Cye was more motivated than the other ronins. His sole objective was to find the others. He was wise, and he knew they stood a better chance if they were together. However, th increasing heat was posing a problem for him. Unlike before, when the temperature had dropped, it now seemed to be rising in the area where he was. And to his dismay, the water in the sinks in the places he checked had all dried out.

Sighing, Cye pulled his striped shirt out, some, hoping to cool off. Due to the heat, the air seemed thick, and it made the water bearer feel even more like a fish out of water. His throat was dry, and his skin was cracking. He needed water! Then, he heard the faint noise of water running through pipes. He put an ear to the wall next to him, and followed the beautiful sound to a bathroom. It was small, and just as dirty as the rest of the place, but Cye loved it most, because it had water.

"I need water!"

Cye put a hand under the faucet and turned the handle… Nothing happened for a moment, and then the whole sink shook seconds before scalding hot water sprayed out of the sink, burning his hands, and his face, too. Cye covered his face and backed up, groaning in pain. He loved water, but the water thee felt more like acid. In backing up, he accidentally ran into the wall, and fell to the floor. Soon, he felt an all-too-familiar substance, and looked down to see slime all over the floor. He yelled again and scooted back out of the bathroom. His hands were red, and so was his face, and as soon as Cye was out of the room, he was safe. …Or so he thought.

Cye looked up and to the right to see a blue haired boy standing with his back to Cye. In his dazed state, he didn't notice the ominous aura surrounding the figure. Slowly, he pulled himself to his feet and walked towards him.

"Rowen… oh, I'm so glad I found you…!"

"…"

"R-Rowen…?"

Then, the figure turned. He he had Rowen's clothes, but his face was different. Twisted and rotten and ugly. Again, Cye yelled, and as he stepped back, he accidentally stepped on a lose board and the floor collapsed under him.

Kento was still by the door, thinking, when he heard a series of yells coming from somewhere nearby. He knew that voice. Cye, his best friend, must have been in trouble. Kento got up from the floor and dashed around corners and through rooms in search of his friend. In his heart, he was fretting what he would find. He knew the others could take care of themselves, but for some reason, he couldn't help but think that Cye was the most vulnerable in that place, and feared he would be taken from the group. Still, he couldn't help but wonder if his thoughts of him made him the target, after all. He had no idea what had happened to the others, either.

Cye was in pain. He had fallen through the floor, and lay on the lower level on his back. He had apparently fallen on something hard, and when he tried to move, a piercing pain in his side forced a groan from his already raw throat. Weakly, he grabbed his side, and almost immediately felt a broken rib. He had never broken a rib before, or even an arm, but he had fractured his leg once while surfing. In the water, he was usually very careful, but not out of it.

The heat down there was worse than ever, and it didn't help that he had landed near the furnace. Cye turned his head softly, and staring at the furnace, he thought it was possessed. Fire seeped from it, and tried to reach out and touch the injured boy. Cye was sweating and was overly dehydrated. He thought he heard someone yell for him, but he lost consciousness before Kento appeared just above the hole he fell down.

Kento covered his face from the intense heat as he looked down in the hole on the floor. And there he was! Cye was laying half on his side by the furnace, looking like he was just hit by an SUV. Kento wasted no time in getting down there, as he was used to heights. He jumped right down and knelt next to his friend. After the first attempt to move him failed, with a cry of pain from Cye, Kento paused. He didn't want to further injure his friend, but he couldn't take care of him down there. He resigned for taking off his jacket and wrapping it firmly around Cye's waist; he hoped it would ease some of the pain from his ribs and allow Kento the time to carry him up top.

It did, and though Cye still moaned in pain, Kento managed to carry him to the level above, just outside of a bathroom. (Remember? It was the one with the possessed sink!)

But the water in the sink ran cold, then, and Kento used a bucket under the sink to put the water in. the strong man carried the bucket out and poured it over his friend. His body let off steam, and Cye visibly shivered and opened his eyes a little. Kento dropped the bucket and went to his friend's side, holding his hand.

"Cye? Are you okay, man?"

"Yeah… I'm great now. Thanks, Kento!"

"Hey, no problem! We should find the others now. We don't want them to get hurt like you did!"

"Right."

Kento lifted one of Cye's arms over his shoulder and supported him as they started to slowly walk. Cye assured Kento that he could manage, but he wouldn't allow it. As they walked on, Cye's eyes drifted shut.

"You were right, Kento…"

"…"

Suddenly, Kento stopped, causing Cye's eyes to open again. Kento was shaking, and four eyes were wide as they stared into the brown orbs of the ghost girl. She was smiling that evil smile of hers.

"So, is this the one?"

Kento didn't answer. Instead, he took a step back and tried to hide Cye behind him.

"Kento? What's wrong? Have you seen that girl before?"

"You could say that."

"Well, strong man? Is he it?"

This had gone on long enough. Cye had been hurt, the others were still missing, and that girl was still demanding a sacrifice! That was the last straw. Kento gently placed Cye on the floor against a wall and stood in front of him with his arms held out.

"This has gone on long enough! Let us out of the house!"

"I said you can leave whenever you want… when you give us a sacrifice."

"A what! Kento, what is she taking about?"

"She wants one of us to stay here forever… but I wont allow it! I refuse to play this game any longer! You're hurting my friends!"

"So? It's a rule."

"I don't care! We're all gonna get out!"

"You can all get out, but one of you wont be alive."

"Then let it be ME!"

"Kento!"

"You're afraid. You don't want to die."

Kento's suppressed feelings could remain suppressed, and they let out in a flurry of yells and tears.

"Yes, alright! I'm terrified! I didn't want to come here in the first place!"

"Then why the stupid choice?"

"Because these guys are my friends, and comrades in arms! I would die for ANY one of them!"

"Kento…"

"Cye, you and the others were right! Everyone can be afraid of things, but if you let those fears control you, you'll never get anywhere! I shouldn't be afraid of this place!"

"You're a fool!"

The white girl turned into a red ghoul and rushed at Kento. He put his arms over his face and a great wind formed around him, forcing him back towards the stairs. As he felt the edge of the top step, he attempted to push back, but when he saw Cye's worried expression, he lost concentration and fell backwards. He hit his head on the third step down, and hit his arm on the seventh step. Finally, after rolling and tumbling down, he lay in a heap on the very last step, with one of his hands hanging over, not even touching the floor.