The Gods' Unease
The Celestial Realm – Tsukihikari-no-Kami's Throne
A storm of light and shadow swirled around the celestial throne. The once tranquil expanse of the heavens now trembled under the weight of divine unrest. A congregation of gods, spirits, and celestial beings had gathered, their voices overlapping in urgent debate.
"The mortal did not make a wish?" a thunderous voice boomed. Raijin (雷神), the God of Thunder, his form crackling with electric fury, stepped forward. "This has never happened in the history of the celestial cycle!"
Susanoo (須佐之男), the tempestuous God of Storms, folded his arms. "Perhaps the boy is simply weak-minded," he muttered. "Not worthy of the Star Maiden's blessing."
"But the gods chose him," Amaterasu interjected, her golden eyes filled with concern. "The Star Maiden would not have descended unless he carried a soul deserving of fate's intervention."
Tsukihikari-no-Kami remained silent, his golden gaze fixed upon the mirror of eternity. Below, the Star Maiden knelt beside Hoshino Aki's unconscious form, an unreadable expression on her face.
"He is different," the Celestial God finally spoke. His voice, though calm, carried an undeniable weight. "He did not reach for the divine gift with greed. Nor did he deny it out of fear. He simply… hesitated."
The gods fell into a hushed murmur.
Hesitation.
No mortal chosen by the heavens had ever hesitated before.
---
The Mortal Realm – Aki Awakens
Aki's consciousness floated in a haze of warmth and light. He could hear faint voices, whispers echoing from beyond the veil of sleep.
"…unusual for a human…"
"…not like the others…"
"…dangerous…?"
His eyelids fluttered open. The sky above was a deep indigo, dotted with countless stars. He was still in his garden, but everything felt… altered. The air was too still, too charged with an unseen force.
Then, he saw her.
The Star Maiden.
She knelt beside him, her luminous eyes watching him closely. Her long silver-blue hair cascaded like a waterfall of stardust, her presence ethereal and unreal.
"You're awake," she whispered, relief flickering in her voice.
Aki sat up slowly, rubbing his temples. "What… happened?"
"You collapsed from the celestial energy," she said. "It was too much for your human body."
The memory came rushing back. The falling star. The radiant explosion of light. And then—her descent.
It wasn't a dream.
The legend… was real.
Aki exhaled shakily, trying to steady himself. "You… you're the Star Maiden."
She nodded.
"And you're supposed to grant me a wish."
Another nod.
Aki's heart pounded. This was it. The moment of fate his mother had always spoken of.
He opened his mouth—
And no words came out.
The Star Maiden tilted her head slightly, waiting. Her patience was infinite, but something in her expression shifted.
Aki hesitated.
He should have asked for something. Anything. Wealth, power, happiness, even just the chance to see his mother again—wasn't that what he had always wanted?
But something inside him wavered.
He clenched his fists. "I…"
The wind stirred. The air grew heavy.
And in the celestial realm, the gods watched in breathless silence.
---
The Celestial Realm – The Gathering of the Gods
"This is absurd," Fujin (風神), the Wind God, exclaimed, his robes billowing as if caught in an unseen storm. "Why does he delay? Does he not understand the significance of this moment?"
"Perhaps he does," Inari (稲荷), the fox deity, murmured. "Perhaps that is what makes him different."
Tsukihikari-no-Kami remained motionless, golden eyes reflecting the mortal world. "The balance is shifting," he said. "His hesitation is not defiance. It is… uncertainty."
A low murmur rippled through the assembly.
"What do you see, Tsukihikari?" Amaterasu asked softly.
The Celestial God's gaze did not waver.
"I see a future clouded in possibilities," he admitted. "The boy stands at the center of something even we cannot yet define."
A heavy silence fell over the heavens.
For the first time in centuries—
The gods did not know what would happen next.
---
To be continued…