A/N: Thank you to my loyal reviewers! Especially to Henred5! You guys keep me writing! Those who weren't mentioned, that's okay, I'll put you up again in the next chapter! Okay, here is the story, and I hope you like…

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The Tormented

By: Elie

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Xiaoyu and Asuka lived in a modern yet dark Japanese house that Asuka and Jin had inherited from their family. Nevertheless, there were still a faint light emitting from the closed curtains. It was awfully cold and quiet as well. Xiaoyu herself, did not like the enigmatic atmosphere in this house, which she preferably called now as her own home.

"Good morning Xiao, breakfast is ready." She heard Asuka's voice coming from the kitchen counter. Asuka heard clacking footsteps from above so she knew that Xiaoyu was about to go down.

With a hand, Xiaoyu gathered her shoulder-length raven hair into a neat ponytail and clasped it with an orange rubber band which she had found lying on the floor outside her room. As she went down the stairs, she instantly remembered the letter for Jin.

"Asuka, about the letter…well, can I have it?" Xiao asked politely, gesturing the honor that Asuka, as Jin's cousin, permitted her to be the first one to read something which a family member should be the one to read in behalf.

As usual, Asuka would smile at her deceased cousin's now ex-fiancée. Lying on the table counter behind her was the letter from Hwoarang Kim. She took it, and, before turning to Xiao, paused for a moment.

"Umm…Xiao…"

Flopping idly on the nearest couch just a meter away from the kitchen, Xiaoyu wondered what could be the next words that would come out from Asuka's mouth.

"Why would someone close to Jin not know anything about the crash?"

And then, the words themselves hit her. Xiaoyu was left dumbstruck by the question.

Swiveling uneasily on her seat, she transferred to another couch right next to the television. She hoped that Asuka knew the answer herself, for she was totally clueless.

"I don't know Azzy…" She admitted, perplexed even more.

Asuka stood up from her long chair and walked toward her you-may-say boss. Reluctantly, she handed down the letter enclosed in a small brown envelope. "That's all right. It was a stupid question anyway…"

As she swirled away, Xiaoyu thought about what she had said for a moment. The question was not stupid, it was – mind boggling…

Excitement rushed through her veins as she held the letter in her hands. Over a month after Jin's accident - their accident - in which she was the only one who'd survived, never did she expect that someone whom Jin did call a close friend to write a letter addressing to him now that he's gone. It must be very important – obviously.

With trembling fingers, she carefully tore the edge of the envelope. Asuka was just sitting on a sofa next to her, watching intently. Then, in her hand was a piece of paper, and on it, there was a readable handwriting.

Dear Jin,

Hey, old buddy! It's been long as I've observed. Sorry for writing this in delay. I had to finish my research a month ago, and I was quite busy then. Now, here I am, all files in my hand, and, I'm beginning to write a book – you know, about the fact sheet on the urban legend where Steve went. He hasn't returned yet still. But I believe he's back in England to publish something about it too.

When are you getting married, dude? I still haven't seen this Xiaoyu of yours…hey, is she pretty? If so, maybe she has a younger sister or something. Better recommend me, man. Ha! I was just kidding! Well, anyways, you did mention something about owning a Camera Obscura, right? How in the world did you get it? In my research, the very same camera is associated with the urban legend – the Manor of Sleep.

I'll tell you more about it after gathering all the information that I could. I'll be keeping in touch with you soon, again.

Your best-bud,

Hwoarang

Best friend? Hwoarang Kim was Jin's best friend? Xiaoyu have had never heard of him before. She doubted that Jin was even close to this guy. She knew everything about Jin. Back then, they went to the same school, and together, they were the best of friends. And, that was just so sooner that they've realized their true feelings for each other – that was before their graduation in college…

"Have your cousin ever mentioned about this Hwoarang person?" She asked, neatly folding back the paper, and eventually handing it over to Asuka.

Asuka opened it, and, instead of reading the whole thing, she skimmed down to the bottom part. She eyed her boss in amazement soon after.

"Your best-bud, Hwoarang…? Who the hell is Hwoarang?"

"I don't know," Xiao shook her head momentarily and sighed. "He mentioned something about this urban legend or something…"

Asuka twitched her eyebrow. "What urban legend?"

Xiaoyu began to hesitate. That really wasn't a serious issue - just a bad dream…that's all.

"What was Jin's last project anyway?" She asked with a tone of grief in her voice. She was supposedly to avoid discussing things involving her deceased fiancé because it makes her feel depressed.

"His last project…hmmm…" Asuka paused to think, tracing a path of circles on her chin with two fingers. And then, she remembered. "I guess it was about some old village…Oh, why yes! It was the very same village where you had your shoot….yesterday."

Xiaoyu shuddered by the thought. Jin was an anthropologist and a clever researcher. He came to research almost anything about Japanese cultures and traditions. However, the thought of him ending up in an old village that barely even existed, did not cross her mind. Maybe…he did not want her to worry much about him…that's why he didn't tell her…

Jin…why do you have to go? I have so many things to ask you…so many that I…

She began to sob quietly, and later did she know that Asuka was gently rubbing her back to ease the pain.

"Now, now, Xiao…" Asuka said comfortingly, as if knowing the reason of her boss' misery. "I know you don't want to talk about him anymore…"

Wait, Hwoarang said that Jin had mentioned something about having a Camera Obscura…the camera in my dream! Xiaoyu thought all of a sudden, jolting up form the couch, leaving a startled Asuka looking at her in surprise.

"I've got to go up Jin's room," She stated, immediately walking up the stairs.

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In the second floor, at the center and dead-end of the hallway, was Jin's door, enclosed between two walls of Xiaoyu and Asuka's bedrooms. There was only one, dim, wall light, hanging on the right wall near Asuka's door. And, the brief walk in the corridor toward it, gave Xiaoyu an uneasy feeling.

Jin's room…I've never been inside for almost a month…

To her knowing already, Jin's room was painted in light shades of blue. Although the room was indeed bright, before, now, it would've seemed that some dark, stormy cloud hovered around there. Sliding her sweaty hand on the doorknob, Xiaoyu took a long, deep breath before turning it and opening the door. What happened next was not what she had expected to see. And, there she felt that her eyes were about to fall from their sockets.

It was like from the past months when she tried to find something in his room. Yes, she wanted to find a book that contained some information about old towns and etc., related to her new photography project. And, to her silent joy, Jin pulled her first into a long, romantic kiss before handing her the book. Ah, the thought of him brought a single tear to cascade down her cheek.

However, the moment she entered the room, everything changed. Sunshine spilled from the opened curtains, letting the room appear really radiant. And, the big boxes containing Jin's stuff after his burial were gone without a trace. This wasn't the case before. Like mentioned, the room was supposedly dusky, curtains and blinders tightly closed, keeping the sun's rays sealed out. Two or three boxes piled up, unorganized.

"Maybe the Camera Obscura's at his desk." Xiaoyu breathed, technically convincing herself to ignore the conspicuous change of her surroundings.

Roaming her hands coolly on the desk filled with anthropology junks, research notebooks, and newspaper cut-outs, her mind could hardly receive anything but the concentration on finding that camera from her dream.

"Xiao, what is it?"

A very familiar voice asked, and unconsciously, she answered. "Oh Jin, I just wanted to ask if you have seen –"

Her voice trailed off when she turned her gaze to the bed beside her. No one was there. And, it occurred to her that the room had vaguely altered at all. The boxes at the corner were piled up as usual, curtains and blinders shut tight, and, it was really glum.

All of a sudden, a familiar object caught her attention. And, it was sitting on a lonely spot on top of Jin's crystal cabinet containing old equipments from different places he had been. It was, of no doubt, the Camera Obscura.

She took it, nonchalantly. And, when she opened the back part, musty, undeveloped films began to roll out. Then, by instinct, she knew what to do.

"I better get these developed."

With that, she went to the door and turned the doorknob but not opening it at least. Instead, she took a last glimpse of the room before going outside and heading toward the darkroom – where she develops the pictures she takes.

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"Can you find any information about this?" Xiaoyu said, handing a photograph of a mother and a child to Asuka, of which she had just developed recently. And yes, they were the exact ghosts she had captured using the camera in her dream.

She saw a grim smirk creeping on Asuka's lips as she gave out the photo. But to be safe, she wouldn't tell Asuka anything about her cousin, just yet. Not until she was ready to know everything. Because Asuka herself, is the only relative that Jin has, and that they were so close to each other. And, Xiaoyu knew for a fact that Asuka would be gravely affected by this, emotionally.

"Sure!" Asuka replied giddily, yet innocently. She wondered where in the world Xiaoyu got this creepy picture of a blood soaked mother and child wearing yukatas from. Out from some freaky, Japanese horror movie or something?

"So…"

Xiaoyu's voice trailed off as Asuka repeated again. "Sure! I'll really research on this!"

Frowning, Xiaoyu mouthed 'thanks' to her assistant before heading toward the kitchen. She had expected, though, that Asuka would easily take this as a prank or something rather than a serious issue. That's another reason on why she couldn't speak anything about her dream to her. Not that she didn't trust Jin's cousin; it's just that, she knew Asuka isn't ready to know.

Jin's photograph…

Another developed photo, the one which she obviously hadn't shown to Asuka, was tucked inside her shirt. It was Jin's photograph taken from the barred hallway of the old mansion yesterday. It struck her again.

So…my dream is like a bridge to the real world and the…

No, it's too supernatural. It's unnatural. The Other World and the Real World are connected only by a dream? Then, if she really wanted to talk to Jin, she still could…only if she dreams of that manor again…

TBC.

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A/N: Thanks for reading! Hope you guys appreciate it and review!