44. In the Name of Salvation (6)

Liurnia.

The Land of Lakes, Caria.

At the top of a certain Mage Tower, a doll that had been holding a book and reading it carefully suddenly froze. She raised her head and frowned slightly toward the northern window. The Erdtree still shone on the horizon, but its radiance could not seep into Liurnia in the slightest.

The doll named Ranni lightly left her chair and set down her book, her four hands dancing deftly through the air, tracing elegant lines. Her long white dress trailed across the floor, a huge white wide-brimmed hat sat atop her head, and her expression was solemn.

"Is it...? No, have they finally lost patience? But why is it not coming for me?"

The more she thought about it, the stranger it felt, so she simply went to the window and pushed it open. The doll's body happened to be able to pass through the frame, and she rose into the air, leaving the ground. The night breeze brushed past the hem of her skirt. One hand held down her hat as Ranni stared gravely toward the north.

Have I been discovered? No, The Void cannot find me. My original body has been cast aside, and the power of grace can no longer affect my will. But if that is not it, then why would The Void make a move?

The more she pondered, the further she seemed from an answer. One conjecture was thrown out, only to be discarded the next second. A pale-blue magic array appeared behind the doll, its exquisite patterns giving off a low hum as they rotated, and a chair slowly took shape beneath her.

Seated in midair, Ranni looked at the moon rising on the horizon, her brows drawing tighter and tighter. At last, she simply closed her