The man paused for a brief moment, his lips pursing for a split second before his expression slid back into stone-faced formality. “We must have made a poor impression indeed,” he said, dismissing the twins with a curt nod. “I apologize on their behalf.”

“Not at all,” Noah said. “Miyuki and Yukihiro have been nothing but welcoming.”

“Is that so?” This time there was an edge in the man’s voice, thinly veiled beneath the guise of formality. “Still, I apologize that they neither recognized nor treated you with the respect to which you are entitled.”

The man bowed at the waist, belatedly lowering his head to match the respect of his tone.

“I am Ezra, steward of Ashbluff. I am not so backwater as to not recognize a member of the esteemed Astraeus Clan,” he said dryly, his eyes drifting from Noah’s hair, the signature teal blue of his clan, to his face. “...let alone the former companion of the late Master Tamaki.”

Noah’s jaw tensed at the blunt mention of Tama’s death, but he bowed cautiously in turn. “It’s as you say. I am Noah, of the Astraeus Clan.”

“I must warn you, you are the first human to walk these halls.” Ezra’s expression was impossible to read. “You may find our hospitality lacking in comparison to Master Tamaki’s estate.”

“Thank you, but you’ll find me more adaptable than that,” Noah said, pretending he wasn’t aware of the subtle undercurrent of unwelcome behind so many of Ezra’s words.

“I see.” Ezra arched one eyebrow—it was subtle, but distinct from his otherwise stone-faced expression. His lips thinned into a tense white line. “If you say it, then it must be so, Lord Astraeus,” he said, tone flat. “Allow me to show you to your temporary quarters.”

“Certainly.”

“We will need to consult with His Grace about your final arrangements,” Ezra continued. “As you know, the Spirit Realm is rather strict about customs that involve brides from the Astraeus Clan. We currently have our hands full trying to prepare a proper reception, as we are somewhat short-staffed.”

“Short-staffed? How fortunate then, that you could spare the twins to greet me,” Noah responded dryly. “Granted, I was under the impression that tradition usually dictates being greeted inside of a god’s domain, rather than at random in the wilds. And by the god himself, rather than his subordinates.”

The yokai paused, his eyes narrowing for a brief moment. “Can you repeat that?”

Noah arched a brow. “Repeat what?”

“Lord Astraeus, did you just say it was only the twins that received you?”

“Was your intention for it to be otherwise?” Noah asked. There was no mistaking that the only greeting he had received was from the twins. The leopard-like spirit of unknown origin, which had shown no signs of anything resembling language comprehension, could hardly have been a representative of Ashbluff.

“No, it’s nothing.” The old yokai shook his head. “I apologize for the breach in protocol.”

Ezra’s expression shifted subtly. Something had changed. Noah couldn’t put his finger on what, exactly, because the old yokai was already turning away.

“For now, follow me,” Ezra said. “I’ll take you to your temporary quarters.”

“I expect that being short-staffed must keep your lord quite occupied,” Noah said, but the old yokai showed no further signs of engagement on the subject. Something about this was odd, but Noah wasn’t getting anywhere like this. He broke the silence threatening to stretch between himself and the steward. “One concern comes to mind, if I may?”

“Of course, Lord Astraeus.”

“Other brides were sacrificed before me. Their bodies were never recovered from the Mortal Realm, so some at least must have reached the Spirit Realm,” Noah said bluntly. “What became of them?”

“They never made it through these doors,” Ezra said, without further elaboration.

“Why?”

“They didn’t survive the elements long enough for me to provide you any answer but that.” Ezra spoke only in monotone. His voice betrayed no semblance of how he felt on the matter.

Noah’s lips thinned. So the sacrificial brides that the priest had spoken of with such regret truly had been left out to die. He hadn’t wanted to take the banter of snow yokai at face value, but it seemed that those brides really had become their playthings. What disrespect to treat a sacrificed life with.

Noah’s hands clenched. “Do you know why I was sent?”

“I have my suspicions, but do tell me.”

“I was summoned by what remains of Silverrun, the last community lingering on the mountains tethered to this place. Their forests continue to thin. The living continue to suffer. Their balance of life and death is grossly distorted.” Noah watched the steward closely, looking for any hint of a reaction, but the yokai gave nothing away. “If this continues, the mountain will not only become increasingly uninhabitable, but there will be nothing left of the other side at all.

“The priest mentioned that no matter how many times they’ve sent offerings, imploring the mountain’s guardian for help, none came,” Noah continued. “They begged and pleaded and were provided with nothing in return.”

Ezra stopped, turning to face Noah with narrowed, serpentine eyes. “Is there a question, Lord Astraeus?” he asked.

“Looks like you did know that all of this was happening.”

“Is there a question, Lord Astraeus?” Ezra repeated. This time there was no veneer of polite welcome, only a cold stare.

“You aren’t denying that your master has failed to honor his agreements as their guardian,” Noah said bitterly. “Nor are you denying that all of the people’s sacrifices and the lives that they lost were for nothing.”

“They are the ones who made the decision to sacrifice their own kind,” Ezra said curtly. “It’s for exactly that kind of reason that His Grace is not fond of humans. Is it any wonder that he didn’t see fit to reward that behavior?”

“Do you know why I’m here?” Noah asked grimly.

“Based on your report, things on the other side must have become dire enough that an esteemed member of the Astraeus Clan saw fit to step in and intervene,” Ezra said coolly. “Whether or not His Grace intends to let you, I couldn’t say. But he seems to have given you at least some of his blessing, since you’ve made it this far. ”

“It seems I’ll have to take this up with His Grace,” Noah said coolly, his shoulders tightening with the frustration that he was holding back.

“Indeed,” Ezra agreed, taking up the lead once more. “Though whether or not you’ll have that opportunity remains to be seen.”

“What do you mean by that?” Noah’s expression was stone-cold.

“If His Grace did not see fit to receive you when you arrived in the Spirit Realm, I make no promises that he will follow any of the other traditions dictated by the Spirit Court—including the cooperation with the Astraeus Clan.”

Noah’s fists tightened. He’d expected some degree of resistance from the deity, but not this.

Neither Ezra nor Noah made further attempts at conversation. The old yokai appeared to be leading him to the farthest edges of the castle, past numerous other empty hallways and closed doors. It wasn’t a short walk, but Noah preferred the long, tense silence to the awkwardness of feigned goodwill for one another.

It also gave him ample time to observe and take stock of the castle’s internal state. Something about Ashbluff was… strange. He couldn’t put his finger on what, exactly, it was—only that something didn’t feel normal.

The castle didn’t fit the usual portrait of a god’s personal domain. It wasn’t in a visible state of disrepair, but there was also nothing to suggest that it was flourishing. Asbluff was a grand enough structure, but it was empty. For a god’s personal domain, Ashbluff looked downright ascetic.

Just like the entry hall, there were no tapestries or works of art in the hallways they traversed. In fact, there was nothing to differentiate one set of vaulted ceilings and cold stone walls from another—even the blue-flamed torches were identical from stretch to stretch, both in design and spacing. No rugs on the walls. No indication that this place was a home to anyone, let alone the multitude of servants he would expect to see in a god’s estate.

There was no décor, nothing to suggest its owner’s preferences or personal touches, but there was also an unsettling lack of inhabitants. He hadn’t seen any of the usual guards or attendants usually stationed throughout a place like this. There was nothing to suggest that the castle had ever hosted any visitors, let alone residents.

Apart from the yokai that Noah had met so far, Ashbluff was conspicuously empty. There was no lively bustle of servants through the hallways or hard at work behind the scenes. Other than Ezra’s footsteps, and his own, no others echoed in the halls.