Night or Day, No One Can Tell

Cedric couldn't sleep. Not because he didn't want to but more because he didn't need to. After eating the Asian cuisine ("Japanese." The man corrected him. "Asian cuisines are more than just Chinese, got it?") that Rin cooked with the help of the pink sprite, Cedric realized he didn't feel satisfied, or even hungry in the first place. And yet he managed to gobble down the food simply because the exotic taste was out of this world. Rin then showed him his room, which was luxurious for a simple person like Cedric. The Asian man began chatting with his cat in that strange language of his again, which the cat always responded with mewls and surprisingly a hiss this time. It didn't sound Japanese or Chinese. But then again Cedric didn't know much about either languages.

The room was blue-themed. Ravenclaw, his mind supplied. Cho, his heart reminded. "You okay there, kid?" Rin frowned, obviously confused by the sudden choked noise the teenager just made.

"I'm fine. Thank you for your hospitality." Cedric smiled politely.

"Heh. You have more tact than I was at your age." Rin chuckled earnestly before he seemed to snap at Kuro again. "Whatever." The man reverted back to English. "Get some rest." was the last thing he said to Cedric before leaving him in that room.

And now here he was. Lying on a bed far too big to be slept on alone. Trying to rest his mind but his body didn't even feel the exhaustion that he should have felt by now. So that was it then. He was truly dead, if his physical needs stopped functioning like this.

The realization was horrifying.

He curled in a fetal position, trying to calm himself by arranging his memory up to this point. He was a ghost. And yet he could touch things and unable to pass through walls as if he was still a corporeal being. Ghosts weren't corporeal. Not even poltergeists, who could only affect their surrounding to a certain degree. Maybe it was because of this place? Gehenna? Hell?

Was Rin's claim true then?

Cedric bolt up from his sleeping position. A new determination was painted on his expression. He didn't even need a wink of rest, so why waste his time in this room? He needed to find a way back to Hogwarts, to make sure that Harry got back safely. The Hufflepuff took a deep breath, before opening the door and began sneaking out. Many said his House never break any rules. It was just because they were good enough to never get caught. And this time too, he wouldn't get caught.

He bit his lower lip. His eyes were darting, looking around the place and only caught sight of the thick curtains blocking the windows and the far too empty hallway. Not even a painting to decorate the walls, or a rug to cover the floor. It was going to make it hard for him to navigate where he was going, with no landmark to tell him where he was.

After mulling it over, Cedric decided he needed to make a map as he wandered. Going back inside the room, he began to search for parchments and quill. He didn't find any quill, but found out the little tube with pointy edge was filled with ink to write. As for parchments, he found several, but they were already written on on both sides in symbols that he could only guessed as Japanese. Disheartened but not giving up, he decided to draw the map on his sleeve.

With his preparation complete, Cedric stepped outside the room again. First of all, he needed to check which floor he was in. He remembered going two stairs up from the kitchen, so he would at least be at the third floor. He had a feeling that it was more than that, though. The ghost experimentally touched the thick and rough material of the curtain. It felt warm compared to his own hands, which definitely stayed cold after death. He grabbed the cloth to see through the window only to be stopped by a yell. "Don't!"

Cedric didn't have time to turn around when Kuro the cat bit his hand. "Ouch!" He let go of the curtain and at the same time Kuro let go of his hand, looking smug. The cat's expression reminded him of an animagus instead of a real cat. "Why?" Cedric hissed.

"Sorry, should have told you before. You aren't supposed to open the curtain." Rin arrived with a tray of food. "It's bad outside." As Rin approached closer the scent of the freshly cooked food hit the ghost's sense of smell. "I tried making European breakfast. Kinda interesting experience. Should try it more often." The man mumbled to himself as he put the tray down on the table in the bedroom. "Come on! Sit, I can't eat this all by myself!" Kuro meowed and Rin looked offended, "Shut up!" He huffed.

"I'm not hungry..." Cedric mumbled.

"No shit, you are a ghost." Rin cackled humorously before stopping himself with a cough, seemingly embarrassed by his inappropriate humor. "Sorry about that." He grinned sheepishly. "Have a seat anyway. There's nothing wrong with eating food just because they taste good."

"...okay." He hesitantly said. Cedric was seated across Rin. He put the writing tube on the table, eyeing the food with nostalgia. This was similar to Hogwarts' typical breakfast, just less fancy.

"Oh hey, that's my fountain pen! Where did you find it?" The shorter man asked. Cedric jolted in his seat, afraid that he was about to get found out. "It's fine! You can keep it! Thing's too fancy for my taste." Rin smiled.

"Thank you." Cedric almost sighed in relief.

"You are welcome. Now, dig in!"

He ended up eating Rin's cooking again, but with less vigor than before. His mind was too preoccupied with the thought of his family and friends to enjoy the meal.

And it seemed, he didn't hide it as well as he thought.

"You are zoning out." Rin pointed out. "What's wrong?"

Cedric was sure he only asked out of politeness. So he replied with an uneasy smile. "No. It's nothing. Just reminded of my friends and family."

"Kid." The dark haired man frowned. "The best thing for you right now is to accept your death and move on." He bit off a large chunk of meat pie with a single bite, gulping it down with an annoyed expression.

"...you are awfully accommodating for a King of hell." Cedric commented as he stabbed his food gently and repeatedly.

"THE King of Hell." Rin corrected. "And trust me. You want me to be accommodating to you." He snorted. "And stop playing with your food. Eat."

"It doesn't make sense…" The Hufflepuff put down his fork. "Ghosts are supposed to be intangible. Unable to eat. And I know I am dead because I don't need to eat." He took a deep breath, or rather, mimicking the action. "And I won't be able to move on once I'm a ghost, anyway…"

Rin observed Cedric. He was leaning his cheek on his palm as he hummed. "I knew it." He said. "You were a wizard." Cedric gave him a look. "Alright, since you're dead and that means you are under my jurisdiction, guess it's okay for me to tell you this." Rin straightened himself, looking deadly serious for once. "An imprint of the soul and a soul itself are two different things. Your wizard's ghosts aren't a real soul, they are an echo at best. Everyone needs to move on. Do you really think that a human, dead or not, can stay sane living for hundred years unchanging? If the ghosts you met are real spirits they would have gone malicious by now."

Cedric was stunned. The boy shook a bit at the revelation. He tried to stay calm and composed. It wasn't the time to cry. "Is that mean-" His voice croaked. "Is that mean that there might be an echo of me back at Hogwarts?"

"Did you want to leave an echo?" At Cedric's silence, Rin took that as a no. "Then no, I don't think there's another you hanging out with your loved ones. Beside, echoes were usually only made after a soul moved on."

The ghost nodded hesitantly.

Rin tried to reassure the boy once more, "Hey. If you aren't ready to move on, you can stay here for a while. But remember, I will have to give you up if you keep prolonging your stay."

Cedric nodded. He wasn't sure what the man meant by 'giving him up' or even to whom. The Hufflepuff ate his meal slowly, savoring the flavor a dead man shouldn't be able to taste.

Kuro kept eyeing Cedric's meal. He noticed of course. With a tired smile, the brunet gave up his meat, much to the two tailed cat's pleasure. It wasn't like he needed it.

"Oh yeah, speaking of which." Rin finished his meal. Cedric didn't realize until he heard Rin talking again. "Don't accept any food that wasn't from me. Not even from Ukobach or Kuro here."

"Why?" Cedric asked.

"Someone might disguised themselves as either of us- Shh, lemme finish." He stopped Cedric from asking. "In the case of meeting me and you aren't sure if it was me, ask for a blue fire." Rin opened his palm, and a blue fire burn slowly on his hand, surprising Cedric. "If they can't produce this fire, for… say, the next second." Rin put down his flame. He searched his pocket for something before putting it on the table. "Stab 'em." It was a short knife, engraved with symbols that Cedric had not even seen in Ancient Rune class. "A stab should be enough to give you a head start to run."

Cedric couldn't help but gape. "You want me to stab people?"

"Not people. Demons. And only if they disguised themselves because that obviously meant they are up to something nasty real quick." Rin leant on his chair, twirling the knife with ease. Seeing Cedric's already pale face continued to be drained from its color, Rin sighed. "It's Gehenna. Hell. You have to expect the worst from its residents. Kill or be killed is our principle of living here. And it also applies to dead spirits." He pointed the knife at Cedric before putting it back on the table and shoving it toward Cedric. "Keep it close to you."

The Hufflepuff warily took the knife, which seemed to satisfy Rin.

"Good boy." The smile that was given to Cedric was that of relief. Rin stood up from his chair, "Help me clean this up, would ya? It'd be easier with an extra pair of hands." For a moment, Cedric wondered if Rin was like Professor Moody. Someone whose paranoia was tempered through experience.

If Rin truly was the King of Hell, then he wouldn't be surprised.