That voice. Karin got up, only to find herself somewhere she did not want to be. She looked around. It was no longer the room where she slept. It looked strangely familiar. A sudden realization hit karin.
"The... ch-church, in domrey"
"Yes, karin, the church in domrey"
Karin turned around, only to see him. A person she tried hard to get rid of. A man that reminded her of so much she went through. the person who stood there still wore what he wore the last she saw him. His white priest clothing straight without a single crumple. His smooth complextion and his unmistakable smile. It was.
"Nicholai"
"Hmm... i've not heard that name in such a long time. Its been so long, karin"
He offered a hand towards her. Karin hesitated for a second before taking his hand and getting off the floor."Hmmm... I guess the question you're wondering right now is how is it that i appear before you. Well, simple, having Astaroth taking over my body meant my soul is eternal. Yes, my death was painful, no doupt kato did some weight training. But besides that, i tried to call you before but you would not listen. So, i appear to you in your dream"
"my... my dream"
"Yes. Yours"
"But"
"No need to talk. Just listen"Nicholai smiled and nodded, brushing her bangs away form her eyes. Karin flinched at his touch, it seemed so real.
"You're still very beautiful, karin"
A shudder sensation shot itself up her spine like an electrical pulse. "Did i fail to mention that i still love you"
Another flinch.
"Well, doesn't matter much anymore. So, how is 'god-slayer' treating you"
"Don't call him that. He does not need to be reminded of the past"
"What, 'god-slayer'? Its a fitting title ,actually. But really, karin, how does he feel towards you"
"..." Karin looked away. In truth, she never knew that answer. Yuri would never confess. Whenever she tried to pry the answer from him, he would run for the bathroom, or maybe suddenly thinks that the flowers in the garden needs some watering.
"Do you really want to know? What he is thinking"
Karin's eyes immediately darted to him. She knew she could not trust him, but... somewhere within herself, she wanted to find out.
"Well, this is what he is thinking right now." Nicholai waved his hand once and Yuri appeared on the floor, still sleeping.
"This is the very image of the real world now. Of course, he isn't sleeping on the floor"
Karin crouched next to Yuri. Looking at him, somehow she felt so secure, so sure of herself. She no longer felt fear.
"Be weary, karin, for he does not really think of you all of the time. There is still... the other"
Karin did not want to hear it. She stood up and gave Nicholai a cold stare. How many times must she be remembered of alice.
"hmm..." Yuri groaned as he rolled over.
Karin kneeled back down and reached out for him, when.
"Alice"
Karin stopped, hand just above him in mid-motion.
'He still thinks of her...' She thought to herself, sadness building within the pain inside her, evident in her eyes. She pulled back, using her hands to wipe invisible tears that would not come out.
"Do you see now, karin? He still loves that other woman. There would be no place within his heart for you"
Karin backed away from yuri, her breathing becoming harder.
"I still don't understand, you knew from the beginning that there was no place in his hea"
"STOP IT!" Karin screamed, covering her ears, demanding not hear another word. It was too painful, too much for her.
Nicholai shook his head, noticing how much he was damaging her.
"Well, that being past, do you still want to save him"
Karin slowly took her hands off her ears, wiping the tears that fell.
"Yes... I still do intend to save him"
"And he needs three books to do that, am i right""Well, i can help you find them... at least one, but you must promise me something"
That caught karin attention.
"wha..what do you want"
"Hmm... Well, you must promise me... lets see, how about your soul? Yes, your soul, in exchange for the book"
She froze. Her soul... is that a price to find one of the three books? Is her soul, worth the be sacrificed for Yuri? She loved him, yes... but what about him? Would he care whether she did this or not?
"...fine"
"What's that"
"... i said fine, but not one book. All three"
Nicholai smiled. "Always the arguementive one, karin. Alright, three books for your soul. Don't go back on your word." he chuckled.
Nicholai swung his arm in one large arch, causing him and the surroundings to disappear, leaving karin in the darkness.
"... my... soul..."
"Alice. I'm sorry" Yuri sat in across from his ex-lover. Her smile could never be forgotten.
"Don't be, Yuri." Alice smiled, placing her hand on his.
"I don't want you to be sad. I want you to live, for me, for that girl... what was her name"
"Karin"
"Yes... there's something about her i can't just put a finger on. Still, she deserves you, as much as you deserve her"
"But"
"Don't, Yuri, i have long left the real world and i do not regret it. I only exist here because i still want to be here with you and i still love you. I want to be here to guide you, to make sure you survive and do what is right. Do you understand"
Yuri sighed, but nodded otherwise.
"So, as much as i understand, you need to find three books, am i right"
yuri nodded. Alice smiled, looking out of the train window, in deep thought.
"From i know when i was still alive, these three books are tied to you, her and your cousin"
"What? Kurando and karin? What do they have to do anything?" Yuri asked, sitting up.
"Everything, yuri, everything. I know that the first book, the 'Inijin Manuel', which holds the law of the balance of life, is in japan. That is as much as i know. The other two, the 'Hygen Tome' which has the power to control the soul, and the 'Koein Diary' which is a story of the heart. The location of these two are still uncertain." Alice turned back to face him.
"You understand, don't you"
Yuri nodded.
"Good. Set off for japan immediately. The curse would start to take effect within a month. Jeanne has made sure it is delayed"
"Jeanne?" yuri scratched his head.
"Yes, she's very busy in here." Alice giggled.
"Er... yeah"
"Well, you better go now"
Yuri nodded and got up and started for the door.
"I'll be back"
"I know. Oh, and yuri"
yuri stopped in mid-track.
"Yeah"
"Watch out for Karin. I fear what she is doing for you is dangerous to her"
"Karin's a smart and strong woman, she won't just jump into a scene without knowing what she's up against"
Alice sighed.
"I hope so too. Just watch out for her. Whatever she is planning may even take her life"
Yuri studied Alice's expression. She looked dead serious.
"Fine. But i can't stop her in everything she does"
Alice smiled.
"Thank you, Yuri, i knew that you would understand."
