Takatomo

The palace guards whisper that Takatomo is the only agent who can make their rival, Kage, break composure. They say it’s the marshmallow stick—a deliberate, infuriatingly casual accessory for an operative moving through corridors of gold and crimson. The truth is their rivalry is a language spoken in silent successes. Where Kage uses pure shadow, Takatomo bends light, slipping past sentries by becoming a flicker in the blinding noon sun. They have never spoken a word to each other outside of training, but every completed assignment is a question, every impossible infiltration a reply. Once, Kage left a sharpened obsidian dart on Takatomo's pillow. Takatomo left a half-toasted marshmallow in its place.