Chapter 7:-
The bells of Megun-ji Temple chimed gently in the wind, their echoes drifting across the snow-covered village. Hana Seto, along with her sister Hanako and friend Kahori, had come for the morning purification rites. The temple, nestled between cedar trees and ancient stone lanterns, shimmered under a thin veil of frost.
But something felt off.
Neither Keedo nor Takeo had shown up for the ritual.
"They must be out," Hanako had said, brushing snow from her sleeves. Keedo and takeo wanted to collect holes
En
Hana had nodded, though unease tugged at her. She couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right.
As they left the temple grounds, the trio chatted quietly about the upcoming New Moon observance. The air was lighter now that the Puja was done, but Hana's eyes kept scanning the distance, hoping to spot Keedo's familiar figure walking toward them through the mist.
When they finally reached home, Keedo and Takeo were still nowhere to be found.
"Keedo?" Hana called softly, stepping into the wooden courtyard, her breath visible in the cold.
There was no answer.
Hanako called out next. "Takeo! Keedo! Where did you both go?"
Still nothing. The silence pressed down like heavy snow.
As twilight crept in, worry morphed into panic. The village was small, and the boys knew better than to stay out so long without word. Hana bundled herself up and, against Hanako's protests, ran back into the forest path toward the outer edge—the place where she had once seen Keedo and Takeo sparring under the moonlight.
The forest had grown colder now. Shadows moved strangely between trees. Hana's boots crunched the snow as she stumbled deeper, whispering Keedo's name again and again. Her heart thudded faster with each unanswered call.
Then she saw something—dark streaks on the ground. She knelt closer.
Blood.
A lot of it.
Spattered across a stone beneath the old pine tree where they used to meet.
"No... no, no," she whispered. "K-Keedo?" Her voice cracked with fear. "Keedo!"
She turned back and screamed for Hanako and Kahori, who had followed behind in a panic. "S-Someone's there... please, come quickly!"
Hanako rushed forward, her face pale. "What happened?"
"There's blood... under the tree. So much of it. I-I don't know whose it is, but…"
Kahori placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. "Stay calm, Hana. We'll figure this out."
But before they could gather their thoughts, the wind changed, and from deeper within the forest came the echo of a cry—a faint growl masked beneath layers of cold mist. The girls froze.
Meanwhile, far across the snowy expanse, in the secretive Tarumaki Village, tension brewed in whispers and shadows.
Azal stood trembling near the edge of a ravine, his fur-lined robe flapping against the wind. His brother, Kazeo, lingered behind him.
Azal's voice was low, but sharp with urgency. "Did you find anything? Was he there?"
Kazeo hesitated. "Maybe… yes."
Azal clenched his fists. "No! If Ryuu even suspects the truth, everything will collapse. We waited seventeen years. Seventeen. Couldn't he wait just a little longer?" His breath came out in white clouds. "Why now? Why did he have to go?"
the forest near sayuri, the storm grew louder. Snow began to fall heavily, blanketing the signs of the struggle. Hana, Hanako, and Kahori searched feverishly, their voices growing hoarse, their hands numb.
Then, a groan.
Behind a thicket, half-covered in snow, a figure moved.
"Takeo!" Kahori shouted, racing forward.
He stumbled up, his body bruised and cloak soaked with blood—not his own. "A-A mosquito," he muttered deliriously. "Hit me from behind, huh? I'll show it how to land a proper strike , where are you mosquito ? !
"Takeo!" Hana screamed in relief. "Where is Keedo? What happened?"
Smoke drifted from the broken tree limbs behind him.
Takeo looked up, eyes heavy with exhaustion, but burning with something deeper.
"He's gone," he whispered.
The wind howled around them, carrying with it the last of Keedo's scent.
And just like that, the light of the Era of Blooming began to dim.
End of chapter 7 --