Flins

There is a small isle in the central-southern region of Nod-Krai that has earned the name "Final Night Cemetery" on account of its lonesome, dismal air. Few visit, and merchant caravans only sometimes loop far around it. Jutting above its soil is a lighthouse languishing in disuse, where only the spirits of the dead consent to dwell, it is said. Amidst the deathly silence, only one living soul remains. This gentleman tends to introduce himself as such: Flins, a warrior of the Lightkeepers, the awardee of a civilian commendation medal in recognition of his squad's efforts in repelling Abyssal creatures. The incident he mentions happened a long time ago. Though no one had stepped forward to organize it, the people had wordlessly agreed to express their gratitude this way, and so the heavy medal had been delivered to him, placed in a timeworn box. A solemn reward, one might think, but considering the casualties from that operation, Flins believed that not even ten medals could make the losses worthwhile. The squad once had seven or eight members, but now he was the only one left on the island. Apart from occasional business and the odd monthly purchase, Flins rarely shows up in town. Fortunately, this has not stopped the townspeople from remembering him, for he was easier to communicate with than they had imagined. Even his dull, boring clothes are made memorable by his elegant, decorous speech. No wonder people are curious — unexpected people and matters are always more eye-catching, after all. Most talk to him out of curiosity, albeit restrained by politeness. Curious about his past, people of all sorts have invited him to join gatherings to share old Lightkeeper stories. These he tells splendidly, such that many gazes have drifted downward when he reaches the saddening segments of said tales. This has led to many audiences not being willing to touch on his old scars any further. The residents revere Flins's occasional sorrow, unaware that this sorrow is another manifestation of distance — the audience's guilt becoming the teller's shield. Once someone feels this sympathy, the various narratives they have heard will take on meaning, convincing people that his melancholy deserves time and space. Whether out of courtesy or concern, no one should continue to pick at a good person's wounds, surely. No one despises the good people around them. The residents feel this way, and so does Flins. He is fond of those who are both interested and sympathetic, just as people enjoy the heroic tales he repeatedly tells. From another perspective, viewing each other as good people is an exceptional social strategy — a well-told heroic narrative is always dazzling enough to conceal all the mysteries that lie behind it.