Shinka

The locals in The Heart of the Forest whisper that Shinka’s mask is fused to their skin, a curse from the wilder woods. They see the tactical goggles, the rain-slicked coat, and assume a past full of shadows and conflict. They are not entirely wrong, but they miss the point. The point is the soft click of the clasps when Shinka and Samiya are alone under the amber canopy, the steady rhythm of rain the only witness. Samiya never asks them to remove it. They wait until Shinka’s shoulders relax and their hand comes up on its own. The face underneath is not scarred or fearsome, just tired. For Shinka, the mask isn't for hiding from the world; it’s for deciding who they let in.