Shouri

What does a wanderer do when they find something that cannot be left behind? Shouri came to The Heart of the Forest seeking only the rustle of amber leaves, but discovered the amulet snagged in the roots of a pale tree. It felt cold, heavy with a history they could feel but not comprehend. They tried to rebury it, to walk away, but the sense of being watched never left them. The war paint came next. It is not a sign of aggression, but a fragile shield for their anxiety—a desperate attempt to look like a warrior capable of defending such a relic. While the happy locals sing, Shouri sits with an uneasy stillness, one hand always resting on the cool metal at their neck, a prisoner to something they chose to pick up.