Page 138 of Discordant Cultivation

“She wants to interview you,” Vale said when the third video ended. “Next week, if you’re comfortable with it.”

“Okay,” he said simply. “If you think I should.”

“I think it would be good for you. Good for the album promotion. She’s genuine, not trying to trap anyone or create drama.” Vale kissed him on the forehead before standing up. “More coffee?”

Kieran nodded, taking a moment to watch Vale walk away before turning his attention back to the computer. He minimized the YouTube tab and opened Instagram to checkhis notifications. His feed had been completely transformed since going viral—no more random street performer content or seizure awareness posts. Everything was curated around the Thorn aesthetic, from fan art to reaction videos to endless speculation about who was in the ‘Temple’video and who Bloom might be.

He didn’t create any of the content he actually posted. That was all handled by Eliza, and she was really good at it. She always seemed to know the right captions to use, the right images, how to ride the right trends. He honestly appreciated how much she did for him, even if Vale did still grumble about her choice to leave his seizure in the video.

A comment caught his eye, this one addressing him directly:

amberleesings

hey thorn, i have a bad stutter too but it still shows up when i sing sometimes. any tips for performing with it?

Kieran’s thumb hovered over the reply button, then started typing:

THORN.official

it took a lot of experimenting to figure out how i could perform without stuttering. that’s why my style shifts between singing and rapping and spoken word - it helps keep my mouth “confused” so the stutter doesn’t have time to kick in. every voice is different though, so just keep trying new approaches until something clicks

The response felt good, genuine, like he was connecting with someone who understood a specific struggle. Kieran was still smiling when a new message notification popped up at the top of his screen.

A.T.

I know Bloom is Vale Rose.

Kieran paused over the notification. Probably just another fan who’d figured out the connection. He almost dismissed it, but curiosity made him tap through to the messages.

A.T.

I know what he’s doing.

A.T.

I know you’re not just filming videos in that basement, Thorn.

Kieran felt sick as he read the messages again, looking for some innocent interpretation that his panicking mind was missing.

Who is A.T.? How do they know about the basement?

Another message appeared as he watched:

A.T.

Has he made you sing with the bag on your head yet?

Kieran whimpered, scooting backward on the couch like the laptop might reach out and grab him. His thumb found his mouth automatically, his teeth tearing at his damaged cuticle until he tasted blood.

The hood. They know about the hood sessions. They know about—

Did I do something wrong? Did I post something I shouldn’t have? Did I accidentally reveal something in an interview or a video?

Vale was still in the kitchen refilling his coffee.

His teeth found more skin on his thumb, biting down hard enough to draw blood that pooled around his nail. The pain gave him something to focus on besides the terrifying possibility that someone knew…

No. It’s nothing. A troll.