The ground above Quinlan's gardens began to stir.
A cluster of massive petals shifted, scattering frost and soil as the roots below trembled.
The air grew thick with mana that was old, wild, and rich with life.
From the mansion's courtyard, a towering bloom stood where once there had only been a seedling. Its stem was the width of a man's torso, and its leaves shone vividly under the pale winter sun. The flower was a magnificent, vibrant pink.
Then, all at once, it began to die.
The petals shriveled, the stem cracked, and the color bled away. The once-lively bloom wilted at an impossible speed, collapsing in on itself as if every ounce of life it had gathered was being devoured from within.
The soil split.
Warm and floral light spilled from the crack.
A figure rose from the earth with her hands breaking through the dirt before the rest of her followed, akin to a zombie awakening from the grave.
