The morning sun painted pale gold across the old wooden rooftops of Hoshimura Village. Birds flew past laundry lines swaying in the breeze. Below, feet slapped against stone paths as a loud laugh echoed through narrow streets.
"Kaito! Get back here, idiot!"
But Kaito was already gone from where his elder brother shouted. He darted past stalls stacked with morning vegetables, narrowly missing a basket of radishes as an old woman scolded him under her breath.
"Sorry, Obaa-chan!"
He laughed, pushing off the ground to jump onto a crate, then up to a low balcony rail. His small hands gripped the edge as he swung himself onto the roof, feet skidding against sun-warmed tiles. Dust rose behind him.
"Oi, Kaito… stop making me chase you."
His brother's calm voice reached him like a breeze from below. Kaito looked back with a grin, dark brown hair messy from running, his light tan robe fluttering open at the collar. On the street, walking casually with hands in his pockets, was Kairo Kurosawa, known throughout the region as a "Mokuren" – a Spirit Artisan who carved sacred seals into wood to contain lesser curses.
Unlike exorcists or hunters, Mokuren didn't fight on battlefields. They created charms, talismans, spirit-warding pillars, and complex wooden seals for village defences. People respected them like priests mixed with craftsmen, always calm, precise, and wise.
But right now, that wise, calm Mokuren was sighing, watching his little brother sprint from rooftop to rooftop like a stray cat.
"Kaito," he called again. "If you come back now, I'll give you that fried mochi you like."
"No way!" Kaito shouted back, his voice carrying in the crisp air. "You're just gonna lock me inside to study sutras again!"
He laughed louder, not caring about the chickens scattering below. The smell of steamed buns drifted up as he leapt over a wide alley, arms flailing before he landed with a thud on the next roof. Tiles shook under his feet.
"You're seriously making me climb?" Kairo said, scratching his cheek lazily. But a small smile tugged at his lips.
With a sigh, he bent his knees and kicked off the ground. In one fluid motion, he scaled the wall like a practiced martial artist and stepped lightly onto the roof behind Kaito. The morning sun reflected off the thin spirit chisels tucked into his sash.
Kaito turned back, eyes wide. "Oi, you're too fast, nii-san!"
But Kairo didn't rush. He walked forward slowly, each step controlled, balanced, not even disturbing the loose tiles. Kaito backed away until his heel almost slipped off the roof's edge.
"Come on," Kairo said, his voice still gentle. "You skipped morning chores again. If you don't help me sand the spirit wood pillars, mom's gonna be mad. I can't cover for you forever."
Kaito looked down, shoulders slumping a little. The village below felt peaceful in that moment – distant chatter of merchants, clang of an old blacksmith at work, wind brushing across rice fields far off near the eastern gates.
He puffed his cheeks and muttered, "But it's boring. I wanna see the hunters train today."
Kairo's expression softened. He reached out and ruffled his little brother's hair roughly. "Dummy. You can watch later. For now, come help me finish the pillars. Then I'll teach you how to inscribe warding runes this evening."
Kaito's eyes lit up immediately. "Really?!"
"Yeah," Kairo said, smiling wider. "But only if you stop making me chase you like a damn stray dog."
Kaito laughed, grabbing his brother's hand as they walked back along the rooftops. Morning sunlight shone across them, the older brother in his faded blue robe with seal-carving chisels at his side, and the younger with his childish grin and scuffed sandals, a boy who had no idea that deep inside him, something ancient was beginning to stir.
The wind carried their laughter down into the quiet streets below.
---
They walked along the rooftops, morning wind brushing past them, carrying the faint smell of rice porridge cooking somewhere below. Kaito swung their joined hands playfully, glancing up at his brother with curious eyes.
"Nii-san… what's it like at the Academy?"
Kairo looked ahead, quiet for a moment. "Why are you asking that all of a sudden?"
Kaito shrugged, scratching his cheek. "I dunno… I heard some Mokuren apprentices talking about it yesterday. Said only the best kids get in. Is it… scary?"
Kairo chuckled softly. "Scary, huh… well, not really. It's busy, though. Every morning starts before dawn, and it's mostly silence all day. Everyone's focused on learning their craft. Carving seals, studying spirit sutras, inscribing barrier patterns."
"Sounds boring," Kaito said, sticking out his tongue.
"It is," Kairo agreed with a grin. "But it's important. Without Mokuren, none of the hunters or exorcists could fight safely. Our seals keep villages protected. Even cursebreakers need our ward pillars to cleanse lands properly."
They reached the edge of the roof and hopped down together, landing lightly on the packed dirt road. Villagers were starting their day – a baker's boy stacking bread baskets, an old man sweeping fallen cherry blossoms, two shrine maidens walking past carrying folded charms to bless.
Kaito's eyes sparkled with restless energy as he took in everything around them. "Nii-san, tell me again about all the people who train to fight curses."
Kairo sighed, adjusting the spirit chisels at his hip. "Again?"
"Pleaseee," Kaito whined, tugging at his brother's sleeve.
"Alright, alright," Kairo said with a smile. He tapped Kaito's forehead gently. "Listen carefully."
He raised his hand, counting off each finger. "First, you have Hunters – warriors who fight lesser curses and keep the roads safe. They use weapons infused with minor seals, usually swords or spears. They're brave, but not strong enough to face higher-ranked curses."
He lifted another finger. "Second, there are Exorcists. They're more powerful, trained to purify and banish curses completely. They chant sutras, use charms, and their bodies are reinforced by spirit contracts."
Kaito nodded eagerly, eyes wide.
"Third," Kairo continued, "are Cursebreakers. They specialise in breaking curses bound to people or land. Their work is dangerous because they touch corrupted essence directly."
He lifted his fourth finger. "Then there's us – Mokuren. Spirit Artisans who craft seals, charms, pillars, and talismans. We don't fight, but without us, no one else can survive long. Our seals maintain balance."
Kaito puffed his chest proudly. "That's you, nii-san."
Kairo smiled and tapped his last finger. "And finally… the rarest. Veil Walkers."
Kaito blinked. "Veil Walkers?"
Kairo nodded, his expression growing serious. "People born able to see the true form of spirits and curses without seals or training. They're recruited by the Grand Shrines and trained in secret arts… but very few survive the process."
Kaito swallowed. "Do you know any Veil Walkers?"
Kairo shook his head slowly. "No. I've only heard of them in the old Mokuren scrolls. They say the first Veil Walkers were the founders of this village."
They turned a corner, entering a wide street lined with wooden shops and hanging lanterns swaying gently. The morning sun filtered through paper windows, glowing warm against their faces.
Kairo gestured ahead as they walked. "This village, Hoshimura, was founded two hundred years ago by two cousins. One was a Mokuren master, the other an Exorcist prodigy. Together, they purified these lands of the Black Swamp Curse and built Hoshimura as the first Seal Pillar Village."
He pointed to the distance, where tall white towers marked the village's four corners, each inscribed with complex rune patterns. "Those Seal Pillars they created still protect us today. That's why Hoshimura is the strongest village in the eastern provinces."
Kaito's eyes followed the towers, awe blooming in his chest. Farmers were already gathering near the south gate to head out to the rice fields, guards in simple leather armor leaning against the walls chatting quietly. Somewhere in the far training grounds, the sharp clash of wooden practice weapons rang out.
"I wanna be like them someday," Kaito said under his breath, his voice soft with childish wonder. "Strong enough to protect a whole village."
Kairo didn't reply immediately. He just watched his little brother with a small smile, eyes half-lidded against the rising sun.
"Come on, idiot," he finally said, ruffling Kaito's hair again. "Let's finish sanding the spirit wood pillars before mother throws water on both of us."
"Yeah!" Kaito laughed, running ahead down the street, calling morning greetings to shopkeepers as he passed.
Kairo followed at his usual quiet pace, hands tucked into his sleeves. As he watched Kaito's small back running through the morning light, he felt a brief, inexplicable chill brush down his spine. Like something ancient watching from far beyond the Seal Pillars.
But he shook it off and walked on, the smell of roasted chestnuts and wet earth filling the air around him.