DISCLAIMER: All Ghost Hunt Characters belongs to Fuyumi Ono, I only own the plot and any future Original Characters.
Thank you and Enjoy!
Two days went little to no activities, only temperatures slightly dropping, audio was only picking up tapping that can be anything. Even the subtle presence Mai and Masako picked up on the first day was non-existent. Madoka and Yasuhara also found nothing about the property that can suggest the cause of the paranormal activities. The owner is too paranoid and previous visitors/ investigators are gravely injured and hysterical to make it non-paranormal. Oliver is running out of patience as the case made zero progress.
Now, other than Lin, the rest is just observing as Mai silently rummages through the files that they have.
"Mai-san, you should rest your eyes; I don't think going through the files repeatedly would change the information that we have as of the moment." John finally spoke.
"There has to be something that we've missed…Because it doesn't make any sense, the other investigators have only been here for a day or two and most of them got out like they were tortured for months, even our client was injured at some point that's why he refuses to be inside for more than hour. But we have been here for two days already and we have nothing."
"I'm sure we'll find something at some point." The blonde priest carefully said, as if he was cautious that Mai might have an outburst.
"When? Until one of us got hurt or almost losing sanity? I'm not taking the risk, John." Mai retorted, all John can do is sigh, understanding where she is coming from, while the others who are listening are left in the dark.
Oliver, who was also listening, did not understand Mai. She has always been protective of others, especially those she considered as family. But now, it was almost like she's terrified of them getting hurt. He does not know what is going on, there are still a lot of missing pieces. Though, there is one thing he knows for sure, something grave happened to Mai after her last case, something that changed her and one of the most important question is "what?"
"I understand, let me try to help. What do we have so far?" John asked as he looks over the files on the table.
"We have a dormitory-like building that is built during the early 2000s, according to the research, nothing significant can be the cause of the paranormal as this was like a transient house for the homeless before Hanajima brought the property in 2010. There are also no records of them being involve with paranormal one way or another, well, no records that the researchers can find anyway. But I doubt that there is something." Mai calmly explains.
"Maybe we should not be looking at the building, maybe a property?" John asked hesitantly.
"A lot of things are built in this area, it would take Madoka and Yasuhara a long time before finding something conclusive." Oliver said, finally joining in the conversation. John nodded and Mai looked like in a deep thought.
"Then we narrow it down." Mai said with determination, Masako was about to butt in when John slightly raised his voice on her.
"No! The last time that you dreamt about this case, you were left crying, bleeding and bruised." A small frown was seen on his cherubic face, which was highly uncommon, coming from the saint-like priest.
"I was unguarded at that moment. This time, we have Lin-san's wards and I'll wear my bracelet, so that I'll be able to control it. We need a faster way to find out any crucial information about this place, the sooner we solve this case the faster we get out. I won't wait for the time one of us ends up nearing their deathbed or mentally unstable before we find something."
"John, Mai, what is going on?" Takigawa couldn't wait any longer, he wants to find out what is going on with Mai.
"Mai wants to astral project to find any information about this place." John calmly explains without looking away from Mai.
"And that's a good thing, right?" Yasuhara asked, remembering how her dreams were very helpful in cases.
"Not if she sees something brutal and on a first person's point of view."
"Taniyama-san, explain." Oliver's patience about to snap as of the moment, not with just the case but also with Mai.
Mai, who is still having a stare down with John, she obviously doesn't want to back down unlike what happened to them on the first day where she looked away first, explains stoically.
"After I left SPR, my abilities grew stronger for the past four years, especially my astral projection. Without the guide of a certain someone, I cannot really control it. My dreams turned vivid until one day whatever visions I had in first person, happened to me physically. Every bruise, every cut and every pain they felt in that scenario, happened to me, like I was the victim." Mai looked at the papers on the table, but she had this distant look again.
"There was this time that I wasn't even on any case, I dreamt about someone who was stabbed multiple times and left somewhere to die. I experienced it firsthand." Soft gasped were heard in the room.
"Mai, don't tell me—" Ayako said, almost choking.
"Keiko found me, bathing in my own blood, I was good as death. She only managed to get a hold of John, and they were with me during the whole time. After that, John found someone to train me and I was able to control my abilities, with spiritual protection, of course."
"Then why were you injured on your first dream?" Madoka asked.
"In order for me to have full control of my visions, I have to be emotionally detached to the scenario. Something that is hard to do when you are playing the role of the victim, which happened that time. I did not have my charms and I was not expecting that dream; so the bruises the victim in that dream, transferred to me. I have to be emotionless during the whole process, if not…my projections might one day end up killing me." She said the last sentence looking straight to Oliver's eyes, it held certain emotion that he cannot explain.
"How do we ensure your safety once you project today, Taniyama-san?" Protest was heard in the base, mainly from Ayako, Madoka and Takigawa.
"Taniyama-san is obviously adamant of finding clues about our case, that not even Noll can persuade her." Lin's voice overshadowed the protest of their team. "I also agree with Taniyama-san that the faster we solve this, the less chances we have of ending up in the hospital. But as your superiors, meaning Noll and I, we will only allow you to do this if your safety is ensured." Lin's voice was stern, like a father scolding a child.
"I understand…Your wards are strong enough so no outsiders can take over, Hara-san can ensure that no spirits are nearby and Takigawa-san and Matsuzaki-san as well your shiki can counter or even hold off anything that might be remotely close to the base, and John can watch over me while I'm asleep."
"I'll watch over you, Taniyama-san." And everyone looked at the owner of the voice with wide eyes.