sand and sky chapter 5

 

Chapter 5  The Forbidden Gardens

"Questions are not sins."

The Floating Dome of Hive-Lumina possessed many wonders.Crystal towers.  Moon pools. Choirs halls. Gardens suspended upon bridges of living roots. Yet even paradise possessed secrets. And among the Sky People, some places were forbidden. Not because they were dangerous. Not because they were evil. But because certain knowledge disturbed harmony. Questions, the elders often taught, could become cracks. And cracks became chaos. Thus, the Tenkūjin preferred certainty. Everything had a place. Everything had a purpose. Everything had an answer. Or so they believed. Tsukikage had never questioned it. Until Yuki. Among the few precious sons born to Queen Tsukiyomi, Yuki Tsukishiro was unusual. He obeyed. He studied. He sang beautifully. He excelled in healing and illusion arts. Yet there was something inside him that none of the matrons could quite understand. Curiosity. Not rebellion. Not pride. Simply curiosity. He liked asking questions. Questions about history. Questions about old songs. Questions about why certain things were forbidden. Questions no one wanted answered. And because he was gentle and respectful, most adults simply sighed and called him strange. Tsukikage adored him. To Tsukikage, Yuki seemed to know everything. He always had answers. And when he didn't He smiled and said:

"Then perhaps we should discover them."

One evening, after choir practice had ended and Suiren had finally fallen asleep after exhausting herself during combat drills, Yuki appeared outside Tsukikage's room. Moonlight spilled through the corridor. The older boy stood there quietly. His white robes swayed softly. His long black hair glimmered beneath the silver lanterns. He looked almost unreal. Like a painting. Like moonlight given form.

Tsukikage blinked.

"Brother?"

Yuki smiled.

"Come with me."

Tsukikage tilted his head.

"Where?"

Yuki placed a finger to his lips.

"A secret."

Tsukikage's eyes widened.

"A secret?"

Yuki nodded.

"The best kind."

The two brothers quietly slipped through the sleeping halls. Past the Hall of Echoes. Past the Healing Pools. Past the meditation gardens. Past places Tsukikage had visited countless times. Until finally They reached a section of the dome he had never seen before. Massive silver doors stood before them. Covered in ancient carvings. Moon flowers. Owls. Stars. The Seven Moon Gods.

Tsukikage gasped.

"The Forbidden Gardens?"

Every child knew about them.

No one entered.

No one spoke about them.

The matrons simply said:

"Those grounds belong to memory."

Which only made children curious.

Tsukikage looked horrified.

"We aren't allowed!"

Yuki smiled.

"I know."

"Then why are we here?"

"Because curiosity is not a crime."

He reached out. Placed his hand upon the ancient door. Silver symbols glowed. The barrier recognized him. Slowly The doors opened.Tsukikage forgot how to breathe. Inside lay the most beautiful place he had ever seen. An entire forest hidden beneath the dome. Moonflowers glowed like stars. Silver grass moved like waves. Streams of luminous water wound between ancient trees. Crystal butterflies floated lazily through the air. And above The dome's ceiling had become transparent. For the first time in his life Tsukikage saw the true heavens. Not the artificial moonlight of the dome. Not painted stars. Real stars. Thousands. Millions. Endless. His silver eyes widened.

"Beautiful…"

Yuki smiled softly.

"I knew you'd like it."

Tsukikage slowly stepped forward.

The stars reflected in his eyes.

"So many…"

"I thought there were only seven stars."

Yuki laughed quietly.

"The matrons simplify things."

"Why?"

"Because simple answers create harmony."

Tsukikage frowned.

"Is that wrong?"

Yuki sat beneath an ancient tree.

"No."

"But harmony and truth are not always the same thing."

The two brothers sat together in silence. Watching the night sky. Far below the dome, clouds drifted like oceans. Beyond them The world. A world Tsukikage had never seen. A world he had only heard about in songs.

After a while, Tsukikage asked:

"Brother…"

"What's below the clouds?"

Yuki looked upward.

"Everything."

"Mountains."

"Rivers."

"Forests."

"People."

"Kingdoms."

"Perhaps monsters."

"Perhaps beauty."

Tsukikage blinked.

"Have you seen it?"

"No."

"Then how do you know?"

Yuki smiled.

"I don't."

"Then why believe it?"

"Because I want to."

Tsukikage laughed.

"That's silly."

"It is."

Yuki's dark eyes softened.

"But isn't hope always a little silly?"

For a while neither spoke.

Then Tsukikage quietly asked:

"Brother…"

"Are we happy?"

The question surprised even him.

Yuki turned toward him.

"What do you think?"

Tsukikage thought carefully.

"Our sisters love us."

"The Queen protects us."

"The dome is beautiful."

"We sing."

"We heal."

"We have purpose."

"So… yes."

Yuki smiled.

"I'm happy too."

"But…"

Tsukikage looked up.

"But?"

Yuki stared at the stars.

"I wonder if happiness can exist somewhere else too."

Tsukikage blinked.

"Outside the dome?"

"Perhaps."

"But we're forbidden."

"Yes."

"Then shouldn't we obey?"

Yuki remained silent for a moment.

Finally he answered softly:

"Obedience is good."

"Harmony is good."

"But questions are not sins, Tsukikage."

He looked toward the stars.

"Never believe that asking why is evil."

"Never fear curiosity."

"Never stop wondering."

Those words settled inside Tsukikage's heart. He didn't understand them fully. Not yet. But he would remember them forever. Hours passed. The brothers spoke about many things. About stars. About songs. About the Seven Moon Gods. About what clouds felt like. About what rain below the dome might smell like. About whether fish dreamed. And eventually Tsukikage asked the question that made Yuki laugh the hardest.

"Brother…"

"Yes?"

"Do boys in other domes eat different sweets?"

Yuki burst into laughter.

"Perhaps!"

"Then I hope they're delicious."

By the time they returned, dawn had begun. Artificial moonlight slowly shifted to pale silver. The dome awakened. No one noticed their absence. Except one person. From a balcony above Queen Tsukihana herself watched silently. Her ancient eyes followed the two brothers. She had known exactly where they had gone. And yet She had allowed it. Because among her countless children These two sons possessed something rare. Not beauty. Not talent. Not magic. But wonder. And wonder was both sacred And dangerous.

As Tsukikage fell asleep later that morning, he dreamed not of palaces or songs. He dreamed of stars. And beneath those stars A world waiting below the clouds. He did not know it then. But someday He would fall from heaven. And his questions would change the fate of nations. Far above the sleeping dome A shooting star crossed the night sky. And somewhere in the darkness beyond the world Something unseen watched. Silently. Waiting.