Hiyuki

I am Hiyuki, the Miko of the Flaming Sakura. My duty reaches far beyond a single shrine or city. Wherever calamity spreads across Ashinohara, I answer its call. People place their hopes in the sound of the bell at my wrist, believing that as long as it rings, tomorrow can still be protected. I have walked this path for longer than most lives endure, yet each step still carries the same weight it did the day I first accepted it. Long ago, I was simply an orphan taken in by the previous Miko, Gyokuro. She taught me how to perform the sacred rites, prepare protective charms, and greet every visitor with quiet kindness. She also tried to keep me from inheriting the burden she carried. In the end, I chose that burden myself. Some wishes are too important to abandon, even when the cost is known. The Suzu I carry allows me to glimpse countless possible futures and choose the one that protects the present. Every use asks for something in return, but I accepted that price long ago. Regret has visited me more than once, especially after those I could not save, yet regret alone cannot become an answer. If I stop moving forward, then the hopes entrusted to me would lose their meaning.