Ayako heard it first.

"Naru, There's whispers and laughter coming from the supernatural section!"

Typical of Ayako, her voice was shaky, the spike in fear obvious despite dealing with ghosts for a living. Keeping his eyes and one hand on me, Naru brought his other hand to his ear and spoke over the headsets "Hold your ground. Do not take the offensive unless you can confirm a visual."

A chorus of acknowledgement from the group echoed over the comms. Naru lowered his hand, placing it back on my arm, and in a quiet voice asked "Are you okay?"

I took a couple deep, steadying breaths, letting the tension fade from my shoulders as the world around me steadied. "Yeah." I said. "I could hear her voice for a second… it's gone now."

His eyes bore into me for another second, as though he was trying to decide whether to believe me or not. With a small sigh, he let go of my arms, turning back to the monitors.

Monk's voice piped in "I'm hearing it now too. It's still faint, doesn't sound like it's moving yet."

Naru clenched the edge of the table, his knuckles turning white. "Lin, how are things on your end?"

"Still quiet. No visuals."

A small breath of relief escaped me. Nothing on Lin's end meant that Ai wasn't going straight for the kids, so at least we knew for sure that the doll didn't know where Raiden and Kara were.

"Mai,"

I bit my lip, tearing my eyes away from the monitor to look at my boss. "What did she say?" He asked.

"Ready or not, here I come." I recited.

"So she's playing." A slight smirk twitched at the corners of his mouth. "Good."

A shadow flickered over the monitor pointed at the dolls, quick and shapeless. For a moment, the monitor blinked to black, then back to normal.

My eyes were mostly on the monitor in the restaurant. I couldn't see Kara and Raiden in the picture, but I knew roughly where they were. The picture there was still. Even Lin had stopped pacing.

I was only able to force my eyes onto a different screen when the familiar melody of Ayako's prayer started to fill the air.

Naru didn't need to ask what she was doing, because we could all see it on the screen. A murky figure stepped around one of the displays. The shape was too blurred to tell for sure if it was Ai, but it had to be a child. The apparition took another step forward, reaching out a long, wispy arm to the chanting priestess.

"Does anyone else hear a music box?"

The question came from Monk, who had spun around on the spot in confusion, looking for the source of the noise.

John confirmed it. "Yes, although I can't tell where it's coming from."

Naru grimaced. "Lin?"

"Still nothing."

Ayako reached the end of her prayer, and the blurred apparition froze. The shape trembled, as though trying to move forward, then dissipated into smoke.

Ayako let out a sigh of relief, hunching down for a moment before pushing herself back up. She brought a shaking hand to her ear and said "Had a visual here. I drove it off, but keep your eyes open."

"You did great, Ayako!" I cheered.

I could see her smirking through the monitor, but I really was proud. Even if she still couldn't do much without trees.

I was starting to think that things were actually going okay, which is of course exactly when things started to go less okay.

"Naru, I have visual."

The whole room tensed, switching to the restaurant monitor, where Lin had taken a defensive stance. Whatever he was seeing was just out of the camera's range.

Lin thrust his arm forward, and two pinpricks of light spun into action. I leaned forward, wishing desperately that I could see what was going on. We could, at least, hear it.

A faint, echoing voice of a young girl played through the speakers. "Hey, can you hear me?"

I gripped Naru's arm. "That's her." I confirmed. "That's Ai."

Naru tensed. "Lin, drive her off and get the kids moving."

Lin gave a barely perceptible nod, and flicked his fingers ever so slightly. Even though we couldn't see it, I could imagine Lin's shiki tearing through the ghostly form of the girl. A high-pitched squeal of surprise rang out, followed by silence.

Lin waited five seconds, and then called out "Kara, Raiden, get moving!"

Almost the same instant he said it, the two kids burst from their hiding spot, Kara in the lead with a tight grip on Raiden's hand. Her eyes were narrowed and determined as she pulled her new friend to their next destination.

A small knot of anxiety I didn't know I was carrying unraveled. They were okay. They were safe. They were paying attention.

The camera lost track of them once they darted out of the restaurant. As soon as we couldn't see them anymore, Ayako said "The kids made it to the second spot. I'm not seeing anything yet."

I checked the clock. 10:26.

"The sounds have died down." Monk reported. "I can't hear that music box anymore."

"Good. That means Lin did some damage." Naru muttered.

The museum grew silent after that, time ticking forward agonizingly slow. No one dared to say anything. No one dared to move too much. We were all caught in a web of suspense as we waited for the doll to make her next move.

I couldn't tell you how long the quiet lasted. It felt like an eternity, but it also felt like almost no time at all had passed when Ayako broke it.

"I've got a visual."

It was all she had time to say before she launched into the nine cuts. Whatever she was seeing was just out of the camera's view, so all we could do was watch Ayako and pray that what she was doing was working.

Just as she reached the fifth stroke, I felt a tug on my sleeve. Jumping a little, I glanced sideways at Masako. I was about to ask her what was wrong when the sound reached my own ears.

A melody. The ringing tune of a music box, pressing onto me like a fog, coming from nowhere and everywhere at once.

The moment Ayako reached the end of the nine cuts, the sound cut off.

"Get them moving."

Naru's demand had only begun to echo through the speakers as Ayako turned to the hiding spot, saying something we couldn't hear. The camera was only just able to catch the rustling movement of a blanket as the two kids ran out and dashed into the superhumans section to their third hiding spot. We could see Monk stepping in front of the spot protectively as the kids vanished from sight.

I checked the clock. 11:19.

A few tense seconds passed before I started to relax a little. When everyone in the room reached a point where they could breathe, Masako said to Naru "I was able to hear the sound of a music box while the apparition was visible."

"Yeah, me too." I added, pressing my palms together anxiously.

Naru's eyes narrowed. "An auditory cue…?" He mumbled, mostly talking to himself as the gears in his head spun. I bit my lip, wanting to ask why it mattered but knowing better than to interrupt his thought process.

To the whole group, Naru said "If anyone hears the sounds of a music box, report immediately. It is likely that the sound is linked to a visual manifestation of the girl."

A chorus of acknowledgement came back through the comms.

It took me an extra couple seconds to understand what was happening- that the music played when Ai showed herself. I pinched the bridge of my nose, a little embarrassed that it took me a second longer than the others to figure it out. Hey, it was a rare thing, okay? Not a lot of ghosts have their own theme songs.

Silence fell again, heavier than ever as we all strained our ears for even the faintest traces of music. I was starting to hear the muffled sounds of whispers and laughter from the supernatural section. I decided not to mention it. From what everyone had been saying earlier, I was pretty sure that we could all hear it anyways.

It must've been only a few minutes later when Lin spoke up "I can hear the music box sounds."

Everyone leaned forward, our eyes boring into the screens as we all started looking for an apparition. "Any visuals?" Naru barked.

"I got nothing."

"None here."

"I'm not seeing anything."

A chill suddenly washed over me, a weight settling in my stomach. I could feel all the hairs on my neck standing up, and I broke into a cold sweat.

I knew. I knew before I turned, but I couldn't stop myself from looking.

"Naru."

He turned immediately at the sound of my strangled whisper, following my line of sight to the form of a young girl. Her eyes were hidden under her black bangs, but her shape, her blue dress, her long black hair, and her red ribbon were all crystal-clear.

She was in the back corner, as far from us as she could be. She wasn't looking at us. Instead she looked to her left, then right, then brought a hand to her chin.

"Not here?"

My heart was pounding. I couldn't make sense of it. All she was doing was looking around, and yet all my instincts were screaming at me to run. What is she? What does she want?

A faint trace of a smile touched her face, and she vanished.

As though being released from a spell, we all slumped. I leaned against the desk behind me, trying to steady my breathing and calm my heart.

Naru whirled around and grabbed the comm. "Lin, can you still hear the music?"

"Yes, although it's growing fainter."

Raaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiden….

I cowered. The voice echoed, much like the music box, filling the room with no obvious point of origin.

Where aaaaaaaaaarrrree you?

On the camera, we could see the sheets covering the kids' hiding spot rustle slightly. I clenched my teeth, silently begging the kids to stay quiet and still.

God, they must be so scared.

"Got a visual!"

This time it came from Monk, who stepped forward and launched into his mantra, putting so much force behind it that I could hear his voice across the museum. Once again, Ai was staying just out of the camera's range, and I was starting to wonder if maybe the cameras couldn't pick up Ai's form.

But if that was the case, then what exactly had Ayako driven off earlier?

Monk reached the end of his mantra, and there was a noise that almost sounded like a frustrated groan. Then nothing.

Monk didn't wait for Naru's order. As soon as he drove her off, he yelled for the kids to move.

For a second, nothing happened, and a wave of dread washed over me. Where they too scared to move? What are we supposed to do if the kids freeze?

But they hadn't frozen. Kara was in the lead again, pulling Raiden by the hand. They swerved around the corner, disappearing from the cameras for a moment before reappearing in the front entrance long enough for us to see them dive behind the counter and settle into their fourth hiding spot.

I checked the clock. 11:42.

There was really no way of knowing who among our team of exorcists would be able to dish out the most damage on any given case. For the most part, I got the impression that they were all pretty good at their job, Ayako being a bit of an exception since she was more specialized. But whatever Monk did here, it looked like it hit hard. Even the faint whispers in the background died down to a low buzz. The air felt just a little lighter.

My eyes shifted between the monitors in front of me and the wall to my right. Kara and Raiden were just on the other side of that wall, doing their best to keep calm and still. It was only a few meters away. Even though there was no way it was possible, I could almost imagine that I could hear them panting, catching their breath after the sudden dash.

The seconds continued to creep past.

Slowly, the distant sounds of whispers started to fill the air again, regaining their fervor. A couple times, what sounded like Ai giggling drowned out the other voices for a split second, and my hairs would stand on end again.

This time, it was Ayako who heard the music box.

"Ugh, that's creepy. Where is it coming from?"

Ignoring Ayako's whining tone, Naru leaned forward, quickly glancing over his shoulder to survey our own room before asking the rest to confirm any visuals.

Rather than a spoken answer, John lifted his vial, splashed holy water into the space in front of him and started praying.

We still couldn't see what he was seeing through the camera, but with the way John was standing, I thought we definitely should've been able to see her. I was sure now- the cameras couldn't pick up Ai.

Quietly, I heard Naru swear. With a slight tint of pride, I realized we must've had the same thought.

As John finished his prayer, a frustrated wail pierced the halls, and we could hear Ai cry out.

Why won't you answer me?

Everyone froze, waiting until the echoes of her voice faded. Like Monk, John didn't wait for Naru's prompt, sending the kids on their way the moment the coast was clear.

I was only able to see them for half a second on the cameras. The fifth hiding spot was the only one that even the edges of the camera's picture couldn't catch, lodged in a corner between Ayako and Monk's sections. I bit at my lip fearfully. If they had to move again before we reached 1 AM, then the next run would be their riskiest.

I checked the clock. 12:37. We were so close.

I could feel the tension weigh heavier on the group with every minute we got closer to 1. I tried to keep my eyes away from the clock, but like a magnet they kept getting drawn back to it. It felt like an eternity existed between each second, and I started to seriously wonder if Ai had the power to slow down time. She wouldn't be the first spirit to do it.

Finally, finally, just as the whispers started to get loud again, a bell sounded through the museum, announcing the merciful arrival of 1AM.

Naru didn't miss a beat. "Find the doll!"

The rules we'd found weren't clear on how long the player had to find the doll and end the game, so we moved as though we had only sixty seconds to do it. Naru scanned the surveillance as the others started darting around their sections, looking for the missing porcelain doll.

I spun around, running toward the couch and checking every nook of the small surveillance room, counting the seconds in my head. In about ten seconds, I was sure that the doll wasn't in our room. Pushing myself off the floor, I was about to run into the office next door to check it when Lin's voice brought me up short.

"I got it! Heading to the children!"

I briefly saw Lin on the camera with the small doll in his hands as he ran out of the restaurant. Naru pushed himself away from the table and started for the door. I ran after him without a second thought.

We all met in front of the fifth hiding spot just as the kids were crawling out of it. Kara still had a firm grip on Raiden's hand, her expression hard and firm.

Raiden, on the other hand, was blatantly trembling, his eyes wide and his face pale. He had a long, semi-sharp knitting needle clenched loosely in his spare hand (we weren't about to give a child an actual weapon, after all), and he didn't quite manage to stand up after crawling out of the hiding spot.

I felt awful for him. He had put on a brave face all evening, but I guess when things started happening, it got much more real and scary. I imagine if Kara hadn't been there to pull him along, he would've been frozen in fear.

No one said anything about it. The moment Lin joined the group, he dropped the doll in front of the boy and told him "End it."

Raiden flinched back, gripping the needle to his chest. He looked like he was going to back away, but Kara put her other hand on his shoulder, pushing him forward gently and saying "It's okay. It's just a game."

Raiden took a deep, shaking breath, letting go of Kara's hand so he could wrap both hands around his needle. He lined it up, clenched his eyes shut, and brought it down with a high-pitched yell.

"I win! I win! I win!"

The third yell rang, and silence fell. The moment he was done, Raiden dropped the needle as though it had burned him, scuttling away from the doll laying still on the ground.

We waited, holding our breaths. One second. Two. Six.

A distant, faint jingle of a music box.

And a raw, angry wail tore into our ears.

Collectively, we all pressed our hands to our ears, desperate to block out the sound. Raiden latched onto Masako, who was closest to him, and Kara dove behind Naru. The torrent drove me to my knees.

The wail passed, and my ears were still ringing when Naru shouted "Get him out of here!"

Shaking her head roughly, Masako picked up the boy that was holding onto her and ran out the nearest exit.

I pushed myself off the floor, reaching for Kara so I could run her out of the building too, but before I had the chance to pick her up, the exit door slammed shut.

We all froze.

"Hey, will you play with me?"

The doll hadn't moved, but there was no question that the voice was coming from it.

"My friend ran away. Will you be my new friend?"

A puff of ice-cold air pressed against my neck, and my blood ran cold. My legs gave out, and I slumped to the ground, choking on my own voice as I tried and failed to call to the others. Something soft and thin wrapped around my arms.

"You have such pretty eyes, you know."

Everything went black.

Three-part climax it is. So this story has been written from Mai's point of view so far. Part of the reason I went so long without updating is because I hit a snag with this section- I couldn't decide how I was gonna write it. I'll be jumping into the third person perspective briefly, so I wanted to ask you guys: would you rather have the next bit be third person Naru-centric or third person Kara-centric? I can follow either of them, but who I choose will decide whose head you get to be in while the next bit unfolds. So let me know and hopefully I'll be able to wrap this up soon. Thanks for reading!