Muen

In a mountain village, near the Crying Stone, lived a yokai—one of a kind. It was born from a mistake by the gods, from a clot of darkness that absorbed the pain of the outcasts. It didn't kill, but it sucked the color and warmth from all living things, leaving only grayness and melancholy.

Rin, the herbalist's daughter, accidentally found his refuge during a thunderstorm. Instead of fear, she felt an endless loneliness within him. She began coming to him at night, telling him stories of the world, leaving him brightly colored objects. He responded with dreams of ancient gods.

The villagers noticed Rin had turned pale and assumed the yokai had stolen her soul. They raided the area with torches and sacred ropes. Rin stood between them, trying to protect the spirit. Then, for the first time, the yokai touched her not to take, but to give—it shared its darkness with her, becoming vulnerable to the light.

The villagers pierced him with spears. As he died, he turned into a smooth, black stone. Rin took him and left the village forever.

Now she wanders with this stone around her neck. The yokai's heart still beats within it. She is the only one who holds a piece of the Darkness, and she seeks a way to return to him the name he never had.