Algerian Ivy

While we are walking towards Fulvius’ home I ponder how Emiko and Hideki surely think it is odd that Fulvius and I don’t participate in the club activities these days. It shouldn't upset me too much because, as we promised, we will participate again starting tomorrow. Fulvius says they will eventually see the final product but they mustn’t know how it came to be.

I'm with Fulvius as we step inside the entryway of his house. After taking off our shoes, that have trailed mud onto the narrow carpet, we go straight to his room. I take a seat on the carpet and wait patiently. I look at him while he searches for the books. I'm so excited right now.

He places a stack of books directly in front of my eyes and says, "Here they are, Hinata." They look impressive and appear to weigh a lot.

"No way! Don't say you finished reading them all yesterday," I state my reservations.

"Well, I have been studying them for a while, but yesterday I found something important." Fulvius boasts before hastily removing a massive violet book from the stack. It has shimmering silver accents all throughout it.

The majority of the content in this book, he says, is about high-grade conversions.

"Does your mother know you're planning to do this kind of ritual, Fulvius?" I'm intrigued.

"No, and I'm not going to tell her. Otherwise, she will become upset. She told me if she wasn't ready for it yet, I would be even less so. In all honesty, I find it annoying. I feel confident in my ability to complete the spell effectively." Fulvius avoids looking straight at me while he says this and gets a little red in the face from discomfort.

"What time will your mother return? How long do we have left?" I inquire while scratching my chin nervously. I'm particularly interested in learning how to carry out this kind of conversion.

"Oh, we have plenty of time. She's not coming home for at least five hours. However, let's return to the main point," he says.

"Tell me specifically what you discovered yesterday, please. I would like to know as well," I tell him firmly and place my head on a cushion that is pushing against his bed frame.

"You can choose any plant you like, but I would prefer one with a lot of leaves and a strong stem. This is because, in my opinion, a plant with multiple parts will be more effective for the magic", Fulvius explains, pausing for a moment. Then, when he takes a seat on the carpet alongside me, he gently envelops me from the side and says in a soft voice, "I am so delighted to be doing this with you."

I whisper back to him, "I choose Algerian Ivy," after a few minutes of silent snuggling and gazing into each other's eyes.

"Good decision! We can test it out right now because my garden has some Algerian Ivy. All you have to do is wait until I bring a piece to each of us," he says.

Then he pats the top of my head and says, "I knew you'd pick a good one." It's apparent that Fulvius is delighted. After all, I did consider his preference. Knowing how self-absorbed he is, I expected him to be satisfied. Until he comes back, I sigh and stare out the window.

We are both very focused as I aid him in lighting the candles. I usually find it easier to remain calm and concentrated when there is rain drizzling outside and the light of a flickering candle inside. However, it's a little difficult for me to keep my thoughts under control right now. My mind wandered to the possibility that this is somehow wrong. Is it even possible for the summoned entity to decline to be a part of this spell? Does it even possess free will?

We are now seated on the carpet, one across from the other. We both have our legs crossed and are encircled by four black candles. Meanwhile, I have calmed down slightly, having gained control of my inner conflict for the time being. We each grasp a piece of ivy with our right hand, and our left palms are resting lightly against our left knees.

"Close your eyes now. Hinata, if you think about anything other than the spell, you won't be able to unwind fully," he states.

Following that, we slowly speak the words of the conversion magic. I allow my mind to go blank as I mumble the incantation. It only lasts for a short while until I begin losing focus and start begin to think about things related to school, difficulties I have with myself, and problems in life in general. I'm conscious that I'm becoming negative. Actually, I began to worry about the possible outcome as well. I start to dread what might happen to me now. What if it transforms into a creature that will devour me?

My wrist suddenly feels like it's being squeezed by something. As the pressure builds, I turn to look at my wrist. That is when I finally realize how stealthily ivy plant had been spreading around the entire room for the past twenty minutes. It climbs the walls and strands itself in the furniture. My paranoia is greatly fuelled by what I see. Despite the fact that Fulvius is completely entangled in this serpentine monstrosity, he is still completely in a meditative state and has his eyes closed. Seeing how composed he is, I make one last attempt to keep my cool since I don't want to upset him. I truly wish I could be as brave as him, but I simply cannot.

My breathing quickens, my chest begins to burn, and I start to have serious trouble controlling my thoughts. I can't help but feel like the prey of this plant beast. My wrist is being squeezed more firmly the more negative my energy becomes. I lose my temper.

“Fulvius! Help!" I cry out.