Chapter 9: Echoes of a Brother

Later that night, Riku stood on the rooftop of his apartment building, the wind tousling his hair, his pendant glinting under the moonlight.

He raised his hand again.

Still nothing.

He focused—breathed deep—felt that strange pulse.

His fingertips shimmered faintly for a second… and then fizzled out.

"Tch." He clenched his fist. "Come on…"

The power was inside him—he knew it now. But it was slippery, like trying to hold onto a dream. And he hated not being in control.

Suddenly, a voice behind him.

"You always tried too hard."

He spun.

But no one was there.

Except the wind.

He knew that voice though. Toru. His older brother. The one who disappeared.

"I'm hearing things now," Riku muttered, rubbing his eyes.

But then… his pendant glowed again.

Not bright. Not like before. Just faint—pulsing softly, like a heartbeat.

Then—a whisper.

> "The answers are in the old garden."

His heart skipped.

Riku didn't tell Airi or Kaito about it. Not yet. Not until he understood what was happening. What the Bloom really was. And what his brother had gotten caught up in.

—

The next day at school was anything but normal.

Airi avoided him.

Kaito pretended everything was fine, though he kept throwing worried glances his way.

And Riku? He sat through class staring out the window, watching petals fall from a tree that was completely out of season.

He remembered what the golden-eyed stranger had said:

> "You're about to blossom."

It felt less like a blessing now… and more like a ticking clock.

—

After school, he slipped away and headed toward an abandoned garden on the far side of town—a place his brother used to sneak off to when they were kids.

It was overgrown now. Rusty fences. Wild grass. Faded stone benches half-covered in moss.

But it was quiet. And Riku felt something pulling him toward it.

He stepped in.

The air was heavier here.

His fingers brushed against a withered vine.

And suddenly—a memory hit him.

Hazy. Fuzzy.

He saw his brother—Toru—kneeling by a tree with red leaves.

> "I made a promise here," Toru whispered in the vision.

"One day, when Riku's ready, he'll come too. And when he does, give him this…"

The vision ended.

Riku stumbled back. His heart racing.

Lying beneath the tree's roots… was a small box.

He opened it.

Inside was a note. Handwritten.

And a ring.

The note read:

> "If you found this, it means the seal has begun to open. Don't trust everyone. Even those who smile. Especially those who remember what they promised."

Riku clutched the ring tightly.

So his brother had been preparing for this all along.

But what kind of world had Toru been caught up in?

And why… did it feel like Riku was walking the same path?

—

The sky turned dark.

Somewhere, petals stirred in the wind again.

And far away, in a different city, another Seal of Bloom was beginning to awaken.

And this one… was hungry.

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