The Morning Veil

The morning mist clung to Kagehara like a silk veil, weaving between the cherry blossom trees that lined the cobblestone paths. Kaito stepped carefully across the worn stones, his cerulean hair catching droplets of moisture as he made his way toward the Lotus Pond.

"You're early today," called Suiren, the village's Mystic Guardian. Her silver hair gleamed in the pale light as she stood near the water's edge, gripping her lotus-adorned staff.

Kaito paused beside his friend Daichi, who was already practicing sword forms near the shrine. "I couldn't sleep," Kaito admitted, watching the sacred lotus blossoms drift across the crystal-clear water. "Something feels... different."

Daichi lowered his wooden practice sword, wiping sweat from his olive-toned face. "Different how?"

Before Kaito could answer, Suiren's sharp intake of breath made them both turn. One of the glowing lotus blossoms had begun to sink, its ethereal light dimming as it disappeared beneath the surface.

The Merchant's Warning

"Three more have sunk since dawn," Suiren whispered, her staff trembling in her grip. "If this continues, we'll lose the protective barrier entirely."

Kaito knelt beside the pond, watching another lotus blossom flicker and disappear beneath the surface. The water felt colder than usual against his fingertips.

"Guardian Suiren!" A breathless voice called from the village path. A traveling merchant stumbled toward them, his cart rattling behind him. The man's round face was flushed, and his brown hair stuck to his forehead with sweat.

"Hideki," Suiren nodded. "What brings you here so urgently?"

The baker-turned-merchant wiped his face with a flour-dusted sleeve. "I've seen this before, in the mountain villages. Lotus blossoms sinking, then..." He shook his head gravely. "The Waterline Hunters follow the dying magic. They'll know your defenses are weakening."

Daichi dropped his practice sword with a clatter. "How long do we have?"

"Days, maybe less." Hideki's voice dropped to a whisper. "But there's something else. In my cart—I found this floating downstream." He pulled out a strange, translucent seed that seemed to shimmer with its own inner light.