Chapter 1 death before the bloom
Two weeks after the initial parasite outbreak, tensions in the region escalated sharply when a mountain cave—sealed for centuries within the towering peaks—was accidentally breached. The cave, deep inside a massive mountain much like Everest, had been naturally closed off on all sides with no entrances or exits. Permission was granted by city officials for digging, and what started as a routine excavation unexpectedly opened a hollow space in the mountain’s core.
Initial exploration uncovered strange vegetation and an alien ecosystem unlike anything seen before. At first, government researchers found only mild biological oddities, including a bizarre flower resembling a rose but growing like a sunflower. It was unlike any known plant on Earth.
This discovery sparked both excitement and unease. The flower’s spores contaminated water sources within the cave, though the air seemed safe. Officials downplayed any threat publicly, reassuring citizens that side effects from exposure were mild and temporary. The government insisted there was no cause for alarm, despite rumors that some people exposed had mysteriously vanished or changed—rumors they refused to confirm.
Among the initial explorers was a group of teenagers who, undeterred by the cave’s official closure, sneaked inside seeking adventure and answers. One of them, recalling a recipe his mother once made using roses, found an untouched flower and took it with him, believing it was harmless.
Shortly after, strange behaviors began to emerge in the infected teen. His skin paled to a faded gray, his arms and legs twisted unnaturally. The twisted parts were marked by a faded red tone beneath the surface, reminiscent of muscle but unlike anything human. His head was replaced entirely by a massive rose, perfectly formed yet terrifying in its unnaturalness.
The boy’s behavior grew stranger. He began eating grass—a bizarre and unsettling sign—while government quarantine staff monitored his vitals closely. They watched helplessly as his eyes lost focus and went empty, the unmistakable sign that his body was surrendering to the infection.
The boy died, and officials immediately decapitated his head for autopsy. Yet the results of this examination would remain classified, delayed until deeper investigation could unfold.
Around this time, the government found a radio on the body of a middle-aged man—identified later as a pastor and lead researcher who had been attacked within the cave. The scratches and wounds on his body matched those expected from the new creature. He was approximately 47 years old, with no close personal ties, but a history dedicated to exploring the cave’s mysteries.
When officials played back the audio recordings on the radio, a chilling story emerged. The researcher’s voice wavered with fear and confusion.
“I’ve found a new breed of flower… maybe one might be peaceful,” he said at first, his tone hopeful.
But hope quickly turned to terror.
“Shit. Fuck. Fuck. That’s terrifying. Razor sharp… It’s planning something mischievous. I think I hear it talking… Am I going crazy? I don’t know why I’m even speaking into this right now.”
The audio cut in and out, distorted by glitches, until a sudden clear voice interrupted—one not his own.
“Hello. How do you feel?”
The darkness in his voice was palpable, the tension radiating like a living thing. It trembled, almost speaking through the radio as if from the creature itself.
The researcher whispered, panic rising in his breath, “It found me… but how? There are no eyes, no ears… just this massive rose for a head. What is that in the center?”
Before the tape ended, he was running, hiding on cement ground where the creature supposedly could not track soil vibrations.
Government officials fell silent, watching the tape play out. The creature’s aggression level was rated an 8 out of 10 publicly—already terrifying, though internal files revealed a scale up to 20 reserved for top-secret entities.
The public was outraged upon learning that the government had falsely reported the researcher’s death as caused by boiling water. People were furious the government had disrespected his sacrifice and concealed the truth.
Protests erupted demanding the cave be searched thoroughly and the so-called “King” creature eliminated.
In response, the government reopened the cave—but only to classified personnel under heavy security, determined to prevent further civilian infiltration like the teenagers.
Despite their efforts, the cave’s vast and twisting network made finding the King impossible. No trace of it was ever recovered, leaving officials haunted and the public fearful.
As officials poured over more audio tapes, they uncovered fragments of another recording—corrupted but clear enough to hear the frantic whispers of the researcher:
“I’m ditching the crew… going deeper. I have to find out if there are other anomalies. I think there’s a hive mind… a King controlling them. It saw me. I know it did. But how? It has no eyes… no ears… just that rose. I’m not sticking around to find out.”
The government staff held their breath as the tape faded into static, the terrified breaths the only sound remaining.
Suddenly, the lights flickered. Emergency power hummed to life. From the speakers crackled a new, chilling voice—one not on any tape.
“I see you. You cannot hide. Soon, the rose will bloom in every shadow.”
A heavy silence fell over the room. Outside, the mountain loomed, its ancient secrets still waiting.
And deep inside the cave, something stirred.
