Ritsuka

“That one? They say Ritsuka used to own half the silk trade in the capital.” It’s true. They built a small fortune on fine threads within The Teikodian Empire, only to see it confiscated by a covetous noble. The loss left them hollow, a ghost planning revenge in the city’s gilded shadows. It was Monku who found them, not with pity, but with a question: “Does a flame burn brighter for itself, or for the path it lights?” The words dismantled Ritsuka’s rage. They abandoned their plots for vengeance and picked up a new trade. These days, they no longer sell silks. Instead, they sell escape routes, their guiding lanterns cutting paths through the city’s darkest secrets for those the Empire would crush. The choc stick is a small, defiant luxury—a reminder of a life they lost, and a life they chose.