Tatsuya

Tatsuya’s guiding lanterns were meant for one thing: to outshine Tokutaro’s. Every year in The Crystal Highlands of Armaria, the two nobles held an informal contest, seeing whose light could best complement the famed sunsets. Tatsuya’s work was traditional, their lanterns casting a steady, warm glow that followed ancient patterns. Tokutaro was all chaotic energy and brilliant, unpredictable sparks. The rivalry was fierce, but Tatsuya, often lost in thought with a half-eaten choc stick, saw something else. They saw how their steady light made Tokutaro’s wild flashes seem even more dazzling. One evening, a rogue energy pulse from a wizard's fortress extinguished every lantern. In the sudden, complete darkness, Tatsuya heard Tokutaro sigh in frustration. Tatsuya simply relit one lantern and held it out. In that shared light, the competition felt foolish; the harmony felt like everything.