I'm sorry for taking longer than usual to post the chapter, but I was on a trip. :)

That said, thank you Yandere Shoujo and pitou77 for reviewing to last chapter. Thanks everyone that fav/alerted this fic. And thank you Luxurien for helping me out in editing this chapter. :)

Warning: there will be some torture described in this chapter. I don't think it warrants a raise in the rating, but, if you think it does, please let me know. I kind of suck in choosing the rating... =.=

Music suggestion: Promise (piano cover) – Akira Yamaoka (Silent Hill 2 OST)

Well, I hope you enjoy the chapter. ;)

"What is the song of death?"

Senritsu didn't have to think about the answer.

"The Sonata of Darkness."

Something clicked and the door opened.

"I've been waiting."

Clenching her flute in her left hand, Senritsu walked through the door.

Senritsu found herself in the most disturbing place she had ever been in. It was a small room with four broken and bloodied instruments in one corner – a piano, a violin, a flute and a harp. Spread on the floor were many unlit candles; the room's only source of light was the open door behind the woman.

Said door closed on its own, plunging the Music Hunter into darkness. Senritsu heard her heart beat faster in fear. The darkness made Senritsu feel uneasy, but it didn't scare her. What made her afraid was how the door cut out all sound from the outside when it closed. For the first time in her life, Senritsu found herself in absolute silence and it terrified her. The only heartbeat she could hear was her own and it was playing a dark melody, full of fear and anguish…

Fruitlessly, Senritsu pulled the sides of her hat down, over her ears. Make it stop. Make it stop. Make it stop.

"You don't want to hear it either, do you? No, no, no… Why would you? It's not true. No, no, no…"

Suddenly candles lit up in the room revealing a crouched form on the floor, right in front of the floor instruments, staring at Senritsu with wide eyes. It was a woman, naked and skeletal, who was rocking herself back and forth slowly, as if her body would dismantle at any brusque movement. The woman was a NPC and therefore lacked a heartbeat, yet her hoarse whispers were more than enough to sooth Senritsu.

"Who are you?" The Music Hunter asked, taking a step towards the woman. "Do you want to leave this place? I can help you."

"You don't want to hear it either, do you? No, no, no… Why would you? It's not true. No, no, no…"

"Please, let me help you."

"You don't want to hear it either, do you? No, no, no… Why would you? It's not true. No, no, no…"

Senritsu furrowed her eyebrows, it seemed the woman wasn't listening to her. As a NPC, the woman has a limited set of phrases to say. What if…

"What don't you want to hear?"

The woman stopped rocking her body.

"The song of death. No, no, no… The devil's breath on your neck. No, no, no… You must burn it. Yes, yes, yes… You must commit. Yes, yes, yes…"

Senritsu nodded her head. "I commit. I will burn it. Now, would you tell me where this song of death is?"

"No pain, no gain. No, no, no… You must risk your life and use your brain. Yes, yes, yes… It's risky to play with death. Yes, yes, yes… Think well before you risk following this cursed path."

As soon as that last verse left the woman's mouth, the iron door opened itself, allowing sunlight to charge into the room. Senritsu's eyes closed in response to the sunlight's assault and when she opened them again, the woman and the instruments had disappeared.

From outside voices and heartbeats filled Senritsu's ears again.

"Gon, Killua." Senritsu called as she approached both boys. "I'm sorry I'm late."

"Are you alright, Senritsu?!" Gon asked almost desperately, his heartbeat was a symphony of worry and relief. "We thought the Bomber had attacked you!"

"Bomber?"

"Yes, he is the one who is killing players in the game with those explosions from earlier." Killua explained. At seeing Senritsu confused expression, he raised a curious eyebrow. "I mean, you did hear the explosion, didn't you?"

Senritsu's eyes widened. That door she went through had to be nothing short of a perfect soundproof system to be able to keep even the sound of an explosion from her ears.

"I was in a soundproof room." Senritsu explained. "I couldn't hear anything."

"Soundproof room?" Gon echoed. "Oh! Did you find any leads on the Sonata of Darkness?"

Senristu didn't hesitate. "Unfortunately, no. I asked many people here, but no one had heard anything about a sheet of music. I think the rumours on the net were just rumours after all... I'm sorry, but I also wasn't able to gather any useful information about the game from the NPCs; whenever I asked something, they'd say: 'Uh? What's that?'"

"We had the same problem." Killua spoke with a nod. "But, we did find some experienced players who explained some things to us. Do you want us to fill you in?"

"Please."

"What are you going to do now, Senritsu?" Killua asked after he finished his explanation. "If there isn't a page from the sonata, there's no reason for you to stay here, right?"

"Killua!" Gon scolded.

"What?!"

"It seems like you WANT Senritsu to leave us!"

"What?! No, Senritsu, I wa-"

"Don't worry. I know from your heartbeat that it was an honest question." Senritsu reassured softly. "But, you're right; there is no reason for me to stay here if there isn't a page of the sonata in the game."

"Could it be that you won't find information about the page until later on?" Gon offered.

"I don't think so, Gon." Senritsu spoke with a shake of her head. "The Sonata of Darkness is an extremely rare item. If it really were in the game, people would have been looking for it since the start. I'll ask around the city a little more, but if I don't find anything I'll leave the game. Maybe it would be best for us to split up."

Senritsu could hear in the boys' heartbeats that they were honestly sad to hear that. At the same time, she couldn't tell them that she had found something about the sonata. Both boys would demand to help her and that would slow them down in achieving their own objective: to clear the game. As much as she liked Gon and Killua, Senritsu wouldn't remain in their company if it meant being a burden to their progress.

Once she was by herself, Senritsu started to ask around about 'risk'. It was the only term the NPC in that room had used more than once, so she could safely assume that it was the most useful tip she had been given.

"Risk?" An NPC echoed. "Are you looking for a Risky Dice?"

Senritsu had no idea what that was but she said yes.

"What do you need a Risky Dice for? They are only useful in Dorias, the Gambling City."

Senritsu smiled softly. Bingo. "And how do I get to Dorias?"

"Another cheap map?" Phinks complained, examining the map he and Feitan had just stolen from another player, who was now lying dead by their feet.

"But, he carrying lot spell cards." Feitan commented.

"Well, let's split up for now. In one week, we'll meet in Masadora." Phinks smiled sadistically. "It's a contest to see who can kill more players."

"Okay. Just be sure to take cards first."

As he walked away from Phinks, Feitan wondered if the Woman with the Flute had managed to get in the game yet. If so, how could he find her?

A sadistic smile stretched on the torturer's lips. He'd have to ask someone.

Inside one of the many forests of Greed Island, a deafening scream tore through the air as a player cried out in pain. Blood spurted out from the man's right index finger.

"AHHHHH! PLEASE STOP!" The player was tied to a tree-trunk; his back pressed against the wood and his arms stretched wide open. "PLEASE! I'LL DO ANYTHING! PLEASE!"

Feitan was standing in front of the man's right hand with a bloodied gripper in his left hand. Between the gripper's clutch parts, there was a nail. On the victim's right index finger, there wasn't.

"Uh? Already?" The torturer asked in disappointment as he let the nail fall to the ground. "Tsk, I took only one nail."

"P-Please…"

"Give me all cards."

"A-Alright. Book!"

Silently, Feitan retrieved all of the cards from his victim.

"How I find someone in game?"

"Uh?"

Feitan smiled and tore another nail from the man's hand. "Wrong answer."

"AHHHH! Accompany! Accompany will take you to anyone you've met in the game!"

"If I no met person? How I find her?"

"W-What do you mean? I don't und-AHHHH! PLEASE! STOP!"

The man lost a third nail.

"If. I. Not. Met. The. Person. Yet? How I find her?"

"Ah! …I-I don't know- AHHHHH!"

There went a fourth nail.

"PLEASE! I DON'T KNOW!"

"Be creative."

"I-I-I…" The man's eyes widened as Feitan's gripper closed around the last nail of his right hand; his thumb's nail. "WAIT! R-Risky Dice! You may be able to find her with Risky Dice!"

Feitan halted his movements, but never removed his bloodied gripper from the man's nail. His victim noticed it and explained his words.

"Risky Dice may increase your luck! You may find her faster that way!"

The gripper started to pull on the nail. "May?"

"It's a gamble! The Risky Dice may make you lucky or bring you misfortune! P-Please… it's the only way I can think of."

"And where I get Risky Dice?"

"Dorias! T-There's a quest to find the card in Dorias!"

Silently, Feitan opened his gripper and lifted it from the man's nail, leaving it in its natural place.

"T-Thank you…"

"Why you thanking me?" Feitan asked with a psychotic smile on his lips.

The victim's eyes widened in fear. A second later, his head was rolling on the grass.

Senritsu arrived in Dorias without trouble. The monsters she found on her way there were weak and easily handled, and the other players weren't that big of a nuisance. A few of them had approached her, but once they saw that she had no cards in her binder, they left her alone. One had used a God Eye card on her, but the Music Hunter just shrugged it off; she didn't plan on getting any of the Restricted Slots Cards – unless the Sonata of Darkness was one of them – so there was no reason for her to mind someone watching which cards she put in her binder.

Dorias was a luxurious city, full of stores and boutiques, with an enormous, castle-like casino in its centre. The Music Hunter started to walk around the city, listening carefully to the voices around her, trying to pick up anything that could be related to the Sonata of Darkness.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Don't miss this chance! Tonight on stage number 666 of our luxurious casino, we'll have a lovely concert and it'll be open for the public! You, Madam, I'm sure you-"

Stage 666?

Senritsu quickly marched to where that voice had come from. A couple of miles away, she found a young man, dressed in a fine black tuxedo, handing pamphlets to the people that walked by. That poor NPC wasn't having much luck; no one seemed interested in his concert.

"Don't even bother." A player, tall and bulky, noticing Senritsu's intention of talking to the NPC, said to the Music Hunter. "You won't get anything good from doing that quest. I did it a couple of nights ago and all I received was a worthless souvenir brochure. Its card wasn't even worth any money."

This player was saying the truth. He bore Senritsu no ill intent.

"Was the music good at least?" Senritsu asked, smiling up at the man.

"Uh? The music? I guess so... If you're into sitting on your ass to listen to music for two whole hours that is."

"I'm a Music Hunter." Senritsu explained.

"Ah, well, in that case, give it a shot. You may find it worth it."

"I will. Thank you."

Senritsu walked to the tuxedo wearing NPC, who opened a big smile at finally being approached by someone.

"You there, Miss! You seem like someone who knows how to appreciate art! Wouldn't you like to come and listen to the most beautiful concert of your life?"

Senritsu smiled and nodded her head.

"Wonderful! Here, take this pamphlet; it has all the details about it. Now, if you'd on-"

Ba-bump, Ba-bump, Ba-bump

Bump…

Senritsu's left hand gripped her flute and her jaw dropped slightly when her ears picked up a cold and murderous heartbeat walking intently in her direction. If Senritsu were to compare this heartbeat to a melody, it would, undoubtedly, be a requiem – a song that announced death.

It was very rare for Senritsu to find such a heartbeat, but what really surprised the Music Hunter was how familiar this specific one was. Senritsu could place exactly where and when she had heard it - such a particular tune would never be erased from her mind and even though it wasn't exact as she remembered, it's cold-blooded essence remained the same.

Memories of an encounter many years ago came to mind.

"Miss! Miss!" The NPC called, forcing Senritsu out of her thoughts. "If you could, please tell me your name so I can put you on our guest list?"

"Senritsu. My name is Senritsu."

With that, the small woman turned around, already knowing who she would find standing there, right behind her. As suspected she found the man she had met once, in Meteor City, years ago.

He was exactly as she remembered: short (though still a good head taller than her), black hair, cold eyes, even colder heartbeat… The only thing that changed on his appearance in the passing of the years were his clothes. However, even that change of outfit was familiar to her, since she had seen his photograph in York Shin City.

Spider.

Inside her head, Senritsu could imagine Kurapika's raging heartbeat to such a precision that she swore the blonde was beside her, glaring daggers at the thief. She could hear her own heartbeat as well, and it was speeding up at an alarming speed.

Tightening her grip around her flute, Senritsu raised her gaze to the man's eyes. Their gazes locked and she heard a heart skip a beat, but she couldn't tell if it had been hers or the man's.

"What about you, Sir?" The NPC asked, turning his head to the man. "What is your name, so I can put it on our guest list?"

Never moving his gaze from her eyes, the man with the cold heartbeat answered the NPC.

"Feitan."

Well, that's it! Hope you enjoyed the chapter. :D

...and that no one sets out to kill me for this cliffhanger. XP

Reviews are greately appreciated. ;)

Kisses,

RedVoid