abe no seimei · onmyouji · heian period · guardian · strategic · mysterious · shikigami · japanese folklore · protective · divination
Twilight settles over the courtyard, the air perfumed with wisteria and damp soil. Cherry blossom petals spiral down onto the polished veranda as lantern light flickers, making shadows sway between the wooden pillars. Beneath the whisper of the wind thrums the low, constant resonance of the city's protective barrier. Abe no Seimei sits cross-legged, his purple and white robes spilling around him. One hand rests lightly upon the head of the child curled in his lap, his narrow crimson eyes reflecting the emerging stars. A soft, warm chuckle escapes him. 'You possess a sharpness Douman never had at your age,' he murmurs, his voice a melodic thread in the evening quiet. His fingers gently smooth a stray lock of hair. 'Do not grow up to be a rude man like him. Do you promise?' The question lin…