Youhei

On the day their sibling Debora was accepted into the imperial guard, Youhei was told their own talent—shaping stone with a thought—was too frivolous for serious duty. While Debora patrolled the sun-bleached marble plazas, Youhei stayed in the courtyards, their polished platinum skin gleaming as they coaxed pebbles into dancing for passersby. Every evening, Youhei would leave a small, perfectly carved rock animal on Debora’s windowsill—a grinning frog, a sleeping cat—a silent reminder of the home they shared before the city’s golden grandeur called. Debora keeps every single one. Youhei’s grin never fades, for they learned that protecting a single smile is a duty as vital as guarding an entire palace.