Rodrigo stood in front of the Moonshrine, his eyes fixed on the building for so long that even the guards at the entrance had stopped looking at him.
The shrine stood silent beneath the gray sky, the stone walls pale against the cold.
Seven stayed beside him quietly.
"If you are not ready," he said after a while, "we can return another time."
Rodrigo did not move.
"We can find the Earthstone first."
Rodrigo's jaw tightened once.
"No," he said finally. "I have avoided this for too long."
Then he stepped forward.
Seven watched him for a moment before following behind.
The servants in the courtyard bowed immediately when they saw them. One of them hurried inside at once, nearly tripping over herself in the process.
Rodrigo barely noticed.
His gaze remained dark and distant as he walked through the shrine halls.
The familiar scent of incense hit him almost immediately.
It brought back nothing.
Or perhaps too much.
He pushed the thought away.
