(Mai's POV)

"Multiple tests have been administered to both girls. While the bruising is extensive, it doesn't appear as though the injury itself runs deep. There is no indication that either child has sustained damage to any major organs. The smaller of the two will likely have a minor concussion, based on the injury to her head, and both will be very sore for a couple of days. Honestly, this is one of the most intriguing cases ever brought to my attention. How did you say these girls got hurt?"

I started, fiddling with my fingers as I listened to the doctor's report. The man looked at me, narrowing his eyes in curiosity. My heart seized as I realised that this doctor was probably checking for any signs of child abuse. What was I supposed to tell him? What would he believe?

Masking my anxiety, I smiled gently and answered "They were playing outside and fell into this hidden tunnel. They had everyone in a panic for a while there."

I wasn't entirely sure if he bought the story, but he didn't press any further for more details. Putting away his clipboard, he said "Well, both girls should be waking up soon. Feel free to stay by their sides, but please inform a nurse when they regain consciousness."

I bowed slightly. "Of course. Thank you so much for everything."

The doctor smiled at me, then turned and walked away, leaving me alone right outside of Kara's room. Just as I was about to go in, my phone began to ring, startling me. I pulled it out, wondering who in the world might be calling me now, and found Naru's number displayed on the screen.

Naru's calling me? This can't be good.

Gritting my teeth, I braced myself and flipped open the phone, answering in a slightly higher pitch than normal. "Hello?"

"Mai," came the abrupt response. "How are the girls?"

His lack of telephone etiquette relaxed me. This was just Naru, there was nothing to be nervous about. I answered. "It looks like they're both fine. The doctor said they'll be sore for a few days, though."

"Good." He sighed. "Midori will be coming to join you soon. All the children are being evacuated to a different location for the time being."

"What? Why?" I asked. It was one thing to evacuate a small family in the case of a haunting, but the entire orphanage? What was he planning?

Naru took a moment to answer, which raised my suspicions. "We are going to exorcise the spirit."

To say I was shocked would be an understatement. Naru hadn't suggested a true exorcism in a long time. He knew that Masako and I hated it, so it was only ever our last resort. "You're serious?" I said, my voice louder than I intended it to be. "He's just a little boy, Naru! Sure he killed all those kids but…" I squirmed, struggling, not quite sure how I should feel about Ryo. "There has to be some other way."

"There isn't any time to find an alternate solution." Naru retorted, a little harshly. "This spirit is far too dangerous. If we don't deal with him now, then it is very likely he'll come after the children again."

I let that sink in for a moment. I knew he was right. When it came to the paranormal, he pretty much always was, though I would never say that to his face. The last thing I wanted was for another kid to fall victim to this boy. Still… it just didn't feel right.

I sighed. "Well, if that's what you think, then I guess that's that. Do you want me to come back for the exorcism?"

"No." He responded quickly. "The more people that are present, the more dangerous it'll be. Stay with Kara. Lin and I will handle things here."

I leaned against the wall, peaking into Kara's room, where the little girl lay still and silent. "Okay." I answered. "Let me know when it's done."

"Of course."

I put my phone away and crept into Kara's room, being careful not to accidently wake her up. I pulled a chair up to the bed and sat down. The room was eerily quiet. Since Kara's injuries were superficial, they hadn't hooked her up to any machines, leaving the room devoid of all the usual beeping.

Still, it was hard to look at her. The arm that lay above the white sheets had a long, dark bruise trailing from her shoulder down to her elbow. Her neck and a portion of her chest that I could see was also discoloured from a bruise. Just what had that boy done to her? Would Kara really be fine? I know the doctor said she was okay, but I couldn't help the worry tearing away at my gut.

A slight knock from the doorway drew my attention. I turned to see Midori peaking in, smiling slightly as she quietly inched her way toward me. She came to stand next to me, asking in a hushed voice, "Did you get the report from the doctor?"

I nodded. "Did he speak with you too?"

"He did." She answered. "I'm so glad that neither of them are seriously hurt. Although I am curious as to how they could've sustained such injuries."

I shrugged, looking back to Kara's sleeping form. "I'm sure they'll explain what happened once they wake up." I said. "It doesn't really matter, anyways. Kara's fine, and Naru's dealing with the activity in the house now."

Midori brought a fist up to her chest, a troubled look on her face. "It will be wonderful to have a safe environment for the children once again." She started. "But, from what I understand, an exorcism destroys a spirit. I know that you are only doing what must be done, but I still find myself disturbed at the thought of a child being harmed."

I turned away, trying to hide the frown on my face. I knew it wouldn't be very professional to express my own doubts in front of the client, but her words mirrored my own feelings. I sighed "Well… he's not exactly an innocent child. He did murder those other children. Now he's keeping them trapped there. Exorcising him will at least release the other spirits."

"He didn't mean it."

Midori and I both jumped and turned to the bed, where Kara was slowly trying to push herself into a sitting position. She looked weak and exhausted, but her eyes burned with a stubborn certainty. I reached forward and gently helped her position herself comfortably. As I adjusted the pillow behind her head, I said "Careful, Kara. You'll hurt yourself if you move too fast."

Midori, from behind me, asked "What do you mean, Kara? What happened?"

Kara gripped weakly onto my arm. Ignoring Midori, she looked into my eyes and repeated "Ryo didn't mean it. I don't think he wanted to kill those kids."

I narrowed my eyes in confusion. Hadn't Kara been kidnapped by Ryo just a while ago? Why was she suddenly defending him? I shifted, sitting on the edge of her bed so that she could continue to hold onto me and I could sit comfortably. "Kara, what makes you say that?"

She bit her lip for a second, looking down at the white sheets. "When I woke up in that hole," She started to explain. "Ryo wanted to play a game. You're supposed to roll the ball with your mind, and if you can't, you get punished. Ryo said his dad used to play it with him. I think he played this game with his friends and killed them by accident because they didn't have powers."

"Kara," I started, trying to be gentle. "That may have been true for the first kid, but he killed nineteen. He must have understood that he was hurting them."

Kara scrunched her eyebrows together. "But what if he didn't know he was hurting them?" She argued. "When I was there, he said that Tana had been asleep since they played. I don't think he knew that she was unconscious because he hurt her."

I bit down on my lip. I didn't want to argue with her, but I just couldn't see how he couldn't've known that he was causing great harm to these kids.

Kara gripped harder onto my arm. "Just think about it." She pressed. "Ryo grew up isolated, right? He played this game with his dad. If his dad said it was okay, then he would've believed him. So when he played the game with his friends, even if they screamed and asked to stop, he would still think they were having fun and it was all part of the game, because that's what his dad taught him."

I thought about that. "I guess it's possible…" I decided. "But we haven't really seen anything to think he didn't know what he was doing was wrong. And wouldn't he know that he did something horrible when the children died?"

The way Kara narrowed her eyes reminded me suspiciously of Naru. "The kids were found in the basement, right? Where in the basement?"

"Let's see…" I tried to pull up the memory of the case files Naru had retrieved. "One of the rooms off to the side, I think… if I remember correctly, it was boarded up at the time. Oh, but Ryo was out in the open."

Her eyes lit up in excitement. "What if Ryo's dad told him that the kids were just asleep? What if he hid the fact that they were dead?"

A chill ran down my spine. She was right, that was very possible. Everything Kara suggested fit with the information they had. The only problem was that Naru's theory also fit with the information.

Naru had to know about this. If the kid really just doesn't understand, then he can be cleansed. But I knew the theory alone wouldn't be enough. I would need some sort of proof if I was going to convince Naru to hold off on the exorcism. Where? Who could I ask? Who would know the truth?

The answer was deceptively simple: The father would know. If I could call him out again and make him talk, then I could confirm Kara's story. That would be enough for Naru.

I stood up, startling Kara, who swiftly let go of my arm. "I have to get back to the orphanage." I declared.

Kara pouted and started lifting herself out of bed, saying "I'm coming too."

"No," I answered, pushing her back down on the bed. I kneeled down so I could look her in the eyes. "It'll be dangerous, Kara, and you're still hurt. Let mommy take care of this, okay?"

For a moment, I thought she actually might relent, but then that stubborn look came back. "I can help. I really can. I got control of my powers now, see?" She turned and stared at a medical cabinet. After a second, the top drawer opened and closed on its own, as if moved by invisible hands. Midori, from behind me, gasped in surprise.

Impressed as I was, it didn't change the fact that Kara was still hurt, and I was quick to point that out.

"I'm fine." She argued again. "The doctor said it was superfluous, right?"

"Superficial." I corrected automatically. "Yes, he did, but it's still going to hurt for a while. You won't be able to move as fast."

She folded her arms defiantly. "If you don't take me, then I'll use my powers to follow you all by myself!"

I recoiled slightly. Was this some sort of rebellious phase, or was she really that insistent on helping? Either way, I had a feeling she was very serious. I glanced back at Midori, asking her a silent question. She nodded slightly, letting out a small sigh of defeat. I turned back to Kara and said. "Well, if you feel that strongly about it, then you can come. But stay close to me, and don't be afraid to use your powers to protect yourself, okay?"

She smiled brightly and nodded. "Yes, mommy."

I stood and pulled Kara to her feet, holding tightly onto her hand. "Midori," I asked, "Would it be possible for me to loan a car for a bit?"

She bit her lip, looking worried. "Do you have your Class 1 license?"

"Yeah," I grinned, trying to look confident. The truth was that I'd only passed my exam a couple weeks ago. Still, I didn't want to inadvertently drag Midori into whatever was going to happen at the orphanage. More importantly, I wanted control over some means of getting Kara out of there fast, if it came down to that.

After considering me for a couple seconds too long, the older woman gave a slow nod. "I suppose… The orphanage van is insured… you can take that one." As she finished, she pulled out the key and handed it over.

I thanked her, then pulled Kara out of the hospital as quickly as I could. I knew I could find my way back to the orphanage—the route to the hospital had been pretty direct.

The only question was whether I'd make it in time.

It was nearing the middle of the day when I pulled into the orphanage's driveway, but the comforting rays of the sun were nowhere to be found. Dark clouds had rolled in to cover the sky, and the occasional clap of thunder announced the imminent storm heading our way.

Kara and I stepped out of the car quietly, hurrying toward the doors. Kara slipped her hand into my own, obediently sticking to my side as I entered the desolate house.

While I'd certainly had a few frightening experiences in the house before, I suddenly noticed that there was something oppressive about the place that hadn't been there before. That lack of noise—or any kind of activity, really—almost seemed to lengthen the shadows, or deepen the darkness. Although I couldn't quite put my finger on the reason behind the smothering feeling, it gave the building, for the very first time, the feel of a genuine haunted house.

I clenched my teeth, forcing myself forward. A part of me hoped I would run into Naru, but the rest of me knew that the only way to do what I needed to do would be by completely avoiding Naru until I was done. I couldn't run into anyone. I had to do this alone.

Kara and I moved silently, doing our best not to draw the attention of the living or otherwise. My hope was that we would be able to make it to the attic without encountering anyone, but things pretty much never go exactly as planned for me.

When we reached the third floor, Kara suddenly stopped, forcing me to come to a standstill as well. I looked back her, about to ask what was wrong, only to find that she was staring intently at something in front of us—something blocking our way.

I turned, slowly, back to the path ahead. At first I didn't see anything. There was only that oppressive feeling, threatening to overwhelm me. I narrowed my eyes, trying to focus my senses without inducing a full-on vision, which is actually pretty hard. After a couple moments, a blurry image began to form. I couldn't make it out perfectly, but I could tell that it was a little girl. She was wearing a kimono, and though I couldn't make out any of her features, she looked somewhat familiar.

Kara stepped forward, not quite far enough to slip out of my grasp but enough to worry me. She bowed slightly toward the ghost and said "Kirika Tatchibana. It's been a long time."

As soon as the girl's name left Kara's lips, the image sharpened into focus. I recognised her instantly as the same girl who'd first met Ryo in his backyard and offered to play with him. She must have been a victim, poor thing. I hadn't even thought of that back when I first had that dream.

Kirika gave me a long, sad look, and then turned to Kara and bowed slightly in acknowledgement. "Kara," She said, her voice echoing eerily through the hallway, "Will you help us?"

Kara looked back at me uncertainly, and I gestured forward, trying to encourage her. Every fiber of my being was screaming for me to pull her back and protect her, but I knew from experience that you should never ignore a spirit that just asked you directly for help.

Kara turned back to Kirika and answered. "What is it? What do you need?"

"The ball." The little ghost said. "I need my ball back."

The ball? Why in the world would she want her ball? It's not as though she can be cleansed, not so long as Ryo was keeping the others trapped here. I had no idea why retrieving a ball would be of any help to this girl.

Kara, however, seemed to understand. Her eyes widened, and she nodded slightly. "I'll get it." She promised quietly.

"Mai?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin. The little girl vanished and Kara and I both whirled around, Kara gripping so tight onto my hand that I was losing feeling in my fingers. Recognising the tall figure, I groaned, trying to slow my frantic heartbeat. "Lin! You scared us!"

Lin remained pretty much expressionless as he assessed the two of us, and yet he still managed to give off an air of disapproval. "What are you doing here?" He asked. "Didn't Naru tell you not to come?"

I shifted a little on the spot. "He did, but I—well, Kara and I—we think it's possible to cleanse Ryo."

"And how do you plan to convince Naru of that?" Lin answered skeptically.

Kara let go of my hand and walked forward. She looked up at the intimidating man and tugged on his sleeve, saying "Mommy has to talk to Ryo's dad. I need to go get the ball. Can you come with me?"

Lin looked down at the girl in complete shock. With Lin being so silent and standoffish, children usually associated him with monsters like the slender man—meaning they avoided him at all costs. The only exception I could remember was the instance when the ghost from John's parish thought Lin was his father. Kara had no such delusions, and yet she was looking up at Lin with an expression of hope and trust. It seemed to catch him completely off guard.

"I can talk to the father. If Kara is right about what happened with Ryo, then I'll be able to cleanse him." I jumped in. "If Kara gets the ball, then the other children will help us subdue him. This can work." I felt a little bad for lying to Lin—after all, Kirika never said she would help us if Kara helped her. But I knew Lin would never go along with it unless I said so.

Lin narrowed his eyes. "Shouldn't you be speaking with Naru about this?" He shot back.

I glared. "I need to talk to the father first. You know he wouldn't agree with me unless I had some proof."

Lin considered me for a second. He looked down at Kara, who was still looking up at him with pleading eyes. "Very well." He said. "Be careful, Mai. Remember your warding magic."

I refrained from rolling my eyes. "I know, I know." I insisted. I gave Kara one last smile of encouragement, then ran off down the hall, away from then, toward the attic.

No worries, I thought. Lin is a powerful onmyouji. He can protect Kara. The two of them will be fine, I'm sure of it.

When I finally reached the attic, I found myself suddenly hesitating. The silence was nearly overwhelming and my nerves were frayed. I was sure that something would jump out at me any second. Even though the sunlight poured into the room from the rounded attic window, my heart was pounding as though I'd stepped into total darkness. It occurred to me that I was alone now. If this didn't work and I passed out, who knows what could happen to me?

I shook my head roughly. Focus, Mai, focus. I can do this. I have to do this.

I breathed deeply, calming my heartbeat, and closed my eyes. I called out with my senses to the spirit of the father, searching for that same ragged sobbing and guilt-ridden feeling from my first encounter.

I opened my eyes.

Just like before, the room around me had changed drastically, reflecting a period when it was well kept and used often. The sunlight was gone, replaced instead with the eerie glow of moonlight. Just like before, the man sat in a chair, rocking, sobs wracking his body. The sound echoed quietly around the room, and suddenly I missed the silence.

I gulped, and forced myself to move forward. The father didn't seem to notice me as I got closer and closer to the chair, but I was sure he was aware of presence. I stopped just short of the chair, and forced myself to speak. "This is your fault."

He froze for a second, then almost immediately resumed his sobbing. The cries became louder. Through the cracks of his fingers, pressed against his face, he repeated "My fault… my fault… all my fault…"

My heart was pounding so loudly I thought it might burst from my chest, but I forced myself to sound calm. "Why?" I pressed. "Why is this your fault? Show me what you did to your son."

Faster than I could blink, the apparition before me vanished. Actually, the entire room had vanished. I was in a void of darkness. Then, slowly, a new scene appeared before me. It was bright, but the lighting was clearly artificial. Stone walls surrounded me, but not so close to make me feel uncomfortable. The floor was a dark concrete. In front of me, a small figure lay hunched over on the ground. He was clutching a small ball while another, taller figure loomed over him.

"You mustn't touch the ball, Ryo." The tall figure said. "That's not part of the game."

Ryo curled up tighter, whimpering. "It h-hurts…"

The taller figure leaned over and wrenched the ball from the boy's small hands. "That is not pain, Ryo." He said. "That is fun. You're having fun. Understand?" He placed the ball a few meters away. "Now, try again."

The scene faded, and almost immediately was replaced by a new one. The setting was pretty much identical, but instead of the boy curled up on the floor, it was a little girl—Kirika Tatchibana. She was beaten and bloody and sobbing quietly between her ragged gasping. Above her loomed the figure of Ryo Furuka. In his hands he held the same ball.

"You're crying." He said. He sounded weak, but also hopeful. "That means you're having fun, right? My dad says so. It's good to have fun, right? Right, Tatchibana?" He placed the ball down in front of the girl. "Try again. Let's keep playing."

The scene blurred as tears built up in my eyes. I didn't want to see this. I didn't want to see this boy kill another child.

Thankfully, the scene switched again to a new one. It was Ryo and his father again, but that ball was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Ryo was sitting on the floor, quietly scribbling on a piece of paper. The father sat in a chair nearby, reading a newspaper.

After a moment, Ryo looked up at his father and asked "Is Tatchibana coming over to play today?"

The father flinched slightly, but Ryo didn't seem to notice. "No." He answered. "Tatchibana won't be coming over anymore. She's gone away. You'll have to find a new friend."

The scene started to fade again, and I found myself in the attic once more—the real attic, not the vision induced one. I blinked, surprised, and then swayed as I was overcome with sudden exhaustion. I fell to my knees, forcing myself to stay conscious.

This would be enough for Naru, right? It would be enough to convince him I had a chance. It had to be.

I gather my strength and pushed myself back up to my feet.

I had to find Naru.