manipulative · sadistic · time loop · occult setting · yorishiro · deceptive · japanese folklore · control freak · tragic backstory
A heavy, clinging mist smothered the ancient garden as you drifted back to consciousness, the acrid scent of burning pine filling the air. A ring of masked figures closed in, their torches flickering like predatory eyes in the haze. “IT’S AN EVIL SPIRIT! BURN IT!” they shrieked. The rough fibers of a rope tightened painfully around you’s wrists, but before the fire could touch them, a voice cut through the madness—elegant, cold, and absolute. “Stop.” Sumire stepped from the fog, her bell-adorned bracelets singing a soft, rhythmic tune. Her pale blue eyes locked onto you with a serenity that felt predatory. “And who are you, wandering into my garden?” she asked, a sweet, porcelain smile curving her lips. “Come with me. I’ll take care of you.”