of orange and deep red, while the wind whispered softly through the old trees surrounding the shrine’s hill.

  The lanterns along the torii gate flickered to life, their warm light dancing across the stone steps and tracing fleeting patterns on the ground.

  Everything seemed peaceful, as if the day itself was lingering in one final, wistful breath.

  But for Miko, it was different.

  Before she saw anything, she felt it:

  A tension in the air, like the crackle before a thunderstorm.

  Her hands rested on the broom handle as the faint rustle of fabric and the almost tangible sensation of watching eyes froze her in place.

  And then—almost silently—

  they stepped from the shadows.

  Five men.

  Unfamiliar faces, strange clothing—too plain for merchants, too neat for farmers.

  Their eyes swept over the shrine.

  Over her.

  Miko swallowed down the sudden spike of fear and forced herself to stay calm.

  She was a priestess—fear was a poor companion.

  "May I help you?" she asked firmly.

  The man in front stepped closer, a slim smile curling his lips—

  but it never reached his cold eyes.

  "Are you often alone here?"

  His tone was casual, but Miko sensed the hidden blade beneath it.

  Another man, younger, rough-voiced, threw in a second question quickly:

  "Are there many warriors in Edo?"

  Miko’s hands tightened around the broom handle.

  This was no harmless curiosity.

  "Why do you ask?" she said calmly.

  The men exchanged glances.

  "Just curious," the first man said, with a careless shrug that convinced no one.

  A word as soft as velvet—and as sharp as a dagger.

  The Watcher Above Unseen by the strangers, another figure lurked on a branch overhead.

  Tessa.

  Her glowing eyes slid across the scene,

  motionless as a predator before the strike.

  Mike, invisible at her side, whispered into her mind:

  "I don’t like this..."

  "Neither do I," Tessa growled back.

  Then it happened.

  One of the men stepped closer—

  too close.

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  His hand shot out and grabbed Miko’s hand, the one still clinging to the broom.

  Miko froze, too surprised to react.

  Enough.

  With a flowing movement, Tessa dropped from the branch.

  She landed silently on the stone courtyard—

  a shadow, heavy and undeniable.

  The very air seemed to grow heavier.

  The men turned—

  slowly, as if some unseen hand forced them.

  And then they saw her.

  No armor.

  No weapon.

  Only a tall, slender figure dressed in dark clothing.

  Yet her mere presence tightened their throats.

  Tessa’s poison-green eyes glowed in the twilight—

  like emeralds resting in a depth where even gods would hesitate.

  No one spoke.

  No one moved.

  Fear painted their faces so clearly that Tessa almost had to suppress a smile.

  The man who had grabbed Miko released her as if burned.

  His mouth opened, but no words came.

  In jerky, panicked movements, he stumbled back.

  Another man tripped over his foot, cursing in fright.

  "What... what is that?" one of them gasped.

  Another sucked in a sharp breath and stammered:

  "O-Oni..."

  And then chaos broke loose.

  They ran.

  Stumbling down the shrine path like hunted animals, falling, scrambling back to their feet.

  Panic stripped them of all order—

  there was no thought of fighting,

  only the raw, instinctive need to flee.

  Tessa watched them.

  Motionless.

  A faint, satisfied smile touched her lips—barely visible.

  And just as silently as she had appeared,

  she melted back into the shadows.

  Miko's Prayer Miko was left alone.

  Shaking, she stood on the paved courtyard, broom still clutched in her trembling fingers.

  She looked around—

  but there was no one.

  Only the flickering lanterns.

  The faint wind stirring the flames.

  Something deep inside her knew:

  That had not been human.

  It had been... something else.

  Slowly, she sank to her knees.

  Her fingers found each other instinctively, folding into prayer.

  "Amaterasu..." she whispered.

  Her gaze remained locked on the spot where the figure had stood.

  "Thank you..." she breathed, the words vanishing into the flickering light.

  Back in the Shadows High above on a branch, hidden once again in the protective cover of night, Tessa crouched.

  Mike was silent for a moment—

  then chuckled softly.

  "Did you see what Miko just did?"

  Tessa raised an eyebrow.

  "What do you mean?"

  Mike snickered with glee.

  "She thinks you're a goddess."

  For a moment, Tessa was still.

  Then a mischievous grin spread across her face.

  "Oh?"

  A dangerous glint sparked in her eyes.

  "That... could be useful."

  End of Chapter 23