Falling Star in My Garden

Aki's heart pounded in his chest. The weight of Hoshikiri's words lingered in the air, thick and suffocating.

He wasn't just chosen.

He was something beyond human.

Aki shook his head, taking a shaky step back. "That's impossible. I've lived my whole life as a normal person. I've never had any kind of power—"

Hoshikiri's gaze didn't waver. "Haven't you?"

Her words sent a chill down his spine.

She lifted her hand, and the air around them shimmered. Starlight coiled around her fingers, swirling in delicate strands of silver-blue energy.

Aki felt his breath hitch.

Something inside him responded.

His chest tightened, as if an invisible thread had been pulled. The warmth from earlier returned, pulsing through his veins, spreading through every fiber of his being. His vision flickered again—stars, a distant voice, an overwhelming sense of familiarity.

It was as if something inside him had always been waiting for this moment.

Hoshikiri stepped closer. "Your wish… the one buried deep in your heart… it's stronger than you think."

Aki clenched his fists. "What are you saying?"

She exhaled. "You've already started awakening."

The words sent a wave of energy crashing through him.

A sudden gust of wind rushed through the room, sending papers flying. The window rattled, the air crackling with an unseen force. Aki gasped, gripping the edge of his desk as his body trembled.

Hoshikiri didn't move. She simply watched—waiting.

And then—

A single light, faint but undeniable, flickered to life in Aki's palm.

His eyes widened in shock.

"What…?"

The glow pulsed gently, responding to his emotions. It felt warm, powerful—yet utterly unknown.

Hoshikiri's lips parted slightly, as if in awe. "So, it's begun."

Aki could barely breathe.

This wasn't a dream. This wasn't a legend.

This was real.

And something deep inside him whispered—

This was only the beginning.

—To be continued.