Shinema

Shinema polished the dented pilot helmet until the last rays of sunset fractured across its surface, casting shards of amethyst light against the fortress walls. The other trainees in their matching green uniforms whispered stories about them—a former ace pilot, a sky warrior brought low by some forgotten battle. They saw the confident side smile and assumed it was the memory of old glory. They missed the grief in Shinema’s eyes. Years ago, the beast slayer Yuki had pulled them from a snowdrift, barely alive and clutching the helmet tightly. Everyone assumed it was their own. Shinema never corrected them. It's easier than explaining that the helmet belonged to the pilot they couldn't save.