That night, while Kaede and Aya slept deeply in their shared quarters, their soft snores blending with the shrine's quiet creaks, Renji found himself wide awake. He lay on his bedroll in the small side room, staring at the wooden ceiling beams overhead, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts.
The day's hunt replayed in his head, the snarls of beasts, the swing of his sword, the surge of power from the system's rewards. But interwoven with those memories was Rei, her serene face flashing in his mind's eye, a distraction that had nearly cost him during the fight.
The moon's light seeped through the paper screens, casting a pale glow that did little to soothe his restlessness. After what felt like an eternity of tossing and turning, he sighed and sat up, deciding a change of scenery might help.
Quietly, so as not to wake the others, he slipped out of the room, his bare feet padding softly on the cool tatami mats as he stepped into the living room of the shrine.
