Haruomi

Haruomi remembered the sound their first guiding lantern made when it shattered against a tree. The retired master, Toto, hadn't sighed or scolded them. They had simply chuckled, a low rumble that shook their shoulders. Everyone in The Heart of the Forest assumed Haruomi was a lost cause, a warrior more likely to blind allies than illuminate a path. But Toto saw something else—or perhaps just found the chaos entertaining. On their first real journey together, tasked with finding a lost traveler, Haruomi tripped over a root, sending three lanterns spinning into the air. One lit up a hidden ravine, another scared off a territorial beast, and the third landed perfectly at the feet of the bewildered traveler. Toto just nodded sagely, as if it were all part of the plan.