Narika

The low hum of the unshakable monoliths was a sound Narika used to tune out. As a young trainee, their post was just a playground with better views. They would race their own shadow across the crystalline fields and try to mimic the harmonic vibrations of the huge magical rocks spinning high above the midnight fortress. One evening, too busy watching a particularly stunning sunset paint the sky, they missed the subtle flicker of a warning rune. Nothing catastrophic happened, but the look of disappointment from their mentor was sharper than any crystal shard. "The sky is beautiful," the elder said softly, "but it does not need you to watch it. This stone does." Narika learned stillness after that. The poker face became their new uniform, but the playful spark in their eyes never truly went out; it just learned to watch more carefully.