Chapter 1: Awakening
POV: Ayumi Shinozaki

I woke up in the middle of the night, and silence was the only thing that could be heard. My head was spinning, and I got hold of my bed, fearing falling on the ground. I stayed motionless, staring at the ceiling, as to convince myself that all the movement was just in my head. Then, I noticed that something was amiss; that wasn't my room.

I tried to stand up, but as I tensed my arms an acute pain hampered my attempt. Was I injured? I carefully palpated where the pain came from, and my fingers encountered what it seemed like gauze wrapped around my arm. I started to examine my body in search of more injured parts, at least the ones that I could reach in my state, and I found that both my arms and thighs were bandaged. What happened? I turned my head to inspect my surroundings, and I realized that I was in a hospital room. How did I get there?

I tried to recall everything I could, to search for the answer in my memories and overcome that bewilderment. I remembered Heavenly Host, although those memories always seemed like a distant nightmare's ones. I also remembered being with Naomi in… Heavenly Host again? No… It was a house, the Shinozaki estate. And then, I remembered holding a book, the Book of Shadows. Headache emerged as my memories became progressively fuzzy, but there was one thing that I was able to recall flawlessly; a faceless creature with Mayu's body, moving erratically while moaning Morishige's nickname. What was that thing?

From that point onwards I could only remember emotions, and fear was the prevailing one. I spent what it seemed like an eternity trying to puzzle out what happened next, until I managed to recollect one thing; my sister. I remembered seeing her face, the joy of looking at her, and then everything turning red. I felt my heart pound and tremors all over my body as I was unfolding the truth; the resurrection spell that created that Mayu-like being backfired, and my big sister, Hinoe, gave her life in my place. I covered my mouth with my trembling hands. I didn't want to believe it, but the image of the blood and my sister's headless body was so clear now that it couldn't be born of my imagination.

"Ah… Aaah…!"

I wanted to scream, but my lungs were not responding. I felt my heart being constricted inside my chest, and I thought I was going to pass out, but instead I was forced to confront all these emotions alone. I cursed the Sachiko Ever After charm, Heavenly Host, Sachiko Shinozaki, her mother, and the Book of Shadows. I cursed them all, and the day I decided to use that stupid book. Even Naomi warned me. Was I out of my mind? How could I have thought that performing a spell which I couldn't understand half its words was a good idea? If only I had brought the Book of Shadows to my big sister… she would have known what to do. But instead I decided to try it anyway, and now I was tied to a hospital bed and my big sister was dead.

I felt guilty for my sister's death, and that I wasn't worth of her sacrifice. My face was already soaked in tears at that point, and I still spent the rest of the night sobbing my heart out, until I got asleep again from exhaustion during daybreak.

The following day mom and dad visited me. I was so glad to see them. They had been worrying that I would never wake up again, and when the hospital told them that I was awake they came straightaway. They also told me that Naomi was the one who brought me to the hospital, and that I had been in a coma for a week.

"A whole week!? How could it be?" I said astonished.

They explained to me everything the doctor told them, and what happened while I was asleep, but as the time passed by I was increasingly worried that no one was saying a word about my sister. I looked at them, at their faces, and they seemed completely overjoyed.

Even if I woke up of what they thought my last sleep, one would expect some kind of bittersweet expression in their face after the initial excitement, as their other daughter didn't make it. Then, the image of Naomi watching Seiko's siblings, oblivious about her big sister's existence, came to my mind. It couldn't be! Did Hinoe suffer the same fate?

The sole idea frightened me. If they didn't remembered her… I wouldn't accept it! She gave her life for me, and I wouldn't let her fall into oblivion. I'll make them remember! But thinking about that was of no use; I had to ask them first.

I was afraid, but finally I managed to arm myself with enough courage to do it.

"Where's Hinoe-san…?" I asked them.

Was that name familiar to them, or would it be source of confusion? Time slowed down as I was analysing every variation in my parent's expression, could it be their face an answer on its own. My mother's cheerful expression changed to a more neutral one.

"Hinoe?" she asked, as my heart skipped a beat. "She is on one of her travels around the world, studying those occult things she likes, and we cannot contact her" she continued. "We will have to wait until she phone us or comes back to tell her."

I was relieved to see that at least they remembered her, but their answer was something I didn't expect. It didn't make any sense at all! It was so vague, but asking further only resulted in confusing them, as if they didn't figure out what was so difficult to understand about their explanation. It was futile. I decided to change the subject and talk about something more enjoyable until it was late and they had to go.

I realized that the following day would be Saturday, and before they went home I asked my mother to phone Naomi and ask her to visit me. She gladly agreed.

That night I dreamt about Hinoe, reliving my memories with her, and the next day I woke up in tears. Not late in the morning the doctor visited me, and after examining my wounds he told me that they were "taking its time" to heal. He explained that my anaemia wasn't severe enough to affect my healing, and that either the analyses were mistaken or they had missed something. The nurse extracted some of my blood, and the doctor also suggested taking samples of my wounds.

"It hurts…!" I complained.

"I'm sorry Ayumi-chan" replied the nurse. "It won't take long."

Not much time after the nurse had left, Naomi entered the room.

"Nakashima-san!" I voiced with enthusiasm. "I didn't expect you to come this early!"

"Class rep.!" said Naomi. "Of course I'm this early! You had me worried."

She told me that after my big sister saved us and I lost consciousness, the house caught fire, and she had to carry me outside in her back. I asked her about the presence we felt in the house wandering its halls, and if she had trouble getting out, but she replied that there were charms all the way out and nothing hindered her.

It was definitely my sister's work. Even in her last moments she made sure we would be able to leave that house in case she didn't make it.

Naomi continued explaining that after we escaped the house, it disappeared without trace. After that, she ripped her sleeves and used them to stop the bleeding in my arms, and then she carried me downhill until she found the road with the empty truck.

She finished explaining that, after a few minutes walking, she encountered a passing car, and it carried them to the hospital.

"You are so brave, Nakashima-san!" I said in amazement. "Thank you for saving me!"

Naomi smiled, and replied that maybe her experience in Heavenly Host made her stronger. She then told me that the following day, when Mochida and Kishinuma asked her where was I, she told them everything.

"Weren't they mad at us?" I asked.

"They didn't say a thing" she replied, shaking her head. "They just skipped school and came to the hospital."

She then continued telling me that, after they saw me and she told them that I had lost a lot of blood, Kishinuma offered himself as a donor.

"Kishinuma-kun?" I asked, surprised.

"Yes" she replied. "He even left the room looking for a doctor, and I didn't had time to explain him that you were already stabilized." she continued, while smiling. "He was so cute."

"What about Mochida?" I inquired.

"He also wanted to donate his blood, although he wasn't sure it would be compatible" she replied, "and he left the room after Kishinuma to calm him down."

I was contented to know that they cared about me that much and that even they offered themselves as donors. It was strange, though. I would expect that kind of behaviour from Mochida; kind and caring, but Kishinuma reaction was something I didn't expect. I thought that, at that point, after all the troubles he had in Heavenly Host to keep me safe, he would already be fed up with that. He left me in doubt. Why would someone like Kishinuma do something so Mochida-like?

"Class rep., are you blushing!?" Naomi exclaimed.

"W-Wha…?" I muttered, while I noticed that, in fact, I had been blushing. "N-No! It's not like that! It's just that I'm glad that you care about me…"

I tried to explain myself, but as I was saying that my face blushed even more. How embarrassing! I was bushing while thinking about boys… I didn't want Naomi to see me as that king of girl!

"It's OK" said Naomi with a smile. "I would be glad too if a boy did that for me" she continued, while blushing slightly. "Also, friends can talk about everything, even about boys."

Naomi considers me as her friend?

I've treated her with some mistrust lately, due to her closeness with Mochida, and I even had some thoughts in Heavenly Host that made me be ashamed of. I assumed that she thought the same about me, to some degree, but the last events had shown me that I was wrong, that Naomi was someone that really cared about me. And I was feeling the same about her, although I didn't notice it until she visited me; Naomi was my friend, and I liked it.

"You know…" I started. "The doctors told me that I will need to stay in the hospital for at least a month or so, and I won't be the class rep. for some time" I said. "So… why don't you call me by my name meanwhile?"

Naomi smiled. "Sure!" She replied. "Although it will take some getting used to."

"Thank you, Naomi-san" I said, trying to conceal my excitement.

I told her what my parents said about my sister, and she agreed that it was strange, especially after what we saw. I wondered if it was prudent to consider what my parents said, and start questioning my memories.

"Ayumi-san" said Naomi. "I haven't told Mochida and Kishinuma that you're awake before so we would have time to talk about what happened that day. But, if there is nothing more you want to talk about, would you like me to tell them?" She continued. "I'm sure they will be glad to know."

"Yes, please" I answered.

After I replied her, Naomi phoned them.

In less than an hour, Kishinuma was there, and Mochida arrived not long after accompanied by Yuka, that also wanted to come. It was a warm meeting, and we spent the remaining day laughing and joking, until the sun was setting and everybody had to go home.

That night I fell asleep with a smile.

The next morning I received a mysterious guest. It was a girl around my age, with blonde long hair tied in two ponytails and cyan eyes, wearing an extravagant dress that could be a doll's one.

"So… you must be Shinozaki's little sister, right?" She said with a sassy demeanour, without even introducing herself.

"W-What…?" I replied, confused.

Did she know my sister?

The girl approached the bed, shamelessly studying every part of my body. It was awkward, especially when she didn't even try to dissimulate when she analysed my feminine shapes.

"W-Who are you…?" I asked, while instinctively covering my chest.

She looked at me, staring right into my eyes, and approached her face to mine, until there was less than a hand between us. From that distance I could smell her perfume, and I was sure that she did the same with me. Then, she smirked, and returned to a straight stance.

"Yes, you are definitely Shinozaki's little sister" she said. "You have the same eyes as her… and her lips."

What!? Did she just say lips?

"And you have the same kind of power she had. I can sense it" she continued.

The same kind of power as Hinoe? What was she talking about?

"But your smell is kinda disappointing" she said. "Those wounds stink like darkening."

Darkening could be smelled? Who was that girl, and what was her relation with my sister? She had been acting sassy since she entered that room, and I didn't even know her name. That attitude was starting to bother me.

"Who are you?" I asked, visibly annoyed.

She smirked again, as if pressing my buttons produced her some kind of satisfaction, and sat in one of the room's seats.

"My name is Magali Mizuki, and I was an associate of your sister as a member of the Wiccan Institute" she said.

"The Wiccan Institute?" I asked, as it was the first time I heard that name.

"Yes" she replied. "The Wiccan Institute is a research community where those familiarized with the occult world share their findings" she continued. "Your sister was a member, and I worked with her a few times, assisting her as a medium."

"A medium?" I asked, astonished. "You mean… communicating with spirits?"

Magali looked at me, with a sceptic expression.

"Didn't your sister tell you?" she said, and after a few seconds she continued; "Well, I suppose she had her reasons."

As Magali said that, I realized that I didn't really know a lot about my sister's life. She always answered with vague responses when I asked her about her job, and I assumed that it was just difficult to explain. But, after Magali told me that, the idea of my sister deliberately hiding details about her life became a possibility.

"Anyway, your sister's spirit asked me to give you a message just before disappearing" said Magali.

"Hinoe's… spirit?" I maundered.

I felt those words as a frozen spike stabbing my heart. Although I had already accepted my sister's fate, my parent's words gave me the false hope that she somehow managed to escape. I felt stupid.

"Then she is really gone…" I said.

"Well, she contacted me as a ghost, so I'm pretty sure she is dead" replied Magali.

She was so rude, and either she didn't realize how much she could hurt talking like that or she didn't care. I reached my limit, and I couldn't contain my tears any longer. I tried to conceal it, but I ended up sobbing in front of her.

Magali made a concerned expression, and then looked aside.

"She wanted you to recover the Book of Shadows" said Magali, while still looking aside.

"Huh…?" I replied, as I didn't hear her.

"Your sister, Shinozaki… She wanted you to retrieve the Book of Shadows." Magali faced me. "She said that you were the only one capable to do it."

I was completely puzzled, as the Book of Shadows disappeared along with the Shinozaki estate, and Naomi told me that there was nothing left.

"B-But… How am I supposed to do that…?" I asked, while drying my tears with my gown.

"I dunno…" Magali replied. "I just asked her when I lost track of her spirit."

"What do you mean…?" I asked, clueless.

"I mean that I can no longer contact with her spirit in this world, so she must be somewhere else" she explianed.

I remembered Heavenly Host, and how the people that died in that cursed place had their spirits trapped there, in a separate dimension, and I wondered if it was the same for my sister. Was her spirit trapped in that house and disappeared along with it?

We both stood in silence, ruminating about Hinoe's words, and after a while Magali broke that silence.

"Hmmm… What's your relation with the Book of Shadows to begin with?" Magali asked.

I explained to her what happened in Heavenly Host, how I found the Book of Shadows, and that I tried to use it to revive my friends. I told her that the spell backfired and would have killed me if it wasn't for Hinoe's intervention, and that both the book and the house disappeared afterwards.

After I finished explaining everything to her, she made a thoughtful expression.

"Well… I still don't have a clue about what Shinozaki had in mind, but there are two other associates of your sister that were pretty close to her" Magali said. "Maybe they know something that we don't."

Magali stood up, and looked to where the door was.

"Will you ask them?" I asked.

"Yes" replied Magali. "This entire thing about that cursed school, the Book of Shadows and forbidden spells has caught my attention. I have the feeling that there is something really BIG beneath all of this" she continued, trying to conceal her excitement. "Also, I would LOVE to see the Book of Shadows with my own eyes. So, if I find what you are supposed to do to retrieve it, I'll tell you."

She walked towards the room's door, and opened it, preparing to leave.

"See you, little Shinozaki" she said, as she stood in the door.

"Good bye, Mizuki-san" I replied, smiling. "Thank you."

She smirked, and then left the room, closing the door behind her.

What an unusual person, I thought, and I spent the rest of the day thinking about all the things Magali said. Were all Hinoe's associates as peculiar as her? And what did she mean by the same kind of power as my sister?

It was a whole bunch of information and I needed to internalize it.

It took me a month to be able to walk again, and almost another one of rehabilitation to feel strong enough to leave the hospital. During that time, Naomi visited me regularly, and every Saturday Kishinuma, Mochida and Yuka-chan joined us. It became my favourite day of the week. My mother visited me almost every day, and my father brought me my PlayStation Portable and gave me a laptop so I could still communicate with my friends and entertain myself. Although I didn't ask them again about Hinoe, I still mentioned her in our talks to make sure they remembered her, and they did.

I would have liked to meet Magali again, and ask her more about my sister's life, but she never returned. I wondered what happened to her.

Resuming school wasn't easy. Every time I went there, memories of my lost friends flood my mind, and I had missed so many school days that everything the teacher said was Greek to me. Thankfully, Naomi, Mochida and even Kishinuma offered me their notes, and a new teacher assistant, Ms. Kuon, aided me to make up the lessons I missed.

She reminded me of Ms. Yui, as she cared about her students, but in a gentler way. However, her appearance was totally different; she had white hair with a single long plait behind her back, and her eyes were sky blue. But there was something about her that intrigued me.

Sometimes, when she talked with me, her voice sounded as if something was saddening her. I wouldn't have noticed it if it were only for her face, as she concealed it impeccably, but as she talked to me frequently, helping me in my study, I started to notice it.

Was there something I could do? I appreciated Ms. Kuon, as a teacher and for all the effort she put into me, and I wanted to help her. I decided that, if the occasion arose, I would ask her.

One week after I went back to school, while going back to home after class, a hooded man was waiting in front of my house. When I approached my house entrance, that guy faced me.

"Shinozaki, right?" Said the hooded guy.

Did he just say my name? I looked at the hooded man, confused.

He was a young boy, maybe around Yuka's age, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with golden edges, and black short trousers with the same pattern. Although he had his hood put on, his dark cyan hair could still be seen.

His slate blue eyes were gazing at me with a serious expression.

"Y-Yes…" I replied. "Who are you?"

Without losing a second the hooded guy replied.

"My name is Misuto Kiriya, and I was an associate of your sister" he said.

Another associate of my sister? Was he from the Wiccan Institute too?

"Listen carefully, Shinozaki, as what I am about to say is of the upmost importance" Misuto said, and his face accompanied the seriousness of his words. "There is a way to bring back your friends lost in Heavenly Host and break the curse once and for all, but your cooperation is essential."

Those words shocked me. Did he really know a way to bring them back? I couldn't believe it, but he looked dead serious about that, and I really wanted to believe that.

"W-What do I have to do…?" I asked, unsure.

"You must retrieve the Book of Shadows and use it" replied the boy.

I felt discouraged by that answer.

"But I already tried to use it, and it didn't work" I told him.

But the boy expression remained unchanged.

"You did it wrong" said Misuto. "You tried to revive someone whose soul was trapped in a different dimension" he explained. "It's like trying to revive someone that doesn't exist."

That's what we did wrong? I haven't thought about that, but Yuki already explained that the spirits of those who died in Heavenly Host were bonded to it.

"What should I have done then?" I asked, clueless.

Misuto looked straight into my eyes, with such a serious expression that he almost seemed to be annoyed.

"You must return to Heavenly Host" he replied. "If you reclaim the Book of Shadows and use it at Heavenly Host, those who have died there will be revived."

I was completely bewildered. Return to Heavenly Host? Use there the Book of Shadows? How was I supposed to retrieve it in the first place? I really wanted to undo what happened in Heavenly Host, but what that boy was asking me was far beyond my capacity.

"B-But… H-How…?" I babbled, as I couldn't decide which question make first.

Misuto ignored my gibberish and continued.

"How far are you willing to go for your friends?" He asked.

Returning to Heavenly Host frightened me, but the memories of my lost friends haunted me every day. I was the one who made that stupid charm and brought them to that damned school, and it was my responsibility to bring them back. It was my burden.

"I'll do whatever it takes" I replied him, determined.

For some reason Misuto seemed surprised at my words, and his face quickly changed to a satisfaction smirk.

"All right" he said. "Tomorrow, after school, you must go to this place."

Misuto took his hand out of his pocket, gave me a tiny paper, and then he started to walk away.

"H-Hey! Wait!" I demanded him.

He paused and turned his head to me.

"You'll get your answers there" he concluded, after resuming his walk.

I looked at the paper and there was an address written there, with an annotation under it;

Makina Shinozaki.