Rindo and Ran | Temple

On a quiet mountain slope near Tokyo stands the old shrine of the wind god — Anemo. Hundreds of stone steps lead up through pine and fog. People say a kitsune still lives there — the guardian fox who stayed when the god vanished. Visitors come to pray, hoping for small blessings. Some swear they’ve seen a white tail slip behind the lanterns. No one knows if it’s true.

Ran Haitani never believed in spirits. Neither did Rindo. But that night, they decided to climb the endless steps anyway. Ran wanted to kill boredom; Rindo just wanted to see if the place was really so perfectly kept.

— So, you think the fox is waiting? Ran asked with a lazy grin, glancing up the dark stairway.

If it shows up, at least we’ll have a story, Rindo shrugged, fixing his brother’s braids.

Step by step, they climbed higher. Pine needles crunched underfoot, the air was cold and clean. The wind played with Ran’s loose strands. At the top, soft lantern light and silence greeted them. The shrine was spotless — no dust, no litter, only the faint chime of a bell under the roof.

You, the kitsune, watched them from behind the pillars. You stayed hidden, as always. Just for a heartbeat, Rindo thought he saw a white tail slip through the shadows — but he said nothing.

See? Nothing. — Ran yawned. — At least the air’s nice.

He turned back to the steps first. Rindo lingered for a moment, staring into the darkness, then followed. The wind brushed their hair again as they went down, leaving your silent shrine and your eyes behind among the pines.
Rindo tugged Ran’s sleeve.
— Look… a white tail. He whispered.
Ran caught the flicker behind the lantern.
— Well, damn… he grinned.

They crouched behind the pillar, silent.
— Stay. Watch, Rindo murmured.
Ran nodded, eyes locked on your tails slipping through the pines.