Outside, Lysera was still lingering, pretending she was just stretching her legs or enjoying the morning air. But every few seconds, her eyes flicked back toward the door.
She finally let out a long sigh and started pacing, muttering to herself.
"Why am I still here?"
She knew Kana wasn't a child. She could handle herself. And Madam Penelope wasn't an outright threat. If she'd wanted to harm Kana, she wouldn't have waited until today to do it.
Still…
She glanced up at the window again, but there was still nothing.
"…Ten minutes. Then I'll go. Just ten more."
Lysera muttered, walking over to lean against the side wall of the shop.
Ten minutes turned into twenty. Then thirty.
Lysera leaned against the stone wall beside the shop's entrance, arms crossed as she tried to look like she belonged there.
A few early risers passed her with curious glances, but no one stopped to ask questions.
The sky was already bright, and the sounds of the town waking up echoed around her. Merchants raised their stall covers. Vendors called out to each other. The world was moving again.
And Lysera knew she had to move too.
She pushed off the wall with a sigh and gave the shop door one last glance.
"Don't get eaten."
She muttered under her breath, then turned and started walking away.
Inside, Kana had been handed a rag and was dusting off a nearby shelf when Madam Penelope suddenly called from the back.
"Girl! Come here."
Kana hurried over, wiping her hands on the apron she'd been given.
"Yes?"
"We've got to move a few of these to a merchant's house. He's paid in advance, and they'll throw a fit if we're late."
The old lady said, gesturing toward a corner where several oddly-shaped potted plants sat huddled together.
Kana stared at the plants.
"Um… are these like the one from yesterday?"
Madam Penelope snorted.
"Of course they are. What else would they be? Now go fetch them. Be gentle. They behave when you're near."
Kana hesitated. She remembered how one of the plants had tried to bite Lysera. And then the old lady had said something about her having charm. But still…
"They're not dangerous, right?"
"They're very dangerous. Now hurry up."
Madam Penelope said bluntly.
Kana's hands twitched at her sides. She wanted to argue. Ask questions. Refuse. But she found herself walking over to the corner anyway.
She approached the plants carefully. Their colors shifted subtly as she neared—deep greens, tinged with red or purple.
One of them uncurled a vine but didn't lash out. Another wobbled slightly in its pot, as if adjusting to face her.
She bent down and picked up the first pot. The plant inside made a soft chuffing sound but otherwise stayed still. The next one rustled its leaves and pressed slightly against her arm, but didn't do anything hostile.
Kana carried the pots back, three at a time, to the old lady, who stood waiting with a wooden cart.
As soon as she placed the last pot down and stepped back, the atmosphere shifted.
A low hiss rolled out from the plants.
Kana blinked.
"What—?"
The old lady hadn't even touched them yet. She only stepped closer, and suddenly the plants snapped their leaves and flared their petals. One even lunged.
Madam Penelope's response was immediate.
She pulled out her smoking pipe and smacked the nearest one right across the bulb with a sharp whack.
"None of that."
Sshe muttered.
The plant recoiled.
Another snapped at her sleeve.
Whack.
She moved like she'd done this a thousand times—swift and without hesitation. Each plant that misbehaved got a hard tap on the pot or the stalk.
Eventually, they quieted, twitching and hissing low, but no longer attacking.
Kana stood frozen, eyes wide.
"That's… terrifying."
She whispered.
Madam Penelope exhaled through her nose and returned the pipe to her mouth. She didn't light it—just chewed the stem.
"Hopeless things. Still think they're in charge."
"Are… are they actually supposed to go to someone's house? Like, they're going to be decorations?"
Kana asked, glancing at the still-sulking plants.
"They're man-eating plants, dear. That's exactly why the merchant bought them."
The old lady said flatly.
Kana swayed slightly.
"Man-eating—"
"Security. Can't trust guards these days. Plants don't sleep. Bite anyone they don't know. And they like the taste."
Madam Penelope added, waving her pipe.
Kana almost fainted.
"You're joking."
Madam Penelope raised an eyebrow.
"Do I look like someone who jokes?"
Kana swallowed and looked back at the plants, who now looked far too smug for their own good. She took a step away.
"Stop spacing around so much. Grab the delivery log. And we need string—thick one, top shelf. Get moving."
The old lady barked.
Kana flinched, then darted off, muttering under her breath.
"Terrifying. Cool, but terrifying…"
The old lady moved with surprising speed for someone her age, barking orders and grumbling under her breath as she and Kana worked together to load the potted plants into the cart.
Kana did her best to avoid touching anything more than necessary. Every time she picked one up, she held her breath—waiting for teeth or thorns or some hidden vine to lash out.
But nothing happened.
The plants shivered a little when she lifted them but remained calm, pliant even.
[MAX CHARM ACTIVE]
Flora-class hostility: Neutralized.
No coercion required.
Kana blinked as the system notification popped up in the corner of her vision.
"Oh."
She whispered. That explained a lot.
"Finished. You, sit. I'll get the horses."
The old lady grunted, slamming the last pot into place.
Kana didn't argue. She climbed up onto the front seat of the cart, exhaling hard. Her muscles ached.
The pots were heavier than they looked, and the constant fear of being bitten hadn't helped.
She rested her back against the wood frame and let her shoulders drop. The cart creaked under her weight, but it was stable enough.
The sun was warm, and for a brief moment, it felt almost peaceful.
Until she looked up.
Madam Penelope was coming around the corner with two horses—except, they had no heads.
Kana's body locked up.
"Wha—what—?"
The creatures moved like normal horses. Their strides were steady, their hooves clacked against the stone, and they even snorted softly through invisible noses.
But where their heads should have been, there was only smooth, skin-covered nothing. As if someone had erased that entire portion of them and left the rest untouched.
Kana's stomach twisted.
"Those aren't normal horses."
The old lady raised an eyebrow.
"You can see them?"
Kana flinched.
"Y-yeah?"
"Hmph. Most folks can't. Necrasteeds are only visible to those who've seen death. Real death. Up close."
The old lady gave her an odd look, one part suspicion and two parts intrigue.
Kana's stomach dropped.
"Wait, what?"
The old lady didn't elaborate, already busy fastening the harness.
Kana stared at the horses again, this time carefully avoiding eye contact. Seen death? She wracked her brain. She hardly went out.
Her world had been small—books, games, occasional walks, awkward family dinners. She hadn't even been to a funeral.
"Wait! Does… seeing your own death count?"
Kana whispered to herself.
A flash of static. A blaring horn. The sickening jolt of impact.
Her breath caught.
Was that real? Or something she'd seen in a movie?
No—wait. There was that one game with the ghost, and the forums filled with creepy pasta… maybe she'd just imagined things?
But—
SMACK.
Kana jolted as the old lady slapped the back of her head.
"Stop spacing out."
Kana rubbed the spot and pouted.
"You didn't have to hit me…"
"Didn't have to stand there like a scarecrow either. We're leaving now. Climb up and hold tight unless you want to be thrown off."
Kana blinked a few times, shook the thoughts from her head, and climbed fully onto the cart's seat.
Whatever weirdness was happening, she'd deal with it after she survived the man-eating plants and the undead horses.