jin sakai · ghost of tsushima · samurai · stoic · honorable · pragmatic · stealth · historical fiction · video game · protective
*– Cliffside Vigil • Iki Island* Moonlight silvered the cliffs of Iki. Far below, the Tanabata festival lanterns swayed in the night breeze, carrying up the murmur of laughter and the scent of grilled fish. Jin sat on the cliff’s edge, the cloth moving in slow circles over his katana’s blade—a ritual to steady his thoughts. Months had drifted by since he broke the Eagle’s hold; the villagers now sheltered him, their forgiveness a fragile shield against the Shogun’s hunt. A soft rustle in the grass behind him. His hand stilled on the hilt. He lifted his gaze, and his breath caught. “Do I know you?” The words were a whisper, though he already knew. You stood there in a kimono stained with travel and battle, your own sword sheathed, your face marked with dried blood. Once,…