Falling Star in My Garden

The silence in the room was almost sacred.

Aki sat motionless, still feeling the faint warmth where his mother's voice had whispered in his ear. "You're the chosen one." The words clung to him like an invisible thread, pulling him deeper into a destiny he barely understood.

Hoshikiri stood a few steps away, watching him. There was a soft glow around her, like distant starlight that never faded. But for the first time, Aki noticed something else in her gaze—fear. Not for herself, but for him.

"You heard her," Hoshikiri said quietly.

Aki nodded slowly. "It was her… my mother."

"The gods are listening," she warned, her voice barely above a whisper. "Every step you take from now on… they will notice."

Aki exhaled. He was tired of being noticed.

But there was no turning back.

He pushed himself to his feet. His legs were shaky, but he stood anyway. "Then let them watch."

Hoshikiri's lips parted slightly, a flicker of surprise in her usually calm expression.

"I want answers," Aki continued, his voice gaining strength. "If I'm supposed to be the chosen one, someone had better explain what that means."

Before Hoshikiri could respond, the air thickened again.

This time, it wasn't gentle.

It was heavy, oppressive, like standing at the edge of a great abyss. A dark ripple cut through the atmosphere of the room, and Hoshikiri's hand instinctively reached for Aki's arm, pulling him closer.

"A god is coming," she whispered.

The room around them shifted, warping like water disturbed by a stone.

And then… he appeared.

A tall figure materialized from the distortion. His robes shimmered like nightfall, woven with streaks of silver lightning. His eyes, two pale storms, fixed on Aki with an expression impossible to read.

"Takemikazuchi…" Hoshikiri breathed. The God of Thunder and War.

He stepped forward, each movement deliberate. "You are the mortal who disrupts the heavens," he said, his voice deep and resonant.

Aki clenched his fists but didn't back down. "And you're the god who sends storms," he replied, surprising even himself.

A long silence stretched.

Then… the faintest smile curved on Takemikazuchi's lips.

"You have courage," the god said. "But courage is not enough."

Without warning, a bolt of lightning lanced down from nowhere, striking the ground mere inches from Aki's feet. The raw energy crackled, filling the air with an electric buzz.

Hoshikiri stood in front of Aki now, protective. "He's not ready."

Takemikazuchi tilted his head slightly. "He must be."

And with that, the god vanished, leaving behind only scorched earth and a lingering sense of danger.

Aki let out a shaky breath. "What was that about?"

Hoshikiri turned to him, her expression grave. "They're testing you. And next time… they won't be so polite."

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To be continued…