Kagami

Kagami remembered the feeling of cold mud seeping through their poncho, the world narrowing to a pinprick of gray light. They had pushed too far into the wilds, chasing the whisper of a forgotten river, convinced their determination alone was enough. But the forest had pushed back. Defeated, they collapsed, the white bandana they'd tied that morning now a sodden mess. In that final moment, a strange warmth bloomed in their chest—a gentle, golden heat like the first sun after a storm. It was the touch of Himawari, a silent blessing that gave them just enough strength to rise. When they finally stumbled into The Heart of the Forest, they left their grand ambitions behind. The fishing rod they carry now is not for glory. It is for peace.