A hooded figure in dark attire knelt knight-like at the center of the circular private library. The chandelier which was situated above him was removed instead there were eight dimly lit wall lights around the circular room. Umehito Nekozawa placed his right hand on the floor in front of him. A glow emitted from his palm which seemed to flow into the faint lines on the floor.

The glowing lines formed a pentagram. His pale blues sparkled as the ground beneath him groaned and began to move. The pentagram ground descended like a lift with him still kneeling at the center as it slowly rotated and it stopped at the east wall. He rose and walked through the wall. The wall was a solid element made from granite and steel.

He was a man of science as well as a mage. He wasn't a dark mage as people might have suspected him to be. In actuality, dark and light didn't exist in magic. Magic was a pure unpretentious factor catered to the specification of the user. It depended on how well it was utilised by its user. It could be used for good deeds or with bad intentions.

Sins were born from uncontrollable desires surmounting to the deadly seven. Sins were a trait weakness in humans leading them to commit horrendous crimes which sometimes transcended time and space. Time and space was an elementary aspect in fourth dimension. The fact that magic and science co-exist meant that each matter complemented the other.

Again, it was humans in their ignorant conclusion presumed that magic and science were two separate matters. Science was good whereas magic was bad. He smirked disgustedly, thinking of the time he was involved in worldwide technological science projects that could destroy another planet's atmosphere with a single C24U he helped create for warfare artillery.

So what was good about science? What was deemed to be good could also be bad. The same principle could be applied to magic. He walked into a large room filled with volumes of ancient thick or thin leather bound yellowed books of magic which were stacked neatly on all four walls of the room. As a mage he was disinclined to reveal the secret of walking through solid wall.

But as a scientist, the only thing he could disclose was that he had created a sensor which sensed his body odor through body heat just enough to activate the wall to disappear. After he had stepped into the room, the solid wall which acted as both illusory and real would reappear behind him after he had stepped into the other side.

His eyes narrowed as he walked in the dimly lit narrowed path toward the inner sanctum. The sanctum was a narrow chamber meant for only one person. There was no space for sitting. He took a hundred and fifty paces into the chamber. Inside the cold, dark and narrow chamber, he walked for another fifty paces. His eyesight was excellent in the dark.

He saw a mild shine and stopped in front of an ancient looking full length mirror. He flipped the hood from his head. There was light yet not bright illuminating the chamber. He stared at his image. He blinked but his reflection did not. His image stared at him with red eyes. This was a 'constrained' and sealed' cursed mirror. Only master mages having the Tokerev bloodline could handle it.

"Shall I tell you a future?" His image asked sardonically with a raised eyebrow.

"Would you prefer to drift endlessly in the void?" Umehito replied coldly.

"Why are you here then?" His image in the mirror frowned.

"Where's the curse breaker?" Umehito spoke to his image.

"You're no fun," The image in the mirror glared at him.

"Not when it involves the Tokerevs," Umehito replied gravely.

The image raised an eyebrow and gave him a leer, "You felt it, didn't you?"

Umehito remained silent.

"You did, interesting," The image in the mirror made a face at Umehito. "But you've still a long way to convince the curse breaker."

"Watch me," Umehito said.

"I certainly will," The mirror smirked. "As we speak time flies, so you better get the curse breaker to your side since you've already got her on your sight."

"Show me now," Umehito's voice hardened.

"If you insist," His image bowed, then turned anti-clock wise, and faded away.

A vision appeared. It was a cottage by the sea. The cottage was lit from within dimly. The surrounding atmosphere was serene. It was twilight. No one was on the beach except for a couple holding hands standing close watching the stars. Zooming in, at one of the opened windows, Umehito saw a figure sleeping on a sofa covered from head to toe with a checkered red and green blanket.

The figure faced the cushioned back of the sofa thus disabling Umehito to take a good look at the figure's face. There weren't anything on the walls or tables to indicate who this person was. There were traces of picture frames on the walls. He saw the modesty of the contents in the cottage and thought that this person had not changed one bit.

Elsewhere… later into the night… the cottage by the sea…

The hairs on her nape stood. Suddenly she felt chilly. Even with the blanket draped and covering her body and head, she was cold. Silly, she thought, nothing to be afraid of, she was in her own house, in her own room, sleeping on the sofa. Eh? On a sofa… she opened an eye. It was not her sofa, her other eye opened. In fact this was not her apartment at all.

It was a cottage she had rented for a week for R&R. Perspiring she sat up on the sofa, looking at the slightly opened curtain and a slightly opened window. She blinked her eyes then rubbed them to clear her vision. Her eyes strayed to the digital clock on the coffee table. It was 10:40 at night. She had overslept. She was groggy and her head was slightly heavy.

She was mentally tired from all the workload from the office. She had enough of cases dealing with insurance fraudulent incidences. No, she was not an insurance agent. She was a legal counselor for Akijima and Associates. She had wanted to handle murder cases. But her boss, Ishibashi Keita insisted that she be the head of those irritating fraudulent cases.

She had rented this cottage to escape from the boredom which was slowly absorbing her sanity. She hadn't a doubt the office would be calling her cell incessantly which was why she had purposely left it in her home. She had another cell which no one knew of its number. She only used it when on vacation. Of course, she had not listed the office number or anyone associated with the office in the cell.

It would defeat the purpose of being out of contact if she did. She rubbed her forehead with her palm then slapped her forehead to clear her mind. She let her eyes roam the dimly lit room. She felt her heart race as if she had just ran a 100 metres dash. She felt uneasy as if someone was watching her. From the corner of her eyes there seemed to be a flash of movement.

Her head immediately shifted to that movement. Her eyes were focused at the full length mirror. There was nothing. It was a figment of her awry imagination. Her eyes narrowed in trepidation, yet she could have sworn there was movement in the mirror. She had been feeling uncomfortable for the past month. Yet she didn't know the reason of her apprehension.

Her boss had reprimanded for her being absentminded. Slowly she got out of the sofa. The blanket was still draped on her body and head. She walked towards the mirror. She stood in front of it. She stared at her own reflection. She raised a hand and placed a palm on the cool surface. Her hand dropped to her side. She sighed in relieve.

She was being paranoid ever since she had those strange stirring feelings that left her breathless. She rubbed her chest, "Get a grip of yourself," She patted her cheeks with both hands. "You're tired that's why you're seeing things that are not there." She pinched her cheeks, and winced, "Ouch."

She glanced at the mirror again and grinned at her reflection then her eyes grew large upon seeing a dark shadow at the upper right hand corner. It was next to the cupboard. It had a human form but was clad in dark robes. She turned sideways to look over her shoulder. There was nothing next to the cupboard. She turned to look at the mirror.

"I need you." The voice emitted from the dark shadow was gentle.

The dark shadow moved closer while she backed away from the mirror. She stared at it in horror. The blanket fell away from her body onto the floor. She had forgotten to scream. But I don't need you! Her mind screamed in panic instead. Her hand was on her chest. The dark shadow stepped out of the mirror into the room in the cottage. Her eyes darted to the slightly opened window. She ran towards it.

"You will stay," The dark shadow's voice echoed. He waved his hand once.

THUP! She stopped in her tracks. The window slammed shut. THUM! Another window slammed shut. THAM! The door closed loudly. She jumped out of fright as the windows and door closed simultaneously. She knocked her knee on the side table. She lost her balance and fell on her bum. The dark shadow glided slowly for her. She dragged herself using her hands as she backed away.

Her back was against the wall. She could move no more. "G-go a-aw-ayyy…"

"No, I won't," The dark shadow stopped in front of her. "You're important," The hooded dark shadow loomed nearer to her, "to me."

"Me? Important …? You've got the wrong person." She shook her head.

She grimaced to herself, why of all places to rent did she have to rent a haunted cottage? She closed her eyes. She felt the dark shadow was near to her. Her face felt its warm breath. Surprisingly, it wasn't putrid. She gulped her fear as she braved herself to open her eyes to look at… darkness. They were face to face but she couldn't see anything but darkness under the dark hood.

"No, you're the one." The dark shadow informed.

"What?" She managed to ask despite her fear.

The dark shadow raised a hand. She glanced at the hand. It was pale. It wasn't dark. The hand held her chin, "Do not fear me, Haruhi."

Her eyes widened in shock, "How do you know my name?"

"I know you and mean you no harm," the dark entity informed her, "But I do need you."

"What do you need me for?" She asked then grimaced, what was she asking? It was obvious what the dark figure wanted from her. It wanted her life! It wanted her soul! Or it wanted to possess her! She quickly shook her head, "No, no, no…"

"Look," the dark figure commanded. "I need you to bond with me."

"Huh?" She looked at the dark figure incredulously. "What!" A ghost with a crazy proposition, "Why?"

"Without you, I'll surely perish," The dark shadow said.

"You're a ghost, you're already dead." She frowned at the ghost, thinking that the ghost couldn't pass on to the other side. It hadn't completed its final earthly agenda.

"No! I'm not bonding with you." The ghost had chosen her to do its last bidding and whatever it was it wanted her to do, it could count her out.

"Don't impose such preposterous suggestion."She slapped her cheek to wake herself up from this terrible nightmare.

The nightmare wasn't as vivid and demanding as this one. Yet the sting of her slap informed her that she was very much awake and this was no nightmare. This was reality. She tried to move away from the dark entity but a pale corporeal hand grabbed her wrist. The hand that released her wrist was warm. She blinked in surprise.

The dark entity flipped the hood off his head. "Haruhi, look at me."

She was shocked to the core of her being. Sky blue eyes… sexy eyes… He was … he was… She gasped in shock as he pulled her closer to him. But… how? How could he have walked through the mirror? It was impossible. She looked at him. A magician! It couldn't be… The students from their Ouran past including her had thought that he was just an enigmatic eccentric otaku for the occults.

"Nekozawa-senpai…?"

Never in her imagination would she have thought he was a bona fide mage. The incident from the time he came into the third floor music room ten years ago came flooding back to her. They were in a position similar to this one yet the previous incident was more of an accident. But now, this was no accident. It was specific.

She swallowed her apprehension as his palm supported her nape while the other held her waist. She tried to wriggle herself free. He tightened his hold on her. His eyes on the digital clock on the table, it was nearing midnight. He shifted his eyes at her.

She stared at him, "what's the meaning of this?"

He placed a forefinger on her lips to silence her. "I would like to ask something from you."

She narrowed her eyes, not liking it one bit and didn't say anything. She didn't know what to say.

"The time we kissed on the floor of the host club, did you feel anything?"

She shifted her eyes from him. How could he even ask her that? Of course she felt something. Embarrassment! Big time! "Mortified," It was all she had managed to answer him.

He smiled, "I'm sure it was," Then he looked into her eyes, "Anything else?"

She bit her lower lip, "I was drifting on air. I wasn't in my body. I was aware of my surroundings. I felt free. Then all of a sudden I was being pulled back into my body. I saw Mori-senpai performing something on me which had nothing to do with CPR. I was on Hani-senpai's lap. That was all I remembered then I blacked out."

He nodded, "As expected of Takashi and Mitsukuni," He looked intently at her, "I need you to hear me very carefully. There isn't much time. Only this, you're my curse breaker. You had broken the Tokerev curse. That curse was not withstanding sunlight. But that curse isn't the only one. That's why I need you." He sighed, "What I will do next, will not be to your liking."

"What? I'm a what?" Her eyes widened in panic and confusion, "What are you going to do?" She went back but he gently rubbed her nape with his thumb.

"Relax," He whispered into her ear.

"I can't relax," She grabbed his frontal robe in her hands, "Not with that bombshell you dropped on me. What're you going to do?" She shrieked at him.

"This," He lowered his head and his lips touched hers. He bit her lower lip tasting her blood. She jerked but he held her head closer. He bit his own lower lip and brought her lips to touch his. He hadn't a choice. He deepened the kiss mixed with blood. It was a ritual of bonding. "With this we're one."

She coughed, "What the heck?!" She tried to spit the blood out but he pressed a hand on her mouth.

"Swallow it," He told her, "It's the ritual of bonding. It'll help increase each others' powers."

"Power?" She asked perturbed at the information.

"Yes," He nodded, "Your power is derived from the element of air. It can manipulate the other two elements. Water and Fire."

She frowned. Her eyes filled with confusion. He smiled and kissed her forehead. Right now, he would leave her be. He would come again for her when the time came for them to be together. He felt her heartbeat gently as if it were his own. It was only time when they would be one. He had another agenda but that had to wait. One thing at a time, as it was she had a hard time taking it all in.

He blew onto her face. She looked at him in surprise. Her eyelids flickered. They felt heavy and tried she did to open them the heavier they got. She succumbed to the pull of Neverland. He carried his curse breaker and set her down on the sofa. He smiled at her sleeping form. He wiped the slight stain of blood on her lower lip with his thumb and he licked his thumb.

He turned his back from her and walked back into the mirror and disappeared into the other side. The digital clock showed 12:05am.

THE END

A/N: This fic is a continuation or sequel (whatever it is known nowadays) of CURSE BREAKER. It has nothing to do with PROVIDENCE. I may whip up something to continue this. But it may not be so soon though. As for the chandeliar thingy, I took that piece of item from my other Neko/Haru piece, 'Nekozawa's Journal of Mysteries.' The ritual of bonding - was meant to be off-putting to readers or there won't be any story. But it has nothing to do with Neko being vampirish or anything of the sort. The readers will have to put up with my subjective style of writing fanfics and they won't be having it their way. I like writing controversial and non-canon things. I usually break conventional expectations for any piece of fanfic that I happen to write. That's how I like it. ;) Cheerio!