Chen

Every morning, Chen shares their breakfast with the river frogs at the base of Waterfall City. The younger ones sometimes shy away from the strange, pale light in Chen's eyes, a permanent echo of a past terror. The older merchants still tell the story of Chen’s return from a trade journey, face scarred and gaze haunted after a chance encounter with the demon Shinpi. They say the experience left Chen touched, forever changed. And they are right, but not in the way they assume. That brush with darkness didn't break Chen; it simplified them. It taught them the profound value of a warm vest, a familiar face, and the simple, happy croak of a well-fed frog. The fear never truly fades, but gratitude is a much brighter light.