Tessa moved silently through the tall grass, the trees at her back, as the shrine atop the hill drew steadily closer. The wind whispered through the leaves, carrying the distant calls of birds. Every step was measured. Every movement, calcuted.

  The forest was thinning. The earth turned stony. The terrain opened, leaving her exposed — but Tessa remained in the shadows.

  Silent. Unseen.

  The Arrival at the ToriiShe reached the top of the hill.

  A towering wooden structure loomed ahead — weathered red beams forming a massive torii gate. It stood like a threshold to another world.

  Mike's voice echoed in her head.

  “Yeah… that’s definitely a shrine.”

  Tessa eyed it with suspicion.

  “So what? You think this is your Japan?”

  Mike hesitated.

  “It looks like Japan. But not exactly. Something’s off.”

  “Off how?”

  “It’s like… someone took Japan and rewrote it from memory. The architecture is right, but the style? It’s a fusion. Like your world and mine mashed together.”

  Tessa nodded slowly.

  She recognized the feeling. A dream half-remembered — familiar, but twisted.

  The ShrineA stone path snaked from the vilge below, up the hill, through the torii and onward.

  The shrine itself was modest, but beautiful. Strong timber, sloped roofs with elegant curves. What caught her attention, though, was its condition.

  No cobwebs. No dust. No wear.

  Someone was caring for it.

  Mike noticed too.

  “Not abandoned. This pce is active.”

  Tessa ran her fingers along a smooth stone tile.

  “Which means someone — or several someones — still come here.”

  “Vilgers, maybe. Worshippers.”

  That meant one thing: they couldn’t stay long.

  Someone would return.

  The View from the HillTessa approached the edge of the rise.

  Below, the vilge unfolded — thatched roofs, neat paths, distant figures tending to fields. Beyond it, a winding road stretched further into unknown territory.

  Mike whistled internally.

  “We got lucky. This is the perfect spot to watch from.”

  Tessa agreed. The high ground offered full visibility — without exposure.

  But…

  The Problem“We need cover,” Mike said.

  “We won’t st long out here. Not if people come to pray.”

  “We need a base. Somewhere close, but hidden.”

  Tessa scowled.

  Neither the woods nor the shrine were options.

  Then Mike offered an idea.

  “We’re on a hill. Maybe there’s a cave nearby. Something natural.”

  Tessa blinked.

  “You want me to sleep in a hole in the ground?”

  “Technically, yes.”

  “Amazing. From divine empress to cryptid. Love this journey for me.”

  But she didn’t argue further.

  A cave would do — for now.

  End of Chapter 11