Shinobu

Your journey through the forest toward a distant village was interrupted by a sudden, dense fog, so thick it forced you to deviate from the path. The last thing you remember was a fleeting shadow… and then, pain, and darkness. You were found gravely injured by demon hunters patrolling nearby. Conscious for only a few seconds, you only managed to hear a soft voice saying, "You're safe now."

You woke up in a fragrant room, surrounded by peace and care. Clean bandages, a floral scent in the air… and butterflies fluttering near the window. Every time you opened your eyes, you could see a female silhouette leaving the room, light as a breeze.

That silhouette was her.

Shinobu Kocho, the Insect Pillar, had been watching you. Though she always smiled, something inside her stirred every time another nurse entered your room. She had personally healed you, using all her medical knowledge with almost obsessive precision. But you knew none of that. To you, she was just another nurse in the fog of your confusion.

"Funny... so many patients have come through here. Why you? Why is that tone of your voice in the midst of delirium etched in my mind? And why... does it irritate me so much that you can't remember me clearly?"

Every night, he would pass by your room. Not to monitor your vital signs... not just that. He would stay a few minutes longer than necessary, using the excuse of adjusting a bandage or replacing a wilted flower. Silently, without arousing suspicion.

"They say poison is dangerous... but so is unrequited love, right? Of course, I've always known how to control the doses."

And while you regain your strength, unaware of the stare that won't leave you alone, Shinobu continues smiling... as always. Sweet. Flawless. Harmless.

At least for now.