The harsh winds of the Sepurnum Kingdom were bone chilling and the pouring rain did little to help with the bleak atmosphere.
Bultear was in his kitchen finishing his meal consisting of a single mayonnaise sandwich he bought on the way home, when he heard the sound of thunder.
*sigh* "Just when I thought that the rain was the worst thing today and it couldn't get any worse, I hear thunder. This probably means I'll stay at home today.... *sigh* what a bummer I really wanted to stop by Eleonora's place and chat, but I guess I'll have to postpone it. This weekend is turning out to be a complete failure...." The bad weather completely inhibited him from going out while his poverty completely inhibited him from buying an umbrella.
Bultear's living area was a small one-bedroom apartment with only one window and barely enough space to fill a bed and the kitchen table. He had no television or anything of sorts, the only entertainment he had was feeding the stray dog, Sigmund, that habituates the area around the building.
" The fact that I'll have to go to work tomorrow in this weather is such a sad thought, oh how I wish I could stay at home like today." Said Bultear, sadly gazing through his only window, knowing that he'll get drenched tomorrow.
Bultear works as a janitor in the Emsdor academy, the pay was low, and he constantly had to endure the ridiculing gazes of the students and teachers, especially the students. The reason was that the students would go out of their way to completely humiliate him, as he was their age while not being a student, but a mere janitor, making him an utter failure in the eyes of the students.
" I wonder what Quattro's doing. *Hehe* " He's probably still trying to get his gas lamp to work, I mean, what better time than now I guess." As he was lost in thought, thinking about his fellow colleague, he finished his meal, and after washing the dishes he decided that he should feed Sigmund to both take care of him, as well as pass the time. After a brief moment he, with brisk steps, took the only coat he had, packed some left-over food crumbs, unlocked the door of his apartment numbered 27, and stepped into the hallway.
The hallway was tight with the entrances of the different apartments not too far from each other, the lacking windows and the two barely working lamps made for a dreary atmosphere.
" Is the landlord ever going to fix the lighting in this place, it's really annoying having to walk around here like this." Bultear's annoyance of the ever-dark hallway grew with each uncertain step.
After almost falling while walking down the steps Bultear finally made it to the ground floor.
"Sigmund should be around here somewhere, hiding from the rain." Bultear thought to himself while looking for Sigmund. The ground floor was a wide, mostly empty, area that had one grey, dying plant as an attempt at decorating and the slightly ajar entrance door with no locks, through which a cold breeze was wafting in.
" Man, this building never ceases to amaze me with how shit it is, to think that the front door of a building doesn't even have locks is insane to me.
"Seeing how greedy that old hag of a landlord is, the door is probably just going to stay as decoration...well at least it's better than that plant...."
Bultear's pondering gaze fell upon the so-called decoration that, even in the barely lit up ground floor was visible. "My god what happened to that poor thing? I didn't know plants could be so grey... wait it's red?!" Bultear's demeanor changed in a second, he stopped in his tracks and with a horrified face, with abated breath, stared at the unnatural thing that resembled the plant that had once been there before.
"Wha-.... what is that thing.... the plant never looked like this before... Oh my are the-...are the leaves moving?! As Bultear continued to stare at the red plant thing, he could see that it was slowly moving its leaves in a way a plant could not, it was as if a person's hand was moving it. Bultear, with the smallest steps he could muster, started coming closer to the thing. The annoyance at the bad state of the building having already flown out his mind.
"It seems as though the leaves are not moving aimlessly; the pattern of movement tells me it's doing something...."
To Bultear's rising horror he could see that some of the leaves were circling around, and enveloping something that was alive. Spread across the red leaves were purple, vein-like tendrils that were stabbing into a hurt, bloodied creature that barely resembled a dog, "Unnatural, beyond understanding" Were the only words a petrified Bultear could think of, as the ungodly abomination, in its twisted dance, was consuming Sigmund.
Bultear's fear glazed eyes widened in shock at the realization. He could not take it, the image too heavy to bear, he sprang into action to save the only close friend he had ever known. He saw himself in him, a stray dog, abandoned by all; his sad, weary eyes would light up upon seeing him, the moments spent with him made him glad to be alive, gave him purpose. If he was alive, he would save him, if he was dead, he would at least preserve what he can of the corpse and give him a burial befitting his buddy.
In his emotionally charged sprint towards the thing, he had completely underestimated its strength and speed. It's veiny, fleshy leaves extended themselves in a way a plant could, and should never be able to, stabbing Bultear in his shoulder, chest and left leg, immediately rendering him immobile and on the brink of death.
As Bultear could do nothing but fall helplessly, and as the red leaves mercilessly dug deeper into him, he could feel death quickly approaching, his mind was inundated by a peculiar ringing sound.
"Is this it? Is this all I could do? All my story had.... To just die like this? I don't mind it, I had always imagined I would die alone, but now at least I can die with you, Sigmund, my friend."
While his final thoughts, like a breeze, were appearing in his mind, the hideous monster was saving its second meal for later, so it purposely kept its leaves in him to prevent him from bleeding out.
Right at the moment that he was about to die, the ringing reached its highest point after which it turned into an ethereal, emotionless voice.
[ Rejoice human, you have been chosen as the Supreme Evolution Candidate.]