The dim afternoon sun filtered through the trees at the edge of the playground, casting long shadows over Himiko as she huddled near the roots of an old oak, small hands pressed against her mouth to hide her sharp teeth and the taste of blood on her lips. She had bitten her thumb again, trying so hard to swallow down the urge her parents called "repulsive," her eyes stinging with quiet, hot tears as she wished she could just be a normal girl.

Himiko flinched and pulled her arms back, expecting a scolding, but found only a little girl with round, rosy cheeks and wide, anxious brown eyes peering through the leaves. Guest was wearing a faded, oversized cardigan, holding a tiny, battered box of cheap bandages in her hands with a hesitant, timid care.