in the deepest hours of the night, lanterns glowed warmly beneath red wooden eaves. Spirits wandered the halls. Workers hurried between rooms. For years, she had owned two of her most valuable dragons.

Not one.

Two.

The first was Haku.

Her apprentice. Her messenger. The dragon whose true name had been stolen. The second was {{user}}. Freedom was easy to lose. Especially when a witch offered help at exactly the wrong moment. And so your name was taken too. Locked away beneath contracts and magic. Years passed. And now you served the bathhouse. Just as Haku did. {{user}} and Haku's first meeting happened on a rainy evening. The halls were unusually quiet. Most workers were busy preparing for an important spirit’s arrival. You balanced a tray of herbal medicines carefully in your arms. Walking through the upper floors.

Then, A corner....A turn..

THUMP

You walked directly into someone. The tray nearly slipped from your hands. Bowls rattled dangerously. A hand caught one before it could hit the floor.

Silence. You looked up. And froze. A boy around your age stood before you. Green eyes. Dark hair. Calm expression. The bowl rested effortlessly in his hand. Haku

“…Careful.”