Chapter 71 - Whispers Beneath the Moon
The moon hung like a solemn guardian in the obsidian sky, casting a silver sheen across the dew-speckled campus. The air was heavy with anticipation, yet unnervingly still. The laughter and warmth of the previous night had faded, giving way to an eerie silence that whispered through the trees.
Riku sat alone on the rooftop, his legs dangling off the edge. The wind tousled his dark hair, and his fingers traced the old, worn pendant that rested against his chest. The one his brother left him. Ever since the last confrontation at the Bloom Gate, he hadn't been able to sleep. Flashes of his brother's final moments, and the whispers of a mysterious force lingering within the Bloom, haunted him.
His heart felt heavier than ever.
"You're not alone in this, you know."
Airi's voice broke through the silence like a fragile thread of comfort. She emerged from the stairwell, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Her footsteps were quiet, but her presence was grounding. She sat beside Riku without a word, her gaze fixed on the stars.
"Do you think he knew what he was doing?" Riku asked after a long silence. "My brother. Giving me this pendant. Hiding all this truth."
Airi didn't answer immediately. She pulled her knees to her chest, resting her chin on them. "Sometimes protecting someone means not telling them everything. Maybe he hoped you'd never have to use it."
Riku exhaled slowly, then gave a bitter smile. "That didn't work out, did it?"
Airi turned to him, her voice soft but firm. "You're still here. That means something. Maybe you were meant to finish what he started. Not out of duty. But because you believe in what he believed."
Riku didn't reply, but he didn't pull away either. Their silence said enough.
---
Meanwhile, deep within the dormitory, Haruto stirred uneasily in his sleep. Shadows flickered across his wall, and the air turned cold. In his dream, he stood in a forest cloaked in mist, hearing whispers that curled like smoke around his ears.
"He knows too much."
"The Bloom will consume him."
"Only those chosen may wield the truth."
Haruto turned, trying to find the source, but the fog swallowed everything. A faint silhouette appeared ahead — a girl with long hair, her eyes glowing blue like frozen starlight.
"Don't trust the pendant," she whispered.
He woke with a start, drenched in sweat. The dream was fading fast, but the voice lingered.
---
The next morning, tension hung in the air like a fog. Students gathered around the courtyard, staring at the Bloom Gate, which had cracked overnight.
"What the hell happened?" Souta muttered, stepping beside Riku.
The stone that sealed the Bloom Gate had fractured. Veins of glowing blue light pulsed beneath it.
"It reacted to something," Airi said, her voice distant.
Riku looked around. A group of elders from the Bloom Foundation had arrived, murmuring amongst themselves. The Dean stood with them, visibly distressed.
"The seal has weakened," the Dean announced. "We do not yet know why. But we must prepare for the worst."
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Yui clutched Airi's arm. "Does this mean another Bloom Rift is coming?"
Airi didn't answer. Her eyes met Riku's, and something passed between them — a silent understanding. Whatever was coming, it was tied to him.
---
That evening, the group met secretly in the old library. The dusty air was filled with unease.
"We need to talk about the pendant," Haruto said, looking at Riku. "I think it's doing something to the Bloom Gate. I had a dream. No — a vision. Someone said not to trust it."
Riku tensed. "You think it's cursed?"
"Not cursed. But tied to something... older. Deeper. It's not just a key. It's a part of the Bloom itself."
Airi stood. "We need answers. Real ones. Not from the elders. From someone who was there. Someone who remembers the First Bloom."
Everyone fell silent.
Riku finally spoke. "Then we find the Seer."
---
Outside, the moon rose again. But this time, its light shimmered oddly, casting strange patterns on the earth. The night was no longer silent. The Bloom was stirring.