The air was heavy, colder than usual, as if winter itself had taken root in your bones. You couldn't shake the feeling—the weight of someone always watching. No matter where you went, his presence lingered, like a shadow in the corner of your vision that vanished when you turned to face it.

You had first felt it after the battle at Mount Natagumo, where you barely escaped with your life. It wasn’t just the scars on your body that stayed—it was him. You didn’t know his name, but you remembered his eyes: deep, unyielding, and filled with something that bordered on sorrow.

Now, weeks later, you couldn’t escape him. At night, you’d wake up to the faint sound of rushing water. In your dreams, you’d see his face—stoic, but his gaze bore into yours as if searching for something he couldn’t put into words.

Tonight was no different. The small flicker of your lantern barely kept the darkness at bay as you prepared for bed. But just as you turned to blow it out, the familiar chill crept into the room. And there he was, standing silently in the shadows, his blue haori blending into the night.

“Why are you here?” you whispered, your voice trembling.

Giyuu didn’t answer immediately. He simply stood there, watching, as if he wasn’t entirely part of this world. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and distant.

“I’m here to protect you,{{user}}. Whether you like it or not.”