Blossoms (WIP)

It was a gorgeous Spring day as Stella set foot outside the airplane, she had been cooped up for what felt like days on this flight. She looked around, already in awe of the airports weaving of nature and technology, giant redwoods replaced control towers, with the control rooms built into the highest branches, blossoming cherry trees scattered sweet smelling petals across the interior, and unbeknownst to the woman, a watchful pair of eyes keeping tabs on her. As she collected her baggage she pulled out the red envelope that had brought her here, she didn’t know who sent it or why, but something about it just made her need to find out. Every time she read the letter and looked over its contents, she had felt a strange feeling wash over her like a wave, a feeling of desire, of longing. As she left the airport and hailed a cab, the pair of eyes observing her followed, the face they belonged to smiling as it arrives, everything was going according to plan, and their target, Stella, was none the wiser to what was going on.
A long car ride later, and Stella arrived at her hotel, it wasn’t anything fancy, but she wasn’t planning on spending much time in it anyways. As she stepped into her room, the gentle smell of incense filled her nose, she took a deep breath of it, happy to be smelling something that wasn’t planes or cars, and the soreness in her body seemed to just melt away. “God this is wonderful” she sighed as she flopped onto the bed. She hadn’t even realized she had fallen asleep until she woke up around 10, scrambling to her feet as she panicked if she had forgotten to lock the door. Fortunately there were no signs of anyone entering… except for another letter being on the pillow next to her, the faint smell of sakura blossoms wafting off of it. “How did this get here?” She murmurs, yawning as she opens it up and pulls out the contents of the envelope. “Welcome~ we are glad you made it here safely~ thank you for coming so far to meet with us~ we are sure you have many questions, but all will be answered in due time, for now all you need to do is come to the location marked on the map included, you are in no danger, if you do not come within a week, we will have you escorted here” the note read. “Weird… it feels like a case of mistaken identity, but it couldn’t be… it was addressed for me perfectly” she says to herself, looking the map over and seeing the marked spot is within a National Park near her hotel.
She spent the next 2 days sightseeing, shopping, and enjoying the gorgeous city and its elegant combination of nature and technology. All the while the shadowy figure trailed her, making sure she didn’t get into trouble, and on the evening of the third day, she set out for the location she was told to go, walking into the forest with a flashlight in hand, unaware of what would occur tonight.
The forest path was dark and treacherous, a mist covered the ground and made it even harder to see where the path twisted and turned, occasionally she stumbled and paused, trying to get her bearings in the increasingly thick vegetation, the figure trailing her hiding in the trees, moving without a sound, a wide grin on her face as she knew, Stella was past the point of no return at this point. The lost and confused girl barely able to keep her bearings as she made her way towards the bright red circle on the map, something was telling her to keep going, to keep pressing on, the seal on the envelope glowing imperceptibly as the charm magic laced in the paper spurred her to keep moving forward, until she reached a clearing, her destination...
Stella’s eyes went wide as she reached the secluded pagoda, she had received an invitation here for some reason, her curiosity piqued, she had asked locals about it and they all looked at her like she was crazy. She had searched anyways and finally found her destination, soft lights visible inside, the building guarded by a gate. Cautiously she approached, knocking on it gently. As she pulled her hand away, the fog of the night began to thicken, her visibility reducing to near zero, Stella looks around nervously, on guard as she hears a door open, footsteps on the stone pathway. “I see our honored guest has finally arrived~” spoke a confident, calm voice. As Stella turned around she saw the woman, dressed in an elaborate red kimono, her hair tied back and her hands hidden in her sleeves. “Please, follow me” the gate opening just wide enough to allow Stella inside. “Strange things live in this forest, we’d hate to lose our honored guest” she says with a sly grin. “But why have you invited me here?” Stella asks, wanting to find her answers. “All will be revealed in due time, I assure you, you will get your answers here” replies her guide, as she opens the door to the pagoda, inviting Stella inside, the faint floral scent of some strange flower drifting into the open air, almost inviting her in. “A-Alright, but you better not take long” she replies, stepping inside, as the kimono woman closes the door, knowing the bait has been taking, hook, line, and sinker.
Stella sat down in one of the comfortable chairs laid out before her, unsure of what to think about her host, who was preparing tea for them, she could hear others in the building, mostly chatting about everyday life and walking around, so far aside from the location nothing unusual was up. “Here you are Miss Stella, some wonderful herbal tea on the house” her host says calmly,  her face flawless despite lacking in makeup, every movement trained and graceful. “Um.. thanks” she replies shyly, taking the tea and sipping it a little. The tea tasted wonderful, making Stella feel relaxed and a bit more at ease. “So, about those questions, I’m sure you're curious as to why we invited you here Miss” the kimono clad woman states, “and well, it’s a bit of a long story, but you see, your family has roots in these parts, as well as former ties to well, all of this” she says, spreading her arms, revealing a dazzling, spiraling array of patterns adorning her sleeves, the woman’s elegant movements almost overwhelmed Stella for a moment, her thoughts in a scramble before reassembling themselves. The woman smiles a bit, knowing that her part of the plan was going perfectly. “Perhaps a change of clothes would be in order before we continue, your clothes are all scratched up and sweaty from your hike” she says, and Stella merely nods along with it, still trying to put her thoughts back in order. “I-I uh… sure, do you have anything that’s less… ornate? I guess?” The visitor asks. “Unfortunately we do not, but worry not dear, we can find something that will fit you~”