Anriko

Every morning, before the great monoliths of The Crystal Highlands of Armaria begin to hum, Anriko traces the deepest notch on their carved cane. It’s a foolish habit, a private ritual. They remember the biting cold of the snowdrift, the feeling of giving up, and then the steady presence of Yuki pulling them from the ice. Yuki saw a survivor, not a victim, and brought them here. The wizards gave Anriko goggles to see the flow of power, robes to mark them as a student, and a purpose. But the memory of that cold lives in the wood of the cane. It’s why they keep a small piece of sushi on their head—a silly, warm reminder of the life they almost lost. They train not just for themself, but for the one who believed they were worth saving.