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A/N: As always, a flood of thanks to the following; KayKit, Sweetymai90, whispered25, Rosedream, christal and Flamegirl5500 for their wonderful reviews. May you guys drown in satisfaction on this chapter. Lol. Er, not literally of course! And can't forget the subscription and favorite addition too \ (^o^) / Group hug!

Special thanks to Synemyoa-chan and Rosedream. Rose-senpai. I'm so sorry about all the confusion. Lol. I'm so humiliated because that was my friggin' fault. Your review is what I was waiting for, if you get my drift. (wink, wink) and yes I will try to repair the damages. Lol.

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I asked Santa Clause for Ghost Hunt and he said, you wish! So yeah, still not mine. (sigh)

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I was absolutely positive that I was on one of those dreams again. They called it prophetic. I called it weird. The darkness was engulfing into my random fear, and as I waited for a scream to escape me - to wake me up, a sudden sound erupted. Like the sound of a beating heart. As it swayed to that rhythm, 'Lab-dap, Lab-dap', a ray of light emerged revealing a six pointed star on the middle of a circle.

"Mai, run!"

I woke up sweating and with my heart banging my rib cage as if trying to escape me. The dream seems so real again that even here in the safety of my warm bed, I can still hear the chanting from my dream, louder and louder. And that's how I realize the voices are not the fragment of my subconscious anymore. Someone is really chanting! No, lots of them!

"Kami!" I prayed, bolting upright.

I quickly shove my feet to my shoes then run towards the door and through the darkness. The chanting was louder here outside the room, even louder in the stair cases as I refuse to take the slow elevator. My impatience will cannot tolerate that. I run and run not minding the voice who was calling me. The owner of that voice was following me but I cannot afford to look back. I need to see. I need to check. I need to confirm it was just a dream and I'm praying hard that it is. But someone was telling me inside my head, that it's the opposite.

Pant, pant, pant. I passed the fountain and climbed the marble staircase of the building. First floor, I was almost of out breathe. Second, someone was following me still, calling me. Third, I almost slipped. I was almost there.

The moment that my eyes adjusted and saw my destination, the door of the Nursing Art Lab, the strange voices stopped. But I didn't hesitate. I grab the door knob then pushed it open. I couldn't see. Maybe I was wrong. And when I found the light switch and click it open, I almost fainted again.

My dream, my prophetic dreams . . . comes . . . alive . . .

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!"

I shrunk slowly on the floor wanting to close my eyes but my muscle went numb with fear as I looked up at the three bodies hanging in the ceiling. There neck was tied by a thick rope. There faces was suffering from slipping oxygen, all of their eyes was half open. Their naked bodies were dripping with blood from the graffiti like wounds. I can still make up the words. It was carved thousand times to every inch of their skin and into the white walls of the room. It says, "Viva Satanista!". And on their belly was the living replica of the strange signs of my dream, the six pointed star on the middle of a circle.

"Onee-san, I told you . . . It's the living you should fear. Not the dead."

"Mai!" warm hands suddenly groped me. The hands cradle me and I see no more as I buried my face on the shoulder part.

"They're dead!" I whispered. That was all I can manage at that point.

"Sssshhh!" The owner of the hands consoled me as we move away from the disastrous scenery. "Lin, call the cops and Dean Matsuzaki."

"Hai." Someone answered.

When I found the courage to open my eyes, my sight met a lighted room – the base. A moment later, the owner of the hands carefully set me down the couch.

"Mai, daijobou?" Worried tone asked me. I looked up to found myself face to face with. . . Naru.

I saw how his cold cerulean eyes melted in deep concern. His hands were still holding me and our bodies still entwined. That was too much for me. My eyes misted and I broke into a sob, burying my face on his shoulder once more.

"Mai, you're safe now."

I heard running footsteps towards the open door that later on revealed the voice of Ayako and Masako. Ayako was fusing all over and was calmed by Naru. Masako on the other hand volunteered to make tea and when the hot liquid was pushed towards me, I relaxed a little.

I took a sip. It calmed every protesting muscles of my body.

"Mai, you have to tell me what happen." Naru asked in a very soft voice. He was still half cradling me. Ayako was on my other side, holding my shoulder. Masako was across the sofa, looking at me in concern. I felt safety . . .

I took at deep breath and narrated my horrific story.

"I dreamt about it. A group of people was chanting but I couldn't see them. And then. . ." I looked up at Naru, hesitating a little. He nodded slightly and I took it as a cue. "I saw Gene. He told me I should leave. When I asked him why, he told me to run. And then I saw the bodies . . . hanging on the laboratory. I woke up still hearing the strange chanting. I thought I was still dreaming at first, but it went louder and louder! I realized that maybe it was one of those dream. I run here to see if it's true, and . . . . and. . . . "

I faltered and I couldn't say no more. Sob was building up again in my throat.

"You can stop now." This time, it was Ayako. Her smile was consoling.

"Naru-bou!" Bou-san suddenly entered the room, panting. "Dean Matzusaki arrived. He was looking for you."

"Hai. Ayako, Masako, Mai. Stay here until we come back. Don't go anywhere not even on the dormitory." Naru commanded turning on us.

"Naru! Don't go back in there!" Masako shouted, rising up from her sit, when Naru was about to leave.

"I have to. I need to see what I can do to help."

"They're dead. There's nothing more that you can do!"

On the verge of Masako's speech, I remembered something. A girl wearing a black dress . . . Looking fearfully at the hanging bodies.

"Matte! Naru, I'm coming with you!" I announced rising up quickly. Fear was spreading again on my system. "There's a kid in there! I need to help her!"

Silence envelope us as I step towards the door that was blocked by Naru and Bou-san. The warmth on Naru's eyes went solid again. His beautiful face was unreadable.

"Mai, you're tired. There's no one there except us." On that, he closed the door on my face, muting the sound of arriving police sirens.

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August

Day 3

I was dead tired, my aching muscles and blurring eyesight proves that. But I didn't sleep. Maybe the words 'could not' is more appropriate. Or 'don't want to'. That would be because, first, I was still worried or afraid. Second, stress was never my solution to unconsciousness, I prefer lullaby if you could count that, thank you very much. And last but not the list, I was afraid I might dream again. . .

So even if I almost lost my voice in convincing the others that their 'was' a child around eight in the scene of the crime, and everybody fell asleep on the couch (except Naru and Lin of course), I'm still wide and about.

The incident happened around dusk, until then the whole team agreed silently to work.

Lin found the last night footage. Eight people carried the bodies on the NAL around 3 am. Their faces were obscured by a black mask and their entire bodies were covered by a gray cloak, all hooded. When they reached their destination, one of them deliberately broke the camera. The speaker however did not picked any chanting noises. Its either I'm going crazy or I've done it again, the psychic ability Naru was talking about. Even he and Lin, who was still awake at that time didn't hear any noise. Naru said that if the two of them were not alarmed by my abruptness during that hour, the incident would still be hidden from our knowledge.

The University President got involved as Dean Matsuzaki cannot hide the incidence anymore as he deliberately done during the past few months. But according to Bou-san, who grudgingly agreed to act as Shibuya Kazuya for the meantime, Ayako's father did not tell the President he hired ghost hunters instead of highly qualified investigators. The President seems please enough to swallow that.

Series of autopsy that was done on the school's basement shows that the victims died around 12 am to 1 am. So that means they were dead when the hooded people carried them out on the Lab and was tortured even though they're all dead.

Classes were suspended one week earlier before the semestral break to much of the student's delight and curiosity. Of course at this hour, rumors must have reach there home sides already.

Naru requested another interview with a list of students including the four who was suspected as cult members. But that was a waste of time. The Lumiere twin didn't show up and Hikaro Yuy was still defending the school ghost. Even Michiro-san showed up.

"Quite frankly I think the ghost stories were just a fragment of everybody's imagination. Ghost didn't exist. As about the rumored cult, the incidence about last night, in my opinion was a work of serial killers. . ." was all we got from her and a long winded explanation about psychiatry's role in ghost and serial killers.

Only Heidi Armstrong made significance. She told us about the Church of Satan and was defended by John. She also made a parting statement that Hikaro Yuy and the Lumiere twins know something about the cult.

I stretched after typing a series of report. When I looked up, it was just the three of us who was left. Me, Naru and of course Lin, who was again in solitude with his ever trusting Laptop computer.

My sight met Naru who was just inches away from me, reading record of Guillen Ong, Ishijima Adachi and Rui Mori who were killed last night. In seconds I become entranced by his inhumanly beauty. And I felt my self blushed as I think about last night, still wondering, although I am grateful, how he carried me here. Then I reminded myself that he threw a fifty pounds metal through a wall with only his mind as a tool.

He looked up and he found me gawking again. My face must be red hot right now.

"Is there something wrong?" He asked with impolite tone.

"N-no." I stuttered looking away and thinking about a good excuse. I didn't speak until it hit me. "I just want to thank you for last night."

He was the voice who followed me last night. And the whole morning, I was thanking God he and Lin stayed up late on the common room. Who knew what will happen if they didn't follow me here.

"That's ok. Don't mention it" He answered looking down at the files again. "I kinda used how Baka-rius you are, at this point. One day, if you didn't pause to think first, you'll end up being hurt seriously and the people around you killed."

"Excused my stupidity Mr. Know it all!" I shouted, fuming.

"Get some sleep. You're turning crabby."

"Fine!" I huffed. "Look who's talking!"

But before I went out, I made a tea for him (hoping he'll choke to death) and coffee for Lin, muttering while on the process. I pushed the liquid to them moments later with a grunt of appreciation from Lin and silence from Naru. With that, I lost my patient banging the door close as hard as I could.

I strutted out fuming in rage taking the elevator this time. I caught my reflection through the metal walls as I pushed the button for the school grounds. I looked like a mess. My eyes were swollen with darks shadows around them. How could I stand close to Naru so confidently when I was looking like this? I was nothing compared to Masako with her doll like features, her hair grew longer towards the year. I absentmindedly brushed mine with my fingers that I noticed was dead cold when I accidentally touched my face. It was longer than before when I started working on SPR. But it was nothing, nothing compared to Masako's.

"Baka! Why does it matters to you so much?!" I growled loudly inside the elevator my voice was echoing.

At least, I was thinking, I get the chance to be cradled in Naru's long arms. . .

I hug myself imagining my arms to be Naru's warm ones while closing my eyes savoring my delusions. When I open my eyes, I caught sight of my reflection again. Behind me was girl wearing black dress and clutching a porcelain doll. I snapped my neck towards that direction seeing nothing.

"Open up!" I screamed, banging the elevator's door. When it reached my destination and the door open automatically, I lost balance and almost hit the floor with my face first if there wasn't a girl standing by the door that broke my fall.

"Gomen." I muttered, offering my hands to the girl who fell, butt first to the shiny floor, because of my ridiculousness.

"That's ok." She said, taking my hands. "You save me from going up, anyway."

"Huh?"

"You're one of those ghosts – ghosts, whatever right?" She asked grimacing slightly while massaging her backside.

"Hai." I asked in astonishment. I never saw her before. "I'm Mai Taniyama."

"Nice to meet you, er, again Taniyama-san." She grabbed my hand and shook it. I noticed how smooth her palm is.

Oh! If it weren't for those yellow eyes I could not recognize her as the female Lumiere twin. Her jet black hair was set loosed this time and I was surprise to see that it was waist length. She was wearing white tank tops underneath a black leather jacket and another black skinny pants. Her sneakers were also black with printed white skulls. Her hands were full of leather cuffs that have dangerous looking spikes all over.

"Can you spare a minute, Taniyama-san?"

"Hai!" I answered, astonished.

We walk a fair distance from the school's lobby to the marble staircase finally stopping at massive fountain. We sat by the edge, facing the left wing of the building where we can see the third floor. She was looking up at that direction where yellow police tapes were gathered.

For a moment, all we can hear was the soft sloshing of the water behind us and her constant sighing. She seems deliberating what she was about to say finally dropping her gaze to her pale hands that was entwined to her lap.

"Hey, sorry about our attitude last time. I guess we were just tired being accused as the culprit that we acted like that. My brother was suffering a lost and it's not easy for him to deal with these accusations." She began.

"That's ok. My boss was not that nice either." I answered fighting the urge to laugh.

"That's you boss?! Wew! He looks like a junior high school!" She whistled in amazement.

"Naru just turned eighteen."

"Oh! I was a year older than him."

This time it was my turned to be surprise.

"You're just nineteen?" I squeaked.

"Yeah. We skipped a few years when we were in primary school." She shrugged.

"You're boss is cute. With a devilish attitude I should add." She said changing the subject.

"Well, that was Naru."

We laughed softly on that conclusion.

"We heard about what happen last night. And we couldn't just ignore that anymore." She then stated after a long paused. "We agreed, my brother and I, to help you with this investigation."

She looked at me with her beautiful face turning serious. And for a moment again, I saw her eyes turned blue. I shook my head; must be my sleep deprivation again. But she turned to look at the third floor again, so I didn't get the chance to correct my earlier assumption.

"Here." She pushed a piece of paper towards me and I accepted it reluctantly. "This is our home address. Take a cab outside the University and hand this to the driver. They know where to find us."

"Lumiere-san--"

"Just Cassie. Please I don't mind. Heck I'll be delighted that you'll call me that!" she corrected me with a snort.

"Cassie-chan then. You want me to go to your place?" I asked, my eyes going zero.

"Yes please. Tomorrow before breakfast if you don't mind." She said standing up and started to walk away from me. "You can bring your whole team."

"Can't you just say it now?" I called out. I was shy enough to call her by her first name let alone to step one foot to her place.

"No. I need to show you something." She shouted out after reaching a shiny black motorcycle on the nearly deserted parking lot.

I paused to watch her as she tucked her long hair inside her leather jacket then zipped it closed. She then shoved a maroon helmet on her head then mounted the vehicle that she roared to life. Before she turned to the drive, she waved goodbye until she speed up looking sporty on top of her motorcycle that I thought was only featured on a motorcycle racing.

A moment passed by. But I was still deep in thought. Is this what Hikaro Yuy was talking about?

The sun set at last creating a feisty wad of orange light everywhere. The roof caught some of it and scattered a mantle of blood red light to the ground, making the fountain a horror of oozing blood.

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A/N: Thank God I'm done! We'll, what do you think? (Wink, wink) I don't do mind reading so you have to press that magic button below to leave me your most treasured review. Until then! Jan ne! (^-^)v