The following is dedicated to my wonderful beta, because I think I was ready to just shoot the chapter at some point and she really helped me out.

Chapter 10

Hisoka was glued to his seat, unable to comprehend Muraki's sudden appearance. There weren't any bodies in sight, no screams of agony, just merry shoppers milling down the sidewalks around them. All they would see was a man with a gracious smile, dressed in a white trench coat that was a little odd in such warm weather.

But Hisoka could see how Muraki's stare traveled over Tsuzuki in an indulgent sweep, and it caused Hisoka's anger to rise and disgust to crawl in his throat. Slowly, his brain cranked back to life.

And then his body was springing up, a delayed reflex, and he took a step around the small table so that he stood closer to Tsuzuki. Hisoka could feel his partner's reeling emotions, remembered how strong his fear had been after only seeing a hallucination of Muraki at the Count's party months back, and knew that the passing of time hadn't fixed everything.

Hisoka would never forget what happened in Kyoto, how Muraki had manipulated and destroyed Tsuzuki. He'd been after Muraki for revenge these past years since his death, but somehow the hatred over what Muraki had done to Tsuzuki, burned brighter than any of it.

"What are you doing here?!" Hisoka spat, his voice stronger than he expected it to be, stronger than he felt, and Muraki's gaze shifted to him. Immediately Hisoka had to force down a shudder, flashes of last night's dream returning viciously as if on cue.

Beneath his bangs, Muraki's eyes drilled into his, and Hisoka could feel the answering call of his curse marks. They flared under his shirt, making his skin prickle painfully. He tried not to cringe, not to give away that he was affected at all, but Muraki's smirk only widened. He always knew.

Hisoka's knees felt weak, but he refused to be pathetic now. Somehow his anger drowned out some of the panic.

"Boy," Muraki said, dismissively. "Is that any sort of greeting? I merely wished to say hello."

Muraki was almost too bright to look at, the sunlight blending with his silver hair and highlighting the white folds of his coat. Hisoka remembered bitterly how he'd first mistaken Muraki for an angel that night long ago, and his stomach twisted painfully at how deceiving an image Muraki put on.

It was all a trap, always a trap. Under his good natured act, Muraki was a calculating bastard, and Hisoka wouldn't fall for it again. There were never coincidences when it came to him, so if he was here now, Hisoka knew it was for a reason.

He couldn't help but eye the doctor suspiciously, his gaze flickering over his immaculate clothes, and what little skin was revealed. Hisoka was surprised that there wasn't a single mark in sight from the Kyoto fire, flames that were hot enough to even scorch someone's soul, let alone their flesh. He wondered if there were hidden scars. Hisoka wanted nothing more than to imagine Muraki disfigured, marked like he was, but it looked as if Muraki had managed to pull another spectacular feat.

Human…how could this monster be human? Hisoka felt cold trails of melted ice cream begin to drip over his fingers, shocking him from his introspection. He dropped the cone to the ground and clenched his fists.

Muraki's false smile faltered as he said coolly, "Together as always." His eyes narrowed. "How domestic."

"Why are you here Muraki?!" Hisoka ground out between his teeth. "If you have anything to do with the missing women--"

"I have no idea what you are talking about. I was just tending to some business at the university."

"You bastard! I know you know something!" Hisoka shouted. Tsuzuki grabbed one of his shaking fists, jolting Hisoka and making him aware of himself again, of where they were. People were staring, a few whispering to each other while they watched.

Muraki's gaze followed Tsuzuki's movement, and his eyes narrowed knowingly. Hisoka jerked his hand free and swallowed.

Muraki turned his focus back to Tsuzuki and lowered his voice intimately. "Tsuzuki-san, have you and the boy come to some sort of…understanding?"

Tsuzuki flinched. Hisoka could feel Tsuzuki's emotions squirming restlessly, fear and foggy memories encasing anything rational, like a layer of soot, making Tsuzuki's feelings too murky to understand. Hisoka couldn't let Muraki get to him, not again!

"Shut up!" he shouted. More people were staring. Fuck them! Nothing would happen, he'd make sure of it. They were in plain sight he reminded himself, and that meant that even Muraki wouldn't be stupid enough to try and pull something.

"I have no interest in you, boy," Muraki said, with that charming smile once again in place. "But Tsuzuki-san, I'd be delighted if you would accompany me for lunch. I'll be free in an hour, if you'd be so kind."

Hisoka stiffened, edging ever so slightly closer to Tsuzuki, his mind scrambling desperately.

"He isn't going anywhere with you!"

"I believe that is for him to decide," Muraki said snidely.

"Hisoka," Tsuzuki whispered, reminding him once again of their location. Hisoka trembled, trying to compose himself--knowing that he was letting Muraki see every one of his weaknesses.

He was losing.

Muraki turned as if to walk away. "There is something I'd like to discuss with you, Tsuzuki-san. We can talk somewhere more discreet; I may have something of interest for you as well."

When Tsuzuki spoke this time, his voice was more firm, his emotions smothered beneath a thin mask of determination, or rather, a sense of duty. "So you do know something?"

The light glinted over the surface of Muraki's glasses like it would on a scalpel's edge, obscuring his gaze. "I'll see you in an hour. There is a quaint park you should be familiar with, Tsuzuki-san." Then, casually like nothing had happened at all, Muraki walked away, quickly disappearing amongst the midday shoppers.

qpqpqpqp

Hisoka slammed the hotel door shut, the thin walls trembling in aftershock. The room had turned into a heater box in their absence with the window closed, and it only made Hisoka's skin feel itchy, as if the curse marks were trying to climb free of this skin.

Tsuzuki slumped onto the foot of his bed and began loosening the collar of his shirt. He hadn't said a word since Muraki left. They'd walked back to the hotel rather than teleporting, much to Hisoka's annoyance. Tsuzuki probably wanted to postpone the inevitable. Nothing could really be said until they were out of the public eye, and Tsuzuki knew that well. But they were in their own room now and Hisoka planned to yell as much as he damn well pleased.

"You aren't going!" he shouted. "I know you--I know how you think, and the answer is no!" Hisoka started pacing restlessly in the small space in front of the window.

Tsuzuki had his tie clenched in his hand. "Hisoka--"

"No! That is just what that bastard wants! He's messing with us!"

Tsuzuki's face was impassive, and Hisoka knew that he was already making up his mind, probably to heroically sacrifice himself for the sake of others, or some such bullshit.

"Damn it, Tsuzuki!"

"He knows something, Hisoka." Tsuzuki's eyes were shuttered, all his fear neatly stowed away as if Hisoka wouldn't know that it existed right under the surface.

Tsuzuki was walking into his worst nightmare, and they both knew it.

"I don't care what he knows! I'm not letting him get you alone again. Not like last time--" Hisoka cut himself off, his chest heaving.

Hisoka could remember the night Muraki took Tsuzuki vividly. Remembered watching as Muraki held Tsuzuki's limp body in his arms and smiled down at them, as if he'd won, before disappearing. Tsuzuki's emotions had cut him like a knife, digging into his chest and prying open old wounds. He'd never known such despair, such mind splintering hurt. It was like a black hole, all sense of Tsuzuki being sucked away into darkness.

He never wanted to feel that again.

And three days Tsuzuki had been with that man. Hisoka didn't want to think about it-- but when he'd finally found him, seen the flames, knew that Tsuzuki wanted to die--

"Hisoka, I promise I'll be fine."

"You can't promise that! Haven't you learned anything? Don't make promises unless you know you can keep them!" Hisoka was having trouble breathing. He couldn't believe that Tsuzuki was really considering Muraki's offer. "It's Muraki, Tsuzuki!"

"It won't be the same as last time." Tsuzuki stood up and looked at him square in the eyes. "I wouldn't…I have you now…"

Hisoka swallowed, his face reddening. "It's not enough. You're always doing this; putting yourself in harm's way for some noble, some stupid, cause. And I'm always the one left waiting. Wondering when you'll come back--if you'll come back. We are supposed to be partners!"

"But I will come back! This isn't a stupid cause, Hisoka! Those women are in danger, they could die. I can't let that happen!" Tsuzuki's guilt rose painfully, as it always did during difficult cases. Tsuzuki was hurting, unable to protect those he knew needed help, and there was nothing Hisoka could do to stop him from feeling that way.

"And you think Muraki will just give you all the answers?! You don't think this is just another one of his games?!"

"I have to do something!"

"You're playing right into his hands! Who knows what he wants with you!" Tsuzuki had foiled Muraki's plans in Kyoto, destroyed his lab, and almost managed to kill him. Tsuzuki never really explained what had happened there, what Muraki wanted, but Tsuzuki had mentioned once while they'd been recovering in the infirmary that Muraki's reason for wanting him had burned away with everything else.

But Hisoka didn't truly believe that. Tsuzuki didn't know Muraki like he did. Muraki had killed him purely for the sake of it, because he was something pretty, and the years of pain that he'd been put through was a form of entertainment. Muraki didn't need a reason.

If Muraki was back now, who knew what he would do. Tsuzuki had almost destroyed him and his insidious plans, who knew what sort of revenge he'd want.

"I'll come back!" Tsuzuki took a couple of steps closer until he was standing directly in front of him. Up close Hisoka could see the determination building in his eyes, amethyst darkening.

"But not the same," Hisoka forced out through the emotion choking his throat. "You never come back the same."

"Hisoka…" Tsuzuki's hand hesitantly reached out and brushed his shoulder.

"You have no idea what it's like." Tsuzuki had no idea what it was like, how horrible it had been when Hisoka knew Tsuzuki didn't want to live anymore. That he would be left behind, alone again, just has he had been in life. Tsuzuki was his family, and he'd almost left him.

Tsuzuki's fingers curled around Hisoka's arm and he inched forward again. Hisoka could feel the curse burning under Tsuzuki's fingers, as if Muraki was mocking him. He had no control after all. He couldn't even keep Tsuzuki safe. He'd lose everything to that man.

"I'm sorry," Tsuzuki whispered. "But I have to do this."

"You idiot, you don't--"

Tsuzuki's arms were around him then, holding him. It was much to hot in the room for it to be comfortable, but Hisoka only half-heartedly tried to push him away. They were both sweaty, and Hisoka couldn't relax his rigid posture, emotions still boiling inside him. Tsuzuki wasn't going to listen. He would go to that man instead. This meant nothing in reality.

"I really am sorry. Please don't hate me for this," Tsuzuki whispered into his hair.

"Then don't go! If you're so sorry-- you can't just expect me to--"

His words tapered off when Tsuzuki's palm met his cheek, tilting his face back far enough so that their eyes could meet again. A remembrance of a completely different dream rushed through Hisoka's mind, and the flush that had previously been out of anger, darkened because of something else entirely.

"Ah," he sputtered, eyes widening.

Tsuzuki's eyes flickered once from his own, down to his lips, and then back again. Hisoka felt his heart begin to pound in his chest, anticipation rolling through him hotly. But then Tsuzuki pulled back, the embrace loosening so Hisoka was no longer held tightly to Tsuzuki's chest, and Hisoka thought for a moment that Tsuzuki wasn't going to do it.

Hisoka took a shuddering breath, a hint of disappointment registering before Tsuzuki leaned forward, his breath almost too hot over his lips, and--

It was warm and soft, and Tsuzuki's emotions tingled where they touched him. Hisoka could feel his partner's desperation, the plea to understand, all mixed into something much deeper. Tsuzuki felt so much, and it was only inches away. Hisoka could do nothing but accept it, to answer Tsuzuki's need for reassurance. The hand on his back was quivering, fingers pressed gently into the folds of his shirt, and it felt strangely sweet.

Hisoka gradually relaxed, pressed forward, and accepted the kiss. He shook, his hands gripping Tsuzuki's arms, as he felt relief and affection spill from Tsuzuki. Hisoka wanted to anchor him there, not let go, not think--

Tsuzuki pulled back with a gasp, shock in his gaze, as if he couldn't believe what he'd just done. Hisoka stared at him dazed for a full minute before realizing what had just happened.

"That--" he stuttered, mortified at how difficult it was to get his mouth to work properly. His lips were still hot, almost numb. "You're just trying to distract me!" he accused shakily. "You think you can…that you can just…you kissed me and you're still going to see Muraki!"

"'Soka," Tsuzuki murmured, still close enough that Hisoka could physically feel it. "I'll come back. It's a promise."

"I told you not to--"

"It's a promise," Tsuzuki said again, his voice determined.

Hisoka swallowed thickly. He knew there was nothing he could do to dissuade Tsuzuki, not once he'd made up his mind. Hisoka clenched his jaw, knowing that if he tried to speak now, he'd have no control over what came out.

"It will be ok, really," Tsuzuki said as he stepped towards the bed, his presence pulling back painfully from Hisoka's grasp. Even though Tsuzuki was already shielding the emotions Hisoka had tasted only moments before, Hisoka still knew that he wasn't the only one who was afraid. Tsuzuki was an expert of hiding how he felt, but Hisoka had come to know him better than anyone.

Please be safe.

Tsuzuki picked up his trench coat which had been draped over his bag. It was too hot for coats, but Hisoka thought that Tsuzuki was used to putting up more than just mental barriers.

Please come back to me.

Hisoka bit his tongue, held his breath until his chest burned, and watched as Tsuzuki walked out the door.

qpqpqpqp

Hisoka reread the same paragraph for the third time, glanced at the hotel's old alarm clock, tried to find his spot again. Crossed his legs, shifted nervously, realized he'd jumped a page ahead, glanced at the clock again.

"Damn it!" Hisoka threw the journal Watari had loaned him and it went careening through the air, and landed near the bathroom door with a thump. He didn't even care that it looked as if he'd knocked the pages loose from their binding.

Who cared about some empath who'd gone crazy years ago--who'd died years ago? Hisoka wasn't like him. At least about the crazy part. Maybe.

Hisoka stood up and glared at the clock. Not even fifteen minutes had passed since Tsuzuki had left. Fifteen agonizingly slow minutes. The alarm clock must be broken. It was old after all so that had to be it.

There was a loud pattering outside the hotel window; it'd begun to rain.

He tried to remember the times Tsuzuki had gone with Muraki alone before. How had he been calm then? Of course, the first time he'd been tied up and bleeding to death, so really, he'd had no say in the matter.

Then there had been the Queen Camella. He hadn't expected Muraki to be a passenger, for their undercover identities to work against him. He'd only managed to keep Tsuzuki out of Muraki's clutches by a lucky hand of cards. Hisoka could see now that he'd been too distracted with his own problems, with Tsubaki, to see the sort of threat Muraki presented, not to himself, but to Tsuzuki. At the time, he hadn't even understood why he was so compelled to keep Tsuzuki from losing his wager with Muraki, or why smelling Muraki's cologne on Tsuzuki's clothes made his desire for revenge that much sharper.

Always so ignorant.

The third time, was when he first encountered Muraki in Kyoto, standing over the body of a dead woman. Could he really claim to still be clueless then? Hisoka knew he couldn't have been so blind as to not see the way Muraki looked at Tsuzuki, how all his plans somehow revolved around his partner. And under all of Tsuzuki's righteous anger, hadn't Hisoka felt for a while that there was something else lurking under the surface? But he'd allowed Tsuzuki to go with Muraki alone. Was it because he was afraid to protest then? Because it wasn't his place? Because…even if he wanted Tsuzuki to be safe, he was too afraid to stand in Muraki's way?

But even then, he'd been anything but calm. Hisoka hadn't slept but a few hours that night, all his dreams riddles that somehow always led back to Tsuzuki. And in the morning, when he'd found Tsuzuki on the Philosopher's path, felt how abruptly his partner had changed… Hisoka knew something was wrong, that something must have happened with Muraki, but Tsuzuki only pushed him away. Tsuzuki wasn't the type to reveal himself willingly, even if they were partners.

Tsuzuki was always trying to be strong for the sake of others. Always hiding the truth even when he himself needed to be saved. Always sacrificing everything because he felt like nothing.

Why had none of it changed?

The last time Muraki had Tsuzuki, it had almost been the end of everything. They'd both almost lost their second lives, the one life that really counted to Hisoka. Hadn't he vowed to never let Tsuzuki be hurt again? That tearstained face, so hopeless, still haunted Hisoka's dreams, and he never wanted to see Tsuzuki lost like that again.

It wasn't supposed to be like this, because Tsuzuki had decided to stay with him. Tsuzuki had told Hisoka that he loved him. But nothing had changed, not really. Tsuzuki would still readily give himself over to the devil if it meant he could help someone else.

No matter how strong Tsuzuki seemed, even after how far they'd come since Kyoto, Tsuzuki still didn't see himself the same way Hisoka did.

They hadn't come far enough.

And now he was out there. With Muraki.

Hisoka looked at the clock one more time, and then out the window. It was pouring down heavily. The city had been reduced to a blur, shapes drifting slowly over the pane.

Alone. With Muraki.

Tsuzuki had promised. He said he would be back.

But he was alone.

Why had Hisoka let him go alone?

Hisoka walked quickly to his own bags and pulled out his denim jacket. It was the best he had with him, and there wasn't time to worry about getting wet. Hisoka took a deep breath, and teleported from the hotel.

The park was completely empty this time, not a person in sight, unlike when they'd come to investigate it before. It seemed that rain was a better deterrent than death. Hisoka pulled his denim jacket tighter around him so that the droplets couldn't sneak into the back of his collar, and started down one of the park's main paths. There was no sign of Muraki or Tsuzuki, not that he'd really expected them to still be here.

He just hoped that they had moved to somewhere close by. Hisoka knew he'd said he wouldn't use his empathy for a while, but now was hardly the time to be concerned about getting lectured. Hisoka closed his eyes and reached outwards, focusing all his energy on any traces of his partner his empathy could pick up.

The rain diluted his empathy like it did any of his other senses. It was hard to feel anything distinct, and he forced his power out further, brow puckering in concentration.

It shouldn't have been so hard. Usually he could zero in on Tsuzuki without even meaning to. He was a familiar force that Hisoka often relied on when his empathy was surrounded by the unknown.

"Please," Hisoka begged quietly. He had to find him. He wanted to be closer, to feel Tsuzuki's emotions like a second skin, like they had been in the hotel. He wanted to know when Tsuzuki was scared, when he was happy.

That way he would know Muraki wasn't hurting him. Hisoka would prevent those emotions from turning into despair, would shield Tsuzuki if he had to. He would do anything, as long as it wasn't standing helplessly in the rain like he was now.

Grinding his teeth, Hisoka reached out as far as he could, felt the painful stretch of his awareness, and then the answering brush of something. It was too far away for him to tell who or what it was. It didn't feel quite like the way Tsuzuki should, but with the rain and how faint it was, Hisoka couldn't be sure.

The presence pulsed once, then twice, like a beacon, and Hisoka started walking steadily in that direction. Whatever it was, it was trying to attract his attention, and he hoped that was a good sign.

Water sloshed into his sneakers as he walked quickly from the park and down a side street. The further he walked, the more distinct the signal was, and after a few minutes he knew it wasn't Tsuzuki. He paused for a moment, unsure. It felt somehow familiar, as if he should know whose energy it was. He wracked his brain to try and recall when he'd felt it before, but couldn't quite place it. Hisoka almost decided to drop the trail and continue his search for Tsuzuki, but he knew there wasn't a single hint of his location. Besides, the fact that the energy was still reaching out to him, tugging on his senses so relentlessly, urged him to find its owner. He started walking again.

The rain was warm, drenching his jacket and then his shirt. He didn't mind it too much, all his attention was focused on the energy that was growing stronger with each minute that passed, drowning out his worry. He noticed that he was walking away from the interior of the city. At first small houses with modest yards lined the streets, but as he turned onto another puddle laden corner, he saw that houses looked more like estates, wrought iron fences guarding elaborate grounds and multistory houses.

Did the person reaching out to him live in one of these homes? He'd been walking for quite a while now, probably close to an hour. Hisoka pulled out his cell phone and glanced at the time. It was only then that he realized that no one knew where he was. He didn't even know where he was. If this turned out to be some sort of trap, then he wouldn't even have Tsuzuki as back up.

Hisoka stared at the phone in his hand. Any other time he would call Tsuzuki to tell him what was happening, but at this very moment Tsuzuki was with Muraki. Another wave of anger and anxiety washed over him.

He pushed his wet bangs back from his eyes and swallowed. He didn't have anyone else to call either. He might have considered Watari, but at the moment he thought hearing his voice might make his mood worse.

Resolutely, he shoved his phone back in his pocket. He let out a long breath and allowed the presence to guide him once more. Hisoka was strong enough to take care of himself. He didn't need Tsuzuki or anyone else.

Besides, the energy was so close now that he could feel it buzzing in the back of his mind. Through the cascading rain, he looked up to see a house looming up ahead. It was built in a manor style, rows of windows all with drawn curtains, and large doors framed by tall pillars. Hisoka stopped in his tracks, eyes darting over the house's exterior, senses tingling.

This was the one. He could feel the power pulling him closer, and had the most eerie feeling of déjà vu.

He had to get inside if he was going to find whoever was calling out to him, but he was still wary not to just walk right through the front gate. No, there had to be a less conspicuous way to get inside. So then he was walking again, circling the black fence around the house's grounds, as if drawn by an invisible string.

There was another gate near the back of the house, and Hisoka approached it cautiously, eyes trained on a security camera mounted over it. He pushed back against the energy reaching out from the house, just to be sure, and felt the force double, making his empathy ache against the power of it.

He cringed, a headache forming at his temples. His fingers dug into his jeans pocket to retrieve a fuda, but the paper was a soggy wad now and the ink had run. They would be of no use to him.

Hoping that he wasn't walking blindly into trouble, he shifted into spirit form, and stepped through the gate. There was a slight resistance as he walked through the metal, the remnants of some magical barrier tingling against his skin. It was faded just enough that it wasn't difficult to pass through, but still strong enough for him to know the magic was only recently disbanded.

Had the same person reaching out to him deactivated the spell? Or was it that since the spell was no longer in place, there was nothing to prevent the signal from reaching him?

He tried to feel for any other magic he might unknowingly walk into, but it was difficult to sense anything other than the energy that was now almost to the point of suffocating him.

Hisoka crossed the lawn between the gate and the side of the house. From where he stood, all he could see were more windows, and neatly trimmed hedges. Carefully, he tried to look into one of the windows, but through the small gap between heavy drapes there was only darkness. It didn't look like anyone was inside…

His fingers ran over the window ledge and he felt yet again the sting of a recently broken barrier spell. He braced himself, tried not to feel the pain beginning to spread over the back of his skull and down his neck, and walked through the wall.

It was harder to make it through the residue of this spell than the one at the gate. By the time he was on the other side, he had to stop and catch his breath. The room held a dusty musk that felt heavy in his lungs. When he glanced over his shoulder, he saw that not only were all the lights off in the room, but he was also surprised to see that the window was no longer there. In its place was a painting of a woman working a loom.

Slowly, Hisoka's eyes adjusted to the dark and he could make out the rest of the room's decorations. They were all tasteful, and most likely expensive. However, while he was sure that windows had lined the outside of the house, there wasn't a single one in sight now.

Even though the barrier spells had been taken down, it was clear that there was still other magic in use.

He carefully walked into the hallway. He couldn't detect any other signs of life, but he was still unsure of how well his empathy would be able to distinguish anything else from the signal pulsing so loudly in his mind.

Silently, he walked down the hall, eyes darting over the shadows created by lamps and wall hangings. As foreign as the surroundings were, they somehow felt familiar. When he reached the bottom of a flight of stairs, the energy grew stronger. He was close.

Taking the steps two at a time, he made it to the second floor quickly. It was strange to find a grey metal door on the landing, something that didn't match the décor of the house at all. He stared at the door for a moment, unease building in his stomach. Hisoka reached out and touched the handle, and when there was no reaction, he cautiously opened the door.

Hisoka froze in the doorway.

Before him, in both directions, stretched a barren hallway, white walls only broken by the occasional door. He was back in that place, the horrible house that Mammina and Ayame had barely escaped from. Hisoka braced himself and nervously stepped through the door.

There was no sign of those faceless nurses, but the thought of where he'd unknowingly walked into was enough to rattle his nerves. This wasn't a safe place for someone like him, although he had to remind himself, he didn't fit with the demon's penchant for women.

The energy tugged at him, as if to remind him why he was here, and Hisoka's eyes immediately locked on a door standing ajar down the hall.

Hisoka's feet started moving before he could stop himself. The door creaked as Hisoka pushed it the rest of the way open. The first thing he saw was that there was only one bed in the room, leather straps hanging limply from its metal railings. Otherwise, it looked just like the room he'd seen through Ayame's eyes. It took him a second to realize that one of the railings was lowered, allowing a woman to sit on the edge of the bed, her back to the door.

Hisoka could feel the pulse in his mind pick up pace, mirroring the pounding in his chest. Her narrow shoulders were hunched under a pale blue hospital gown, head hung low in a cascade of stringy blonde hair. She wasn't moving at all, her back barely shifting as she breathed. The silence was unnerving, making Hisoka's own breathing sound abnormally loud in his ears.

He wetted his lips, feeling her energy burn hotter, picking abrasively at his empathy with unorganized swirls of emotions. "Who are you?" he asked, his words startlingly loud in the silence.

Her shoulders quivered, and the bed creaked slightly. "You actually came," she said tiredly. "I thought it might be you. After that day…"

Hisoka focused on her energy, on the familiar lilt in her voice. A thought bloomed in his mind, and he asked suspiciously, not daring to jump to conclusions just yet, "What day? Do I know you?"

The woman raised her hand and brushed back some of her hair, her voice coming out a bit stronger. "It's all your fault you know. I could have fixed all this with that spell."

Hisoka sucked in a breath, memories flashing brightly in his memory. "Are you…?"

She peered over her shoulder first, eyes assessing him, before she shifted sluggishly on the mattress, revealing the rounded front of her gown. Hisoka's eyes widened, watching as her hand gingerly touched the swell of her stomach, and then he looked up to see the look of disgust painted on her gaunt features.

"You remember me don't you?" she asked coarsely.

He did. He'd seen that same face full of anger not long ago, bathed in the red glow of magic and innocent souls. He could recall her energy as it was then, similar to the piercing power now, but so much stronger, full of so much more loathing. On that night, when he had inadvertently made a wish to that demon instead of her, it had turned into a nightmare. He hadn't thought they would ever come face to face again, and certainly not like this.

And the size that she was now…"That time, you were already…?"

Her hand clenched over her stomach. "That's right. And I managed to get away. I was going to put a stop to everything then, but you had to show up and ruin everything."

"All those souls, it's your fault that they were destroyed. Those were innocent people! Of course we tried to stop you!" Hisoka wanted to stay calm, but he blamed her for more than just the loss of those souls. Because of her, because of that spell, he now had to endure those painful memories.

She laughed, a sharp sound that cracked weakly. "A small sacrifice if it meant stopping what was going to happen, what will happen now. You have no idea. A hundred souls, a thousand, it would have been worth it to save millions."

Hisoka took a step forward, trying to read the expression on her face better. "What do you mean? What is it you are trying to prevent from happening?"

"It can't be helped now." She placed both her palms on her stomach and looked at it sadly. "You can see can't you? It's too late to stop it now."

"Your baby?" Hisoka followed the slow rubbing of her hands and he frowned.

She nodded.

"You can come with me," he offered. He didn't quite understand the situation, but it was clear that she was sickly, and pregnant on top of that. Even if what she'd done sickened him, he was obligated to try and help her now. He knew for sure that he wouldn't leave her here. "I work with people that can help you."

"Impossible." She gazed at him sardonically. "Haven't you realized it by now?"

Her vague answers tinted with condemnation were beginning to get on Hisoka's nerves. He didn't like being in this place as it was, and she was only making things worse. "Realized what?" he snapped.

"All the barriers have been removed from the house. There is no one else here. Not the doctor. Not the nurses. Not the women. The only one left in this house…is you."

Hisoka stared at her and felt the unsteady weight of her energy once again. "You are right here. I can see you."

"Yes, you can see me." She sighed heavily. "I thought it might be my last chance to warn someone. Anyone. The chances that it would end up being you… well, perhaps I'm just lucky." She started laughing again, but this time it ended in a dry coughing fit. Hisoka took another few steps closer, considering offering assistance, but she held up her hand. "I might not be very strong anymore, I grow weaker by the day, but I did this little spell so that someone might find this place and be told what happened here."

He watched as she squeezed a hand over her chest, and panted to catch her breath properly. It was difficult to believe that she was merely an illusion, but he could remember how strong her magic had been on the night of their first meeting and knew that it wasn't entirely impossible.

"Then tell me," he said finally. "What happened to you? To those women?"

"We were taken because of what we are. All with powers, just like you. You should be able to understand the way others see people like us. As if we are freaks, things to despise, to exploit. It's the same for all of us." Her voice was gaining strength again, as if driven by the importance of what she had to say.

"And so we all ended up here. Because there are unpretty things in the world that no one sees. They're are all afraid of us for being different but they should be fearing the demons, the real monsters that are waiting to tear them apart."

"Demons? Like those nurses?"

She didn't ask him how he knew about them, but instead shook her head. "Worse. They only work for the other ones. There are real demons. Ones that look like us."

"Like the one that placed the indicias? Do you know who--"

She sneered. "This isn't just one person. This is big. All the way to the top."

"You mean--"

"The devil! He wants an army. Something strong enough so that he can enslave us all--have anything he wants."

Hisoka wasn't sure if he believed her. The way she talked was fanatical, like Kano had been. He couldn't be sure what had been done to her in this place, just how sane she was, and her emotions were too powerful and complex to understand. But if she was telling a fraction of the truth… "That's why he wants psychics?"

"Because we are strong enough to bear the soldiers. Because people like us are more likely to have children with powers." She stared at him with dead eyes.

"How do you know all this?" he asked, delicately trying to figure out how much was true. But there was evidence right before him that she couldn't be outright lying. She was pregnant, in her last term if the size was any indication, and what she was saying could explain some of what they already knew.

Why the demon only went after psychics…only after women.

The missing organs.

Indicias…something that was forbidden under the treaty between Makai and Meifu.

"I was one of the first--one of the strongest too. I heard things, saw things you can only imagine. I know what I'm saying." She pulled down the collar of her gown to reveal an indicia, dark lines bold against pale skin. "This binds us to him."

"Him? So you know who placed that on you? Then tell me a name! Tell me where he has taken the women!"

She dug her nails into the marking on her chest, her eyes flashing with anger. "I can't tell you. Not a name. Not a place."

Hisoka groaned angrily. "Then what is it that you expect me to do?!" She was wasting his time! What good was it to know what they were doing to the women if he couldn't stop it?! And right now Tsuzuki could be in trouble, could need him at that very moment, and here he was talking to an illusion!

"You can stop them!" she screamed, red spreading hotly through her face and giving it the first hints of color. "I know what you are! I can sense it!"

"What I am--what the hell do you mean?!"

"Your power! We both know what it means to be like this. You can use your power!"

"I'm an empath. That is all my power is. I can hardly use that to stop anyone. If anything, it is a hindrance most of the time."

"You're a fool!" She stood up shakily, face enraged, and staggered towards him. "Look at what they've done to me! I can feel my energy sapping away each day! There is nothing left that I can do, and yet here you are free, and you dare to say that you'll do nothing?!"

"I didn't say that! But how am I supposed to stop someone when I don't know who or where they are?!"

"I told you didn't I? Use your power, damn it! Stop thinking of it as a burden, and use it!" She took one final step forward and nearly stumbled, grabbing onto both of his arms to support herself. Hisoka didn't have time to wonder how he could actually feel her fingers digging into his sleeves or the weight of her body. "What is the point of wishing you were stronger, if you don't use what you are already given?" she growled.

"I--"

"Or are you afraid of what might happen?"

"Why would I--" he started again indignantly.

Her eyes were close now, dark and piercing into his. "Then maybe it is only a push you need? Maybe you just don't realize your potential yet?"

It felt like there were hot coals on his arms, the burn of her energy sinking through his damp clothes and singing his skin. "Shit!" he hissed painfully. "Let go!"

Her hands tightened, the heat intensifying until he felt as if his bones were catching fire. "No! If you are too weak to do it on your own, then I'll show you! It is time you owned up to what you are!"

Hisoka tried to wrench himself away, but he couldn't move, couldn't even scream as a wave of pain tore through him. He watched her through watering eyes--watched as she disintegrated into splatters of color. She covered his clothes and skin, sinking down, hot water absorbing into his pores.

Hisoka stumbled back.

Pumping in his bloodstream. A sharp ringing in his ears. He was--

Contaminated.

No. Had to get out. Tsuzuki. He had to--

Hard to move. Couldn't focus his energy. Needed to get out. Walking. So slow. Too slow. If he was caught. If they caught him now--

Breathing. Had to listen so he wouldn't forget to--inhale. Exhale.

So loud. Everything. How would he hear if they were coming? How would he hear Tsuzuki when-- if he could even make it back. Everything was so heavy. Legs not working right.

Air. Hot out here too. Water running down his face, needles on his skin. All mixing with the pain. Slowly. Hard to keep track of the streets, just knowing that his feet were still moving.

Liquid sloshing through his ears, heart pounding loudly, dripping down his neck. Still having trouble breathing. Could only gasp sharply--tried to focus on where he was going. Stumbled past people. Shapes running to get out of the rain.

Their emotions clung as they went by. Painful. Too loud. Sticky and too hard to swallow. Had to breathe. Step forward. Hand clawing into the walls. Had to stay upright. Get back to where Tsuzuki would be. Just had to stay awake. Moving.

Don't stop.

Couldn't see through the rain--streams of light. His skin was tearing--burning. He was in that fire again, his body getting eaten away. Hisoka bit his tongue, held the pain in his throat, tried to swallow it back. Why couldn't he swallow? Gagging.

Hurt.

Stairs. Had to climb, couldn't fall. Hands on old wallpaper, emotions collecting under his nails like slivers. There was screaming, so loud. Voices everywhere, faces blocking his vision, blocking the stairs. Couldn't walk.

Fingers damp, grasping desperately. Can't focus on the…need to focus. Tumbling forward, calling out weakly.

Back in the hotel room. He'd made it. Just had to--

Tsuzuki. Where was Tsuzuki? Had to find-- white through his fingers, hurt less. The sheets smelled like him, cool against his face. Tsuzuki?

He was burning from the inside.

So hot. Shivering. Remember to breathe. Had to breathe. Inhale around his name. Push everything away, protect were its bleeding, try not to let it in.

He didn't know what to do. Scared. Where was Tsuzuki? Why wasn't he here? Hisoka let out a sob, eyes darting around the room, silhouettes scattering like living things, hiding under the beds. A butterfly, wings spread, wilted against the far wall--the journal.

A choking laugh. Was this it? Was he going crazy too, just like the man in the journal?

Emotions--echoing colors, suffocating him, filling his chest. Driving out the sanity.

A sudden displacement of air. There was a shadow standing in the doorway.

Tsuzuki?

AN: Thanks for reading folks! I know it took me WAY longer than it should have to update, but I've been working ridiculous hours at work, so please forgive me. I have already started on chapter 11 and it is turning out to be a doozey to write, so please send a review and positive writing vibes!