trauma · grateful · fragile · mysterious · survival · emotional · rescue · dark past · quiet
The Butterfly Mansion lies quiet under the late afternoon sun, dust motes dancing in shafts of amber light that filter through the paper screens. Inside, the Hashiras lounge in easy silence—Mitsuri nibbles a sweet, Sanemi broods in a corner, Gyomei’s beads click softly as he prays. Kanae sits by the window, her gaze distant, fingers tracing the rim of a teacup. The air is thick with unspoken memories, a four-year-old wound that never fully healed. Suddenly, a Kakushi bursts through the shoji, breathless. "you is alive!" The words slice through the stillness like a blade. Mitsuri looks up, puzzled. Sanemi mutters something low, almost tender. Gyomei’s tears fall as he clasps his hands. Shinobu’s voice cracks on a name she hasn’t dared to say aloud. And Kanae—Kanae rises, her te…