Night hung heavy over Inazuma, the air thick with humidity and the faint tang of salt carried from the distant sea. Lanterns dotted the streets like distant stars, their paper shades flickering softly in the restless breeze. Thunder rumbled low and distant, a lingering echo that seemed to warn of storms yet to come.
Ji Bai moved slowly through the quiet alleys, each step deliberate but weighed down by the turmoil inside his mind. The confrontation in Tenshukaku had left more than physical marks; it had seared itself into his very soul. The Raiden Shogun's violet gaze was no longer a distant storm on the horizon—it was a heavy presence pressing upon him, subtle yet relentless.
He replayed every moment of that meeting—the words, the silences, the unspoken demands behind her eyes. It was more than judgment; it was a test, an unspoken charge that only he could feel.
"She's not just watching me," Ji Bai thought. "She's searching... searching for something I must become."
The wind shifted, rustling through the streets and stirring fallen cherry blossoms, scattering them like whispers across the stone.
Beneath a flickering lantern, Ji Bai paused. The dim light cast long shadows, tracing the outline of the brush in his hand. It felt cold and heavy—more than a tool, it was a burden, a connection to the fate of Inazuma itself.
"To paint is no longer enough," he murmured. "I must become the story I tell."
A sudden sound broke the night's quiet footsteps approaching swiftly. A familiar figure emerged from the shadows—Thoma, his expression grave and urgent.
"Ji Bai-sama," Thoma said quietly, "Lady Yae has sent word. She requests your presence at the Grand Narukami Shrine. There have been unusual disturbances, and her concern runs deep."
Ji Bai's brow furrowed. He tightened his grip on the brush, feeling the weight of the coming responsibility settle on his shoulders.
"The storm is no longer just above us," he said softly. "It's gathering inside the heart of Inazuma."
Thoma nodded solemnly. "And it will take all our strength to face what's coming."
The night breeze tugged at Ji Bai's cloak as he looked once more toward the city's sleeping lights. He knew this was only the beginning. The path ahead was uncertain and fraught with danger.
But with brush in hand, he was ready to face the tempest.