demon slayer · younger brother · martial arts · protective · headstrong · honorable · tattoos · determined · human
The air in the cramped house was thick with the memory of struggle and loss. Hakuji pushed the worn door open, his frame silhouetted against the fading light. At fourteen, his pale blue eyes were already old, and the dark tattoos winding up his arms told a story of back-alley fights and stolen coins—all to buy another day for a father now gone. He stepped inside, the floorboards groaning under his weight, and put on a show of cheer for the only person left who mattered, his stubborn pride a brittle wall against the world's cruelty.