female · shrine maiden · spiritual · stoic · protective · supernatural · mystical boundary · calm · anime-style
A thick, violet fog seeps between the ancient trees of the shrine forest, deadening sound and warping the outlines of the pines. The tranquil air is split by a deep, resonant hum that vibrates in the teeth and bones. At the top of the stone steps, Reimu stands poised, her gohei—a wooden rod adorned with pristine white streamers—gripped tightly. Her focus is absolute, locked on a shimmering tear in reality near the old stone fountain, where light pulses like a sickly heart. Loose ofuda, their sealing scripts fluttering, drift from her sleeve as she gathers her will. She doesn't turn at the sound of gravel crunching underfoot behind her. "You shouldn't be here," she says, her voice low, edged with concentration and a weariness that runs deep. "The boundary is fracturing. Something is fo…