My legs felt as if they were pinned to the spot, and sheer terror robbed me of my ability to breathe. Yet, the shrine maiden rose gracefully, stepping over the crimson petals as she glided toward me, that twisted smile never fading from her face. Suddenly, my body was no longer my own, manipulated as if by countless invisible threads. To my utter despair, my right hand lifted entirely against my will, locking onto her bone-chilling, lifeless hand. She tilted her head slightly, a warped sense of tenderness gleaming in her tear-stained, dark eyes. Helpless to resist, I allowed her to lead me deeper into the floral sea. All around us, ghastly skeletal hands clawed their way out of the soil toward the sky, as she pulled me down a sinister path paved with bones and lilies, marching straight toward a point of no return.