"Meg, do you have an idea yet?"
The boy stepped into a dark room cluttered with papers, computer terminals, containment capsules, and other high-tech gear. In front of one of the machines stood the girl, wearing nothing but her leather tactical suit. Without her mask, her porcelain skin, beautiful purple eyes, and long blonde hair were on full display.
"Not really," she replied, staring pointedly at his head. "Doesn't it bother you to wear that wig for so long?"
"I've gotten used to it, mostly, but it's starting to itch." The boy pulled the wig off.
His natural pink hair matched his eyes perfectly, contrasting sharply with his pale, dawn-like skin and pitch-black attire. He collapsed into an office chair and stretched out with a groan.
"Théodore, is something wrong?" She set her documents aside and walked over to him.
"Weird hearing you use my real name." He started rocking back and forth in his chair.
"'Leito' was just an alias to strike fear into them. Or do you want me to call you that from now on?" She kicked his chair, nearly sending him sprawling to the floor.
"Why you..." He scrambled to catch his balance and stood up before he could fall. "Call me whatever you want. I don't care at this point." He waved her off dismissively and stormed out of the room without looking back.
"What's eating him?" she clicked her tongue before diving back into her sea of paperwork. "I just hope he remembers we have to crash the recruitment event in two days."
When I opened my eyes, I realized I was back in that place.
It was an endless corridor, entirely swallowed by darkness. Only the wooden doors lining either side were illuminated by dim, flickering lamps. I waded deeper into the gloom. From behind every door, I could hear voices—mine, my mother's, or the cries of a little girl. A strange, suffocating pressure began to build in my chest, and a creeping chill crawled up my spine with every step I took.
The further I walked, the more roots and branches began to bleed out from under the doors, the walls, and the ceiling. Their colors were muted and sickly; I had to squint just to distinguish them and avoid tripping. They were all creeping in the same direction: the far end of the hallway.
The sheer mass of them kept multiplying. It quickly reached a point where I had to walk on top of them. The floor was practically invisible, buried entirely beneath a writhing sea of wood and vines. The space was shrinking, too. With every few steps, the ceiling felt closer, pressing down on me.
"That's..."
In the distance, I saw the end of the corridor. A faint light illuminated a massive, tangled knot of roots. Poking out from the thicket, I spotted something pale resting against a giant white flower. For some reason, the crushing weight in my chest only worsened as I approached the botanical mass.
When I reached it, I had to squeeze through a narrow gap between the roots and the ceiling, dropping down on the other side. The branches crunched violently beneath my weight as I landed. I stepped closer to the structure, realizing that the pale shape I'd seen was an arm. Panicking, I rushed forward to help whoever was trapped. But as I rounded the thicket, I saw the victim clearly.
It was me.
I was entangled in the roots up to my neck. The dress I wore was shredded in several places. My eyes were closed, my expression eerily peaceful. As I reached out to touch my doppelgänger, a deafening heartbeat echoed in my ears, bringing me to my knees.
The moment my skin touched the floor, roots erupted around me, binding my limbs so I couldn't escape. They began dragging me under. Desperate, I tried to summon my sword, but nothing happened. I fought with everything I had, thrashing and pulling, but it was useless. I was sucked down into the depths, feeling the roots squeeze the very breath out of my lungs. My vision blurred, and my eyelids grew impossibly heavy.
"No!" I bolted upright in bed, clutching my head.
I looked around frantically. I was in my room. I looked down at myself—I was naked beneath the sheets. I couldn't understand what was happening, but my racing heart slowly began to steady. The nightmare was already slipping from my memory, leaving only the lingering phantom pressure in my chest.
"Ouch." A sharp prick stung my right arm.
I pulled it out from under the covers. "What the hell is this?"
I could see my 'flower' tattoo clearly, even though I hadn't activated my powers. At its base, several pale roots protruded from my skin, wrapping around my arm like vines. I gently brushed my fingers against them. I could feel the touch—they were a physical part of my body. I scrambled out of bed and rushed to the bathroom to get a better look.
"I should probably hide these... right, Lev?" I glanced at my cat, who was watching me intently from the windowsill.
"Meow."
"I knew you'd agree." I walked over and gave him a few scratches behind the ears.
After giving him his due attention, I stepped into the bathroom. Suddenly, a burning sensation flared from my shoulder and spread across to my left breast. Looking in the mirror, I saw the roots had extended, coiling tightly around my chest.
"Watch it. You might be part of my body, but hands off the girls."
As if they understood me, the roots instantly retreated, shrinking back to how they looked when I first woke up. I sighed in relief and stepped closer to the mirror. Now I could see them clearly. They looked like a translucent white bracelet wrapped around my bicep. It was eerie, especially the way they seemed to faintly pulse and twitch on their own. Closing my eyes, I remembered reading about something like this in a book Minnie had lent me.
As I reached for a nightgown in the bathroom cabinet, I noticed a paper bag with a note from Tef attached to it. 'A gift from me. Hope you like the color.' Inside was a pink bra. I stared at it for a moment before shoving it right back into the bag. It was way too "cute" for my taste, and I certainly wasn't in the mood to wear one today. I threw on a black t-shirt so oversized it practically functioned as a dress, and walked over to the small bookshelf next to my bed.
"Let's see... Botany: Stimuli for Flowers, Overgrowth, Fifty Shades of Endou, Smaragit and the Treasure Lair, Hollow Giant Monsters... Ah, there you are." I grabbed a book from the top shelf. It was coated in dust. Though I was tempted to blow it off like a dramatic movie character, I opted for a wet wipe and cleaned it like a normal person. Characteristics and Histories of Y'ivak Flowers.
I opened it and scanned the index until I found the section I needed. Roots and Flowering. I flipped to the page and started reading.
What are roots?
Roots are a physical manifestation bridging the early phase to the "Flowering" state. Generally, they pose no risk to the host, aside from mild soreness or itching.
This state is usually triggered by experiencing intensely overwhelming emotions that flood the body with a massive spike of adrenaline—such as fear, hysteria, rage, frustration, exultation, or ecstasy. They can also manifest after sustaining severe trauma or damage, leading to the "Victorian" state (named after the era of its discovery). In this scenario, the brain experiences an adrenaline overload; to prevent systemic damage, it reroutes the excess energy to a harmless outlet. In this case, the flower.
Symptoms rarely extend beyond the roots spreading across the body, typically localized around the flower. For example, if the flower is on the arm, the roots might spread across the chest and/or back toward the opposite shoulder.
What is Flowering?
Flowering is a state in which the roots completely envelop the host's body. The transition can take several minutes or happen instantaneously. Although it is the natural progression from the root stage, not all hosts can achieve it. Based on interviews with those who have, access is granted by stepping into a "light." It is not scientifically understood what this "light" is, but it is estimated to occur in only three out of every ten individuals.
During this process, the host enters a state known as Flowering Fever. This causes the core body temperature to spike above 39°C and grants a massive boost in physical strength and speed, alongside unique abilities tied to the specific flower. Generally, two passive abilities are universally present: "Elasticity" and "Armor." The former allows the roots to stretch and function as tethers, while the latter reinforces them, rendering the covered body parts virtually impenetrable. Both are purely passive, and it is up to the user to adapt them for offense or defense.
I snapped the book shut and looked over at Lev for a moment.
"Looks like this is normal. Though I wonder what triggered it. Whatever, overthinking it won't solve anything, right? What happens, happens."
"Meow."
I stood up, tossing the book onto my bed. I scooped some food into a bowl for my precious little guy and set it down. He thanked me with a soft purr and started devouring his breakfast. I squatted next to him, watching him eat. Out of nowhere, someone knocked on my door.
I went to answer it. Standing in the hallway were Luk, Tef, Luk's cousin, and Benjamin. I opened my mouth to greet them, but just like yesterday, Tef shoved me back inside the apartment.
Like a bad case of déjà vu, the exact same argument and scolding played out, except this time she brought up her "gift." I bluntly told her I wasn't going to wear "such cute lingerie," which made her blush and cross her arms with a pout. Eventually, I threw on some jeans and a loose black button-up.
"By the way, what's that on your arm?" Tef asked, pointing at my flower.
"Just a flower thing. Don't worry, it's nothing bad." I smiled and gently herded her out the door.
Once we were all gathered in the hall, I put on a bright smile, completely ignoring the morning's chaotic start.
"To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from my beautiful friends?"
"Jerek gave me a discount coupon for his restaurant, but I need five or more people to use it," Luk explained, shifting his weight. "I figured I'd invite Benjamin so we could get to know each other better. And, well, Sofia..."
"I clung to him until he let me tag along!" she chimed in with a proud grin, swinging from her cousin's arm.
"Fair enough. So... what are we waiting for? You guys know damn well I'm not turning down free food. Especially if it's from Old Jeff."
I started pushing them down the hallway toward the dorm exit, genuinely thrilled that we were all going out to share a meal together.