The faint gray light of morning seeped through the cracks in the hut, casting long shadows across the walls. Zami sat silently, unmoving as the girl stirred beneath his cloak. Her eyes fluttered open, dark as the void and filled with a wary awareness. She gripped the wooden bird figurine tightly, as if it were a talisman warding off unseen horrors.
Zami leaned forward, his gaze steady but not harsh. He reached out and gently retrieved his cloak, draping it back over his own shoulders. Its tattered edges swayed slightly as he stood, looming over her small frame like a sentinel.
"Do you have a name?" he asked, his tone calm but carrying the weight of expectation.
The girl hesitated, her gaze darting around the room as if searching for an answer. Finally, in a whisper barely audible, she said, "Kiyo."
"Kiyo," Zami repeated, as if testing the name on his tongue. He nodded slightly. "Where are you from?"
She shook her head, pulling her knees to her chest. "I don't remember."
Zami's silver eyes narrowed. "Then who or what is chasing you?"
Her grip on the wooden bird tightened, her pale fingers trembling. "Shadows," she said softly, her voice laced with fear. "They come at night. I ran... but they always find me."
Zami didn't press further. Her answers were fragmented, but they were enough for now. He had seen enough horrors to know that sometimes, the mind shielded itself from the worst of them.
He stood, the floor creaking faintly under his weight. "We should move," he said firmly. "Staying in one place makes us easy targets."
Kiyo hesitated, her dark eyes looking up at him. "Will you protect me?"
Zami didn't respond immediately. His gaze shifted to his katana, its ominous presence a reminder of the path he had walked. "I will do what I must," he finally said, his voice low and resolute.
He extended a hand to her, and after a moment of hesitation, she took it. Her small fingers felt fragile against his, but her grip was firm—perhaps the only strength she could muster.
As they stepped outside the hut, the broken landscape stretched before them, a desolate expanse of twisted trees and gray skies. Zami scanned the horizon, his senses sharpened for any sign of danger.
"We go forward," he said, his voice carrying a finality that left no room for argument.
Kiyo nodded, her small form dwarfed by Zami's imposing figure as they began their journey into the unknown. The path ahead was uncertain, but Zami knew one thing: whatever awaited them, he would face it head-on.