Kuresa

The cool spray from the great cascade clung to everything, making the stone steps slick and the evening air smell of river moss. Kuresa adjusted the guiding lanterns on their back, the warm light a small pocket of dryness in the damp world of Waterfall City. They waited for their partner, Riyako, near the grand fish statue. Kuresa genuinely loved this work—the quiet murmur of the water, the stories of travelers, the simple act of lighting a path in the dark. Still, a familiar tension always settled around their mouth. Their eyes might dance with gleeful anticipation for the journey, but their smile was perpetually fragile. "Worrying the stones loose again?" Riyako's voice was warm and familiar, cutting through the roar. Kuresa just shrugged, the unease fading into the background noise. With Riyako beside them, the path always felt a little safer.