Shiki's bound, her limbs spread out over two poles, she notices, and she found herself nude in this dark grey room that is empty with the exception of a lonely throne.

She knows that it's no use struggling, even though she's been doing just that for what seems like hours. The ropes are so tight around her ankles and wrists that they almost increase her panic, and she wants to be out of there. Where is Neku? Where is she? Isn't she supposed to be alive, in her own body?

A bright, blinding light forms in the corner of the room, near that throne, concentrating momentarily until it grows into a tall, glowing, ethereal form. The light quickly melts away, and in its place was a string thin boy about her age, with tousled, pale hair and purple-grey eyes.

It hits Shiki that she isn't alone anymore, and she's naked in Eri's body in front of his strange boy. He turns to stare at her, and Shiki can see his eyes behind the messy white bangs, can see some malice in his gaze. A smirk plays along his lips, watching Shiki as she stops struggling because that seems to be what he wants. What she wants is to be out of there, waiting for Neku at Hachiko or catching up with Eri or something, she wants to be anywhere but here because she hates being helpless like this. She didn't even have Mr. Mew for comfort.

The stranger stops staring for a moment, reaching down to unbutton his trousers, hunger swirling in his eyes as he goes back to raking along her body with his gaze. His fingers are nimble, and his trousers are easily undone so that he can pull them down just enough to free his awakening member.

Shiki guessed what he's planning but now she's sure of it, and cold horror soaks her already chilling, nude body. She turns away, unable to look at him anymore, and she hears him chuckle.

Agonizing minutes pass as he stimulates himself, and Shiki wishes she could somehow be anesthetized through this because she knows it's unavoidable and it's going to be awful and --

She hears his breath pick up and knows he's approaching her now; she can't take this anymore!

"D-don't," she pleads shakily, her eyes wired shut.

The stranger doesn't even falter, still walking until he stops between her legs, reaching over to cup her breasts.

"Why not?" he questions and giggles. He seems more effeminate than Shiki expected.

She wanted to answer him, but was cut off by her own gasp as he began to rub both of her breasts, using both hands. He looks up at her, his countenance dominated by a dark smirk.

"B-but why am I here?" Shiki manages to stammer, and she can't even bear to watch as this stranger defiles Eri's body. "What are you doing?!" She doesn't want to hear the answer because she already knows it, and she doesn't want this arousal to develop because she doesn't want this.

"I'm taking Neku's entry fee," he replied and suddenly his tone is cold. Shiki turns to look at him -- a mistake --and can see that his eyes are calculating, like he's finishing off a business deal.

"Entry fee?!" Shiki exclaimed, eyes widening as his hands slide down her torso, heading towards her thighs.

"There's no other way for Neku to play the game, is there?" the stranger sighs, and there's mock-regret in his voice as he traces the inside of her thighs, slowly making his way to where her legs met.

"B-but --"

"Every player gives up something they care about to play this game," he says coldly, his fingers finding Shiki's vaginal lips. "For Neku, it's you, and there's no other way..."

"There has to --"

He cuts her off by pressing his thumb on that sensitive bunch of nerves below her mons, and Shiki cries out in a mixture of protest and unwanted pleasure. It's inevitable, and the only way to escape it is to pretend it isn't happening, which she can't do because this is just all too real.

He uses his spare hand to part her inner lips, sliding his fingers along the barely sufficient wetness before he plunges one finger into her. Shiki writhes, begging him to stop even though she knows he won't, and to her utter mortification she can feel the wetness between her legs increase with the warmth as he adds another finger, thrusting them both in and out of her. He isn't even bothering to look at her anymore, as if he's focusing on his work and whatever motives he has behind it.

It isn't long before he pulls his fingers out of Shiki, placing both hands on her hips --

"Please, don't--"

And pushes into her without warning.

Shiki screams because she knows it's all real, that there isn't and wasn't an escape, that this stranger really is taking her and it hurts inside and out.

"Neku won't want you now."