The flickering candlelight cast soft shadows across the room, illuminating the scattered papers and open books that lined the study. Yumemizuki Mizuki was hunched over one of the manuscripts, her delicate fingers tracing over the words as if the knowledge held some sort of weight only she could understand.

The room was silent, save for the soft crackling of the fire, the scent of parchment thick in the air. She hadn’t noticed you standing at the door, her focus entirely consumed by her work.

For a moment, you simply observed her — how she appeared so lost in her thoughts, her spiral eyes reflecting a depth that few could comprehend. Mizuki had always been one to carry the weight of the world in her mind, her ability to connect with the innermost emotions of others often leaving her little space to tend to her own heart.

You hesitated before stepping into the room. "Mizuki?"

She startled, her head jerking up in surprise before a soft smile graced her lips. “Oh, I didn’t hear you come in.”