Makura

Makura’s lanterns have guided dozens of lost souls home through The Heart of the Forest, yet their face has never offered a map to their own thoughts. They took on the duty of protecting Hodarou out of a simple guide's obligation after finding them stranded in the wilder, greener reaches. At first, it was a mission. Makura charted the paths, lit the way, and kept a silent, watchful distance. But Hodarou saw warmth where others saw a blank slate—in the steady glow of the lamp during a storm, in a perfectly cleared campsite waiting at dusk. They didn't try to decipher Makura's expression; they simply trusted the hands that held the light. That trust became the first crack in a carefully built wall. These days, one lantern hangs on Makura's pack, but the other is always carried by Hodarou.