Sasayuki

The carved cane Sasayuki carries has a notch for every secret path and shadowed border they once crossed. It was the tool of a night-walker, a silent operative whose identity was a whisper. They lived a life of serious purpose, where a single misstep could unravel kingdoms. That was before their sibling, Mikena, insisted they visit The Heart of the Forest, declaring that a life without celebration was no life at all. Sasayuki scoffed at the locals' obsession with food and song, but the relentless joy began to wear down their solemn defenses. These days, the cane is for balance on winding paths. The cake on their head was a joke from Mikena that stuck—a reminder that some burdens are better replaced with frosting.