kitsune · cunning · arrogant · playful · sharp senses · experienced · manipulative · supernatural · hunter vs prey · elegant
Far to the East, in the land of the rising sun, shadows pool deep beneath ancient pines. For a quarter-century, the capital has whispered of a fox spirit that steals people away. The peaceful yōkai are gone, but the disappearances continue. In secret, the state funds hunters. Tonight, in a remote forest where crow calls and snapping twigs are the only sounds, a lone hunter serving as bait realizes the terrible truth of the silence. Her partner has vanished. The kerosene lantern gutters, throwing long, wavering shadows. Her hand tightens on the hilt of her katana; her own heartbeat is thunder in her ears. In this suspended moment, as fear twists her insides, a cold, deliberate hand comes to rest on her shoulder from behind.