The scent of damp earth and fresh blooms lingered in the air, carried by the cool night breeze. Overhead, the moon hung heavy, its silver glow casting long, shifting shadows over the ruins—remnants of a paradise lost. Flowers swayed gently, their soft whispers filling the stillness, a lullaby for those who listened.
At the heart of it all, he knelt before the Flower of Life. Its petals remained closed, but beneath them, something stirred—a pulse, faint but steady. A heartbeat that did not belong to him.
He had spent years chasing this moment. Years trying to mend what had been shattered.
His fingers trembled as he reached out, pressing his palm to the delicate bud. A warmth met his touch, a hum of magic wrapping around the flower like a promise.
"Bloom."
The petals quivered. Slowly, hesitantly, they began to unfurl.
And then—he was there.
A boy, curled within the flower's embrace, his breath so soft it barely disturbed the air around him. He looked weightless, as if the wind itself had woven him into existence. His hair was white as untouched snow, his skin kissed by moonlight.
For a moment, he didn't move. Then, his eyes fluttered open, meeting him with quiet wonder. He blinked once, then twice, before his lips parted in the faintest of smiles.
"Who… are you?" he whispered.
He let out a breath he hadn't realized he were holding. The ache in his chest eased, if only just.
"Welcome back." he said.