"Cye? Kento? Sage? Rowen? Hey, where did you guys go?"

Ryo found himself in a hallway he didn't quite recognize. As he walked around, he kept thinking that if he had White Blaze with him, it would be much easier to find the others. But, he also remembered why he wanted his dear friend to stay with Mia. They had been seeing eachother for a few months, and being apart was hell, for the both of them. so, e made sure that she wasn't lonely, by having his faithful friend stay at her side.

White Blaze was also well trained, and he would often help out around the house. Though, he had to wonder… would White Blaze follow his masters' scent if he thought he was in trouble? That's another good reason why he should have come along, he thought. Sighing, Ryo dropped the thought and entered through large double doors. What he saw, however, was not nearly what he had expected.

While the rest of the house was a dirty mess, the ballroom he found himself in was clean, cheery, and glittering with bright lights. The tables were set and the candles were lit. Ryo walked to one of the tables and smelled the delicious aroma of hot turkey and sweet fruit. It was heaven, and the longer he stayed to admire the room, the more he wanted to stay. Not once in his mind did any warning bells go off.

Ryo was so busy admiring the food that he didn't notice the young woman that came walking up behind him. The woman set a hand on his shoulder, and the boy swung around and leaned against the table for support. His eyes went as wide as they possibly could, as he stared into the face of his love, Mia.

"M-Mia? Where…"

Without a word, she leaned in close to Ryo, making it hard for him to get a word out. His heart was pounding in his chest, and his face was glowing red. Mia leaned in closer, almost causing Ryo to fall onto the table, and she softly ran her rosy lips over his. But, before they kissed, a warning bell finally went off, and he held her at arm length.

"Mia, what are you doing here?"

"Ryo."

"Um… yeah, but still! This doesn't make sense…"

Ryo backed away from the table, and he watched as Mia walked around him to snuggle into his back. For some reason, he felt sleepy, like he was dreaming, but he wished that it wasn't one. Mia had never been so affectionate with him before, and he loved the moment. Only, something was horribly wrong.

Sage wasn't far away, in a dark hallway. He didn't like the dark, and the cold that was forming around him was throwing off his concentration. There was an ominous aura lingering about, for sure…! He was trying to find the others with his virtue, and just when he thought he couldn't do it, he heard a soft, contented sound coming from a room behind double doors. He recognized it immediately and ran through into the room. What he saw confused him.

Ryo was spinning around with his hands held out, like he was dancing with someone. But, there was no one. The room was in just as bad a shape as the rest- dirty, dark, cold, and some of the ceiling had fallen down, including the chandelier. But despite the mess, Ryo danced on around it. He was spinning and laughing, but as Sage got closer, he noticed the black expression and lifeless eyes. Ryo seemed to be in a trance, of some sort. Just then, Ryo stopped and leaned foreward, acting like he was kissing someone.

"Mia… my Mia…"

"Ryo?"

Ryo saw Mia in front of him, and she leaned in again and spoke softly into his ear, planting small kisses by his lobe.

"Ryo, will you come with me? I want to show you…"

"Show me what?"

"…Something only for you!"

Ryo smiled, and nodded his head.

"Of course I'll go with you…"

"Ryo? Ryo, what has gotten into you? Hey! Snap out of it!"

Sage was ignored, almost as if Ryo couldn't see him. But, he also didn't feel it as he brushed past the blonde, linking his arm with an invisible woman. Sage shook his head and silently followed. At the end of the room, there was a dark screen, which the two went behind. Funny… they were pretty fast, even when just walking. Still, he wanted to know what was going on. He didn't get a chance to ask, however, as he looked behind the screen to see that the floor was caved in, and Ryo was heading strait for it! Ryo already had one foot off the floor when Sage ran up and looped his arms under his friends', keeping him from stepping off. In his entranced state, Ryo tried to fight against Sage, who just pulled on him. But then a white hand reached out through the hole in the floor and grabbed onto Ryo's shirt, pulling them.

"Ryo! Wake up!"

Sage's virtue of grace appeared, and in seconds, the virtue of righteousness also appeared, and Ryo opened his eyes. he wasn't ready for what he saw, and he fell back from the hole, landing next to Sage on the floor.

"Ryo!"

"What… what just happened? Where did Mia go?"

No quite awake yet? Oh, well. Sage slapped Ryo on the cheeks, and when they were puffy and red, the warrior of fire brought his hands up to nurse them with tears in his eyes.

"Y-you hit me! Sage, that was mean! What's wrong with you, dude!"

"Well, it looks like you're back to normal. Are you hurt?"

Ryo's hands left his face as he checked himself over.

"No, I'm okay, it seems."

"Good."

It was then that Ryo noticed the dump they were in, and he became very confused.

"This is…"

"What is it?"

"I saw what this place used to be, I think… it was a lot nicer than this!"

"You must have been seized by an illusion. I don't think the ghosts here are very nice at all."

"We should leave, then… and go find the others!"

"Right."

Sage helped Ryo up and they walked to a different door in the room, hoping it led out of there. As Ryo passed through, he stopped and turned to Sage.

"Wait… you just admitted that there were ghosts here!"

"! I-I may have…"

"Oh, come one! You SO believe it now, don't you?"

"Nonsense!"

Ryo laughed, but then he froze as he was lifted off the ground. He yelled and kicked the air moments before he was thrown out of the room and into the wall just outside.

"Ryo!"

Sage ran towards him, but as he held his hand outside the doorway, it slammed on its own, and right onto his hand. It was his turn to cry out in pain, but he tried to hold it in. Ryo rubbed his sore head and got up, hearing his friend's distress. He gave the door a good tug, but it didn't budge. So, he grabbed onto the knob and pulled back. That didn't work, so he lifted one of his legs onto the wall for more leverage. That didn't work, so he lifted the other. Almost immediately, the door gave, and it opened. Ryo went flying and Sage fell to the floor again, holding his red hand. It felt like it had been crushed in a vice. As soon as he was recovered, again, Ryo crawled to his friend and touched the hand Sage was gently holding onto.

"Is it broken, Sage!"

"Maybe… it hurts like hell!"

"I guess that means you were right."

"Huh?"

"These ghosts don't seem to like us at all!"