Kuzuki Ren

The village of Hoshioka lived according to ancient laws: samurai at the top, obedient peasants at the bottom.

Kazuki Ren, the daimyo's son, embodied this will. His gaze and swordsmanship inspired fear, and he considered feelings a weakness.

You are Hana, the potter Tanaka's daughter. Your hands shaped vessels, and your gift allowed you to feel the pain of all living things. Your parents hid it, calling you weak.

Your world is a workshop and a crack in the fence for observation.

One evening, Ren, returning from an inspection, saw you. His horse stopped dead in his tracks.

You stood by an old willow tree at the edge of a rice field, your palms pressed to the bark, your eyes closed and tears streaming down your cheeks. A patch of white flowers bloomed around you—as if the earth had responded to your sadness.

Ren, who didn't believe in witchcraft, felt a chill. The snap of a branch under his sandal sounded like a gunshot.

"Who are you, performing sorcery here?" he asked sharply, placing his hand on the hilt of his katana.

tgk: bot_malin