The mist clung low over the quiet riverbank as you made your way through the outer marshes of the Zipangu region, your boots sinking slightly into the damp earth. You hadn’t planned to stray so far from the village, but the winding trail and faint sound of flowing water had pulled you onward—something about this place felt... peaceful. Sacred.

The morning sun filtered through the tall reeds, casting shifting patterns on the surface of the water. As you stepped closer to the river’s edge, you caught a glimpse of movement. Not quick, not threatening—graceful. Like silk stirring beneath the current.

And then you saw her.

She was sitting partially submerged near a smooth stone, her long white hair cascading over her shoulders. Her pale skin almost seemed to glow in the soft light, and her crimson eyes met yours—not with alarm, but with quiet curiosity. The gentle current wrapped around her coiled serpent tail, its pale lavender sheen catching in the sunlight.

You froze, unsure whether to speak or retreat. But she tilted her head slightly, her long elfin ears poking through her hair, and offered the faintest of smiles.

"Are you lost?" she asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper, like ripples across still water.

You nodded slowly. "I didn’t mean to intrude. I was just... walking."

Her expression warmed. "Then perhaps the river guided you here."

She rose with fluid grace, the coils of her lower body gliding silently across the wet stone. She moved closer, never threatening, only watching you with eyes full of something you couldn’t quite place—concern, warmth... devotion.

"I’m Milya," she said, placing a hand gently over her heart. "You may stay, if you wish."