- Chapter 1: A Kinder Fate -

Her heart pumped below her ribs, matching her feet step for step. Yet, the sound was washed away by the passing cars in the distance. Their wheels slipping past the small puddles left over by the afternoon rain. The smell would have been refreshing to Raine, had it not been dirtied by the trash in the backstreets that she wandered through. It was a dangerous place for such a young woman at night; however, some things in life made safety simply impossible. And those things would only come later, after she figured out what that strange noise was.

'Footsteps?' Raine's mind echoed. She could hear the soft taps of rubber against pavement. First she tried to see if the sound matched her own feet. It would be a lie to say that the young woman had never scared herself with her own walking; however, within a few seconds, that thought was unfortunately squashed when there was a misstep from her own and the noise. Someone was behind her. She tried to remain calm but the fast-paced beating of her heart couldn't let her shake the feeling of impending doom. Then, with a quick gulp of air, Raine took off running. The thumping in her chest grew larger, as did the footsteps behind her. This was Raine's worst nightmare: alone in the dark, chased by a stranger, and blocks from home.

She had to find the main streets. There were people on the streets, even at this hour, that could at least make this assumed attacker wary enough to give it up. Yet, even after two sharp turns right and quick left, there were no main streets in sight, no other person around and no end to the stomping steps behind. The young woman was in a panic. She knew not what to do. Her life was on the line and all she could think of was 'Why, God, why?'. Her eyes had already began to tear up as the dim lights from the tall generic buildings above barely lit the dark street she was on. Raine found a small door and rushed at it. Her hand taking onto the locked doorknob as she banged on the red painted steel. Her voice screeching, "Help! Please help!" She didn't stay there for long for she could hear the person coming. Scrambling through her thoughts the woman begged God to save her and give her a way out. Yet, as her mind blurred with pleas, her foot caught onto a rip in the paved road and she went sprawling. Her knees and elbows skinned against the ground. It was then that the footsteps stopped.

There was no voice, only a cold silence between heaving breaths. The woman tried to drag herself away as the ground scratched her bare skin. Between her sobs came cries of mercy, pleading for the stranger to let her go. Yet, all she was received were the sound of the person's steps as they closed in on her. A large hand griped her upper arm and pulled her onto her feet. Soon followed a sickening thick voice that commanded her to go forward. With tears falling down her cheeks, the woman obliged. She thought of ways to get out of this, and she tried for an elbow to his neck. However, he took it with easy and returned with a punch on the side of her face. The woman withered with a cry as he pressed her back against one of the brick walls. "Stop. Just let me go." Raine begged as she squirmed. The man told her to shut up and gave another hit to the eye. The woman couldn't let things end here. She had more fight than that. So, to her regret, the young woman threw a knee at his soft spot. It pained him, but more than anything drove him to anger. Raine saw a flash of silver before she felt a sharp pain her gut. She screamed in response. It was a knife, she knew it was. 'This is where I die. In this dirty, horrible place is where I die.' Her mind flashed back to her parents as she tried to break her mind from the attacker who sent a stab to her shoulder and then began to fiddle with the her belt.

-Meanwhile-

The Host Club had found themselves returning from their movie theme night, a new idea cooked up by Tamaki so he could receive the red carpet entrance he had always longed for. That night, although long, had blessed them with screaming fan girls snapping endless pictures of them strutting through the theater door. Most had embraced the night and enjoyed a small film created by the Club; however, the night had not yet ended. Their gentlemanly jobs not yet complete.

The limo containing the Club had, again, taken to Tamaki's wishes – which this time meant to stop at a fast food restaurant typically visited by commoners. The group had pushed through the dark vehicle with playful insults and banter. Most happy the night was done, and others around to just comment on what they should do for their next theme party. The band - of what appeared to be all men - had pushed their way into the line before stopping at the check-out, still unsure of what to get. The twins had sworn they'd get sick from this place, no matter what they got, while Tamaki had briefly scolded them while praising Haruhi's native world. But before even ordering, Mori started to act seemed more distracted as the group did their normal shenanigans while muttering over what to order. But, before any had made up their mind, the tall quiet figure went out sprinting from the buildling.

His long legs took him from the well-lit street into the gloomy places on the night. He could still hear it, that sound of crying and begging. He had to follow it. Yet, the young man had not been so foolish as Raine had seemed. Behind him lagged company that, for better or worse, would follow him to the ends of the earth. Some of them cried out after him; however, these fell upon seemingly deaf ears as Mori kept running. With time, he reached the disturbance.

He could see a larger burly man overpowering a lady. Her form covered in blood, dirt and tears. Her lips were squeezing out helpless cries and wincing from something that was lodged in her shoulder. Without taking a second thought, the well-built man threw a punch the back of the strange man's head. Before the horrid man could even fully look back to see who it was, he felt another hit to the face. Some would describe it death incarnated, but others would simply call him "Honey". Raine would have considered this ironic had her mind not still been shattered by the attack and, with the man's pressure removed from her limp form, has fallen onto the ground. Her hands gripping onto her shoulders as she buried her head into her arms. Raine could hear the sound of more beating but that simply slipped into her unconsciousness. She was just trying to silence everything. The woman couldn't even pull herself to look up as two arms wrapped their way around her body. She just shook her head and cried, "No more. Don't..." She couldn't form any more audible words between her sobs. Yet, in the background rose a peaceful silence. Had it been death or simply the calmness she had prayed for, Raine knew not. All she knew was that tonight was over for her as the world just slipped into blackness.

Note: This story is taking place near the the 5th manga volume...