Mai's POV:
I was in a Church, and I was being led by the hand down a corridor, light streaming in through side windows and arches.
"Where are we going?" a little boy asked, looking through a door as we passed, and I could see my reflection – his reflection – in the metal within that room.
The little boy I was looked up at the face of a just-starting-to-grey man dressed as a Priest. The man smiled.
"Just a little way ahead, Daddy's surprise is just down this corridor." the man replied.
"You're not Daddy, big brother said Daddy's in heaven, and you're just our Guardian." the boy replied.
"Really? What else did he say?" the man asked.
"Not to go with you anywhere without telling him first." the boy replied, innocently.
"Ah… You can trust me, though, right?" the man smiled, bending over to look in the boy's eyes.
"Well… Alright!" the boy smiled, as they reached a door.
The man opened it, and the boy's eyes widened.
"Just down here, it's alright." he coaxed, as the boy began to shiver.
"That's the Bad Room! The Bad Yelling Room!" the boy exclaimed.
"Come on, James!" the man smiled, though his smile was strained.
"No!" the boy turned to go, yet the man picked him up, pulling him into the staircaseand closing the door.
"Shame, James, it appears I have to punish you, after all." the man's voice reverberated in the boy and I's minds, as we both began to panic…
A welcoming hand upon my shoulder, and a small tug, as Eugene pulled me free.
"Mai, you need to be extra careful on this one." he whispered. "Only the brightest star and the darkest night can save these victims now."
"What do you mean?" I asked. He smiled, and pushed me backwards.
"Mai." a familiar voice called. "Mai!"
"Mai! Wake up!" Naru ordered, and I sat up straight, almost falling off my chair at his close proximity.
Its been three months since Naru returned, and (to be honest) it doesn't feel like anything has changed, or that three-year gap happened. The only difference is that I'm in college with high grades and I've gotten slightly taller, although so has Naru.
Naru also hasn't ditched his solid-black wardrobe, although, on the rare occasion he does wear a blue shirt, however, even then it's almost navy, and he still asks for about 53 cups a day. I bet I could even go about my routine blindfolded!
My mind fell back on my dream, and I felt puzzled – whoever the big brother was, he sounded as though he knew something, and why exactly did he call that man "bad"?
"Really, Big Boss! Our fair maiden was merely dreaming of certain Knights in Shining Armour, coming to save her from a great peril! Now you are getting her pretty little head puzzling over the oddity of it!" Yasu grinned.
"I can't have my assistant passing out from thinking too hard." Naru stated. "Mai, tea. A client is arriving in five minutes."
"Sure." I replied, walking towards the kitchen, before pausing at the doorway. "Naru-… Never mind…"
Naru's POV:
I sighed. First she had been muttering in her sleep, then she gets confused for some reason, and now she's hiding something.
I sat on a sofa as Lin came out of his office, sitting at the head of the coffee table.
Mai re-entered with the tea, and just placed the tray down as the door opened, and John entered, leading a greying woman in gently.
"Mother Silvester is from New Wales in Australia. Mother, this is the friends I told you about; Yasu, Mai, Naru and Lin." John smiled. "I think they can help with your problem."
"Thank you, but I still remember from your last call." she smiled, taking a seat opposite me.
Mai was watching John, and her brow furrowed slightly.
Is she puzzled over him?
I stuffed the following feeling as far back as possible.
"I read over the e-mail John forwarded, and I would like you to explain further." I stated, picking up and taking a sip of my tea.
"Well, it started about three months ago, but it was alright then. There was just a young ghost running up and down the corridors, playing with the other children, and being overall a nice lad… But then, another ghost appeared, and the children started complaining about feeling cold and invisible hands touching them…" she took a sip of her own tea.
"I would go over and try and help, but there's a lot more spirits there than just the two – those who were buried there are also haunting the place. I have managed to help a handful of those ghosts pass on, but others still remain." John added.
I thought over this.
"One last thing. John, you appear to know Mother Silvester more than just as the person you simply visit and help; why?" I asked.
"That's because he grew up with me and the other children – my church doubles as an orphanage, and John's father used to help run the place alongside me and Father Matthew – god bless their souls…" Mother Silvester explained.
I nodded, and there was silence.
"I'll take it." I said at last, and a relieved smile graced the old lady's lips.
"Ano… John?…" Mai stuttered.
"Yes?" he replied, smiling as he looked at her.
"Would… Is it possible for a Priest to… Would a Priest be able to take advantage of their Priesthood somehow and…" she asked, blushing bright red "Hurt people within a Church?"
John froze for a second, as Mother Silvester shrugged.
"It has happened in the past, but they have all been found out sooner or later." she smiled. "Anyway, I must return to my home and prepare for you. You're own room's still unused since you left, John."
With this, she left, and John frowned, puzzled.
"Why do you ask?" John asked.
"Just… I think I might have, um… Done it again…" Mai remarked.
"Sit, tell." was all I said.
"NARU!" she complained…