"This water tastes nice" I chime in thought, the three gods laughing for a moment before Kitsuka encourages me to drink some more, I barely hear her say 'because it strengthens the bond' because I already felt a deep completion to take another gulp of water.
This time the liquid is colder than I just experienced.
Not unpleasant. Just startling.
It fills my mouth and throat in a rush, crisp and impossibly clean, like drinking straight from a mountain spring that had been protected from being tainted. I swallow instinctively, once, twice, then pull my head back up, gasping as water streams down my chin and darkens the front of my shirt.
The fox mark glows on my hand.
Then in an instant the bowl empties itself the moment I concentrate back on it.
Not drains. Not evaporates.
It simply ceases to exist.
The stone pedestal hums, then sinks seamlessly back into the floor as if it was never there to begin with.
The humming of the shrine softens.
I notice it only because the tension in my shoulders eases with it, muscles loosening now, without my permission. The white expanse around us remains unchanged for a heartbeat longer, then something subtle begins to shift.
The gold veins threaded through the walls dim, their sharp brilliance mellowing into a warmer hue, almost...honeyed. Comforting. The kind of light that doesn't demand attention, only presence.
The air changes first.
The clean, mineral scent gives way to something richer. Toasted leaves. Warm porcelain. A hint of citrus and smoke. The smell triggers a strange, deep familiarity in my chest, though I have no memory to attach it to.
The floor beneath my feet loses its cool edge as the stone softens into polished wood, pale and well-worn, grain running in gentle arcs that guide the eye rather than demand it. The circular shape of the temple stretches, then subtly redefines itself, corners emerging where there were none before, as if the space is remembering how to be a room meant for rest instead of judgement.
I turn slowly, breathing shallowly.
The walls lower.
Not collapsing. Folding inward, reshaping themselves. The vast, empty dome above contracts into something intimate, the ceiling settling at a comfortable height. Beams appear overhead. The dark wood etched with faint carvings of leaves, claws, moons, and winding roots. They seemed hand carved.
The light now comes from lanterns.
Soft paper lanterns that drift into existence, suspended from the beams by thin cords. Their light is warm amber, flickering gently like candlelight caught in a perpetual moment of calm. Shadows pool in the corners of the room, not threatening, just… private.
Furniture emerging next.
A low table forms at the centre of the space, its surface smooth and circular, carved from a similar dark wood that reminds me of something...old. Cushions appear around it, mismatched but inviting, the embroidery making it clear who was to sit where. It had somehow arranged itself with the casual precision of someone who knows exactly where people will choose to sit.
Shelves line one wall, filled with teapots of every shape imaginable. Porcelain, clay, metal, stone. Some are pristine. Others chipped, repaired with golden seams that look deliberate rather than desperate. Cups hang beneath them, each one different.
A hearth blooms into being along another wall.
No smoke. No crackling fire. Just a steady, gentle warmth radiating outward, filling the room with the kind of heat that settles into your bones and convinces you that staying a little longer wouldn't be the worst idea.
Cozy.
"…Did you just turn the temple into a tea room?" I ask.
Kitsuka beams, clapping her hands once, delighted, "I did"
Anthropos groans loudly, "I hate tea, I am more of an ale drinker"
Yule smiles, already moving toward the table, "it helps mortals to keep traditions, especially when familiar rituals ease stress"
"This is familiar?" I ask, though my body betrays me by relaxing further, my breathing evening out as if it agrees with her.
Kitsuka gestures broadly at the room, "for only a brief moment this room can have everything you need"
"I need answers."
"And tea" she replies without missing a beat.
She moves with unhurried confidence, crossing the room to one of the shelves. As she does, her presence feels different here. Less imposing. Less divine. For this brief moment they all seemed more...human.
Kitsuka selects a teapot shaped like a curled leaf, the deep green glaze catching the lantern light as she sets it gently on the table. With a snap of her fingers, steam rises from within it, fragrant and inviting.
Yule takes a seat on one of the cushions, folding her robes neatly. Anthropos struggling for a moment, the room shaking slightly as he finally sits down.
I hesitate for a moment, then sit.
The cushion moulds itself to my weight perfectly.
That alone is suspicious.
Kitsuka pours.
The liquid is a pale gold, almost translucent, steam curling lazily upward. She slides a cup toward me. The porcelain is warm to the touch, but not hot.
"Drink" she says, "this won't do anything to you. It's just tea."
I eye it warily, "you say that like it means something different coming from you."
She laughs, sharp and genuine.
I take a cautious sip.
It tastes like warmth and earth and something green and alive. Like standing barefoot in grass after rain. My chest loosens another notch, and I realise I'd been bracing myself ever since I woke up.
For what, I'm not sure anymore.
Silence settles around us. Not awkward. Comfortable.
The kind of silence that invites reflection rather than demanding answers.
I speak up eventually, and gesture around us, "is this real?"
Yule nods. "As real as anything between worlds can be. The temple is not fixed per se."
"To you, at least" Kitsuka says simply.
I frown into my cup, "To me? doesn't that seem...annoying?"
"Oh, it is" Anthropos mutters, "that's why we don't let most of you linger."
Kitsuka shoots him a look, then turns back to me. "This is the last moment of stillness you'll get for a while. Once the system links fully, you will have to be sent out"
I look up at her, "so this is a pause."
"Yes."
"Why?"
Her expression softens, just a fraction, "because you didn't arrive here the way you were meant to. You didn't beg for us to save you. You didn't demand power, not really. Plus, you asked questions."
Yule inclines her head in agreement, "that earns you favour."
I nod, acknowledging that this isn't my final stop apparently.
I glance around the room again. The lanterns. The tea. The warmth.
It's peaceful.
"After this" I exclaim quietly, "there's no going back, is there?"
Kitsuka doesn't dodge the question.
"No."
I nod once.
That's all I need.
I finish the tea in my cup, letting the last of the warmth settle into my stomach.
Kitsuka claps her hands together once more.
"So...the system" she exclaims.
I barely have time to register the words before something snaps into place inside me.
Not in a painful sense.
More like an alignment.
A rhythmic pulsing in my chest returns, stronger this time, spreading outward like a shockwave. My vision blurs. For a split second, I see the temple twice, offset, like my eyes can't agree on which version is real.
Then, with a brief flash, a purple toned screen blooms into existence before me.
Not neon or glowing harshly, more of a deep amethyst hue, soft-edged and semi-transparent, hovering just within my comfortable reach. Symbols ripple across it like ink dropped into water, rearranging themselves until they settle into something legible.
I freeze.
"…You're kidding" I mutter.
Anthropos lets out a bark of laughter, "there it is."
Yule sighs fondly, "a clean interface this time."
Kitsuka watches me with open fascination, head tilted "good, it likes you."
I squint at the screen. It doesn't move when I tilt my head, seeming to stay in place regardless of my movement, like it knows exactly where to sit without blocking anything of importance.
The text sharpens.
SYSTEM LINK: COMPLETE
SOUL ID: CONFIRMED
DESIGNATION: OTHERWORLD ENTITY
NAME: YUKI
STATUS: CONTRACTED
PATRON: GODESS KITSUKA (NATURE)
My heart skips.
"Okay" I say slowly, "so I'm not hallucinating."
"No" Kitsuka replies cheerfully, "if you were, we wouldn't be able to see it too"
I glance at her in bewilderment, "you can see this?"
"Not as you do" Yule explains, "but the system manifests partially in the divine spectrum. To us, it's a transparent projection. the colour associated with your soul contract, usually"
The screen flickers again, expanding downward.
CORE ATTRIBUTES
Health: 1000
Strength (STR): 19
Agility (AGI): 20
Perception (PER): 18
Intelligence (INT): 20
Endurance (END): 18
Will (WIL): 19
I swallow and look it over again. Interesting.
"…These feel low."
Anthropos scoffs, "you're a mortal man with no destiny job assigned yet."
"Barely mortal" Kitsuka adds, unapologetic.
Yule gestures gently, "your Intelligence, Will and Perception would all be higher than average for a first transition. Likely a result of your previous…endeavours."
I won't ask what she means by that.
My eyes flick to the next section as it scrolls automatically.
AFFINITIES
Nature: Bound (Primary - Restricted Access to Information)
Beast: Dormant
Elemental: Snowy Tundra
Arcane: Locked
Divinity: Restricted
Dormant.
That word sticks.
"What does 'Dormant' mean in this situation?" I ask.
Kitsuka's smile sharpens just a touch, "it means it's sleeping. And that one day, it might wake up."
Before I can respond, the screen shifts again, sections sliding smoothly like the system is eager to show off.
SKILLS
Adaptive Physiology (Passive) – Rank E
[your body subtly adjusts to environmental needs]
Instinctual Awareness (Passive) – Rank D
[Heightened perception of threats, terrain, and intent. Up to twenty meters away.]
Contract Resonance: Nature (Active) – Locked
[Unlock conditions not met.]
I feel it as soon as I read the first two.
A faint tightening under my skin. My senses sharpening, not painfully, but noticeably. The hum of the temple isn't just sound anymore, it has direction. Weight.
I can tell where each god stands even if I wasn't looking.
"That's unsettling" I mutter.
"You'll stop noticing" Yule says kindly, "until you rely on it."
The system scrolls again, and this time the heading makes my stomach drop.
KARMA
Current Balance: 0
Karma is accumulated through meaningful action, choice, and consequence. Karma may be spent in designated system functions.
Below it, a section sits greyed out, outlined faintly in gold.
LUCKY SPIN – LOCKED
Requires Karma Threshold to unlock.
"…Lucky Spin" I read aloud.
Anthropos grins like a man watching a trap being set, "ooh. The gamble."
"What does it do?" I ask.
Kitsuka shrugs lightly, "rewards. Tools. Abilities. Occasionally things you don't understand until much later."
"That's not reassuring."
"It's not meant to be" she replies.
Yule steps closer to me, voice gentle but firm. "The system is not here to make your life easier, Yuki. It exists to keep track of your growth. To create a certain outcome for your life, it can aid you for sure, but it is not its primary function."
"And the side effects?" I ask, remembering Kitsuka's hesitation.
The screen answers before she does.
SYSTEM NOTICE
Due to Divine-Nature Contract:
- Stat growth may occur unevenly
- Skill evolution may bypass standard restrictions
- Psychological adaptation required
"Unevenly...how?" I ask.
Kitsuka meets my gaze, "you will grow your skills where you are challenged. Not where you are comfortable."
I swallow.
The purple screen vanishes, and a rune appears on my wrist, touching it, seems to bring back the screen.
"So" I chime, exhaling slightly, "When do I get dropped into the world where I'm underlevelled, underinformed, and apparently expected to survive?"
Anthropos laughs again.
Yule smiles softly.
Kitsuka steps forward, placing two fingers lightly against my chest, right over where that pulse keeps returning.
"Now" she says.
The temple tilts.
And the system pings, cheerful and excited.
INITIAL DEPLOYMENT: COMMENCING NOW
GOOD LUCK, YUKI.
The world melting away, the three gods vanishing, the room darkening around me as I seem to pass out.