RISE OF THE ELEMENTAL HERO

THE MEMORY BLOSSOM

Shiro woke up to a soft knock on the door.

"Shiro, are you awake?" Korin’s tiny voice came from the other side. Shiro groaned as he sat up, rubbing his eyes. He hadn’t slept much through the night. "Yeah, I’m awake," he replied, his voice hoarse from lack of rest. The door creaked open, and Korin’s small form slipped inside, barely making a sound.

“It's a new day. Ready to see a bit more of this place? You know, outside the council?" Korin asked, his antennae twitching with excitement.

"Um, okay, but don’t we have to go to the council today?" Shiro asked, still confused about his purpose here and the urgency of everything.

"Not yet," Korin replied with a smile. "We’ve got time for that. I just figured you’d want to see more of Serevaal. You know, get used to it a little bit." Shiro nodded, standing up and stretching.

He wasn’t entirely sure if he was ready for anything, but being here felt like a surreal experience, something out of a dream. He needed answers, but he also wanted to understand the world that he was supposedly connected to.

As they stepped out, the place unfolded before Shiro’s eyes. The council chamber was grand, supernatural beings that he only read about in stories, walked among each other as if they were living in an ordinary world. But it was anything but ordinary.

He was fascinated by the vibrant colors of their skin as it reflected the elements they controlled, Shiro’s eyes widened as they passed a group of people standing in a circle. Their hands were raised toward the sky, and beams of light surged from them, forming a web of energy that flowed into a somelike well below them. Each person’s element seemed to fuse into the collective force, creating a display of intertwined power.

"What are they doing?" Shiro asked, unable to look away. Korin glanced at them, then back at Shiro. "They’re restoring energy to the Orb of Serevaal. Those are the HELPERS. Every year, they come together to replenish the orb with their combined elemental powers. But now, with the Dark One's presence near, the orb is weakening faster than ever. It needs power almost every day to stay strong."

Shiro swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. "What happens if the orb runs out of power?" he asked, his voice low with concern.

Korin froze for a moment, his face unusually serious. "I don’t really know exactly what would happen," he admitted quietly, looking up at Shiro. "But I do know it’d be bad. Really bad. The orb is what keeps the balance here, and without it... we might fade away. Slowly. Extinct." Shiro felt a chill run down his spine. The weight of everything was hitting him hard.

Korin glanced at Shiro trying to change the atmosphere, with a small grin he said, "Come on, I’ve got something to show you," he said, his voice filled with excitement.

Shiro raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"You’ll see," Korin replied, as his tiny hands held onto Shiro's. They walked away from the gathering of Helpers, moving into Serevaal’s city, strange yet beautiful surroundings. Shiro thought the air smelled of fresh earth and distant rain, as strange trees with glowing leaves lined their path.

After a few minutes of walking, Korin stopped in front of a flower garden. Kori. moved to a particular flower. It was unlike any Shiro had ever seen. It stood on a small patch of smooth stone, petals glowing faintly in colors of silver, blue, and gold. The stem shimmered like crystal, as if it were carved from glass but somehow alive.

"This," Korin said, "is the Memory Blossom. It’s one of the rarest things in all of Serevaal."

Shiro crouched down, staring at the flower in awe. "What does it do?"

Korin smiled, the kind of smile that hinted at something magical. "It shows you a memory. But the thing is—you can only touch it once in your entire life. Once you do, it lets you experience someone’s memory, like you’re living it yourself."

Shiro blinked, trying to understand what Korin said. "So... I get only one chance? Ever?" He asked

Korin nodded. "Yep. No second tries, no do-overs. It’s said the flower decides which memory to show you. Some people get something beautiful, others... not so much. That’s the risk."

Shiro straightened, his gaze fixed on the glowing petals. "What happens if I don’t use it?"

"Nothing," Korin said with a shrug. "The chance just stays with you until you’re ready—or not."

For a moment, Shiro felt an urge to touch it. Korin looked at him slightly.

“You want to–” Korin said but Shiro interrupted.

"I think I’ll wait," he said quietly.

Korin gave him an approving nod. “Good choice. Not everyone has the patience to hold onto their chance”

Shiro hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Have you used yours?"

Korin’s playful grin faded a little, replaced by something more serious. "Yeah... I used it," he said quietly.

Shiro tilted his head. "What did you see?"

Korin paused, as if weighing how much he wanted to say. "A memory from someone I admired," he said finally. "It... helped me understand things better."

Shiro stared at him, feeling that Korin’s words carried more weight than he let on. But he didn’t press for details.

Shiro glanced around the small clearing where the Memory Blossom stood. The air felt different here, as if the flower’s magic influenced everything nearby. He noticed faint engravings on the stones beneath it—ancient symbols engraved deep into the surface, glowing faintly in the same silver hue as the petals.

"What are these symbols?" Shiro asked, pointing at them.

Korin leaned down and traced a finger over one of the markings. "They’re part of an old protection spell. No one knows what it really means except The council. They had wanted to make sure only those with pure intentions can find this place." Korin said looking at the marking that wrote "命运交织 "

Shiro tilted his head, he didn't really see the writing well because of the little twigs covering it. "How does it know if someone has pure intentions?"

Korin chuckled softly. "That’s the thing—it doesn’t. But if someone comes here with greed or bad will in their heart, they say the flower withers before they can even touch it."

Shiro’s eyes widened. "So people have tried to use it for the wrong reasons?"

"Plenty of times," Korin said. "But the flower always knows."

Shiro took one last look at the intricate symbols, feeling an odd sense of comfort, as if the clearing itself acknowledged his presence. A breeze stirred the leaves, causing the flower’s glow to pulse slightly, like a heartbeat.

"Come on," Korin said, breaking the moment. "Let's get going"