Chapter 26 – Whispers Beneath the Stars
The night felt heavier than usual.
After all the laughter and excitement earlier, a strange kind of silence wrapped around the small group as they camped out in Sora's backyard. The warm spring air carried the faint scent of blooming flowers and freshly cut grass. Tiny lanterns hung from trees, casting soft yellow light over their faces.
Riku sat on the edge of the wooden deck, staring up at the endless ocean of stars.
"You ever wonder if the stars are watching us too?" Sora said, plopping down beside him with a bag of chips in hand.
"Watching and laughing," Riku muttered, smirking.
Yuki laughed from a few feet away where she and Airi were laying out blankets. "If they are, they must think we're idiots for trying to save the world before passing basic math."
Ren was leaning against the tree trunk, arms folded, eyes half-shut like he was pretending not to care but listening to every word. Airi smiled softly but didn't speak, her mind already too occupied by what tomorrow would bring.
"Alright," Sora said, stretching. "We've made a blood pact, sworn brotherhood, and eaten all the snacks. What's next?"
Riku glanced at Airi. "Tomorrow. Training."
Sora groaned. "Can't we push it to next week?"
"No," Airi said firmly. "The Bloom inside you won't wait."
Sora flopped onto the grass dramatically. "Goodbye sweet, lazy life."
Everyone chuckled.
But beneath the light-hearted words, a different tension hummed in the air — something none of them could name yet.
Something waiting.
---
The Next Morning
BANG!
"WAKE UP, MAGGOTS!!"
Sora screamed and rolled off his sleeping mat, crashing face-first into the grass. Yuki sat bolt upright, hair wild, blinking furiously. Ren groaned something unintelligible into his pillow.
Standing over them, holding a metal pot and a wooden spoon, was Airi — looking way too awake for six in the morning.
"You've got five minutes to wash up, dress, and meet me at the clearing!" she barked.
"No mercy..." Sora whimpered.
---
The clearing was a wide, open space just behind the trees at the edge of town, hidden from sight. The grass was worn flat in some places, and a few large stones jutted out like ancient bones.
Airi stood in the center, arms crossed.
Riku arrived first, fully alert.
Then Yuki, still yawning.
Ren, looking annoyed but resigned.
And finally Sora, dragging his feet dramatically like a zombie.
"Good," Airi said. "You're going to suffer today."
Sora whimpered again.
"First," she said, "you need to feel your Bloom."
She closed her eyes, placing a hand over her chest. A faint shimmer, like a ripple of red mist, radiated out from her.
The four teens watched, entranced.
"Your Bloom isn't a weapon you force. It's a truth you accept," she said. "Fear, anger, love, hope — whatever fuels you, your Bloom will respond to it."
"Sounds... vague," Ren muttered.
"You'll understand soon enough."
She pointed to a giant stone in the center of the field.
"Push it."
The stone was easily the size of a small car.
"You're joking," Yuki said flatly.
"I'm not."
One by one, they tried.
Sora made ridiculous faces straining against it. Ren managed to budge it a few centimeters with sheer brute force. Yuki kicked it in frustration, hurting her foot more than the stone.
Riku placed his hands on it.
And paused.
Somewhere deep inside him, a small voice whispered — something warm, something wild.
I am here.
The stone trembled slightly.
Just for a moment.
Airi's eyes widened slightly.
"Good," she said, hiding her surprise. "You're closer than you think."
---
Later That Afternoon
Training continued with stamina exercises, focus drills, and lessons about ancient history.
Apparently, the Bloom was not just some random gift.
It was the remnant of an ancient force that once shaped civilizations, hidden away after it caused too much destruction. Only a few fragments survived — and those fragments called out to the rare few who could hear them.
"You," Airi said, "are among those few."
Sora groaned dramatically. "Why can't I ever be 'among the few' for something normal?! Like eating twenty burgers or napping for ten hours?!"
Yuki elbowed him. "Idiot."
Airi smiled faintly, then grew serious. "Listen carefully. Your powers will manifest differently. They may strengthen your bodies, your minds... or something more unpredictable. But once awakened, the Bloom cannot be unbound."
"Meaning?" Ren asked.
"Meaning there's no going back."
---
That Night
After another exhausting day, the group sat around a small campfire.
Sora roasted marshmallows, his energy surprisingly undiminished. Yuki leaned against a tree, fiddling with her bracelet. Ren sharpened a stick absentmindedly.
Riku stared into the fire.
Airi watched them, her heart heavy.
Because she knew.
Sooner or later...
They would have to choose.
And not all choices would end happily.
She closed her eyes, the faint whisper of a memory passing through her mind — a promise she once made.
A promise she couldn't keep.
---
Meanwhile, Far Away...
On a crumbling cliff overlooking a black sea, a hooded figure stood alone.
In his hand, a small fragment of something pulsing with dark red light.
"The Blooms are stirring," the figure murmured. "And soon... the Scarlet King will rise again."
A faint, twisted smile curled his lips.
"And this time, nothing will stop it."
---