I had no idea where I was but I knew I was terrified. I couldn't see anything and every time I tried to look around it felt like a thousand hands were snapping my neck forward and making me look down. There was a scream. A scream that curdled my blood and made my muscles tense. I knew that voice all too well and I'd heard that scream far more than I should have to not know the owner.

Maka…

Where was she?! I would find her if it meant breaking every bone in my body to reach her. I began to fight whoever was holding me captive. The only trouble was I wasn't hitting anything and I couldn't figure out why I wasn't able to go anywhere. I became frantic.

"Maka!" I yelled as loudly as I could as I continued to fight for freedom of some kind.

"Soul!" My name! She was screaming my name, begging me to help, and I couldn't do anything.

"Hold on!" I snarled in desperation. And then it happened. I heard her scream as loud as she could only to be cut off abruptly. Then silence; save for the audible thud from the other room.

"NOOO!" I don't know how it happened but I was finally released. My heart pounded in fear as I bolted into what I assumed was the other room. The darkness of this place was unbearable. The air was still…everything was still. I caught the scent of blood.

"Maka?!" I was met with silence. I swallowed the lump in my throat as my boot struck something solid on the floor. I dropped down beside it and reached my hands out. I felt around and felt something familiar…one of Maka's classic pigtails.

'No…Please…No!' I reached under her ear and placed my fingers against her neck. No pulse. None at all… My partner was gone. I felt everything inside me die. I picked up her lifeless body and cradled it against me. Burying my face into her hair I felt the tears come. To die in such a place…This wasn't meant to be. We…We were supposed to become…

"Tragic isn't it?" A voice hissed in sarcasm. My eyes snapped open.

"What?!" I tried to yell but what came out was a voice I didn't recognize. The other voice just chuckled darkly.

"You know, you're the cause of this. It's a shame to think that girl would still be alive if it weren't for you." It taunted me. I held Maka's body tighter against me.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" I snapped. I felt a cold presence behind me whisper in my ear.

"You're nothing but a demon…A monster… You will kill her." And then I was shoved forward.

I sat up quickly and opened my eyes. My breathing was ragged and I was drenched in sweat. I looked around the room. My room. It was a dream. No, a nightmare. I breathed a sigh of relief and raked my hand through my hair.

"Damnit…" I cursed and glanced over at my alarm clock. 4:30 a.m. Fantastic… Well I wasn't getting back to sleep after that one. I stood up and grabbed a pair of boxers, pants, and a shirt and headed to the bathroom Maka and I shared. I needed a shower after that terror. I couldn't help but wonder what my nightmare meant.

'I would be the one to kill her?' I clenched my teeth. That would never happen. I would gladly take my own life before I ever hurt her.

I glanced at myself in the bathroom mirror. A monster? I grinned and looked at my sharp teeth. Yeah, I could believe that one. I ran my hand absent mindedly over my scar and turned on the shower. I took off my old boxers and waited until the water warmed and stepped into its calming embrace. I just stood there and let the water rush over face and back. My thoughts remained on my nightmare.

'What did it mean?' Why was I even thinking that? I knew what it meant. That much was obvious. It meant I would be a paranoid mess for the next few fights and I wouldn't let my guard down. It meant I wasn't leaving Maka's side. And most importantly, it meant I probably worried too much. I had just started washing my hair when I heard a faint knock on the door.

"Soul?" I flinched…Had I woke her up?

"Yeah?"

"Are…Are you ok?" Funny she asks me that one.

"I'm alright. What's up?" I could tell something wasn't right from the sound of her voice.

"I got really scared…I felt your soul wavelength in panic and it woke me up. I take it something happened? I only ask because you wouldn't normally be up this early…" I leaned my forehead against the cold tiles of our shower. Of course she would sense something like that.

"I just had a bad dream is all Maka; no worries." I said lightly. I wasn't telling her what the dream was about. No way in hell.

Instead of giving me a response Maka decided the best course of action was to just come into the bathroom. While I was showering. Separated only by the thin piece of plastic that was our shower curtain. Thank Lord Death it wasn't one of those see through ones…

"Maka?! What the hell?! Get out!" I yelled frantically. She still didn't say anything as I listened to her footsteps go over to the toilet and I'm assuming sit down.

"Soul… What was your dream about?" I was about to snap at her again but her voice sounded off… Like she was worried. I took a deep breath; I couldn't tell her.

"Why is it important?" my voice was quiet and I cursed it. Now she would know that something was really up.

"If the dream was important enough to make you get out of bed, it had to be serious." She had me on that one…I was the one who could, and most of the time did, sleep through anything. I clenched my teeth tightly; making my gums throb.

"I don't want to talk about it." I said sternly. I didn't mean for my voice to sound so rough but it was early in the morning and she was really starting to piss me off.

"Soul-"

"Just drop it alright?!" I snapped. Instantly regretting how I'd let my anger get the best of me. All I heard on the other side was silence and quick shuffling, and then the door slammed shut.

'Way to go Soul…' My thoughts only pissed me off more. I shut off the water; shampoo had been rinsed out a while ago. Grabbed my towel and dried myself off quickly and slipped on my clothes. I glanced one last time in the mirror and couldn't believe how different I looked…The person who looked at me earlier was a tired teenager. The person looking at me now with a scowl plastered on their face was a real devil…

'You're doing well Soul…' The voice of the little demon rose in the back of my thoughts.

Hatred seethed through me and I ran out of the bathroom and back to the sanctuary of my room. I slammed my door shut and leaned against it. When I got angry I turned into a completely different person. I would let that little bastard win and I'd be back in the black and red room. I needed help… Recently I'd been doing ridiculous amounts of exercise to take the edge off my anger and to fight back against my madness. Black*Star had been slapping me on the shoulder every day in class complementing me on how I'd finally come to my senses of wanting to look more like him. I smirked, we were both equals as far as build went now…That's how bad I'd become…

'I've gotta see Stein today…' I wouldn't let that bastard win…