Matinding pananakit ng ulo ang sumalubong kay Seiichi sa pagmulat niya ng kanyang mga mata. Agad niyang nasapo ang kanyang ulo dahil doon. Teka nga lang... Bakit ba sumakit nang ganoon ang ulo niya? Ano ba ang nangyari sa kanya?
Inilibot ng tingin ni Seiichi ang kanyang paligid. He saw curtains, sofas, vases, paintings... Agad siyang napabalikwas ng bangon nang makita niya ang mga iyon. He found himself actually lying on his lounge sofa. At sa paglibot niyang muli ng tingin sa paligid, napagtanto niyang tama nga siya. Naroon siya sa sala ng bahay niya.
Pero paano siya napunta roon? Sa totoo lang, wala siyang maalala sa mga pangyayari. Other than the fact that he was jogging quite aimlessly sa park kung saan niya nakilala si Rin Fuijioka, hindi na niya alam ang mga sumunod na kaganapan. He just found himself fainting in the middle of his jogging nang makaramdam siya ng tila isang matulis na bagay na tumusok sa batok niya.
Wala sa sariling napahawak sa batok niya si Seiichi. Hanggang sa mga sandaling iyon ay tila nararamdaman pa rin niya ang tila karayom na tumusok doon.
What exactly happened para makita niya ang sarili sa bahay na wala man lang maalala sa mga pangyayari?
Isang malalim na buntong-hininga ang pinakawalan ni Seiichi at umalis na sa kinahihigaan niya. Mukhang malabo na yatang maalala pa niya ang mga posibleng nangyari. Though it gave him chills down his spine, pilit niyang pinalis iyon. A distant memory made him able to do so.
~"Though I am a part of a renowned family here in Japan, there's always danger that goes along with it. It can't be helped. Once a Shinomiya had turned 17, he would have the power to lead and give orders to the Shrouded Flowers to do his bidding. And all of the people involved with him will find themselves immersed in a dangerous world filled with so much bloodbath, whether they had asked for it or not..."~
Naalala ni Seiichi ang mga katagang iyon na sinambit sa kanya noon ng tagapagmana ng Shinomiya clan, si Hitoshi na kaibigan niya. Posible kaya na may kinalaman iyon sa nangyari sa kanya sa park? Did someone try to kidnap him or hurt him before another person interjected with the initial plan?
Kahit sabihin pang may isang taon na ring walang komunikasyon si Seiichi kay Hitoshi bago pa man maganap ang pag-atake, may pakiramdam siya na nasa watchlist na siya ng kung sino mang kalaban ng mga Shinomiya. Though it gave him an indescribable fear (as if he would deny that), hindi niya alam kung bakit kahit patay na si Hitoshi ay ang mga salita nito ang patuloy na nagpapalakas ng loob niya. That, and one other feeling he kept in his heart all this time.
Agad na nagtungo sa isang underground room ng kanyang tahanan si Seiichi. Sa samu't saring alaala na nagsisidatingan sa kanyang isipan, ang lugar lang na iyon ang tanging pinupuntahan niya upang lubos na maalala ang lahat ng iyon nang walang aberya. As he entered and turned the light on, allowing it to spread throughout the entire room, his eyes roamed around until it landed toward the two items hanging on the wall just above a small altar.
The area was filled with ancient tapestries, Japanese armors, and authentic Japanese weapons. But one particular tapestry and sword was placed just above the altar—they were hung on the wall, to be exact—that was surrounded by ornaments depicting certain mythologies. But the most prominent of all the ornaments placed there were the statues of the Four Celestial Beasts. They were placed in certain orders—in their respective cardinal points.
The statue of the Azure Dragon, Seiryuu, was placed at the east as it majestically represented the spring season. The statue of the Vermillion Bird, Suzaku, displayed itself as if it was soaring at the south while representing the summer. Placed at the west with the representation of the autumn season was the statue of the White Tiger, Byakko. Finally, the one placed in the northern direction representing the cold winter was the statue of the Black Tortoise, Genbu. Normally, the Kirin's statue was supposed to be placed at the center of the four others. But on that particular altar, what stood there was a perfectly carved Blue Rose Crystal held by a statue of a regal and beautiful celestial maiden or tennyo in Japanese.
Ang particular na crystal na iyon ang pinagtuunan ng pansin ni Seiichi. He closed his eyes once more as he recalled a certain memory—one that had something to do with a part of his blurry past.
~"Protect these treasures, my child. When time comes, they will become your proof of your destiny. Become the most powerful key and weapon to them all..."~
Iyon ang mga salitang patuloy na umuugong sa isipan ni Seiichi sa nakalipas na mga taon. Hindi niya alam kung sino ang nagsabi niyon. O kung para nga ba talaga sa kanya ang mga salitang iyon. Napatingin siya sa tapestry na naroon sa dingding. Nakaburda roon ang masasabi niyang isang family crest—three blue roses with thornless stems entwined on the blade of a Japanese sword. Isa iyon sa mga ipinagtataka niya. Chrysanthemums were usually the flowers used by Japanese noble families during the feudal era.
Sa tapestry na kasalukuyang tinitingnan ni Seiichi, blue rose ang ginamit. From the textile used to create the tapestry alone, nakatitiyak siya na isang noble family rin ang nagmamay-ari niyon at ang blue rose ang nagsilbing flower emblem ng mga ito.
Ang malaking tanong lang, sino ang mga iyon at ano ang kinalaman niyon kay Seiichi?
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