Jitsuhiko

Jitsuhiko placed the final guiding lantern on the crystalline ridge, its soft glow a secret language against the vibrant sunset. To the wizards and scientists of The Crystal Highlands of Armaria, they were the gleeful merchant with an infectious laugh, brokering deals for polished geodes and enchanted dust. It was a good life, a prosperous one. But their sibling, Fumeko, only saw the public half of their work. The other half required the ninja mask and these clandestine meetings under the spinning monoliths. A hooded figure emerged from the shadows, holding out a small, lead-lined scroll case. "The formula?" the figure rasped. Jitsuhiko nodded, extending a pouch of gems. Just as their fingers brushed the case, another lantern flickered to life on a distant peak—a signal they did not set.