A flower is innocent as it is delicate no matter how poisonous it is. When consumed it will make you gravely ill but it will never kill you. A cure is quite simple to gain from a hospital and administered by a doctor. But when a flower, specifically a poisonous one, like the rhododendron has been enchanted by an enchantress, sorcerer or the like it is more harmful than one can imagine. When it has become enchanted it is practically a death curse. The symptoms increase tenfold and can and will cause whomever to die. The only cure known is an herb mix made only in England. If it is not given to the victim within 2 days they will suffer a painful death.
The team sat in complete silence in the base room thinking of what to do. They knew what was needed to save Mai but they just needed a plan on how to do it. Lin sat on his computer researching a way to prolong her death. He looked up various spells but nothing came. He let out a sigh knowing he had to do it the old fashioned way, reading a book. He stood and left the room taking out his cell phone he dialed a number and waited.
"Mori Modoka speaking" A cheerful voice said on the other end.
"Modoka, its Lin"
"Hello, Lin. How have you been? Is Naru being on his best behavior? I hope so. I don't want to –"He cut her off.
"Modoka now is not the time." His voice was hard. He heard her sigh.
"Right, what is it you need this time Lin?" She asked with a tint of sadness to her voice.
"I need you do look in my old books for a spell."
"What kind?"
"One to prolong a death"
Modoka gasped. "Lin. Please tell me everything is alright. Naru hasn't –"He cut her off again.
"I'm afraid it's not Naru this time. It's Mai. We have a limited amount of time. I need you to find that spell." He paused. "I need one more thing of you."
"Sure thing Lin"
"I need you to get an herb mix for me." He let out a small sigh.
"What herbs?"
"The ones to cure an enchanted rhododendron" He heard her gasp.
"Lin, do you know how hard it is to come by the cure? I'd have to go clear across England to find it."
"Then do it." Lin's voice was hard and commanding. "We have two days to save Mai or she dies."
Modoka said nothing for a moment. "I'll call you when I have the spell. It'll take me a little longer to find that cure."
"I don't care how long it takes just do, it." He hung up his phone and walked into base. He looked at the other three members of S.P.R. only the Monk and John showed how saddened they were. Naru looked at him.
"I made a phone call to someone who can help us." He informed them. Monk and John both looked up.
"What?" Bou-san asked surprised.
"There is a spell that will prolong her death as I had said before." He sat down and looked at his research. "Naru I have the history that we needed."
"Good, tell me."
"From what I have found there have been six previous owners to this home." He scanned it looking at the paper. "The first was the Nakamura family. They built this house back in 1760. They had 2 daughters and 1 son. He died before he could reach the age of one. Both daughters died in the same year of an unknown cause, until later it was discovered they died of a disease now known as Huntington's disease. The parents left the house in 1775 and moved across the country. The second family was the Kobayashi. Two sons and three daughters lived with their mother, moving into the home in 1780. Starting three years later in a year and a half span, six month intervals, and all three daughters die. One year later the family is gone and there has been no trace of them since." He paused a moment to take a breath and began again. "From 1785 to 1820 the house remains empty until in that year the third family moved in. A father and daughter. For four years they live in peace until on the daughters sixteenth birthday she dies. The father leaves after her funeral and dies three years later of grief. For 75 years the house is empty yet again until, in 1900, the next family, the Yamaguchi's, consisting of a brother and his sister move in. one year later the sister dies. The brother kills himself a month later saying he was to protect her. In 1902, the Suzuki family moves in. A mother and two sons. Nothing happened to them. The two sons were left the house; only the youngest remained and died there, living a peaceful life." He stopped and looked at the paper again. "In the year 1991 the Takahashi sisters move into the house. They were given it as a place to stay until they were old enough to support themselves. A year later unexplainable things happened to them and in the end they ended up dying. The house remained empty after that. Then as we know this past year Murakami-san moves in." He paused a moment. "I have found that all who have died were between the ages of fourteen and nineteen, of course they are all females. The connection is obvious now. Murakami-san's head chef is a sorcerer. He's been poisoning tea and giving it to each girl." Lin said finally.
"But why?" John asked.
"I couldn't tell you." Lin replied to him. He then looked at the papers and set them down. "What I can tell you is we need to find and hunt down the head chef."
"What are we going to do once we find him? I mean will we call the police?" John asked curious.
"And tell them what?" Monk asked. "That some guy has been using flowers and sorcery to kill teen girls?"
"No, but we can tell them he has been using a deadly poison from a plant to kill them." Naru spoke.
"Won't this be a fun talk with the police." Lin mumbled. He left the room silently and walked upstairs to the room he shared with Naru. He entered the room and sat down on a bed. He began to think. Things certainly had been unusual for him recently. First was the office when he saw Mai, Then it was when that boy practically asked Mai out, next was last night he neglected his work for Mai and now he's stressed because he needed to find a way to prolong her life but he felt anger because he wanted to inflict harm on that chef who hurt her. He frowned. "Why does everything that has occurred have to do with Mai?" He thought. He then let out a low irritated growl when moments later he realized that he doesn't just care for her but his feelings are more than that. He sighed aggravated and unsure of things now. "If I do feel this way towards her then do I tell her? Or do I keep silent and hope these feelings pass?" he couldn't decide.
In the dream realm…
Mai stood looking around the vast dark emptiness. She sighed wondering why she was here. The last thing she remembered was waking up blind and weak. She heard footsteps and turned around not finding anything. She swallowed hard feeling her fear build up. A pair of hands grabbed her shoulders. She let out a scream.
"Mai!" The voice yelled at her.
She stopped and turned around her eyes wide. She then realized who she was looking at and glared.
"That was so unnecessary."
He smiled at her. "I couldn't resist."
She huffed. "So what is it now?"
His face became serious. "Mai, I need you to see something."
She nodded her head and waited. The scene changed it showed a continuous flashing of all the females Cullen has killed. Their families trying desperately to save their family member. In the end they all failed. As it continued repeating over and over Mai looked to her dream guide.
"Why?" She whispered softly. "What am I to do? Why is he doing this?"
"There is no reason. Trust me Mai, I've tried everything to figure this out but there is nothing. This man is doing this for either no reason or a reason I cannot figure out."
Mai sighed. She needed to know so she could go back and tell Naru when she woke up.
"Mai."
She looked up to him.
"There is something else. I need you to know."
"What is it?" She swallowed nervous. His look made her uneasy.
"You see these females?" He pointed and she looked watching again as scenes change. "You are one of them."
Mai's eyes widened and she looked at Gene. "What?"
"I mean you have been poisoned. Cullen, the head chef, he is a sorcerer. He enchanted the flower he makes into honey and put it into your tea." He looked away from her. "If you do not receive a cure in the next twenty-four hours you will die."
Mai stood there still. "The team knows right?" She said softly with a small tint of hope in her voice.
"They do but Mai." He looked at her and took her hand. "It's all the way in England."