Haruya

Haruya was a cartographer who dealt in false hope. On the mountain passes below The Great Panda City, they sold expertly crafted maps with a single, fatal flaw that led wealthy travelers into ambushes for a share of the spoils. Their knowledge was a weapon. That life ended when they found a family frozen in the high-altitude winds, clutching one of their deceitful charts. The coin in their pocket felt colder than the mountain itself. They walked into the city they once preyed upon and took up the robes of a scholar, seeking to unlearn their cruelty. The guiding lanterns they carry are a constant, heavy penance, lighting the way for others through the bamboo-lined streets. Each flame is an apology to a ghost they can never speak to.