A/N: Ah. So I updated a new chapter. I have gathered so much inspiration these past fe days so I'll ignore my 3-or-more-days-rest policy. Haha. I hope you all enjoy. It's a bit long compared to my previous chapters. And did you enjoy how Naru is turning a bit darker? Hihi.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Ghost Hunt.
[Not Edited]
Mai opened her eyes only to find herself unable to move. Mai tried to move but her limbs isn't obeying her orders. She tried to move her head and she was so thankful that it moved. But she felt something inauspicious from this. Abruptly, she caught a very familiar voice in her head.
"Is it sleep paralysis?"
"Wait. Naru?!"
Mai called out for Naru but she never heard a response. She was sure it is Naru but she couldn't see her anywhere. She moved her head from left to right but she had seen no shadow of Naru. She noticed that she is the only one in the room. The beds from both her side are gone and so are Masako and Ayako.
"What's happening? Is this a dream?"
Mai confusedly asked herself but she was sure she just heard Naru a while ago. It could be Gene but Gene's voice is more softer than the voice she just heard. Mai, once again, roamed her eyes and confirmed that she is in a dream. But why would Naru's voice appear in her dream? While she is thinking she heard a noise coming from the doorknob that's being twisted. Mai suddenly become panicked.
She's doesn't like what is going to happen. Her back suddenly turned cold at the sight of two men entering the room she is in. She wanted to call out but she couldn't utter a single sound. She just wanted to watch and collect information but she could feel every touch and feelings inside the person she's in. She mostly have first person dream but at this time, her whole being wanted it to be a third person dream— No! Her whole being wanted to run away from those men and from this dream!
"...two men, dressed in white overcoat and gloves..."
"Naru?! Are you there?! Can you hear me?!" Mai cried out but she, once again, failed to get a response from him.
Mai struggled to move but she just let herself be caught by one of those intruders. She was dragged in a standing position. Her body was still limp and she couldn't raised a finger to stop the other man from grabbing her right arm. Mai was dragged out of the room.
The corridors is completely dark but the men just walked steadily without light. Mai doesn't even know if they're heading south or north. After a long distance, they came in front of a door. Mai knew this door. She saw this door in the West wing while measuring the rooms with Bou-san. They tried to opened but the entrance was locked by a wall after they opened it.
"...same style of door design in Room 46, 48 and 53 in West wing..."
"Naru?!"
The brunette heard Naru's voice again but she knew he probably couldn't hear her so she stopped trying to get an answer. She would resolve this problem after this dream. Mai saw the spacious room. The furnitures are arranged in a neat manner that it feels like someone had been living here. The fire is also lit in the fireplace however, no one was there.
They dragged her to a closet on the right. Silently, they opened the closet and Mai saw a very long, narrow and dark corridor. It gives off a very scary feeling that Mai could even feel panic coming from the body they are dragging. The owner of this memory must have been very very scared.They walked through that dark path.
The cold feeling of cement is touching her feet. Not long after that, Mai felt a tickling feeling on in her feet. When she looked down, she found herself walking on a gravel path, barefooted.
"... gravel...maze..."
Mai heard Naru's voice again and looked up. Yeah. She can also see that maze that Naru said. It's dark but the faint light from the moon let her see her surroundings. They're definitely walking in a maze. She couldn't see the faces of the men dragging her no matter how many times she look. They arrived in front of another door and Mai can smell the stench of blood coming from it. It even intensified the moment they opened it.
"...blood..."
The room is also spacious as the last one. This room should be the main hall. They climbed a staircase as the body Mai is in started struggling but no sounds are heard from the body. The suspicious men didn't bother with the struggling and just tightened their grip. Mai didn't know if the body was a girl or a boy but she didn't care about that. What she cared about is the foreboding she's feeling and the thick smell of rotting coming from every room they passed by.
They stopped in front of a green metallic door in the innermost part of the hallway. The stench of blood is also coming from here. She saw the room that looks like a spacious bathroom. It was built with tiles and a bathtub but Mai become scared at the sight of it. The smell blood are coming from everywhere in the room. The men let go of the body and began taking off the body's clothes. With one strip, the body was miraculously clothed in a dark blue kimono.Now Mai is sure that the body belonged to a female. Her feet stepped on a lukewarm fluid.
Mai trembled at the sight of dark fluid staining her feet. She couldn't clearly see what it is but she knew it was blood. She looked around and saw that same liquid staining the white floor. Looking at my feet again, I can see fluffy white coloured little things mixed in with the blood. Mai almost vomitted the moment she realized what they are. It was pieces of minced meat.
"No..."
Mai can see the bloodied table beside the bathtub. She was pulled by her hair and was dragged towards that table. Mai and the body's feeling of fear mixed. The body started to scream but she couldn't fight off the one who's dragging her. She lost her balance and her back met something wet and cold.
The sensation is very disgusting. The two men tied her body down to that table. All of her limbs are secured.Even if it's a dream, Mai was so scared that she even started chanting but this is a dream so she could only exorcise nothing. The man left the table but she saw a very frightening object in his hand the moment he returned. It's a very big knife. Mai wanted to run. She really wanted to end this.
Her mind began seeing a face she very wanted to see. That pitch black hair and pale face. His dark blue eyes. She really wanted to see that cold look. He was just talking just now, why did he stopped?
Mai cried as the man adjust the position of the bucket. She knew what he is doing based on the noise beneath her head.Mai was unable to close her eyes in shock. The man reached out to grab her hair. He tugged it harshly making her look up. Her neck was bent in an arc.
Mai can sense, ice-cold item sliding through her neck. Mai stilled, her eyes wide open. A biting pain washed though her entire body.At once, warm wet substance rushed forth from her throat, staining her vision red.
Mai can feel the liquid flowing down her neck as she felt her energy rapidly leaving her body. Without shedding any tears, Mai losses her consciousness in a very horrible and scary way
"Aaaaaaaah!"
"Mai!"
A loud sound is slap resonated as the screaming stopped. Masako and Ayako's worried faces stared at the brunette, whose head turned sidewards. Ayako didn't want to slap her but the girl couldn't stop screaming and jerking.
Mai's vision slowly become returned. She jumped in fear at the sight of two silhouettes hovering above her. She panicked and pushed Ayako as she sat up. Her hands covering her delicate neck as she cried.
"G-go away! No!" She screamed. Her voice is hoarse and harp.
"Mai, it's okay. It's just us. Ayako and Masako. Don't be afraid." Ayako consoled despite being pushed.
Masako also reached out to Mai and rubbed her stiff shoulders. She saw their face clearly and began trembling at Masako's soft touch. Ayako opened her arms and embraced the scared girl. She didn't know what happened but she was so scared when Mai screamed. That scream was so painful and terrifying that Ayako didn't know what to do as though she isn't a resident doctor. Mai didn't let go of her neck as she let herself fall in Ayako's chest.
This isn't the first time she experienced death but she's still scared. Her tears keep on falling down her cheeks. The feeling of that woman still lingers in her heart. She can still smell that nauseating smell of blood and decomposition. Seconds later, they heard a group of hurried footsteps coming over. They heard Bou-san and other SPR members' calls as they knocked on the door. Mai blanched at the knocking and buried her head on Ayako's chest.
Masako stood up and went to open the door. Bou-san and the other guys rushed in and saw Mai's trembling form. Yasuhara immediately went to her side and coaxed Mai to reveal her face. He knew what happened. His hands hurriedly took the medicine pouch on the bedside table and filled a glass with water.
"What happened?!" Bou-san asked as Yasu returned to Mai's side.
"She had a nightmare." Yasu answered and they immediately knew what happened. Bou-san and John collapsed on the floor with relief. They kneeled in front of Mai and help Yasu in coaxing the scared little girl.
"Mai, can you hear me? It's me, Yasu. Do you recognize me voice? Mai, breathe slowly." Yasu's soft voice keep on talking to her.
The young student knew what he is doing and that also means he had done this many times before. Mai was still crying but she revealed her face and opened her mouth. Yasuhara popped the tablets on her mouth and gave her the glass of water. It would be better if he had tea since that calms the brunette more but they don't have one so they settle with water. Yasuhara held her hands in gripping the glass. She's still trembling and couldn't hold the glass properly.
The door opened again and they turned all of their heads towards it. They saw Lin and Naru entering the room. The usual black clothing on their young boss is currently replaced with dark blue pajamas. In his hand is a steaming cup of tea. Yasu's eyes glistened at the sight of the cup. He took the the glass from Mai, who was still disoriented and went to the young CEO.
"Big Boss! Go to her, quick! She needs the tea!" Yasu said, while gently pushing his boss towards his best friend.
Naru saw Mai's terrified pale face and frowned. He painfully pursed his lips and went to Mai. He took a deep breath before speaking and placing the teacup in front of her. Mai's eyes slowly drifted to the cup. Her hands slowly uncovered her neck and reached out to the cup in Naru's hand. They can hear faint 'clinks' from the teacup and saucer that was held by Mai's shaking hands.
Little by little, Mai drained the tea on the cup, her breathing and eyes becoming normal. She's still shaken but not as grave as she was a while ago. She placed the cup in her lap and looked up. There are tears still hanging on the corner of her eyes but her eyes looked more stronger.
"I...was killed in a dream." Mai said. Her friends look at her in horror but they stayed silent, waiting for her to tell them what it was.
"Two men came into my room and dragged me towards a room. That room...is filled with white tiles and it was stained with blood. Lots of blood. I was tied...on a table. A-and with a knife...they...they cut my throat and I died."
Mai blinked and looked up to prevent her tears from falling. She bit her lower lip before she lowered her head. With her other hand, she covered her neck again and painfully think over what happened. She heard Naru's voice in her dream but she couldn't see him. His voice is not coming from the body but in her mind. She felt a warm hand rubbing her head and moved her head up to traced the owner of the hand. Naru was looking at her worriedly. His eyes are showing her that emotions again.
Mai looked at his hair and then to his eyes. She longed to see his face and now that she had seen him, she was relieved and satisfied. Mai let out a small smiled before slowly standing up.
"I'm sorry for worrying you guys." She apologized while smiling at them. The SPR returned her smile with a relieved sigh. Mai took a moment to breath before hitting something.
"Suzuki-san and Atsugi-san, who had gone missing, are already dead." She announced.
"No way! You— are you saying they vanished and died the same way as what happened in your dream?" Ayako asked as Mai nodded.
"That might be possible. That's means we're in danger. Also, that execution room is not found in the floor plan we made so I'm thinking it might be located on the gap at the center of this house." Naru said remembering the wide space that is not measured by Bou-san and the others.
"How did you know what the execution room look like?" Mai asked making Naru freeze for a second. He didn't answer but Mai said the answer for him.
"You used psychometry on Suzuki-san?" Mai asked. The SPR except Lin simultaneously turned to Naru. It was not long before the person in question nodded in confirmation. Mai's eyes widened in sudden realization. She, together with the SPR were amazed. They wished they were there to witness him using his ability. But Naru would never allow people watch him sleep.
'So that's why I heard his voice! It seems like Gene have some explaining to do. He needs a beating too.'
"But isn't it odd?" Bou-san asked to ease the awkwardness.
"What?"
"We have been here for four days but two people already vanished. However, Ohashi-san and the other staff have been working her for more than a week but nothing happened to them."
"So you saying, the staff might have a connection to the disappearances?"
"Uh huh." Bou-san answered with a nod.
"But the disappearances was no doubt caused by spirits. If it was done by humans, then they wouldn't have avoided our cameras. Non was also malfunctioning at the time of the disappearances." Masako countered them.
"Then what if the spirits only abduct people who's not related with the Miyama Family?" Ayako asked but Bou-san laughed at her.
"Old hag, the other staff are not related with the Miyama Family." Bou-san said earning a smack on the head.
"Don't call me old hag, you stupid monk!" Ayako yelled while showing her fist. The others just disdainfully glared at them.
'Geez. This monk never learn.'
"Perhaps the ghosts here only wanted young people?" John suddenly asked making them stopped.
"Think about it. The entire house staff are old and weren't the missing all on their 20s or younger?"
"Damn!" Ayako and Bou-san cursed at the realization.
"Thank you, Father Brown. That's the most probable reason." Naru said while thinking of something.
"Mai, Yasuhara-san, you two are not to be alone. John and Matsuzaki-san, you two are to guard Hara-san. Bou-san, do the same for Yasuhara-san. Lin, guard Mai well." Naru instructed but Lin stood up in disagreement.
"Naru, and who will protect you? You are also under 30 and you don't know any counter spells like Taniyama-san. Rearrange it. Let Father Brown protect Mai." Lin said but Naru immediately disagreed.
"No. Matsuzaki-san is not enough."
"Hey! Are you doubting my abilities?!"
"No. Hara-san is the only medium in our group and also the youngest. She could be the ghost's next target so I'll be putting two guards for her." Naru answered.
"But as Lin-san said, who will protect you? You don't know any counter spells! Are planning to use your PK again?!" Mai scolded him but Naru turned his gaze elsewhere.
"Naru!" Mai yelled when he didn't answer. Lin also glared solemnly at him.
"I'll withdraw then." Yasuhara said, raising his right hand.
"I can just act as a boss who left instructions and leave. I can be an assistant for Madoka-san since that is my expertise. Besides I'm useless if I stayed here. Although Mai and Da-ge(Mu Lin Yuan) taught me some counter spells, I doubt it would work on the powerful spirit we're up against." Yasu explained.
"Thank you, Yasuhara-san." Lin immediately said, not letting Naru any word of disagreement. Mai also quickly gave her best friend a charm. They agreed to let Bou-san guard Mai, in the end.
The mansion was constructed with a high middle section. The first floor's foundation actually inclines upward in the middle. The middle section is over two meters high than the outlying ones. It seems to have built huge from the outside by the arrangement of the windows, even though the middle section's rooms are small as those in a smaller building." Naru said as Lin printed out the final blueprint of the house. As expected, there are gaps and unmeasured rooms in the middle and also the sides of the mansion.
"Wasn't there an odd staircase to the second floor, as if it were there for a central courtyard? Maybe it's another hidden room and there is a secret passageway somewhere to get in." Bou-san told them his opinion but Naru shook his head.
"What if there is no secret passageway?" He asked.
"What if the empty space in the middle isn't a hidden room but a sealed off space? We did tried to find a secret passageway into it. If there is one in this old dirty mansion and those who disappeared used it, couldn't we expect to see disturbed dusts or footprints and such? But we found nothing." Naru explained.
"So there really are sealed off rooms?" John asked.
"That must be true. The building was built from the inside out. But for what purpose? I can't believe we have been for something that was right in the middle after all." Naru answered, his face is so serious.
"That is possible." Ayako agreed as Bou-san added.
"And the room where Mai was murdered in her dream must have been the thing that they try to hide from the outside."
"Yes. I think so too. And remember what Ohashi-san's wife's father said in his will. 'They gave their all to this mansion and it's here, they shall remain. Until they rot and return to ashes.' If we add this to what we've gathered, many people died inside this mansion and their deaths may or may not be similar to what happened in my dream and Naru's psychometric vision. The spirits are probable young people and they are sealed off in this mansion unable to get out." Mai finalized as they nodded.
"Hmm. I hope Madoka-san and Yasu will return with some news on how to exorcise the ghosts." Mai muttered and stared at the 'passageway' of Madoka— the window. She was just talking about them when their heads suddenly popped up on the glass window.
"Aha! Speak of the devils!" Mai cheered and opened the window for them with a smile.
"Mai's really an ESPer, huh? Must be her animal intuition" Bou-san commented and shrugged his shoulders. The brunette glared at him before going to the corner to make them tea.
"I tell you, Yasuhara-kun is amazing! He got so much information from the elders in the village who previously refused to give data! Today was so productive!" Madoka complimented the youth as the latter showed him a bashful smile.
"And I also got so much information FROM him! Don't worry, I'll tell you later, Naru. You will not disappointed. You should thank me!" Madoka also added while winking mischievously. Yasu avoided looking at Mai but the latter didn't even get Madoka's hidden message. Naru glared at his mentor and crossed his arms.
"I don't care about the information you got from Yasuhara-san. Just tell me why you came here." Naru angrily asked them.
"Ahem. Actually while we were heading to the city. I came up with an idea to count the chimneys on the mansion. I came up with twelve but as I remember, there are only ten or eleven when inspected the premises inside." Yasu began.
"There are only eleven." Lin, who remained silent in front of his computer, suddenly informed them.
"Then there is one more."
"Being smart as I am, I took a photographic evidence." Madoka proudly added as she handed them a big photograph of the mansion.
"As you can see, the chimney on the middle is quite different from the rest. It's old, more thicker than the others and was made of red brick." Yasu said as he pointed out the one be is describing.
"It's in the middle of the house." Bou-san said as Mai stared at it.
"I saw a fireplace in one room before I got killed in the dream. That must be the location of the original house. Beside that room is a...cement corridor and at the end of it, is the maze." Mai informed them, taking all the eyes to herself.
"A maze? There is a maze inside this mansion?" Ayako asked.
"That was what I saw in my dream." Mai answered nonchalantly as if her dream didn't affect her much but they knew she's only acting tough.
"Dream? Oh! I heard from Koujo that you can see the events in the past through dreaming! Did you dream of something, Mai-san?" Madoka asked. Her eyes are worriedly looking at the girl.
"Yes. But you don't have to worry about anything." Mai answered with a smile.
"So we tried to go to the Miyama's main residence. But no one was there so we asked around the neighborhood. We asked the elders who are able to give us information."
"Yeah! Yasuhara-kun is so experienced in talking to elders. It was like he is an elder himself!" Madoka giggled and praised the young boy for being an 'old soul'. Yasuhara laughed and continued reporting.
"They all said that Miyama Kaneyuki-shi is so eccentric and have a very bad personality. Whenever he's in a good mood, he would help people but when he's angry, he would chase out people. They said that he did do charity but his heart isn't into it. Some say it was just a front to conceal the terrible things he did." Yasuhara reported. He handed the paper to Madoka to report what she dug up.
"Apparently, Miyama Kaneyuki-shi was physically weak since young. He had been told that he wouldn't live long. He often travelled abroad. Supposedly, he was sightseeing but some say he travelled to visit known foreign doctors. After that, he lived here. But he was always accompanied by two male servants."
"They were old gardeners who Miyama Kaneyuki-shi allowed to go in and out of the mansion as they pleased. They did everything here at that time. They apparently made a maze out of hedges."
"Maze?!" Ayako and Bou-san asked as they turned to Mai. The brunette smiled at them, reassuring them but she felt sad and emotional all of a sudden.
"Yes. The maze supposedly covered the gap between the main wing and a cottage. Whenever the gardeners came here, people would always experience strange nauseating feeling. There was a nauseating odor in that cottage, like the one that's always at a graveyard. Moreover, there are always new faces. The servants would at least change every week."
'Please... Don't talk anymore.. I don't want to hear that..!''Stop..It hurts.. Help...Me...'
Mai froze as she heard those voice. She couldn't more nor utter a sound. Those words keep on ringing in her head like broken eerie radio. She couldn't breath properly. That voice isn't hers and she was planning to exorcise who ever is haunting her when Masako suddenly entered her vision.
"They can't come. They can't save you. For you have already died. Now, keep going. Don't be afraid to got to the light. You must calm down and reach out to it."
Mai took in a very deep breath before her knees finally gave in. She held unto her chest and regulate her breathing. Masako gave her a cup of water, that she gladly accepted and drank.
"Damn, that was close one! I almost got possessed without me knowing." Mai cursed as she slapped herself.
"I noticed some presence clinging unto you when we were listening just now. He had experienced a horrible death and couldn't get over it. She was one of the maid that died in died." Masako answered her friends' unspoken questions.
"Thanks, Masako. I would have cause trouble if I got possessed." Mai was thankful to her and said to her with a grateful smile.
Naru glared at her but she didn't look in fear. He's angry. Very angry. Now that he decided to 'seduce' her, he didn't put up his cold facade when it comes to Mai's matters. He like her so much that he doesn't want her to be hurt. Naru doesn't like any kind of harm on this special person. His desire to protect her drove him to cast away a bit of his rationality and show his actions openly to her. He doesn't care what others think.
He just want to protect her and love her the way he do. He doesn't care if she love someone else. He will court her and wait for her. He doesn't know anything about her life but he'll try to know more. She will be his. Even if she reject him and throw him away, he will still protect her.
He snatched Mai's wrist in rage and cupped her chin, making her look at him. Madoka widened her eyes in shock. That position... It's a bit suggestive? When did Naru become like this?! She heard from Lin that this student of hers had taken a liking of his assistant but she never thought he'd express it in front of many people. That's not very Naru-like.
Lin just sighed and face-palmed. He did not show the video of Naru being hysterical to Madoka and the Davis. It would create chaos and Naru will definitely hate him for it. But now that Naru had initiated a scene that invites troublesome gossiping aunties, he just give up covering for him.
"How could you be so careless!" Naru roared at her. Mai avoided his eyes and used her free hand to pull out a talisman from her pouch. She placed the talisman on a locket and put it on her chest pocket. She showed it to Naru and snatched her hand back. She also stepped back away from him.
"Okay! It's my fault. I'm sorry. There will be no next time." Mai said and avoided him.
Naru glared at her while Madoka watched with a grim. In amidst of the show, they heard glass shattering and saw Masako trembling in fear. Mai immediately caught her before she falls and asked her what's wrong. The SPR also came to them but even before speaking, they suddenly smell a nauseating odor of blood as the lights switched off. The monitors also stopped working and engulfed them with darkness.
"Don't move!" Naru ordered as they watch what will happen.
After a loud 'bang', the whole room was filled with scary noises. They can hear so many screams and loud cries. They also heard so many scratching sounds all over the room. Footsteps are also evident as the screams grew louder. The light suddenly came back on and the noise ceased. The clean walls was filled with red writings as they look around.
'Save me''I'm scared''It hurts''I don't want to die''Urado''Help'
Those were the countless of characters written in blood on the walls. They were written in many different handwriting. Within just a moment of time, the spirits had written so many characters. I noticed the word 'URADO' placed in any different parts of the wall. They only woke up from staring when they heard someone's footsteps.
"Someone's coming. Let's go, Yasuhara." Madoka said as they jumped to the window. The door of the base suddenly opened and came Ohashi-san.
"Are you alright?! It seems like it targeted this to as well." Ohashi-san said as he look around to check the SPR's well being.
"What is it, Ohashi-san?" Naru asked.
"Suddenly, strange writings was scrawled in blood all over the mansion!" The old man informed. The SPR rushed to the door to see and they realized that it's true. Same characters are also written on the hallways and doors.
"Urado... I wonder what this pen name means." Naru muttered while staring at the hiragana characters of the word.
"Hara-san, do you feel up to performing a seance tonight?" Naru asked.
"...I do."
"Hey, wait a minute! What if she was put in danger?!" Mai yelled, disagreeing to that idea.
"Mai, it's okay. I've done this before. I'll be fine." Masako coaxed as she held unto Mai's arm.
"Lin and I will be overseeing the seance. And Lin will.make sure Hara-san is safe." Naru also said.
"Okay! But if something happens to her, I'll beat you up until you're half dead!"
'Hey, Mai. Is it okay for you to say that to someone who confessed to you?'