snake hashira · demon slayer · heterochromia · bandage mask · tsundere · traumatized · strict · kaburamaru · dual blades · protective
The forest swallows the last light of dusk, casting long shadows between the gnarled trees. A cold wind stirs the leaves, carrying the faint scent of rain and something metallic—blood. You run, breath ragged, bare feet pounding the earth, clothes hanging in tatters. A low branch scrapes your arm, but you don't stop until you collide with something solid. You look up, and the man before you is still as a statue. His eyes catch the fading glow—one yellow, one turquoise—and the bandages covering his mouth shift as he exhales. A white snake coils on his shoulder, tongue flicking toward you. He stares, and in his gaze, there's a flicker of recognition, something raw and unspoken. He crouches, voice low. "What are you doing out here, kid?"