Falling Star in My Garden

The night air was heavy, thick with tension. Aki stood in the middle of the garden, his heart pounding, feeling the weight of invisible eyes watching his every move. Hoshikiri remained close, her expression serious, as if sensing something neither of them could see.

And then it happened.

A ripple in the sky. Not like the falling stars he'd seen before—this was different. The heavens themselves seemed to part, like a curtain being slowly drawn aside.

A presence emerged.

No, presences.

The gods.

They stood at the edge of reality, watching. Their figures were indistinct—some blinding in their brilliance, others cloaked in shadow so deep it swallowed the starlight around them. They didn't speak. They didn't move. But Aki could feel them. Their curiosity. Their fear.

His breath caught in his throat.

"Why are they all here?" he whispered.

Hoshikiri's voice was tight. "Because you moved the stars."

Aki swallowed hard. "I didn't do anything."

"You did," she said quietly. "Without knowing, you called them."

Another ripple, this time from the earth itself. The ground beneath his feet shuddered softly, as though the world was holding its breath.

And then, among the silent gods, one figure took a single step forward.

Tsukihikari-no-Kami.

The God of Celestial Light.

His golden eyes fixed on Aki, glowing with an intensity that made the mortal boy's knees threaten to buckle. But there was something else in the god's gaze—hesitation. Even… uncertainty.

He lifted a hand, slowly.

And then, to Aki's astonishment, he took a step back.

The entire assembly seemed to shift in reaction. Gods that had watched over mankind since the dawn of time were waiting, not acting.

It was as if they had reached the edge of their power… and now it was Aki's turn to move.

Hoshikiri exhaled slowly. "They're stepping back because they no longer understand."

Aki tore his gaze away from Tsukihikari. "Understand what?"

She met his eyes. "You."

For a long moment, he stood frozen. Then, as if compelled by something deep within him, he lifted his hand toward the sky.

And the stars above shimmered in answer.

Not randomly.

Not by fate.

They responded to him.

And somewhere beyond time, the gods whispered in fear.

---

To be continued…