Blooming Monster

"Hideki-kun, I see you have brought the camera with you." As she welcomes him, Mitsuko's face brightens at the sight of the video camera.

"Hello ladies. What will we do next, then?" Hideki enquires as he places his belongings on the floor.

"Prepare everything you need, Hideki, and then begin recording. They are now sharing passionate feelings, and it's getting heated. Don't you see them?" Emiko asks while pointing with her index finger at the pair.

"I see, okay. What about the ritual, though? They were going to cast the infamous conversion spell, weren't they? What exactly is going on?" He inquires, confused as to why it takes them so long to complete a single thing.

"Well, Fulvius-kun had some issues with the chains at first, and they spent a lot of time looking for the pond." Mitsuko provides him with a quick briefing.

"You have obviously been here for a while. Do you have something to eat? Aren't you girls starving?" Hideki mocks their tenacity.

"Don't be rude, Hideki. Everything we need is right here. We were quite well prepared." Emiko responds and then her eyes are locked on the camera that Hideki had just set up on a pedestal.

"Hideki-kun, have a look at that. Our lovebirds have finally decided to quit snuggling and they are preparing now. Fulvius is getting those important books out of the backpack," Mitsuko makes a comment while looking at the video screen.

"I would like you to try to see the book's title, so could you please zoom it in. Do you believe this camera is good enough?" Emiko asks even though she doesn't think it will be possible.

"Absolutely, this camera is professional-grade. We'll definitely be able to see it. After all, we are not that far away from them." Hideki grins and begins zooming and sharpening the image until they can clearly see the name.

"Sparking the life in the beasts"

"Woah it is scary!" Hideki-kun exclaims.

"Hinata, please double-check that the chains are securely attached. While you do so, I will skim trough the ritual text." Fulvius starts reading as soon as he asks Hinata for assistance.

"They certainly are secure. Are we set to begin straight away?" I enquire while sounding a little uneasy.

"Yes. Come on in. You are already acquainted with the procedure. Nothing can go wrong this time, so don't worry." Fulvius comforts me and then takes my hand in his.

"We're going to do the ritual with our hands together. That will make you feel more comfortable. This time, we are free to use our hands whatever we like since we are not required to carry anything." Before instructing me on how to sit, Fulvius first clarifies this for me. Our hands are joined together, our legs are crossed, and we are facing each other.

"But how will we know if something goes wrong if we are not facing the plant flower?" I ask.

"You should be meditating with your eyes closed, Hinata. You will not be able to see the plant. However, you must have faith in your intuition to know when something is off." He gives me a comforting kiss before saying, "Now completely relax, and hold that state until I begin reciting the words."

It is now fairly late. The sky is fully dark, and the pond is still. Even the frogs have stopped making noises. We are experiencing intense relaxation right now. I'm not allowing my thoughts to get in the way. After the incident, I have practiced it on my own numerous times. I will not disappoint Fulvius this time. Besides, I'm not even scared. I'm confident that plant won't be able to break free of the restraints. Fulvius begins to recite the ritual lines by heart, and I repeat after him. Together, our voices resound in this serene setting.

The only thing I can see is complete darkness. But the sound of something slithering and bouncing off the surface of the chain gives me confidence that it's functioning. I can also hear the splashing of water. There is no doubt that the plant blossom is expanding. No matter how badly I want to check by opening my eyes, I know I mustn't. I can't allow my curiosity get the better of me. My goal is to strengthen my concentration. I silence every other thought.

"What in the world is that?" Hideki inquires, doubting what he sees.
"Before, it was pink and little!" Emiko exclaims.
"Quiet, Emiko. Don't mess things up right now. Mitsuko stops her and adds, "This is completely insane. I honestly didn't think something like this was possible."

“Neither did I,” Hideki replies.

The water is now splashing all over us. We are totally drenched. The enormous bloom is swift in its attempts to break free of its restraints. It is moving all over the place. I continue to concentrate on my goal of expanding it further. It probably needs to develop a little bit more before it loses the ability to move. By then, the chains will have been engraved into its body.

My prediction was correct. It certainly aches when chains rub against its body now that it has developed complete sentience. As a result, it stopped moving.

"Open your eyes, Hinata. We're done now that it has stopped moving. It cannot become any bigger than this or we would crush it to death." Fulvius shouts with joy.

My body becomes paralyzed as soon as I turn my head in the direction of the plant. The monster we have created makes me quite uneasy. I'm too terrified to listen to what Fulvius is saying.

"Congratulations, my dear; I had faith in your ability. I'm so grateful right now that I can't even express it," he goes on.

"What did you say, Fulvius? Do you realize what we've created? Have you seen it?" I ask him while having trouble speaking.

Fulvius looks at me with wavering eyes after getting a better look at its razor-sharp teeth. "Now I see," he says with a trembling voice.