Chapter 24 – A Garden of Secrets
The old greenhouse was silent, but not empty.
Light filtered through the cracked glass above, painting a mosaic of reds and greens on the dusty floor. In the center, vines grew around a weathered stone pedestal—atop it, a dried crimson flower sat like a fossilized memory.
Airi walked toward it, her hand brushing the petals.
"This is called a Virelia. One of the first Blooms," she said. "They say each flower contains a fragment of something ancient… something divine."
Riku stepped closer. "What does it have to do with my brother?"
She glanced over her shoulder. "Everything."
A breeze stirred. The petals trembled.
Airi turned to face him. "Your brother was chosen by one of these. And like you, he started with the dreams. The symbol. The whispers."
Riku's heart thudded in his ears.
"But why me?"
"Because of what you carry inside. The Bloom doesn't pick randomly. It chooses based on one thing—emotion." Her voice softened. "Grief. Hope. Anger. Love."
Riku looked at his hand, imagining the glow he felt in his dreams. "What did my brother carry?"
"Resolve," she answered. "He wanted to protect something. Someone."
He took a deep breath. "And what happened to him?"
Airi paused. "He bloomed too fast. Too strong. He lost control."
Silence.
"I've never seen power like that," she whispered. "The sky turned red. The earth cracked. And then… he vanished."
"Vanished?" Riku echoed, his voice hollow.
She nodded. "Not dead. Not gone. Just… somewhere else."
He stared at the Virelia. "So the Bloom gives us powers?"
"Yes," she said. "But not like some fantasy game. It unlocks you. Every piece of you—the best, the worst, the hidden."
"Why didn't you tell me this before?"
"Because once you know…" she stepped closer, placing a hand over his chest, right where his heart beat fast, "you can't go back."
Riku felt warmth flood his chest. The symbol reappeared—glowing faintly beneath his shirt, visible only through the fabric.
"I want to understand," he said.
"You will," she promised. "But first, we have to awaken the others."
"Others?"
"Your friends. Sora, Yuki, Ren… they're connected too."
He staggered back. "No. I won't let them get pulled into this."
Airi shook her head. "It's not your choice, Riku. The Bloom has already chosen them."
The vines around the greenhouse walls began to shimmer faintly.
"All of you are bound by the same thread. And if we don't prepare… this city won't survive what's coming."
Outside, thunder rumbled in the distance—despite the clear sky.
Inside, Riku's eyes narrowed.
"If this is how it begins… then tell me what I need to do."
Airi smiled sadly. "You'll need to remember who you are… and what you're willing to lose."
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