"P-please… Huff… let me take a break…" I panted, doubling over with my hands on my knees. My tail drooped limply behind me, ears fttened in pure exhaustion. Every breath I took felt like dragging molten air into my lungs, and my legs screamed in protest with each sluggish step forward.

  After Catherine finished pag up, we set out immediately for Vulprithal. That had been three ho. Three long, grueling hours of endless walkih the merciless sun. My boots scraped against the dirt road, every step heavier tha, my whole body feeling like a puppet with its strings cut.

  Yuzu, oher hand, walked beside me with an effortless spring iep, as if the heat and distance meant nothing to her. Her tail swished rhythmically, her ears twitg at every little sound in the distance. Meanwhile, Catherirode ahead, moving with the steady ease of someone who had dohis a huimes before.

  "Why are we walking again?" I whined dramatically, finally ing to a halt as if my very life depended on it. I slumped fasping as if I had just quered a mountain.

  Catherine, who was barely even winded, rolled her shoulders with an easy nonce. "Sorry, but that vilge is really isoted. Except for the occasional merts, there aren’t any carriages or horses that e through."

  I groaned, staggering toward a nearby rod throwing myself onto it like it was my final resting pce. "Ugh, I know! But seriously, what kind of vilge is that? No transportation, no infrastructure—was it built just to make my life miserable?"

  Yuzu tilted her head, croug down to poke at a small yellow flrowing at the edge of the road. "Yuzu like vilge, though," she mumbled. "Lisa bery nice. And the childrealk to Yuzu and notto grab sticks and stones every time they bery see Yuzu’s ears."

  I blinked, my frustration wavered for a moment. The exhaustion in my muscles still burned, but my pints felt a little more hollow now.

  I exhaled, slumping bato the rock with less dramatics this time. "I… like it too," I admitted. "The people were kind."

  Right on cue, my stomach let out a long, pitiful growl.

  Catherine chuckled as Yuzu giggled beside me, her ears perking up in amusement. "Maybe we should take a short break," Catherine said, taking a seat under a loree by the roadside.

  Gratefully, I dragged myself toward the patch of shade and all but colpsed onto the grass. Yuzu plopped down beside me, crossing her legs as she examihe road ahead. "How much long bery walk?" she asked.

  Catheriook a sip from her teen before answering. "If we keep a steady pace, we should reach the own by sundown. There’s an inn there where we stay the night."

  I groaned, c my face with my hands. "That still sounds forever away."

  Yuzu hummed, tapping a finger against her . Then, with a sudden burst of energy, she turo me and grinned. "The’s py a game while we walk!"

  I peeked at her between my fingers. "A game?"

  She nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! We py 'what is bery real, what is bery fake.'"

  Catherine raised an eyebrow. "That sounds suspiciously like a guessing game."

  "It is guessing game!" Yuzu decred proudly. "Yuzu say two thing! Orue! One bery lie! Mashiro and Witch must bery guess!"

  I sighed, but seeing the eager glint in Yuzu’s eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to say no. "Fine. But only if I get to go first."

  Yuzu’s ears perked up, her tail wagging behind her. "Okay! Mashiro!"

  I sat up, brushing some dirt off my clothes, and smirked. "Alright. Here are my two statements. One: I have pulled the rarest gacha character on my very first try. Two: I have never, ever spent money on gacha games."

  Catherine scoffed. "That sed one is the lie. Obviously."

  “Gacha?” Yuzu repeated, rolling the unfamiliar word oongue like a fn delicacy. Her ears twitched curiously, her dark eyes wide with intrigue.

  Catherine, meanwhile, merely raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “I have no idea what that means, but based on your tone alone, I assume it’s something incredibly stupid.”

  I gasped, clutg my chest as if she had just struck me with a dagger. “It’s not stupid!” I shot back, puffing my cheeks in protest. “It’s a sacred ritual! A test of fate! A moment where hopes and dreams are pced in the hands of probability! You never know if you’ll get exactly what you want or—” My voice wavered as I ched my fists. “—if the cruel hands of destiny will give you yet another worthless duplicate.”

  Yuzu gasped, her tail fluffing up slightly. “Sound bery serious.” She nodded sagely, as if I had just imparted deep wisdom upon her. “So Mashiro gamble dream away?”

  Catherine sighed, already rubbiemples. “Great. We’ve lost her.”

  I ignored her, my mind already spiraling into nostalgia. “The thrill of a ten-pull, the sheer anticipation as the colors fsh on s, the heartbreak of a bad roll… It’s a beautiful, painful cycle, and I miss it dearly…” I sniffled dramatically.

  Yuzu pced a f hand on my shoulder, eyes filled with newfound uanding. “Mashiro warrior.”

  Catherine groahrowing her hands up in exasperation. “Unbelievable. You’ve corrupted her too much. I need lunch to recuperate my thoughts.”

  Yuzu’s ears perked up instantly. "Food time?!"

  "Yes, food time," Catherine firmed, uning a few parcels filled with rice balls, dried fruit, and small vegetable rolls that Lisa had packed for us. "Eat up. We still have a long way to go."

  I sat up with newfound energy, grabbing one of the rice balls without hesitation. "Ugh, finally," I muttered between bites, the taste of slightly salted rice mixed with pickled plum filling my mouth. "I swear, I was about to start seeing mirages of venieores."

  Yuzu, who had stuffed her cheeks full of food, tilted her head. "Wha'sh 'mewahge'?"

  Catherine sighed. "Don’t talk with your mouth full."

  Yuzu swallowed, then beamed. "But food bery good! Lisa bery best cook!"

  I nodded in agreement, already reag for another rice ball. "I have to give it to her. She really knows how to pack a meal. These are so good."

  Catheriook a sip from her teen, leaning back against the tree. "Enjoy it while you . The food in Vulprithal is probably more refined, but you’ll miss these simple meals one day."

  I paused, sidering that for a moment. I didn’t even know if I would stay in Vulprithal, but I had to admit—there was a warmth in Lisa’s cooking that I doubted fancy fox nobles could replicate.

  As we ate in fortable silehe chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves filled the air. A light breeze passed through, making the heat just a little more bearable.

  Then, out of nowhere, my stomach let out an embarrassingly loud growl, loud enough to make a passing bird flutter away in arm. I froze mid-bite, cheeks heating up as both Yuzu and Catheriuro stare at me.

  Catherine smirked, the er of her lips twitg upward. "Still hungry?" she teased, raising an eyebrow.

  I huffed, crossing my arms in modignation. "I’m st energy for the journey," I decred, as if that somehow made my endless appetite justified.

  Yuzu, who had been nibbling on a piece of dried fruit, giggled, her tail swishing pyfully behind her. "Mashiro bery like eating," she noted with an impish grin.

  I poi her y food er, eyes narrowing. "And you don’t?" I shot back. "That was your third rice ball, Yuzu."

  She gasped dramatically, clutg her own stomach as if I had just accused her of a heinous crime. "Yuzu bery small!" she decred, her ears perking up iermination. "Need many food to grow!"

  Catheri out a sigh, shaking her head as she took a sip from her teen. "You’re both bottomless pits," she muttered, though there was a trausement in her voice.

  I stretched, feeling a little less like I was dying now that I had food in my system. "Alright, alright. I’m ready to keep going. But I’m holding you to that promise of reag an inn by sundown."

  Catheriood, brushing off her coat. "The’s move. We still have a long way ahead."

  With our stomachs full and our energy somewhat restored, we picked up our pace, leaving the small resting spot behind.

  Catherine's sharp hiss cut through the quiet hum of the forest, halting our footsteps instantly. In a single fluid motion, she set down her pack, her usual air of nonce vanishing like mist in the m sun.

  Beside her, Yuzu’s ears twitched, her tail bristling as she summoned her katana in a fsh of silver light. Her small frame tensed, muscles coiled like a drawn b.

  I froze in pce, my breath catg in my throat. I didn’t know what they had sensed, but the way both of them reacted sent a shiver down my spine.

  The wind whispered through the trees, rustling the leaves in an eerie melody. The birds that had been chirping just moments ago had fallehly silent.

  Something was out there.

  And it was watg us.