The square had grown eerily silent before Irielle's father stepped forward. His voice, steady and sharp, echoed across the gathered elves.
"The sacrifice has been completed. Our goddess has arrived!"
A ripple of cheers spread through the crowd, their fervent devotion heavy with mana. The air itself thickened, almost choking, and Kana felt her stomach twist.
She slowly turned her head, unwilling yet compelled, until her gaze landed upon the figure at her side.
Golden eyes.
Her breath hitched.
The face she had seen in dreams and whispers stood before her—Rimeru, the wolf goddess. Her beauty was cruel, ethereal, and suffocating all at once.
Those golden eyes seemed to pierce straight through Kana's chest, and for the first time, she truly felt small.
Instinctively, she tried to step back.
But a hand—warm and unyielding—tightened its grip around her arm, keeping her from retreating more than a few inches.
"What is wrong, little one? Why do you try to run away?"
