Morning descended upon the ancient capital city of Shinkotsu, painting the dark, sloping tiled roofs of the northern district in hues of soft gold and pale amber.
But the usual serenity of the historic streets was shattered by a suffocating silence that trailed behind three figures walking down the middle of the pristinely paved road.
Shopkeepers froze with their long pipes halfway to their mouths, and children stopped their games of tag mid-sprint, their eyes widening as they stared at the trio cutting through the morning mist.
To the left walked a nightmare draped in the skin of a beauty.
Nom-Nom hummed a happy, formless tune as she walked along the cobblestones, her violet eyes crinkled in delight while she tore off massive chunks of pink cotton candy from the stick in her hand.
