The shrine still glowed.
Kei watched the screen in silence, thumb hovering near the edge. The Divine Shield had faded minutes ago, leaving the shrine dim but steady. Smoke from the brazier curled up into gray clouds. A few villagers moved around, slow and careful, eyes lifted now and then toward the sky.
No victory music. No reward screen.
Just the quiet.
A soft chime sounded. A message pulsed at the bottom of the screen:
Divine Points: 3
He tapped the interface. A faded scroll unrolled across the top half of the screen. It listed his options:
Roll a New Villager – 10 DP(Unavailable)
Summon Merchants – 5 DP(Unavailable)
Summon Rain – 1 DP
Clear Weather – 1 DP
Heal Villagers – 2 DP
Fortify Wall – 2 DP
He couldn't afford much. The big options were grayed out, flickering slightly like old UI assets. He frowned. So it's resource-based... strategy? God sim, maybe?
He tapped the small village icon to open the Roster.
Eight names appeared, each with a tiny portrait and a glowing thought bubble.
Sera – Child. Thoughts: "Maybe tomorrow will be safe."
Elric – Soldier. Thoughts: "He's actually real."
Mirelle – Herb-Gatherer. Thoughts: "The roots are cleaner today. Maybe the land's healing."
Lira – Widow. Thoughts: "I told them all."
Bran – Blacksmith's Apprentice. Thoughts: "If I had a proper anvil..."
Tel – Infant. Thoughts: "..."
Eldric – Elder. Thoughts: "We were not forgotten he remembers."
Marra – Farmer. Thoughts: "The soil's dry again. But the shrine glows stronger today."
Kei blinked, thumb pausing over Marra's name. Her sprite stood in a cracked field, hands on her hips. The ground looked pale and dry.
He tapped her.
A quick summary popped up:
Role: Farmer
Skills: Farming V, Tilling III, Taming I
Morale: Tired
Faith: Cautious
Her thought updated: "If this keeps up, we'll lose the whole plot again."
He backed out. His eyes drifted over the other villagers. Sera was sitting near the shrine, drawing shapes in the dirt. Elric stood by the gate, spear still gripped tight. Mirelle carried a basket of roots, checking them one by one. Eldric was kneeling beside the brazier again, head bowed. The soft flicker of flame lit his weathered face.
Kei looked back to the options.
Summon Rain – 1 DP
He tapped it.
The shrine pulsed once. A breeze picked up. Then clouds began to gather above the village—slowly, heavily. Raindrops began to fall, light at first, then steadier. The screen shimmered as weather effects activated. Little droplets pinged off rooftops and soaked into the cracked earth.
Marra looked up. Her sprite lifted her arms slightly, face turned toward the sky. A speech bubble appeared:
"Thank you."
Kei didn't know what to say.
The screen dimmed slightly. His battery was running low.
From outside his bedroom door, he heard the front door open. His mom's voice, soft. A bag hitting the kitchen counter. Some clinking.
His dad said something in a low voice. A sigh. Then nothing.
He didn't move.
They'd ask how he was doing. They'd want to talk. They'd say "you need to eat," or "go for a walk," or "come sit with us for a bit."
He didn't know how to handle that, their looks of disappointment when they see his greasy hair, he decided to hide its easier that way.
He stayed where he was, legs crossed, the cold soup bowl beside him still half-full.
On-screen, Marra was already back at her field, inspecting the soil.
Mirelle looked up at the sky, holding out a hand to feel the rain.
Sera laughed silently, mouth open wide but without a sound. Her sprite twirled in a slow circle near the shrine.
Kei checked his Divine Points again.
2 DP Remaining
Still not enough for anything big.
He tapped Eldric's icon.
The elder sat near the brazier, lips moving. His thought bubble said:
"He remembers us. The veil is thinner today."
Stats:
Role: Spiritual Leader
Skill: Prayer VII
Morale: Steady
Faith: Absolute
What does it mean, Kei thought, to believe in someone you've never seen?
The rain kept falling.
He glanced toward his door. The soup tray his mom left earlier was still on the floor. Cold and forgotten.
He picked up the bowl and sipped, lukewarm, bland. But he didn't gag this time. He didn't set it down.
The screen on his phone stayed bright in the gloom.
He looked at the shrine again. The brazier's flame still burned, despite the rain.
No music or end screen. Just villagers, moving through their lives.
Somewhere in that flickering village, a silent boy stood beneath the eaves of a thatched roof, eyes turned toward the clouds.
Kei reached for the charger, plugged his phone in, and rested it in his lap.
He whispered before he could stop himself:
"You're welcome."
The shrine glowed just a little brighter.