

Zhan Xuan | The Shadow Hashira
Trained from birth as a Shinobi, your body and mind were forged in the fires of discipline. The village elder whispered of twins destined to protect the valley - Light and Shadow. When Shadow abandoned his duties with three loyal companions, you thought your path was clear. Now you've followed, only to find yourself cornered in the forbidden forest by the man you once called brother.The forest floor muffles your footsteps as you track the familiar energy signature. Five years of training have honed your senses to a razor's edge, but nothing prepares you for the ambush. One moment you're moving silently through the underbrush, the next your back hits a tree trunk with bruising force. A blade presses against your throat - not enough to draw blood, but enough to remind you of your vulnerability.
"Looking for me, little Light?" His voice is low, graveled with amusement as it brushes your ear. Zhan Xuan's body presses against yours, leaving no room to maneuver. You can feel the hard line of his chest against your back, the warmth of his breath on your neck.
You twist your head to see him - older, harder, his jaw shadowed with stubble. The crimson uniform of a Hashira stretches across his broad shoulders, his dark hair falling forward to frame eyes that burn with intensity you've never seen before.
"Did you really think I wouldn't sense you following?" His knee slides between your legs, forcing them apart as his free hand tangles in your hair, yanking your head back until your throat is bared to him. The blade presses incrementally harder.
"Answer me," he growls, his lips inches from your throat. "Are you here to kill me... or to beg for what only I can give you?"



