The morning air was still and quiet, the soft rustle of leaves carried by a gentle breeze.

Irielle crouched beside the bench, her sharp ears twitching as she leaned closer to Kana's sleeping form.

"Kana. Wake up. Come on, sleepyhead…"

She whispered, shaking her shoulder lightly.

No response.

Irielle frowned, her grip tightening slightly as she shook her a bit harder this time. "Kana, this isn't funny. Wake up already!"

Kana didn't stir, her breathing slow and steady, her body limp as though trapped in deep slumber.

Irielle bit her lip. This wasn't right. Even with the sleeping pills, Kana shouldn't have wandered outside in the middle of the night.

She had given her enough to knock out a Class-A beast; Kana was supposed to be out cold for at least twelve hours.

Her tail swished anxiously as she glanced at Lysera, who stood silently nearby, arms crossed and expression unreadable.

"She shouldn't even be out here. Those pills should've had her dead to the world…"

Irielle muttered under her breath.

Lysera's gaze remained steady, but her sharp eyes reflected the same unease.

"…Then maybe the pills didn't work."

Irielle blinked, her head snapping toward her.

"Didn't work? That's impossible!"

But even as she said it, a sinking realization dawned on her.

Kana's body wasn't behaving like it used to.

Inside Kana's dream, the world was very different.

A vast forest stretched endlessly, illuminated by scattered moonlight peeking through towering trees. Kana's breaths came in short, steady bursts, her heart pounding with exhilaration rather than fear.

Her feet moved swiftly, weightless, the cool earth beneath them damp with dew.

She was chasing something.

A flash of silver darted through the trees ahead, a bushy tail disappearing between the branches.

Her body responded instinctively, pushing faster, her senses sharper than she ever remembered them being.

Her hearing picked up every distant rustle, every soft crunch of twigs beneath her feet. She could even smell the faint earthy scent of wet moss clinging to the air.

She felt… free.

Unrestrained.

Alive.

A soft laugh left her lips as she sprinted through the forest, her muscles moving fluidly without thought.

And the wolf kept running ahead, teasing her with glimpses of its silver fur, leading her deeper into the wilderness.

Catch me, it seemed to say.

And she wanted to. Desperately.

That desire to chase stayed with her even when her body, outside the dream, left the safety of her bed and wandered barefoot into the cool night air.

By the time she collapsed onto the bench, her energy spent, she drifted into a deeper slumber—lulled by the soft wind and the faint fragrance of night flowers surrounding the garden.

It wasn't until she felt someone approach her unconscious body that her instincts finally flared awake.

Her eyes snapped open.

And a low, warning growl rumbled from her throat before she could stop herself.

Irielle, startled by the sudden sound, froze mid-reach.

"Kana…?"

Kana's gaze was unfocused, sharp yet dazed, as though she didn't recognize them at all. Her breath came in short bursts, her muscles tense like a cornered animal.

"It's us. It's okay. You're safe."

Irielle said softly, keeping her voice calm, soothing.

But when Lysera stepped closer, reaching a hand toward her shoulder, Kana reacted before thinking.

Her hand shot up—fingers curling, nails grazing skin—and her teeth bared instinctively. She nearly bit Lysera's hand before her vision finally cleared and recognition struck.

Kana froze.

Her entire face flushed bright red as she pulled her hand back instantly, trembling slightly.

"I—I'm sorry! I didn't… I didn't mean to…"

She blurted out, her voice hoarse and breathless.

Lysera's gaze softened slightly, though there was something calculating in the way she studied Kana's reaction.

"It's fine. You were half-asleep."

She said evenly, though her tone held a quiet weight.

Kana blinked rapidly, trying to shake the fog clouding her thoughts. Her mind felt heavy, her memories hazy.

"…How did I… get out here?"

Irielle hesitated, glancing at Lysera before answering gently.

"We were hoping you could tell us that."

Kana pressed a hand to her temple, trying to piece together the fragments of her memory, but all she could recall was… the forest. The silver wolf. The chase.

Her lips parted, but no words came out. Everything felt tangled and unclear inside her mind.

"…I don't know."

She whispered finally, frustration and confusion lacing her tone.

Lysera crouched down beside her, her expression calm but serious.

"Don't force yourself to remember right now. For now, let's get you back inside."

Kana nodded faintly, pushing herself to sit up. But the moment her bare feet touched the ground—

"Ah—!"

She hissed sharply, her entire body jerking back.

Irielle immediately bent down, grabbing her ankle carefully. Her sharp intake of breath made Kana's chest tighten.

"Kana… your feet…"

Blood stained the undersides of her soles, scratches and cuts crisscrossing the delicate skin from running barefoot across rough ground.

Kana tried to shrug it off, forcing a weak smile.

"It's fine. I… probably just wandered a little too far."

But as Irielle reached for her shoes nearby, Kana's body reacted strangely.

Her muscles tensed, and something deep within her recoiled violently at the thought of covering her feet.

A soft, involuntary snarl built in her throat before she could stop it, startling even herself.

Her instincts screamed no—rejecting the idea entirely.

Kana froze in shock, clutching her chest. That sound… had come from her.

Irielle glanced at Lysera, panic flashing briefly in her golden eyes. Lysera's expression, however, remained unreadable, though her grip on Kana's shoulder tightened subtly.

"…Enough."

Lysera said finally, her voice low but firm. Without giving Kana a chance to protest, she slid an arm beneath her knees and another behind her back, effortlessly lifting her into her arms.

"W-Wait—Lysera! I can walk!"

Kana flushed deeper, wriggling in embarrassment.

"You're injured. Save your strength."

Lysera stated flatly, leaving no room for argument.

Kana bit her lip, choosing silence instead.

Once they returned to the mansion, Lysera carefully set Kana down on the couch while Irielle fetched bandages and warm water.

The air was heavy, quiet except for the faint sound of Kana's shallow breaths.

When Irielle returned, she knelt to clean Kana's feet, her movements gentle but deliberate.

"…Kana, what happened last night? Do you remember anything?"

She said softly,

Kana hesitated, her gaze dropping to her lap.

"I… don't know. I just remember…"

Her voice trailed off as fragments of the dream flashed in her mind—the silver fur, the wild forest, the feeling of boundless freedom.

"…I was dreaming. I felt… free. And when I woke up, I was outside."

She whispered finally.

Silence followed her words.

Lysera and Irielle exchanged a long, meaningful glance over her head—both coming to the same unspoken conclusion.

This wasn't normal.

Something was happening to Kana.

And if they didn't figure it out soon, it could spiral into something far more dangerous.

Lysera's gaze finally shifted back to Kana, her voice low and steady.

"We're taking you to the temple."

She said, leaving no room for argument.

Kana blinked up at her, startled.

"…The temple? Why?"

"To get you checked. This… isn't something we can ignore anymore."

Lysera replied simply.

Irielle nodded in quiet agreement, worry clouding her features.

Kana lowered her gaze, her hand tightening around the edge of her clothes. Her chest felt tight, unease swirling in her stomach, but she didn't argue.

"…Alright."

She whispered finally.

But deep down, as the images of the silver wolf and the moonlit forest replayed in her mind, Kana couldn't help but wonder…

Would the temple have answers?

Or was she already too far gone?

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.