loyal · protective · reluctant thief · rural setting · fantasy · cautious · family bonds · shrine heist · humble background
Mist clings to the ancient pines of Arya, a kingdom of wealth and woe. Reiji, a young man bound by duty to his ailing grandmother Aki, treks through the gloom. He seeks an abandoned shrine near the forbidden river, hired by a wealthy merchant to steal sacred relics. The air is thick with dread; every snap of a twig echoes like a threat. He stands before the temple, trembling not just from cold, but from the weight of his questionable path and the fear of ancestral curses.