The Scientists

The Scientists were being funded by the mayor of the city (what city? name of city? mayor character?) to research alternate ways of survival since the world is decaying and resources are harder to come by.  While studying different tribes who survive off the land, they come across the tribe that Rain hails from (she was younger at this point).  The scientists come across an old book from an old man that had lived with the tribe.  This old man claimed to be a noble and spoke of paradise and how he had the key to reaching it.  Everyone regarded this man as crazy.  After the old man passed away, his books were kept in the tribe.  One book in particular held a dried, book pressed lunar flower.  Upon this finding, the scientists try to take the book with them.  The tribe sees this, and aren't happy with being thieved from after allowing these outsiders amount their ranks.  The power hungry scientist in the group tries to convince tribe to let them have the book.  When they refuse, he gives the order to have them massacred.  Some of the scientists reject this order, so the power hungry scientist shoots them to further cover up his crime, and make it more believable.  A few who disagreed kept their mouths shut, for they anticipate what the power hungry sci would do. Upon returning to the city, they tell the mayor that they tribe became hostile and they were forced to put them down.  He tells how they lost good people on their side as well.
After this event, the city and it's people pool their resources and try to finance and fund the scientists creation of a flower child to open paradise. At this point, the scientist have no idea how to actually do it, so they only come up with dead ends and failure. There is no way to create a living specimen from the dead flower.  Eventually, they have to admit that they can't create the key to paradise, and the city rejects them.
(How much time passes from the massacre to when the caverns open?) After time passes, the sink holes open up.  The scientists, fearing the city would collapse, go to investigate this. They can't believe their eyes. A LIVING FLOWER.  This could be what they hoped for.  After their many failures with the dead flower, they do not dare tell the city about what they've found until they know for certain. They're met with baddies (who've been in the city and know about the first failure, and were lured down by instinct) who try to strike a deal with the scientist.
The Sci's believe they need wolf blood to actually open paradise.  The Sci's promise the baddies a place in their Utopia.  The Baddies agree to this, but are secretly biding their time until the child is created and stable enough to move.  When that time comes, they baddies plan to take Airi and kill the sci's.