Within the dorm hall, Alena and the others stood outside the open door, as Alena soon stepped into Karra's room. Alena scanned her eyes over everything—not expecting to find anyone—just curiously, with Elijah on her shoulder while everyone else stood still in disbelief. When Alena began stepping foot into the room, Tika's attention was caught as Alena stepped inside. Soon, Alena turned to face the others.
"Maybe she went to the temple?" Alena asked suggestively.
"I don't think—" Tika began to say, as she clenched the fabric of her uniform, just for Maulana to place her hand on Tika's shoulder abruptly behind her to interrupt.
"It's not a bad idea. Perhaps it would be better for each of us to split up and cover more ground," Maulana stated. "She could be anywhere."
Alena and Elijah connected glances, and she soon nodded.
Kazran had practically turned around, looking sharply behind them all as he noticed before the rest that footsteps were strongly approaching.
"Master..." he quietly muttered.
This caught the attention of both Tika and Maulana alike, as they turned to look down the hall.
Sure enough, Kenrir was approaching.
"You five, have you seen the student of this room?" Kenrir asked the each of them.
Everyone but Elijah and Kazran shook their heads.
"No sir—" Tika and Maulana simultaneously answered, while Kazran gave a simple "No," and Alena said nothing at all.
"We came here looking for her as well after she missed class today, but she isn't here," Kazran explained.
Kenrir tensed slightly. He glanced behind everyone, seeing Alena standing there in Karra's room, and noticing the evidence of a rummaged room.
"We were just discussing spreading out over the grounds to find her not a moment ago," Maulana added in.
"Good. As this now appears to be an urgent matter, I would like to request that with the five of you being seemingly closest to her, that you do just that. I would also ask that you report outside the dormitory whether you gather any word. We'll need to cover more ground," Kenrir respectfully insisted.
"Right!" the three girls agreed, nodding, as Kazran silently did the same.
"Be swift," Kenrir added.
He then turned away, and moved quickly down the hall.
Maulana looked over the others, as each of them connected glances for only amoment.
"Let's go."
With that, everyone including Alena, began darting down the hall.
Kenrir had quickly exited the dorms, stopping briefly before Sem's group. Malin, Ulva, as well as Ania and Yonka were standing in wait, ready to take Kenrir's order.
"The girl Karra isn't here. Her friends will scope the grounds, but I need the rest of you to spread out around the village. Now make haste!" he ordered hurriedly.
"Right—!" they all answered back, and without a moment of hesitation, all five of them had scattered.
Alena and everyone spanned across the temple grounds—Alena rushing into the temple, Tika scoping the rear courtyard, Karzan approaching the dojo—speaking with the Tanzha with little surprise, and Maulana searching around the entirety of the ground's outer bordering wall, just for Kazran to double-check the training grounds as well.
"Karra?!" Alena called out inside the temple.
Without answer, Alena soon darted up the stairs to the basin, and upon not seeing her there—Alena scanned the outside of the inner walls, all the while Elijah remained on her shoulder scoping the area as well. The was no one. Turning tail fast, Alena and Elijah ran down the stairs and back out of the temple.
Alena and the others soon rejoined one another in front of the dormitory, but no one else was there.
"Anything?" Kazran asked in a rush. The answer was obvious.
"No, nothing."
"Nothing."
"Mm-mmm," they all answered one after the other—Alena doing the negative hum, shaking her head.
"What do we do now?" Tika asked for instruction.
Kazran took a moment to think while the others observed him.
"Maybe we should expand our search?" Maulana interrupted in suggestion.
Alena seemed a little shocked bythis.
"But, wouldn't we just get into trouble?" she asked.
"If we want to find Karra, wouldn't it be well worth the risk?" Maulana quickly asked.
"No, you're right," Kazran insisted, "This appears to be far more serious than we initially thought, so if we want to have any hope of finding her, then we have to."
Alena jolted.
"But Kaz..."
"I'm with the prince on this one," Tika spoke suddenly, gesturing at Kazran.
"P–'prince?!'" Kazran stammered disapprovingly. This was no time for jokes.
"Look, we have to hurry. Every moment lost is a moment Karra could be further away. We have to go now—" Maulana insisted.
Alena seemed a bit panicked, as she seemed to shake slightly while gesturing her head disapprovingly while shuffling back. That's when Maulana reached out and grabbed both of Alena's paws in her hands.
"Look Alena, we need to find Karra... We don't have time to second guess these matters. Now are you with us on this?" Maulana asked her with a serious, but soft tone.
Alena dropped her head slightly, her gaze descending to her paws in Maulana's hands before soon turning only her gaze up to nervously meet Maulana'seyes.
"I am..." she answered with a subtle, equally nervous nod.
Maulana quickly nodded back to Alena in a trusting approval, as she released Alena's paws from her hands—straightening out and turning her head to look over everyone in theirgroup.
"Alright then. Are we ready?" she asked everyone.
Alena swallowed her guilt, and soon she rose to her senses. She knew Maulana was right.
"Ready!" they all answered in sync.
Without another word, Tika, Maulana and Kazran split off in different directions, with Alena hesitating for but a moment.
Alena soon turned tailed, and with Elijah perched in his place, Alena ran off in the direction behind the dormitory—out into the stretches of the forest.
She didn't know for how long she had been running, but she wouldn't stop, as Alena was growing desperate to find her unlikely friend.
"Karra! Karra—?! Don't leave us! Karra, where are you?! I'm sorry for hitting you, I mean it—!"
Alena continued running ahead, leaping over every branch, and shifting passed every rock or boulder that got in her way.
"Kar—!"
In a shock, Alena stopped in her tracks abruptly, nearly falling face forward as something unexpected dropped before her. Elijah's eyes immediately constricted to sharp points at the sight, and as Alena rose her head to see what had landed in front of her, her eyes widened in awe.
Sitting before Alena, standing on its front paws, was a brightly colored fox—tails of nine—and was smiling at Alena with a twinkle in its eyes—the light of the sun shining through the tree tops, hitting it just right.
"W–what?! What are you?" Alena exclaimed.
Alena doubled back her footing, taken aback by the sudden, unusual sight—and it was beautiful.
"Hello..." the kitsune greeted softly. Her voice was tender, but her mouth had not moved, as her voice was projected directly into both Alena and Elijah's minds. No direct eye contact was needed for this creature.
Alena paused, surprised by the single, gentle word that had been spoken to her.
"I wanted to see you, even if only for a moment," the kitsune soothingly stated.
Alena gazed upon the being before her, now admiring itsradiance.
"Y–you... wanted to see me?" she asked in emphasis.
The kitsune softly nodded.
"Yes. You have an energy inside you that's calling to the wild. I wanted to be the first to see it—to see what's been calling everyone."
"'Energy?'" Alena questioned, feeling a bit lost, and at the same time a bit nervous after feeling those words.
"That's right~" the kitsune answered. "A blessing it seems. One that I now understand. It's no wonder what's been calling to everyone. It was your light~" she explained.
Alena had blinked in an expression of the unknown, having been unexpectant of such declaration.
Alena drew her paws tightly knit against her chest.
"What do you mean by... my 'light?'" she asked hesitantly.
The kitsune turned her head to either side of herself, reading the senses of energy around herself.
"In this speckle of forest, there are three energies I can detect here. There is yours, one more, and another—but this one I recognize..." the kitsune expressed vaguely. "You are the light that's drawing everyone here, and sooner or later, more will come. They will come here following your light."
Alena lowered her chin, expressing her confusion.
"I... I don't understand..."
The kitsune gave Alena a deep, genuine smile—her fur illuminated under the beams of the rising sun.
"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I'm out of time, but it was an honor to meet you Starlight. I hope your light continues to shine—now, and forever~"
Alena jolted forward in surprise. She was just starting to adapt to the presence of this entity, and just the like, this kitsune was already readying to leave.
"Ah.. Wait—!" Alena cried out, taking a step forward.
"Goodbye~"
With that, the nine-tailed fox turned away, and leapt off—disappearing into the distance.
Alena had reached out her paw, as she now stood still.
A subtle gasp hitched off her breath.
"What... was that...?" she quietly murmured among herself.
The kitsune was gone...