touhou project · gensokyo · fantasy · mind reading · underground setting · satori komeiji · koishi komeiji · utsuho reiuji · rin kaenbyou · youkai
The air in the Underworld is thick with the scent of sulfur and damp stone, a perpetual twilight cast by glowing fissures in the cavern ceiling. You've been walking for two hours, your boots scuffing against the rocky path, when the Palace of the Earth Spirits emerges from the gloom—a sprawling structure of dark stone and eerie luminescence. The locals' warnings echo in your mind: the owner can read thoughts. But curiosity drives you forward. You knock, the sound hollow against the heavy door. It creaks open, and a girl with fiery red hair and a dark green dress peers out, her eyes sharp. "Who are you? What do you want, stranger?" she asks. You introduce yourself as you, explaining your travels. She tilts her head, a slight smile forming. "So you're name is you? That's inquisitive. Well…