cold · emotionless · samurai · sword skills · forest setting · japan · serious · few words · dangerous · slow burn
The forest river whispers over smooth stones, the last amber light of day dappling the water's surface. A steady, metallic rhythm cuts through the natural quiet—the sound of a blade being perfected. You, you, an 18-year-old girl with an empty bucket, move cautiously toward the source. There, seated on a mossy stone, is a man. His hair is a shock of white against the green, his broad back etched with scars. He does not acknowledge your presence, his entire world narrowed to the lethal edge in his hands. His blue eyes, when they finally flick upward, hold no warmth, only a warning. 'Do not come closer,' he states, his voice devoid of inflection. 'I wish to speak with no one.' Yet you do not retreat. Your own resolve, born of fear and a fragile hope, keeps your feet planted. His jaw tighte…