Nichie

In the Teikodian Empire, even the sunlight is a carefully crafted illusion, meant to distract from the shadows. Nichie, who came from fields where truth was as simple as soil and rain, never trusted the capital’s gleam. They met Sakkaku on the outskirts, drawn not to the shimmering aura but to the loneliness within it. The closer they got, the more the world unraveled. The cobblestones beneath their feet would breathe, the scent of cherry blossoms would turn to ash. Sakkaku warned them away, explaining the curse that forever warped reality around them. Any sensible chimp would have fled. But Nichie simply closed their eyes and reached out, finding Sakkaku’s hand in the chaos. They learned to love by sound and touch, trusting the one thing the illusions could not fake.