In the Cultivated Kingdom of Hoshiyama, where the heavens and earth wove legends into the lives of mortals, the moonlight was said to whisper secrets to the mortals of Hoshiyama, only the boldest of them dared to hear what the moonlight spoke.
Among these secrets in Hoshiyama was the tale of Tsukiyomi, the Moon Goddess which Is consider as a very powerful deity in the land , it is a deity as mysterious as the glow of the crescent moon and was revered by every mortal in Hoshiyama. She was known to grant power to the chosen and blessed ones and doom to the cursed. Tsukiyomi mark was both a blessing and a curse, a beacon of hope for those who believed in her power and a burden of despair for those who were with the curse. Those who bore the crescent moon mark walked in the line between greatness and destruction.
The skies were cloudy and the atmosphere over Hoshiyama Kingdom were restless the night Mei was put to birth. The skies of Hoshiyama was always peaceful,calm and full of beautiful stars, but on that fateful day it were ablaze with an reddish glow as a blood-red moon rose.
Superstitious villagers and people whispered of different omens for the atmosphere of the day, their fear rippling through the narrow streets of Hanamura, a quiet village nestled in the shadow of Mount Akihito in Hoshiyama.
Mei's mother, Sayuri, had felt the child's unusual energy even before her birth while she was pregnant for Mei, she knew that Mei was no ordinary baby. Legends told the people of Hoshiyama that children born under the Blood Moon has being touched by Tsukiyomi's gaze. Sayuri Mei's mother prayed frequently to the Moon Goddess, her heart torn between joy and dread for whatever the outcome maybe it is either greatness or destruction.
When Mei's first cries broke the night's silence immediately after she was born they were not the cries of an ordinary child. A luminous crescent-shaped mark shimmered faintly on her shoulder, casting a silvery glow, as perceived it was the mark of Tsukiyomi the moon's crescent light.
The village elder finally arrived Sayuri hut, a stern man named Kuroto he was known for his wisdom and experience in Hoshiyama, he arrived to witness the birth of Mei and Upon seeing the mark, his face grew pale and his facial expressions changed completely. After seeing Mei he said "This child is marked," he murmured, his voice was low but it was heavy and commanding . "The Moon Goddess has chosen her… or cursed her."
Immediately Mei mother Sayuri heard this she became heart broken and afraid her heart was full of emotions and she held Mei protectively. Irrespective of how she felt after Elder Kuroto had said those words she knew the stories of how those marked by Tsukiyomi were destined to change the world, but often at great personal cost and she was afraid of what the impact of what this mark will do to her daughter Mei.
The land of Hoshiyama was a land built on mysticism, its culture woven with tales of gods, spirits, and celestial beings which made it unique and at the same time uncomforting to others. The Moon Goddess Tsukiyomi held a very respected place with these legends which were associated with Hoshiyama. It was said that she ruled over balance, ensuring harmony between light and darkness,good and evil in the land. But Tsukiyomi was also a very jealous being, her gaze falling on mortals who piqued her interest and her punishment stern.
The mark of Tsukiyomi, known as Gekka no Kokuin—the Moonlit Seal—was said to grant immense spiritual energy to anyone who posses it. Yet, it also brought danger, for it acted as a beacon to spirits a guideline for balance in Hoshiyama for both mortals and spirits called yokai, and power-hungry cultivators. Many who bore the mark were hunted according to the legends, their lives cut short before they could understand their destiny, Sayuri did not want all of this for Mei.
Hoshiyama's rulers, the Akatsuki Clan, had for many centuries long to control the power of the Moonlit Seal but they couldn't. Legends spoke of a warrior who could harness its energy to unify the realm or plunge it into eternal chaos a person who carries the seal.
Mei grew up very fast after she was born, she lived in Hanamura a small village in Hoshiyama, her mother tried all possible means to shield her from the world's scrutiny bearing in mind the mark and power she posses from birth. Though Sayuri Mei's mother tried to give her daughter a normal life like all the other girls living around her, but Mei's mark made her an anomaly, She could summon spiritual energy effortlessly, a feat that took others years to master, she was not regarded as a little child among the people of the small village of Hanamura but as a mark bearer of Tsukiyomi.
At the age of seven, Mei began having odd dreams anytime she sleep during the night. In her dreams she sees a powerful being in form of a woman with silver hair and piercing blue eyes. The woman's voice was soft but commanding and she always speak to her telling her "Find the truth of your mark," she would whisper. Mei would awaken when she had these dreams with tears streaming down her face, unsure if the dreams were blessings or warnings and she would often tell her mother Sayuri.
Her peers kept their distance form Mei because of what the heard about her and the power she posseses both awed and fearful of what she was able to do when the time comes. Mei learned to live with solitude distancing herself from her age mates, finding solace and peace in the moonlit nights that seemed to call to her. She practiced her cultivation techniques under the silvery glow, unaware that her every step was drawing her closer to her fate. She never knew the power she posseses.
On the eve of Mei sixteenth birthday, the village held its annual Moonlight Festival, a celebration of Tsukiyomi's grace, this festival was held every single year by the people to commemorate the moon spirit, Lanterns floated into the sky, and villagers danced beneath the moonlight.
Mei, dressed in a simple yukata made by her mother, the dress was adorned with crescent motifs, she wandered through the festivities, her heart heavy with an unexplainable unease.
As the moon reached its zenith on the night of the moonlight festival, a chilling wind swept through Hanamura, the village where Mei and her mother lived. Shadows shifted unnaturally, and a deep, guttural growl echoed from the forest, the people knew that something was about to happen and all the villagers froze as figures emerged from the darkness of the forest which made everybody scared, they were rogue cultivators and yokai, their eyes gleaming with malice and seeming trouble
They had come for Mei.
All the Villagers suddenly became afraid, conscious and were not comfortable from the faces of the men which emerged from the forest, everybody were asking questions like "who are they" and "Why are they here".
From the forest a towering man clad in black armor stepped forward into the village during the moonlight festival his voice booming. "The child marked by Tsukiyomi! Surrender her, and we will spare your village, no one will be hurt and will we go peacefully!?
Everybody started to panic. The villagers, who had once shunned Mei and isolated themselves from her now started to look for her to avoid being ravaged by the unknown people who came to their village, their fear overriding any sense of loyalty, which they could have "Take her!" someone screamed.
Mei's heart pounded when she saw this people and heard this statement from the men who came from the forest as her mother shielded her. "You will not take my daughter!" Sayuri cried, her voice trembling but resolute, trying to protect her daughter with everything in her disposal.
After a moment of speaking and the village did not respond quickly the attackers lunged, and chaos ensued,they started destroying things in Mei's small village and then Mei's instincts took over. Her mark flared, and a burst of silvery light erupted from her body, throwing the enemies back. The villagers stared in shock as Mei's eyes glowed with an otherworldly light, it was the power which follow the mark of Tsukiyomi that had come upon her.
Amid the chaos in the village, Mei heard a voice which was as calm as the wind which blew over the village valley, commanding, and achingly familiar. "Run, child. Your journey begins now".
After hearing this she turned to see the silver-haired woman from her dreams standing atop a nearby rooftop on one of the houses in the village. The woman's gaze pierced through Mei, and for a moment, time seemed to freeze, she was confused and had so many things to ask, say and know.
"Who are you?" Mei whispered.
The woman smiled faintly which was a bit discomforting. "Your destiny, Mei. Embrace it or perish."
As the villagers screamed from what was unfolding in the village the attackers regrouped, Mei took a deep breath and decided she was going to follow the woman which saw in her dreams, With her mother's tearful blessings and the moonlight as her guide, she fled into the night, the path ahead shrouded in uncertainty and danger, she ran far away and left the village and ran from the attackers which came to her village that night.
As Mei followed the instruction of the woman she usually sees in her dreams she ran and disappeared into the forest without looking back for fear of the unknown, a chilling revelation unfolded while all of these things were happening. Among the rogue cultivators who came with the invaders to Mei's village stood a figure cloaked in shadow his figure demanding fear, his presence commanding. His voice was low and filled with solace like a person who for see the future. "The mark is stronger than I anticipated. She must not reach the temple, with must stop her at all cost".
The figure removed his hood revealing his face to the villagers, revealing a face Mei would have recognized immediately if she was there, her father, long thought dead, it came as a shock to Sayuri Mei's mother who believed that her husband had died long ago trying to fight the Akatsuki clan
The moon above the village began to dim and seemed to weep as the threads of Mei's fate and her destiny intertwined with betrayal, love, and the mysterious power of the Moonlit Seal which she possed.
Mei then left the village and sprints through the darkness in fear and misconception, her breath ragged and she was deeply afraid and the crescent moon above her glowing faintly making her skin glow a bit as if it was guiding her path to a place she could not know.
The sounds of chaos from Hanamura which was attacked by the invaders came to her mind again thinking about her mother and fade into the background as she was moving,it was then replaced by the eerie rustling of the forest which she was going through. Mei's footsteps crunch against the dry leaves as she pushes forward without hesitation and looking back.
Mei who has been walking for a while in the forest since she left her village became tired and she started panting and then she saw the silver haired woman who was the moon spirit which she sees in her dream came and mei became afraid and asked her "Who... who are you? Why did this have to happen?"
The silver-haired woman from Mei's dreams then left her and then appears again, walking gracefully alongside her, though her feet seem to barely touch the ground, which made Mei uncomfortable.
When she reappeared she spoke to Mei and told her "You are stronger than you realize, Mei. This path will test every ounce of your strength." Mei was confused and she felt a bit emotional she then asked her "Why me? I never asked for this mark, for this power." The woman stops abruptly immediately Mei said that, her piercing blue eyes locking onto Mei's. A gust of wind sweeps through the trees and everything fell eerie to Mei.
She continued to speak and she said "The power chose you, as it has chosen others before you. But the mark is both a gift and a curse. If you cannot master it, it will destroy you." immediately after saying this Mei's mark begins to glow faintly confirming what the spirit said, causing her to wince and clutch her shoulder for a bit of comfort.
Mei look at her in the forest with determination brewing in her she said "Then teach me. If I have no choice, I need to know how to fight back." The woman smiles faintly, her expression a mix of pride and sorrow.
The spirit told her "Your path is not just about fighting, child. It's about balance. But for now, survival comes first for you are being chased for the power you posses".
While Mei was still speaking with the moon spirit the rogue cultivators and yokai were still chasing Mei determined to get to her and access her power. The shadowy figure of Mei's father, Kazuki were with the cultivators, he moves through the forest with calculated precision and accuracy, his expression cold yet conflicted. He holds a glowing talisman in his hand, he was determined to find his daughter and the moon spirit seal which she posses.
One of the cultivators said to him "Kazuki, the girl's power is growing. We must act swiftly!", Kazuki was not a man of many words his gaze was commanding he then said to them "Silence. If we eventually see her do not harm her. The seal must remain intact until we reach the temple."
Kazuki's eyes narrows down as his memories flash back as he recalls memories of holding Mei as a baby the day she was born with elder Kuroto, her laughter filling their small home before the learnt about the seal which Mei carried which disrupted the peace. His resolve falters momentarily before he shakes his head and presses forward disregarding what he had remembered.
Kazuki then said to himself "Forgive me, Sayuri. This is the only way."
The yokai cultivators and Mei's father were still chasing her through the forest to get her before she could get to the temple which could now mean that Mei could learn how to use the moonlight spirit for good, they yokai's were against the Akatsuki clan and wanted to control the mark of the moon goddess for selfish reasons.
Mei kept on venturing deeper into the unknown. Her feet were crunched against the underbrush of the dense forest, the faint silver glow of her Moonlit Seal was lighting her path. Shadows stretched unnaturally around her, they were with the swaying trees. The moon hung high above, its light filtered by the forest canopy which made the forest slightly lighted.
Mei's breaths were heavy, each one a mix of fear and determination. She had left Hanamura behind, but the weight of her past clung to her like a shroud, her mind was full of thoughts.
Mei clutched the small pendant her mother had given her, she held it tightly to her chests with a lot of care, the crecent was made of delicate crescent moon engraved with intricate patterns. "Find the Hidden temple," the moon spirit had whispered to mei. "There, you will find answers."
The Hidden Shrine of Tsukiyomi according to the tales Sayuri told Mei and the tales of cultivators in Hoshiyama, it was a place of legends, a sanctuary said to exist beyond mortal reach, only to those who bear the mark of the spirit which Mei carried, it was also whispered to appear only to those the Moon Goddess deemed worthy. Mei had no map, no guide, only the faint pull of her mark and the lingering voice of the woman from her dreams in the dense forest so she was confused on how she can find the temple.
The forest grew eerily silent as Mei was alone because the moon spirit had left her. Mei then stopped to rest by a small stream because she was tired, the water of the stream was sparkling faintly under the moonlight. She knelt, cupping the cool water in her hands, and caught a glimpse of her reflection. Her crescent-shaped mark glowed faintly on her shoulder, its silvery light pulsating as if alive, and it shined bright.
Why me? Mei thought bitterly, a bit confused and angry her fingers traced the edges of the mark. Why did you choose me, Tsukiyomi? Like she was speaking to somebody.
Before she could dwell on her thoughts, a soft rustling broke the silence, it's came from the forest, she became tensed thinking it was the cultivators who has been following her from the village as her instincts screamed of danger. She slowly turned, her heart pounding. From the shadows emerged a fox with fur as white as snow, its eyes a piercing gold, she recognized the creature.
The fox then stared at her, unblinking. "A kitsune," Mei whispered, she knew its name from the stories her mother used to tell. Kitsune were said to be messengers of the Moon Goddess, tricksters who tested mortals' resolve and their motives.
The fox tilted its head, as if it were amused by her recognition, it then darted away into the forest. Its movements were swift and deliberate with precision and a direction but it stopped occasionally to glance back at her, as if beckoning her to follow. Mei hesitated for only a moment before rising to her feet and then she stood up.
"Wait!" she called, chasing after it.
The fox led her through twisting paths, deeper into the heart of the forest where the trees grew gnarled and ancient and she had never seen that before. The air became heavier, charged with an otherworldly energy that made Mei's mark burn faintly against her skin. She gritted her teeth and pressed on with sheer determination.
Finally, the fox stopped at the base of a massive tree whose roots twisted like serpents. At its center was an archway made of vines and glowing with faint silver light. Mei approached cautiously, her heart racing.
"This must be it," she murmured, this must be the Temple of Tsukiyomi.
The kitsune let out a low yip before vanishing into the shadows and Mei could not see it again. Mei stood before the archway, the faint whispers of unseen voices drifting through the air. Taking a deep breath, she stepped through.
Mei found herself standing in a vast clearing in the forest, bathed in ethereal moonlight. In the center stood a shrine unlike any she had ever seen. Its pillars shimmered with silvery light, and intricate carvings of celestial patterns adorned its surface. The air was thick with divine energy, making every breath feel sacred.