In the city of Aozora, the sky was said to listen.
People believed that if you stood on the highest hill at sunset and rang the old bronze bell, the sky would answer your wish. But the bell had been silent for ten years—ever since the night the stars fell.
Aira Hoshino stood at the edge of that hill, her school bag hanging loosely from one shoulder. Her short black hair fluttered in the evening wind, and her amber eyes reflected the burning orange sky. She had lived in Aozora her whole life, yet the city still felt distant—like a place she existed in, but never truly belonged to.
"Aira! You'll be late again!"
She turned to see her childhood friend, Ren Kagawa, jogging toward her. His messy blue hair and constant half-smile made him look carefree, but Aira knew better. Ren always noticed things others ignored—like the way Aira's hands trembled when the bell tower came into view.
"I was just… thinking," she replied.
Ren followed her gaze to the silent bell. "About the sky again?"
Aira nodded. Since she was a child, she had heard whispers—soft voices that seemed to come from above, especially on nights when the stars shone too brightly. No one else heard them. Not even Ren.
That night, as Aira lay awake, the whispers returned—stronger than ever.
Find me.
She sat up, heart pounding.
The moonlight spilled across her room, and for a moment, the air shimmered. A symbol appeared on her wrist, glowing faintly like starlight. Aira gasped.
"What… is this?"
Before fear could settle, the ground shook. A deep, echoing sound rolled across the city.
The bell rang.
The next morning, Aozora was in chaos. People crowded the streets, pointing at the bell tower.
"It rang by itself!" "No one's touched it in years!" "Does that mean the legend is real?"
At school, Aira felt the mark on her wrist burn beneath her sleeve. During lunch break, Ren leaned closer.
"You okay? You look like you haven't slept."
Before she could answer, a girl approached their table. She wore a long white coat instead of a school uniform, and her silver hair was tied neatly behind her back.
"Aira Hoshino," the girl said calmly. "We need to talk."
Ren stood up instantly. "Hey, who are you?"
The girl ignored him, her sharp violet eyes fixed on Aira. "My name is Sora. And if you don't come with me now, this city will not survive what's coming."
The world seemed to freeze.
They met that evening at the bell tower. Sora revealed the truth—the sky was not just the sky. Long ago, it was a realm called Tenkuu, home to beings who governed fate and balance. The bell was a seal, and Aira was its key.
"You carry the Echo Mark," Sora explained. "It means your soul resonates with Tenkuu. When the seal weakened, it called to you."
Ren crossed his arms. "So you're saying Aira's… special?"
Aira clenched her fists. "I don't want to be special. I just want things to stay normal."
Sora's expression softened. "Normal ended the night the stars fell."
That night, dark shapes emerged from the cracks in the sky—creatures made of shadow and broken light. Panic spread through Aozora as the beings descended.
Aira froze as one lunged toward her.
"Move!" Ren shouted.
Before she could think, the mark on her wrist flared. Light exploded outward, forming a translucent barrier. The creature dissolved into sparks.
Aira stared at her glowing hands. "I… did that?"
Sora smiled faintly. "You're awakening."
Training began in secret. Sora taught Aira how to focus her emotions—fear weakened her power, but resolve shaped it. Ren insisted on staying, even after learning the danger.
"I'm not leaving her," he said firmly. "Not now. Not ever."
As days passed, Aira grew stronger, but so did the shadows. The whispers became clearer.
Come to Tenkuu.
One night, the sky split open, revealing a staircase of light. Sora knelt.
"The path is open. If you cross it, you may never return the same."
Aira looked back at the city, at Ren, at everything she knew.
"What happens if I don't go?"
Sora's voice was quiet. "Tenkuu will fall. And when it does, the sky will collapse onto this world."
Aira stepped forward.
Tenkuu was breathtaking—floating islands, endless skies, and stars that moved like living things. But it was dying. The core of the realm, the Celestial Heart, was cracked.
"This happened because of a choice made long ago," Sora said. "Someone tried to control fate itself."
At the heart stood a figure cloaked in darkness—the Fallen Guardian.
"You've finally come," the figure said. "Echo Bearer."
The battle shook the skies. Aira fought with everything she had, guided by memories of laughter, pain, and hope. But the Guardian was too strong.
Ren, who had secretly followed her, ran forward. "Aira! You're not alone!"
In that moment, Aira understood. Her power wasn't just hers—it was shaped by bonds.
She reached out, and the Celestial Heart responded.
Light poured through Tenkuu, restoring the sky. The Guardian vanished, leaving silence behind.
But the price was heavy.
When Aira woke, she was back in Aozora. The bell tower stood quiet once more. The mark on her wrist was gone.
Ren sat beside her bed, eyes red. "You scared me."
She smiled weakly. "Did it work?"
He nodded. "The sky's normal again."
Life returned to its calm rhythm. But sometimes, at sunset, Aira felt a familiar warmth in the air. One evening, she climbed the hill alone.
The bell glowed softly.
A voice whispered—not calling, but thanking.
Aira rang the bell once.
The sky listened.
And this time, it smiled back.