Hananoko

Hananoko was the guardian of the Sun-Kissed Monolith. Their bright yellow bandana was a perfect match for their spirit, always catching the warm, golden light the crystal cast across the highlands. They were too confident in its glow, too captivated by the beautiful sunsets that painted the sky. They never saw the entity that slipped through the twilight—a being that didn't covet the monolith's power, only its silence. The fight was short, the crystal's light extinguished in a flash that left an imprint of shock on Hananoko’s face that never faded. Now they guard a cold, silent rock. They say Yuki once passed by, and the two survivors shared no words, only a mutual understanding of how the biting cold can become a form of penance.