A/N: This is my first time trying to write a fanfiction so it's nowhere near perfect,
which is why I'd really appreciate critics on how to improve!

As for the story in the first chapters I'll be pretty much following the original game storyline, though I will add a personal touch to the whole concept.

All that's written below is just a preview for the upcoming future events that will happen after the original storyline ended.

Something was telling me that this was a really bad idea but I chose to ignore the voices in my head and lock them up somewhere deep down my thoughts...

Still confused about the warnings my mind had just given me, I turned around to the unexpected one standing there.
He looked pretty pensive, probably wondering about my unusual behaviour, so I tried to fake a smile.

"Hello, Damien!"
I tried to make my smile look less forceful but he seemed to notice that something was odd.

As soon as I greeted him, a strange force inside me started to take control over my body. I staggered.
This didn't feel right.

"Kasumi!" I heard him shouting as I clutched at his hands for support.

My sudden tumble seemed to make him worry. He held me up, staring at me as if he was trying to find out about whatever was happening to me, hints of fear mixed with confusion in his eyes.

He was worried about me. At least that's what I wanted to believe.
But I barely had time to think about it.

There was a burning feeling inside me as if something was trying to suck out all of my energy.

Then I began to wonder - was he doing this? He had tried to kill me before.
The feeling was similar, but not quite the same.

Just what was happening?

As the pain got worse I began to lose control of my surroundings.

Light and sound rushed into me without meaning, spiralling down, fading away...
All that was left was emptiness.

"Kasumi... What have you done?" he asked, still having that worried look in his eyes.
I stared at him blankly, trying to fully understand the situation.

It wasn't him. No it couldn't have been him. This was different.
But if this was not his doing then whose was it?

And then, far too late, it all came together at once.

How could I have forgotten? I've been told this when I was little.
When I discovered magic for the first time.
Choices. Promises. Consequences.
They all meant more than just words.
Breaking a witch's promise came with a great price to pay.

"I swore a solemn oath that I would never speak to you again. I broke my vow."
I looked down being mad at myself for a moment. Then I looked back up to him again, having all kinds of emotions swirling through my mind.

He tried to read them through my eyes. And he managed to - just as if I was an open book.

He had never been able to see through me before. I was very good at putting up a mask of emotions. But that was only as long as I could get hold of what happened. This situation was different. I didn't manage to put on my usual acting. Nothing worked this time.

"What?" His worried look turned into one of disbelief and shock.
He didn't want to believe it. I could tell.

I tried to flinch back still feeling as if I had no energy left.
And I felt myself tumbling again.
He wanted to catch me but I managed to get back on my feet, trying to explain the situation.

"I didn't realise! I mean - I had that warning in my head telling me not to speak to you but I ignored it. I forgot that a witch's promise isn't just about words. It's my fault for forgetting..."

Right after I let the words I just said run through my mind again I realised how stupid they must have sounded. I wasn't making a stand at all - all I was doing was blaming myself. But in the end it really was my fault for forgetting, wasn't it?
I looked down again, trying to clear my thoughts.

He didn't seem to notice my self doubt... or maybe he was ignoring it... or maybe it didn't matter to him... but there was that worried yet disbelieving look again.

"Your magic - it's gone?"

"I'm sorry!"
Wait why was I apologizing? That's not what I wanted to say! Did it really matter though? All of this seemed so surreal. As if all my time in the school had been some kind of dream slowly coming to an end. I just couldn't bring myself to believe that this all happened because of a single broken promise. But if I could feel the pain from the broken promise then my roommates sure knew about it too. I wouldn't be able to face them anymore. Not after they were trying so hard to get me away from the demon boy that tried to steal my soul. All of sudden I felt alone. I felt the same way I did before I came to Iris Academy. No one to actually turn to, no one to trust.

Damien wasn't an option here. He apologized, but that didn't mean I had forgotten about the danger he could bring. And even though I probably loved him I just couldn't bring myself to not doubt him sometimes.
So in the end I was completely alone.

As all these emotions started to overwhelm me, his voice brought me back to reality.

"You're innocent..."
As if.
It was my fault for being stupid. And no one but him should have known better.

"You have to come with me. Now."
I lifted my face, staring at him as if he just said something in a language that I didn't understand.
What did he say? Was he serious?

"What?"
But as soon as the words left my mouth I noticed the serious look on his face.
I didn't have to question this. He was being serious.

"They'll be coming for you. Former witches aren't allowed to keep their memories.
They'll wipe you clean and throw you away. You'll forget me, you'll forget everything!"

Did I hear a hint of fear out of those last words? Was he really afraid of me forgetting?
Trying not to think about it I pulled myself together.

"That doesn't make sense! Why would they take your memories when you lost your magic already?"

Even though I was being serious about what I just said, he didn't seem to pay much attention to it. He looked at me, his eyes telling me that this was clearly not the time to ask questions.

"I have to get you away, as fast as I can. Come on."
He reached for me. I hesitated.

Could I really trust him?

If we escaped from the safe grounds of Iris Academy then, without magic, I'd be completely helpless in the arms of a demon!
If I only could cast spells I would be able to read his mind.
Once again I tried to clear my thoughts. There was a war going on inside my head. And it was all about who to trust and who to be wary of.

I guess I didn't manage to hide my doubt in him since he looked away, blushing awkwardly.
That blush wasn't meant to be cute in any way. Judging by the look he was making, he knew what I was thinking.
It almost looked as if he regretted the things he did.

Then he returned the words that I couldn't bring myself to say to him.

"You have nothing to worry about! I'm not the one who took your magic. I'm not the one trying to take your mind. You don't have any power left for me to steal!"

He got a point there. I was an empty shell without any magic to take.
At least that was what we both thought at that time, not knowing that soon we'd be convinced otherwise.

Still I had my doubts.
And instead of thinking about them I started to speak without my mind's agreement.

"But what will we do now?"

He looked back at me probably knowing that he had to answer at least this question to get me to actually listen to him.

"Find you new powers, if we can, or get revenge, if we can't. But we have to run, now!"

There was a clearly worried look in his face.
But that wasn't a look of worry for me anymore; he was worried about what might happen if we kept on talking.
He rushed a glance at our surroundings.

Then his face fell, revealing that one particular sad look that I knew so well. The same look with which he had tried to get me to give away my soul. Just that this time, it didn't seem to be a lie.

"I don't want to lose you."

He meant it. I did mean something to him.
And without a second thought, I put my hand in his.

Choose the man who loves me, who threw away his life for me, or choose to be brainwashed and abandoned? Easy call.

"Take me away!"

Surprised at my words at first but quickly catching up with me he pulled me closer and we teleported away.

Then blackness took over my eyesight. Every now and then I was able to see something that appeared to be parts of places we probably were teleporting through. But they went by far too fast to actually get an idea of what kind of places they were.

Where was he taking me to? The Otherworld? Wasn't that far too dangerous? Didn't he say himself that he wouldn't be able to protect me with his current power?

But before I could think any further, the blackness before my eyes got chased away by a hint of light that was slowly growing to full sight.

We had arrived at our destination.