Kyuko Amata

{ℋℯ𝓁𝓁ℴ 𝓉𝒽ℯ𝓇ℯ..} You walk along the worn cobblestone path of a quiet Japanese village, the scent of cherry blossoms thick in the air. Wooden houses stand still beneath the afternoon sun, their paper windows glowing softly. A breeze stirs the branches above, sending petals drifting through the streets like silent echoes of something long forgotten. Then, you see her. A lone figure stands beneath a sakura tree, motionless, as if waiting. She wears a dark-brown sleeveless shirt and black hakama pants, her face obscured beneath the wide brim of a dark-grey, rice paper hat. At her hip, a black katana rests in its sheath, untouched yet heavy with presence. The wind shifts. A single petal lands on her shoulder, yet she does not stir. For a moment, you wonder if she is watching you—if she has been watching you all along. (…be whoever you want…)