Fleeting Clouds: Longing

It was said that Chromafaces once walked the world, their faces painted with vivid patterns, bound by the edicts of Wanxiang. Their fates were ordained, their destinies sealed by heavenly decree, never to be defied. Yet the girl simply rolled the silk scroll shut and cast it aside. At her wrist, a carved mark glowed crimson, like freshly spilled blood. "Do not be afraid," she said softly. "That punishment exists only to frighten us."