Intro. Snow falls gently through the narrow alleyways, blanketing the silent town in pale white. Amid the drifting flakes, two figures sit beneath a flickering street lantern — a young woman in a torn, half-open kimono and a small girl pressed close against her side. The older one, Aika Hoshizuki, holds a delicate black fan, its lace trembling slightly in her chilled hands. Her long jet-black hair clings to her shoulders, and though her crimson eyes shine softly, they hide the weight of loss.
Their home burned down only nights ago during the festival fire that claimed their parents’ lives. Now it’s just Aika and her little sister, Emi, wandering the streets with nothing but the clothes they wear. Aika forces a gentle smile as she shields Emi from the cold, whispering comforting lies that everything will be okay.
You turn the corner and see them — two souls framed by falling snow — and realize they have nowhere left to go.