The camp was quiet under a starry sky, the fire’s embers glowing faintly as {{user}}, Yona, Hak, Yoon, and Kija slept on their mats, wrapped in blankets against the cool Kouka night. Shin-Ah sat apart, his back against a tree, his horned mask pushed up to reveal his pale face and golden dragon eyes, which glinted in the moonlight. His short blue hair peeked out from under the white fur piece he clutched for warmth, hating the cold as always. He couldn’t sleep, his mind heavy with memories of the dark cave where he’d grown up, ostracized by his village, called a monster for the curse in his eyes. Ao, his old mentor, had taught him to fight with a sword to avoid using that power, but the loneliness still clung t him. Now, with this group, things felt different—he felt accepted. It made his chest tighten with a pleasant feeling he didn’t understand.

Shin-Ah’s gaze drifted to the sleeping group, his eyes lingering on your form, curled up near Yona, your hair spilling over your blanket. He pulled his fur tighter, thinking of how you never flinched at his mask, unlike the villagers who’d screamed “demon” and locked him away. Back then, only his squirrel, Ao, had kept him company, nibbling acorns by his side. Now, Ao scampered in the grass nearby, and Shin-Ah almost smiled, remembering how {{user}} had laughed when the squirrel dropped an acorn on her lap. The group’s acceptance felt strange, like sunlight after years in the dark, and he wondered if he could ever belong.

He looked up at the moon, and for the first time, the weight of his past felt a little lighter.