Miow, chapter seven already? I can't imagine myself. Alright, someone told me that my fic is getting a little confusing. The truth is, it is. That's because I'm not done with the explaining yet and there's more explaining coming up by Sanzo-sama. So, in order to understand, try using imagination. That might help, I guess. One more, Gojyo won't die. Trust me. He can't. He's too important. Yah, I'm babbling again! So, let's continue, shall we? Enjoy!

Chapter 7

'I know about your past. I know about your nightmares. How? Because I was there when it happened. I was there when she tried to kill you. I was always with you. Everyday of your waking hours. I wanted you the first time I saw you, but you denied me. I was angry and furious, but what you did was acceptable. I watched you silently from underneath this bodiless soul. Even though I'm dead, I will never admit it. I want you. I wanted you so badly that I swear, I'll have you as my own. You are a valuable matter. I will do anything to get you. You can't run. You can't hide. You will be mine, forever.'

Gojyo screamed. He struggled to get up from the realistic dream. But, somehow, something or someone was trying to force him to stay asleep. He panicked. He turned around and around the same spot in the fantasy world, which seemed to be spinning. All he saw was long stretches of mists. Everywhere was dark and gloomy. There wasn't even a tree or signpost. He tried to run forward but ended up at the same place again. Everything seemed endless.

When he did wake up, the sheets were all wet from his perspiration. The cold sweat of fear. He panted, breathing hard. Gojyo bowed his head and put his face in his hands. The dream laid heavily on him. He felt warm tears streamed down his scarred cheek. Quickly, he wiped them off. Big guys don't cry, he told himself. Big guys don't cry because of some same stupid dream they've been having for the last five days.

"Excuse me, can I come in?" Came a soft male voice from behind the thick brown door. Without waiting for an answer, he entered the room with a tray of food. He placed the tray on the table and walked towards the shut curtains and windows. "Can we have some light and air in here?" He asked, looking straight at Gojyo's face.

"Sure," Gojyo replied, sounding a little exhausted and drained as if he had finished running dozens of miles, which was quite true actually. "Hakkai, what are you doing here? I thought you are supposed to be at the exam room, watching those kids going through their finals," He asked, suddenly remembering his friend's duty that day.

Hakkai gave him a warm smile as usual. He drew the curtains and opened the windows wide. "I was worried about you, so Sanzo-sama agreed to take my place so that I can come up here to check on you," He explained, pushing the small coffee table closer to Gojyo's bed and sat next to him. "I brought you your favorites."

Gojyo forced himself to the food, even though he didn't really have the mood to eat at that moment. Slowly, he began chewing a slice of tuna sandwich. But then, just as he was about to take the third bite, he felt Hakkai's warm hand on his forehead. He backed off but Hakkai insisted on taking his temperature.

"You might be coming down with something," He told him. Hakkai noticed that his friend was a little pale. "You need to have more rest."

Gojyo denied. "Forget it, there is no way I'm staying in this room any longer." He stated.

Hakkai gave him a sad look. He knew something was troubling him, but he didn't know what. But, that wasn't a big matter for him. All he wanted was for his friend to get in good shape. Seeing his friend's status, he decided to delay the latest news from the main office. One by one, he told himself. "You have to rest, or else you condition gets worst," He advised putting his arms around Gojyo.

But then, instead of the usual harsh word, Gojyo suddenly broke into tears. " I can't take it anymore!" He whimpered, burying his face into Hakkai's arms. "I can't close my eyes. I can't sleep. I can't rest…"

"What…?" Hakkai asked surprised.

"It's haunting me. It wants me. I'm scared. So scared…" Gojyo was trembling all over. He grasped Hakkai's shirt tightly as if his life depends on it. "Don't leave me. I don't want to be alone!"

David waited patiently outside the biology exam room. He watched Lirin and her friends from an opening. "You've got three minutes left," the examiner in the room announced through a speaker.

"I bet she'll top us all again," Melynlas said with a rather annoyed tone, as she walked out. She eyed Lirin, who was busy arranging all her experiment results.

David shrugged. "Are you jealous?"

She gave him a furious laughter. " Me? Jealous? Sorry dear, I don't care a dame a about some stupid exams and this life either."

"So tell me then, what do you really want in life?" He asked jokingly.

She raised an eyebrow and grinned. " I hove no idea," She replied, as she picked up her backpack from the locker not far from the room. "I have to go to the next class for the next exam. See you later," She winked and made her way pass the crowded corridor. Her bright silver locks bobbed up and down.

David smiled at Lirin as she walked out of the room. How can she still concentrate on her exams when she knows about her brother, he wondered. He remembered that day when she had came to him with a face full of distress and misery, apart from that, she almost screamed her head off, cursing and cursing whoever that is around her. He, that time almost gave up on her. But then, the next day she lit up like always, greeted everyone politely as usual.

What brother can do to you, he laughed silently at the thought. He pinched Lirin's cheek lightly. "I never want to see you cry again," He said to her.

Lirin's large eyes sparkled. "You're so sweet!" She said, pulling his hands and continued, "Let's go to the artillery class."

"Wait, I have to get my reports from Miss Yaone," He told her.

"Then I'll go with you." She said quickly. David walked slowly near the hyperactive youkai. "Don't you get tired hopping along the way?" He asked but didn't expect an answer.

Finally, they reached the staff room. David asked Lirin to wait for him at the corner while he entered the office himself. It was already the school rules that students are not allowed to enter the staff room without any reason.

He knocked the staff room door but no one answered. He waited a little longer. After a while, he lost his patience and went in. The room was empty as expected. He looked around. All the things on the tables there were neatly arranged. He scanned the room for Yaone's table. Then, he stopped. He heard something from the other room. There is a meeting, he thought. The meeting room was separated from the office by a large sliding door.

Quickly, he retrieved his documents and made his way out. But then he heard something, which froze him in place. He hid himself and slowly trying to hear their conversation from the other side.

Yaone paced back and forth the in the room. She was torn between innocent and feeling miserably guilty. The exam papers stacked neatly in the file on the table, was left untouched since the exam ended. Her heart pounded so hard and she felt as if it would jump out any second. Her restlessness stirred up Sanzo's patience.

He put down the newspaper and pulled out another stick of cigarette from his pocket. "Seriously, you will die of heart failure if you don't stop worrying about him," Sanzo snorted.

Yaone turned and looked at him. She couldn't believe what she just heard from the monk. Never in her life she hear anyone speak ill of their friends, especially close ones. She pushed a long strain of purple hair off her face. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself back to work.

It was nearly twelve in the afternoon when Hakkai finally came into the office. Yaone quickly got up from her seat and offered him a glass of water. She looked at him with hope but he was expressionless.

"What happened?" She asked.

Hakkai shook slowly his head. "He's getting worst. He barely touches his food and if this goes on, sooner or later, he'll die of starvation." He paused for a while and continued, "There's something that's bothering him, but I just don't know what. I conclude that what's bothering him is really going to kill him."

Yaone flashed him a pitiful look. "Where is he now?"

"I brought him to my room. He told me he was afraid of something and didn't want me to leave him alone in his room," He told her. "I thought he would feel a little better if he stayed in my place till he recovers."

"I hope he'll have enough sleep," Yaone said but Hakkai shook his head.

"I doubt it if he'll have a pleasant one. It took me nearly an hour to get him to at least close his eyes. I'm telling you, something is haunting this guy, not only in real world but through dreams and memories."

The youkai look at him with sympathy. "It's all my fault." Yaone felt her eyes began to water. She just wished and wished she'd agreed to go out with him that day when he invited her to dinner. There wasn't any harm if she accept the invitation. He was Hakkai's friend and there couldn't possibly be anything he will do to harm her. "If I'd agreed that day, he couldn't possibly in this state."

Hakkai rubbed her shoulders and calmed her down. "Trust me. It's nobody's fault." He told her. Yaone pushed his hands aside softly. "I…have to go," She bowed her head a little and left the room. Hakkai stood silently at the center of the place.

"Typical politeness," Sanzo said, interrupting Hakkai's thought.

Hakkai shrugged. He pulled a chair and made himself comfortable beside the monk. The green-eyed brunette rested his chin on his hands on the table. He had never felt so miserable in his life, apart from the day he lost Kana. He really wanted to do something, but somehow, he really couldn't keep his mind focused and straight. Then, he noticed something on the table.

"What is that?" He asked the monk.

Sanzo grinned. He threw the cigarette butt into the ashtray and shoved the book closer to Hakkai. "I found this book somewhere in the library."

Hakkai studied the book. It looks old and faded. The pages in the book were either torn or the writings on it were unreadable because of the blotted ink. The tittle on the cover read ' Mysteries of the Illusion Tribe'.

"I usually don't waste my time reading craps like that, but the contents seemed to draw me to it," Sanzo said, pulling another stick of cigarette from the packet. "Take a look at the first three chapters."

Hakkai flipped through the pages. He pulled his glasses from his pocket and forced himself to try to read the blurry almost disappearing fonts.

"I've heard about them somewhere, but I wasn't really bothered at first. Who cares if they exist or not. But then, something that I read from there startled me for a while." He puffed more and continued, " It mentioned there that these people extinct because of their own believes. Their first believe was it is a taboo for them to kill especially their own people. Thus, if you kill, you also will die with the one you killed. That is why, they managed to have a large community. But, you think all of them loved each other?"

"…No?" Hakkai said, making a wild guess.

"Correct," He gave him a high five. " In the tribe, females were said to be the weak link. So the warriors usually used them as baits. Soon, one female stood up. She knew the consequences if she kills. But hatred followed her all the way. She had to make a sacrifice first in order to stay alive for at least a few hours after she kills one of her tribe member. The sacrifice? It was the blood of a half demon, half human. She managed to slaughter many within the night and yes, she died after that."

Hakkai turned the pages slowly and looked at Sanzo. "Is that all?" He asked.

Sanzo grinned. "Not quite the end. She had heirs, if I'm not mistaken."

Hakkai who was usually the first to understand the monk's words suddenly found it really hard to believe him today. "I don't get it. What does this have to do with those sudden attacks?"

"These tribe are well known for their ability to change shape and take the identities of others. In short, they are called shape shifters. Apart from that, they have some sort of power or ability to control people's mind using the forces of nature around them, including mists." Sanzo replied in full. The purple-eyed monk stood up and went to the window. He took a deep breath. Somehow, only today he suddenly came to realize that there was something wrong with the weather. Why is there snowflakes at this time of the year, he asked himself. He pulled out his revolver and counted the bullets in them. "Hakkai," He said, now facing him. "You're quite good in geography, are you not?"

Hakkai startled at his question. How was that connected to his question earlier, he wondered but nodded in reply.

"Do you mind telling me, why is there snow in the middle of May?"

Goku grabbed his backpack and dashed down the corridor. Jezebel kept an eye on him until he vanished into another crooked hallway. Goku ran out of class as fast as he could after Hakkai explained about Gojyo's situation to him.

He ran up the stairs, ignoring the slow down signs and tripped over the rubbish bins a few times. Finally, he came across the staff room. On his way, he noticed Lirin standing at the corner of the corridor. "Lirin-chan, what are you doing here?" He asked, panting.

Lirin was surprised. She couldn't believe her eyes. There, standing and talking right in front of her, was Goku. She smiled. "I'm waiting for David. Where are you going?"

Goku however, didn't seem to care much about that boy now. He was in a hurry. "I'm going to visit Gojyo. Would you like to come?"

"I'm supposed to be waiting for David," She said in short. But then she changed her mind. She hastily tore off a page from her notebook and scribbled something on it. "There!" She said, sticking it on the wall. "Let's go." Goku held her hand as both of them made their way across the hallway towards Hakkai's room.

Jezebel followed them silently from behind. She was clear about her objective. She would not tolerate failure. But if it happened, she would willingly pay with her own life. Her motif in life was only to fulfill her queen's wish. Certainly she didn't want to be recognize as a traitor when dies. Who wants anyway. She clutched her daggers firmly in her hands. It's eat, or be eaten, that was her motto.

End of chapter…

Please review and don't hesitate to give comments. Thanks! ^o^