Morgana was down in her back room, preparing to conjure the portal to Japan. She painted runes on one of the walls in the shape of a door. To those versed in the Latin language, they spelled out a prayer to Hermes, the messenger of the gods, and Janus, the god of doorways. Once the sigils were properly painted, Morgana anointed them with the potion she had spent the early morning hours preparing. She desperately hoped she hadn't put in too much henbane; the measurements had to be just right.
Once the door was anointed, Morgana picked up a scroll and read aloud. Pronouncing carefully, the witch recited a hymn to Hermes and Janus, imploring them to open the way through time and space to Kyūri-sensei's sumo heya. For a moment after Morgana finished reading, everything was silent. Perfectly, completely, unnaturally silent. Then golden light erupted from the runes as they thrummed and vibrated with magical energy. Morgana watched as the wall that the sigils surrounded became slightly less substantial. It wasn't quite a full portal yet, but over time the wall would slowly fade away more and more until people could step through into Japan... provided there was a witch to keep it open.
Morgana groaned. Now came the truly hard part. Someone would have to concentrate on forcing the portal open until the wall vanished, and then they would have to concentrate on keeping it open until tomorrow morning. The best thing would be for Morgana and her two apprentices to take turns, but Vivi and Dani were both in school. Morgana sighed. It looked like she had the first and longest shift. She'd have to spend seven hours straining to keep the ritual going, and she'd lose income from keeping the store closed. Delightful. Oh well, at least the shop's most profitable hours were from sundown to one in the morning anyway. Morgana gritted her teeth, steeled her psyche, and began pouring her energy into opening the magical gate. The going was going to be slow, but the portal should be fully open by midnight.
Morgana wondered for a second if this draining ritual was really worth it, but she pushed that thought from her mind. Ellie, Harper, Beck, Brianna, Kristi, and Joelle were counting on this gate, and Morgana had never disappointed a customer. It might leave her barely conscious, but Morgana Faye was going to satisfy her customers, dammit!