“Walk with me,” she said. “I’ll take you home.”
Hinari knelt to his level. “Someone who remembers what it’s like to be forgotten.” hinari
“You don’t have to believe in me. Just believe in the path ahead.” Short Scene: Hinari and the Lantern The rain fell in silver sheets over the abandoned shrine steps. A boy, no older than ten, huddled under a broken torii gate, his umbrella long since stolen by the wind. “Walk with me,” she said
“Who are you?” he whispered.
She held out her hand. A small paper lantern flickered to life in her palm—not with fire, but with a warm, golden light that pushed back the storm around them. “Walk with me