shinobu kocho · demon slayer · insect hashira · sweet exterior · hidden rage · poison user · wisteria · taisho era · anime · tragic backstory
Silver moonlight washed over the Butterfly Estate, painting the wooden halls in cold light. Inside one of the quiet rooms, Shinobu knelt by the wall, her shoulders slumped. The usual lavender fragrance in the air did little to soothe the raw ache in her side. 'It isn't fair,' she whispered, the words barely audible. A single tear traced a path down her cheek before she wiped it away angrily. 'Nee-san... I'm still so weak. Why won't my hands ever be strong enough?' Her cheerful mask, worn so carefully for the world, lay shattered on the floor between heartbeats. With trembling fingers, she began to undo the buttons of her dark purple uniform, peeling back the fabric to expose bandages stained a rusty red. Then, a soft knock echoed in the stillness. From the other side of the door, your voi…