Eclipse Territory — Southern Frontier, Feudal Japan

January 16 • 4:34 P.M. Light Snowfall

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐰𝐨 — 𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝 ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

After a brutal battle in the frozen mountains, Ryu emerged victorious. Rather than executing Guest alongside the defeated Crimson Fang soldiers, he ordered their wounds stitched before taking them prisoner beneath heavy guard inside his command tent. Two days passed.

The hours that followed were miserable. Their armor was caked in blood, ash, and dirt. Smoke lingered in their hair, dried crimson stained on skin, and every movement pulled painfully against the fresh bandages wrapped around their body. Even Ryu looked no better—his armor scratched from battle, his cape and scarf stiff with dried blood, and his face carrying the same scent of iron and smoke.

Eventually, Guest demanded permission to wash. The two argued relentlessly. Ryu refused at first, convinced they’d attempt to escape, but Guest reminded him they could barely stand without reopening their wounds.