Chapter One: Hitsuzen
Mai Taniyama was exhausted. She had just finished her first day at her new school and was trying to keep from falling asleep on her walk home. She had promised Ayako to try the sleeping pills she had been given but the fact was that she was afraid of what might happen if she did. Ever since Naru- and respectively Gene- had gone back to England, her dreams had become unmanageable. Whether she wanted to or not she was witnessing many different lives and deaths as she slept. That first night after SPR shut down had been the moment she knew she was on her own. Gene was nowhere to be found- hopefully at peace- and Mai was left scrambling.

Ayako and Monk had provided her with charms aplenty, had even helped her make her old house key into a charm. The problem was that her abilities were expanding, and she didn't know how to bring it up with her SPR family. Not without worrying them and taking them away from their own lives. As much as everyone was trying to stay together, Monk's band was getting more popular by the day, Ayako was swamped with work at the hospital. Yasuhara was busy with school and Masako was always being swept away to one haunted location or another. Mai had considered talking to John but wasn't sure if he would even know how to help her.

She still kept up with them, participating in calls and random meetups, but she knew she couldn't burden her new family and so she omitted parts of the truth. She changed apartments not because the landlord had threatened to kick her out for the inevitable screams that came along with her dreams; it was because it was closer to this nice school she worked hard to get into. A school that would help her chances at getting a better education, not a school where she didn't have to worry about people asking questions regarding her appearance or why she was sleeping in class.

Mai comforted herself with the thought that at least she was living further from the group and so didn't have to worry about them randomly checking in. It wasn't as comforting as she wanted, but that, she figured, couldn't be helped. Mai's thoughts were stopped in their tracks as she felt the back of her neck grow cold. The hair on her arms stood on end as she did her best not to look behind her. Another expansion of her abilities that took its toll: she could now see spirits as if they were living, breathing corporeal beings. It was fine if she acted as if she couldn't see them. They typically left her alone until she let slip that she knew they were there.

She continued walking until she came upon a length of fence that gave her pause. It felt like one of Ayako's or Monk's barriers, only different somehow. She gingerly reached out to touch it and realized, startled, that the spirit was suddenly gone. She looked behind her to be sure but only saw who she recognized as a classmate. Thoughts racing, she turned back to the length of fence. She followed it until she found the entrance to a lot where the gate posts boasted crescent moons at the top.

The lot itself had an odd-looking home that sat somewhere between traditional Japanese and modern in design. More crescent moons dotted points of the building as a strange kind of décor and looked quaint, if not out of place nestled between two office buildings. As she moved closer to the building itself, she realized the doors were already open and two young girls stood at the entrance as if waiting for her. They almost looked like twins although one had short pink hair tied back with red ribbon and wore a light pink Lolita type dress, while the other had long blue hair pulled into pigtails and wore a dark red gothic Lolita style dress. As Mai got closer they cried, "A client for mistress, a client for mistress," in unison.

Just as she reached the door frame to ask what they meant by "client" an older feminine sounding voice called out, "Maru, Moru, see her in."

Before Mai could comprehend what was going on, the girls grabbed an arm of hers each and pulled her into the house entirely. They took her to what she could only describe as a lounge room. Satin red curtains hung behind an antique couch, crescent moons carved into its wood. Smoke from incense and exotic spices scented the air and gave it an otherworldly atmosphere, even without taking into account how the entire place felt to her intuition. It was similar to the astral plane, only more grounded and real. "Who can say what is real and what is not?" came the voice from earlier.

Mai jumped, turning back to the couch where a voluptuous woman wearing the most elegant looking kimono she had ever seen was draped across it, one hand supporting her head while her other hand held an ancient-looking pipe that she took a drag of as she watched Mai with an air of someone who already knew everything about her. "Where am I?" she managed to ask.

"A place between worlds, though not the one you are used to."

"Who are you?!" Mai demanded, guard up. It was never a good sign for someone to insinuate knowing of her abilities. She knew firsthand where that could land her.

"I mean you no harm. It does no good to throw curses around. It always comes back to the hexer in some form or another."

"Mai could almost hear her own erratic heartbeat. How this woman knew anything about her had her perplexed and anxious. She had never met this woman before, nor did she believe she'd ever seen this shop.

The woman sighed. "You can call me Ichihara Yuuko. And this shop of mine is for granting wishes."

Mai frowned, but relented, curiosity winning out over fear. "My name is Taniyama Mai. What do you mean, granting wishes?"

Yuko smiled. "Just as I said. Now, what is it you wish for, Mai?"

Mai realized there was a table set up with tea. She moved to the table and sat, feeling a little more at ease as she did so. At least if there were any more surprises, she wouldn't have to stand. "I don't know if wish is the right term. I'd just like someone to help me control my abilities."

Yuko looked her over as if calculating something. Mai stared at her hands before deciding to continue. "At first I was told I just had latent abilities. An animal instinct for danger and which people to trust. Then I started having dreams. I used to have someone who would guide me through them, tell me what was important to the cases I was helping with. But he- he's no longer here, and so anytime I close my eyes to sleep, all I see are the lives and deaths of the ghosts that linger. I-"

"You also astral project and have the makings of a medium. If left to your own devices and if you are not properly trained, your abilities will get you killed. As it happens, I can help you. But as with every wish, there is a price," Yuko cut in. The young girl in front of her was so easy to read on and in quite a desperate situation. She could tell there were people who loved this girl, people who would never be able to help her in time. Yuko gave Mai time to let her words sink in. She would help this girl, but it was up to Mai now to ask for that help.

Mai blinked. A price. She knew that already, didn't she? The only question was could she pay it? At what cost was she willing to give to get back to living and not just struggling to survive? "What would be the price? I think, if I can pay it, I will. I want to be able to live."

Yuko smiled. "You will work here in the shop for me, but the true price is that you will never be able to work for that company again. I understand you have a copy of the key to their building?"

Mai started. "How did you know? About SPR? And the key? Who are you?"

"I am merely the owner of a shop that grants wishes. Some call me the Dimensional Witch. Still, in order to help my clients, I must be able to read them in order to carefully gauge the necessary cost. Paying too much or too little upsets the balance," Yuko took a drag from her pipe before continuing, "You can relax. I only knew there was a company you worked for and that your time and memories there are precious. Now, if you could hand me the key?"

Mai allowed herself a moment to compose herself and to see if she could trust this woman. The answer came back as a resounding "YES" and so she pulled the SPR key from around her neck and handed it to the witch. Had anyone told her even a few months ago that she would end up here, in a witch's shop she would have laughed in their faces. But if ghosts and demons and astral projecting were all real, who was she to say anything else wasn't?

Yuuko gave Mai a warm smile. "If you have no other engagements today, I can introduce you to my other part-timer. He can make us all sorts of food to celebrate!"

Mai smiled weakly. "I have nothing else going on today. My only plans had been to nap when I got home."