"Where… is it?" I kept asking Chronos as I ran through the pitch dark alleys and streets.

"It's close but I can't insinuate where exactly."

I stopped grabbing my knees and panting. "Great."

"Wait! Echo-chan!" "Just Echo!"

"That voice," I whispered. I looked down from the bridge I was down below. The girl in blue I had seen this afternoon was being chased by Oz. "Oz!" "Ah, Claire! Sorry can't talk," he yelled keeping up to the girl. I stepped back."What are you doing?"

"What do you think I'm doing?" I yelled jumping below and started chasing after Oz. After a good ten minutes the girl jumped from the streets onto the edge of the waterway. Once I caught up to him he stopped and looked down to the girl. I panted. Damn my stupid ribs hurt so much!

"Y-you're fast, hehe," he laughed.

" 'Hehe' my ass!" I yelled pissed. "What were you doing anyways?"

"Oh well," he began while we were going down the granite stairs onto the waterway walkway. "Gil, Alice, and I went to get the ingredients for dinner and then Alice and Gil fought and left me. I met a boy, Phillipe and now Echo-chan was going after him for what I don't know but I couldn't just leave her be."

We reach there and Echo was on top of the boy keeping him from leaving. "Nice method," I mocked sighing. I turned to Oz, "Do you know where those two are now?"

He shook his head, "They never came back but I know where Gil's house is so we can just go back afterwards."

"That's not the problem," I sighed at how carefree this brat was and he was older than me. "There's a Chain somewhere in this town."

"You too? Echo-chan told me the same thing earlier," his eyes widened. "D-don't tell me it's really…" he slowly turned his head towards Phillipe.

"It's not the kid, Claire."

"You are wrong," Echo answered to his unasked question. "This child is not the Illegal Contractor. It is…his father." Oz was in complete shock. "Do you know his father's whereabouts?" I asked not wanting to know any further details of the kid's story.

"Apparently he's not so far," she stood up and started to walk away. When Oz suddenly stopped her by grabbing her hand.

"Please let go," she said nonchalantly. "Wait. I want to go with you to where that Chain is."

"Without Alice and Gil there's no point Oz," I said straight forth."Even so," he said turning to me. Suddenly we turned together hearing Phillipe's sobs.

"Phillipe?" Oz said softly concerned.

"Mister," he cried. "Do you think something happened to my dad? My dad…hasn't come home for three days…but that happens a lot. Hey…dad's going to back, right? I…don't want to be alone…" I see. His father is an Illegal Contractor which is why this happened.

Oz let go of Echo's hand and place his hand on the boy's shoulders. "It's okay. I will definitely bring him back!"

I sighed. I couldn't believe this guy. It'll be hard. Things like these…promises…can't be kept for long. It will definitely be hard.

"Come on," he faced calling me. "Let's go." I couldn't object or tell him anything. He'll outmost learn his lessons when the times come. Just like I did mine. We left and ran up to a bridge. "It's dark. I can't see anything at all."

I gazed in further. "Where is it?"

"Up front."

The girl Echo jumped with her blade forth and slit the huge bug. Who is she? The I heard Gil yell at her not to fight, that is was too far out her league and Oz's name. The Illegal Contractor, Phillipe's father. Echo then was smashed to an alley and the smashing hand landing on our bridge.

"Shit!" I exclaimed as all the debris fell with me.

"Claire!"

"I know!" I had to be quick about this! "Seiren!" I blacked out for a few minutes and when I woke up Seiren was covering me from the rubble on me atop from the huge stones that were kept at bay. "Shit." I stood from my place relieving Seiren from me and escaping the falling. I gazed over the place. Gil was knocked out and Oz was walking over to the contractor while Alice was snapped on the ground immobile. "What the hell happened?"

"That brat. He's definitely something. He was able to nullify the powers of B-Rabbit."

"He did what?" I said in disbelief.

Then suddenly it started raining. Oz when up close and the man pointed a gun at him. Oh no, I had to stop him! I began running up at them.

"Do it, Claire!" Alice yelled at me.

"That's as far as you will go."

My body felt completely numb and I stumbled to my knees and leaned on the floor in order to keep myself from falling completely. My body was heavy. It was absolutely a different kind of gravity. "That voice…"

"Leave him be. You'll understand once he says what he need to say."

What? I don't get you.

"Claire! What's the matter? Why did you stop?"

"Claire!" Alice yelled enraged.

"Because… he stopped me. He told me to."

I couldn't move even if I wanted to. If it weren't for my hands keeping my body sitting up I would be like Alice stumbled on the ground. This force was extremely powerful. It stopped Chronos and me at full force. Oz questioned the man and I heard him. He was yelling at the man. And he sounded so…angry. I've…never heard him yell, and most of all never angry. He was such a joyous and lighthearted boy and suddenly this…

Who is he?

"Ugh." I turned to see Gil waking up.

"Gil!" I yelled at him and facing Oz.

"Oz!" he yelled pointing his gun at the man. Surprisingly that bastard stood in the middle the shot and the man.

"Don't shoot!"

BANG!

My eyes widened as the blood came from his head and he fell. I fell speechless as I glanced at Oz's expression. Suddenly Oz fell from his place after turning to gaze at the laying body. Then I felt a wave of power and the oppression I felt on my body vanished. I knew it. "B-Rabbit…" I whispered.

Gil stood from his place and ran over to Oz. "Oz!" he called catching him before he fell. Oz fought back in rage, "Stop…Don't touch me…" Gil finally sealed her powers. "Why…Why did you shoot? That person was…"

"It wasn't me!" Gil yelled back. He calmed down once Oz did. "It…wasn't…"

"I did."

That voice. I stumbled to my feet. Turning to where it originated from.

"Well…he looked like he was about to kill that boy…First off, all that was left for that person…was to die or fall into the Abyss. So that's why…it was inevitable right?" Vincent smiled.

That smirk in his face just wasn't right. How could he have done that? His gaze fell upon me for the shortest seconds and turned to Gil. I came up to Alice, "Are you alright?" I asked gently. She tanked her shoulder away from me. "I'm fine," she growled and turned to Echo and Vincent. We arrived a few minutes afterwards in Sharon's mansion. Gil had asked Vincent for his carriage to get there. I changed into a white sleeping gown that she had brought for me and I finished telling Sharon what happened Gil didn't seem to talk then. Vincent finished with what he had done. I glared at him.

"So this is were you've been hiding for the last year, Claire," his voice was frigid at the sound my name.

"My job implied for certain measures to be taken," I answered looking away from him. A glaring contest I couldn't win.

"Is that so?" he chuckled. "You know, Eliot was quite confused when you didn't come back or when you didn't answer Vanessa's letters. Those really were close to you and you simply left them behind. It's rather cold of you, don't you think?"

"It concerns you not, Master Vincent," I said coldly and left from the room.

I walked past the closed door where Oz and Alice where. It was completely quiet in there. Oz must be quite frustrated and saddened. He couldn't save that kid's father. I sighed. "What's the matter?" I looked up to see Break with a candelabra in his hand.

"Oz…must be quite torn because of what happened," I admitted. "And I guess I am too." I laid my head low.

"I've told you before," he said leaning opposite to me. "To be emotionally associated tends to leave this kind of disappointment."

"I know. I know. It just," I sighed heavily. "How things turn out this way. Is this really what they call destiny?"

"Things are never left to chance," he answered leaving to the room. "But it doesn't mean either that they're already written on stone."

I gazed at the floor as the light of the candelabra faded and only that of the few in the mansion glimmered faintly. I walked over to my room and sat on the bed. This is strange. I gripped my chest.

"It hurts," I mumbled. "I don't know why but it does."

Hehe

"Who's there?" I snapped. No one? But…I could swear I heard someone laughing.

Over here. Hehe.

I turned to look at the mirror that was on the left side of the door. Was it coming from there? I stood slowly and went over there. I looked into the mirror deeply. I sighed. I must be tired and I must be imagining things.

Imagination? No. Nightmare? Absolutely.

My eyes widened a black hand and arm came out of the mirror and grabbed my own. I tried getting away and I dropped some things on the floor. It was trying to pull me in.

Nee, wanna play a game with me?

Suddenly the hand changed color into a scarlet red and splashed all over. Suddenly I saw a huge grin on the mirror and it started turning red. Instinctively I grabbed the first thing that I had in my reach. I yelled as loud as I could…

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The three of them reacted quickly to the chill giving scream and the breaking glass.

"Claire?" Gil yelled as he was followed closely behind by Oz and Alice. Gil opened the door practically slamming it open. Oz and Alice were about 3 feet away from him before he blocked there path over to her room.

"What are you doing?" Oz yelled at him. Desperately he was trying to go by his servant's strong arms.

"Seaweed head was that that girl who screamed!" Alice asked trying helplessly by the other arm. Seconds later Sharon and Break came over. "What happened? What in the world was that?" Sharon asked desperate.

Break went past from where she stopped and was let in by Gil as he pushed Oz and Alice further from the mid opened door. At walking in his eyes widened. His eyes first averted to the center point: the mirror. It was completely broken into pieces some on the floor across to the other side and some on the mirror still holding on. The bizarre thing was that the pieces on the mirror were apparently bleeding out. The trail of blood and blood feet and hands moved his sight over to the small curled body that was cuddling on the corner blood soaked. He went over to her fast and knelt in front of her. "Hey, what happened here?" he asked trying to see her eyes and to see if there were any injuries. Claire uncurled from her small ball and her sight simply shocked him. She was completely petrified. Her tears were silently flowing down her face and she was shaking as her eyes gazed into nothing. A first glance told him that she wasn't injured so the blood wasn't hers. Then if it wasn't, he turned over to the mirror that stopped bleeding. He focused on Claire. He went closer and lifted her from her place. She clenched to him vigorously and still shaking. She buried her face on to his chest. He could feel her tears and the blood soak him.

He walked out with her and left followed by Sharon. Gil immediately stopped the other two from following.

"What happened to her? Gil!" Oz called to him.

"She was bleeding," Alice pointed out.

"Let Break take care of her." he turned to the inside of the room and entered telling the two to not step inside. He walked past the broken pieces on the floor and picked the brushed completely soaked in red that laid feet away from mirror.

"She did it on purpose?" Oz said watching from afar.

"Why?" Alice asked absolutely confused.

"What I want to know is what made her so terrified," Gil said out loud. He said and left the brush. And exited the room. "You two go to sleep already."

"What?" Alice exclaimed.

"Please, you fell asleep not even before I finished telling my story," Gil called.

"But what about Claire?" Oz asked concerned.

"I told you, Break will take care of her. For now we can only wait for his say."

Alice yawned, rubbed her eye and said, "I'm not sleepy."

Oz chuckled but couldn't help wonder what had happened.

"Are you any better?" Sharon asked as she cleaned Claire in the bathroom in her room. The poor girl was still completely speechless but her fear had gone by. Sharon sighed and out her in the bathtub and let her clean herself while she attended to her. She came out and put a pink sleeping gown on in replacement of the white one. They came out and Sharon offered to brushed her hair. Claire simply nodded. Sharon sat on a arm chair as Claire sat below her. Sharon gently and softly stroke her hair. The poor girl was petrified to this extent. What could have possibly have done this?

"Hey Claire, are you feeling sleepy still, you can sleep here with me if you'd like. I'm sure you wouldn't want to sleep alone tonight," Sharon murmured as she slowly brushed Claire's hair. Claire didn't respond. But she gave a faint nod and laid her head on Sharon's leg. She hid her face for she had began crying softly. Sharon simply stroke her head over and over again.

Minutes later, she fell asleep cuddling in a ball on the bed. Sharon sat there stroking her head and couldn't stop afraid she would wake the frightened child. Suddenly the door opened as Break came in. "Milady," he whispered. Gazing over to the bed he saw the girl asleep. "She could finally fall to sleep."

"Yes," Sharon answered stopping the stroking. "Break what happened in there? She was absolutely terrified. What I want to know is of what?"

Break sighed. "Unfortunately there is nothing I have to tell you. The mirror, she broke it with a brush and the blood wasn't from her but from the mirror itself."

"The mirror?" Sharon asked confused. "I know. It sounds insane but it is what I saw. For someone or something to have scared her to such extent…I would much like to know the reason why as well."

Hehe…

Le veiriu no zuro ta

Ichi no kaedio

Garveilio chi to rei lei

I xoto kuru so

And so let the games begin…

A/N: the words are simply a song with a language I made up.