Mina Aino watched in horror as a knife plunged into her chest, piercing her heart. The pain was unbearable as she stumbled and fell to her knees, her startled gaze meeting the icy violet eyes of a green-armored warrior as he stood, frozen in horror. Gasping for breath as blood trailed down her chin, Mina watched as the warrior knelt at her side, the expression in his cold gaze one of helplessness and defeat.

The eerie silence that settled over the scene matched the mood just right as Mina felt her life force fleeing her body at a rapid rate. It was obvious that she wasn't going to live, and she didn't want to try. She had given up already, the will to live gone. Looking up into the warrior's eyes was like looking into a mirror; she could see just how pale and close to death she was.

As the warrior held his hand out over Mina's body, a green light was emanated from his hands and she knew what he was trying to do. She grabbed his hand, forcing it away from her body.

"No," she rasped, coughing slightly. "I beg of you, let me die."

As the last of her life force was leaving her body, Mina summoned up enough energy for one last statement. "Please...・She panted, her eyes wide and unseeing. "Tell Mama that I.." Her words were cut off shortly as her energy failed her, the last of her life force fading into the night sky…

Mina woke with a start, a cold sweat dripping down her face. Her heart was beating wildly and she felt limp, too weak to really do anything. The sensation of fear wasn't a pleasant one, and for a moment, she wondered if her dream would become reality. The very thought caused a shudder to run down her spine, leaving a cold, hollow sensation in her heart.

Moving slowly, she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed, weary and bone-tired. She hadn't actually been able to sleep in over two weeks, which was when the nightmares had started. Her every waking moment was spent haunted by the memory of the nightmare and the warrior that was in it.

As she got out of bed, Mina wobbled, nearly stubbing her toe on the sharp corner of her dresser. Cursing softly as she moved away from it, she made her way out of her room and into the hall, sweeping her loose blond hair from her sweaty face. The temperature in the house seemed hot and stuffy, making the blond Scout even more uncomfortable than she already felt.

As the sounds of rustling in the kitchen reached her ears, Mina paused in front of the bathroom door in the hallway. The feeling of fear returning, she backtracked to her room and retrieved a baseball bat that she'd had for years, but never used. In her heart, she felt that she wasn't safe and she wasn't going to take any chances now.

The rustling sounds continued as she silently moved down the stairs, clutching the bat like a lifeline as the hairs on the back of her neck stood up in silent warning. Halfway down the stairs, all hell broke loose.

Mina screamed as a black shadow came rushing up the stairs without warning, its red eyes gleaming maliciously in the darkness. The creature was like none she'd ever seen or encountered; it looked almost completely transparent, but she was sure it was solid enough to cause bodily harm if necessary. In this instance, it seemed as though it was intent on causing her bodily harm. It moved slowly in her direction, slowly filling her with a sense of dread. The shadowy creature was surrounded by an aura of evil, an evil so intense that she could feel it seeping into her very core.

Frozen in fear, Mina couldn't move as the creature continued towards her, floating lightly above the ground. For a moment, the world ceased to exist as she locked eyes with the shadowy creature, feeling its intentions even as she struggled against the hold the creature held over her body. The sound of arguing from her parents' room broke that spell, releasing Mina from the shadow's grasp. With an unworldly cry that sent chills up and down Mina's spine, the creature lunged at her suddenly, its talons outstretched towards her neck. She moved out of its reach, the force of its movement slamming her into the wall. The physical touch of the creature left her shaking and gasping for breath, hanging onto the wall for dear life. As her parents came rushing out of their room, it was all Mina could do to keep herself from trembling too badly as she collapsed against the wall in relief…