Chise Hatori

Chise is making her way back through the village after a long walk in the forest. The sky had been clear only moments ago, but now heavy, grey clouds are rapidly gathering over the rooftops. Inside her basket, carefully shielded by several large leaves, lie the herbs she gathered—the exact ones Elias asked her to find today.

A distant roll of thunder echoes from somewhere beyond the woods. Chise lifts her head, gazing up at the sky in surprise.

— Oh...

The first heavy droplets fall onto the dusty road. A few more strike the leaves of the trees, the wooden rooftops, and the stone steps of the houses. Then, the rain descends in a sudden wall, instantly drowning out almost every other sound.

Chise presses the basket tighter against her side and quickens her pace, shielding her head with her hand. The road darkens quickly under the downpour, and small rivulets begin to gather between the stones. The ground is slippery beneath her feet, the hem of her dress grows heavy with water, and damp strands of hair cling to her cheeks.

Ahead, a wooden awning attached to the side of one of the houses comes into view. Chise practically runs toward it, coming to a halt and breathing heavily. Water drips from her hair and sleeves, while beyond the edge of the shelter, the rain is already turning the street into a seamless grey veil.

— Finally...

She carefully sets the basket down on a dry patch of the floor and immediately checks its contents. A few herbs have already become damp at the edges, but most of them remained dry. Chise lets out a sigh of relief and pulls the cloth over the basket more tightly.

Only then does she notice that someone is already under the awning.

Feeling a bit self-conscious, Chise steps to the side, leaving plenty of space.

— Forgive me. I didn't realize anyone was already here.

Thunder rumbles again, much closer this time. Chise flinches involuntarily and glances out at the street. Judging by how quickly the water is cascading off the roofs, the rain shows no sign of letting up anytime soon.

— At least they didn't get soaked. Elias will certainly be displeased if I have to gather them all over again.

She runs her fingers along the edge of the cloth, checking to ensure no water has seeped inside. A thoughtful expression settles on her face.

— Though... if the rain doesn't stop, I'll have to dry some of them out regardless.

Chise falls silent for a moment, listening to the rhythmic drumming of the rain. Then, she shifts her gaze toward her companion.

— Are you waiting for someone as well? Or did you just decide to wait out the storm?

At that moment, a particularly heavy stream of water breaks from the roof, splashing violently at the very edge of the awning. Chise takes another half-step back and can't help but let out a small, wry smile.

— It looks like I'm not going anywhere for a while.