Naru's POV

Almost a week had passed, Mai still hasn't said anything on her dream, and we hadn't gotten anywhere on this case. It was aggravating me greatly how we had yet to solve this. So, I sat in my room on the second floor on our 6th night here. Lin and Madoka shared one right across the hall, Ayako and Monk, Yasuhara stayed with John and Mai with Ms. Hara. I sighed as I laid back on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

'What scared her so much…?' I thought to myself, sighing. I need to know what happened to her…why she's closed off so much after that dream. I rolled over to go to bed then heard a knock at my door. Getting up I answered the door, stopping.

"Mai? What're you doing awake?" I asked, then I noticed…she's not awake. She didn't respond but started walking down a hall. I followed, not saying anything. Never waking someone sleep walking. The further down the hall we got, the colder it got. I could even see my breath as we walked.

I was watching her cautiously as she walked. Her hair cascading down her back to her hips, a natural wave to it. Her body had filled out more, a perfect hourglass figure with a healthy weight to her. Not the much taller than before, and her night clothes only made her curves more noticeable. A few more minutes had passed before she stopped. We stood in front of a soot covered door before she opened it slowly, still very much asleep. What I saw in the room made me lose all composure. The feeling and weight in that room almost hurt even me to be near. My eyes widened as she turned around, her eyes a piercing blue instead of her natural brown.

I heard footsteps approach as Masako, Yasuhara and John all ran towards us. Lin not far behind.

"Mai!" They all said as Lin stopped beside me. She looked between all of us before smiling. And when she began to speak, the voice she used…wasn't hers…

"I don't have much time…my daughter cannot handle much more of my presence…this room, is my late husband's office…where everything began…and there's a room, a few sub-basement levels down…it'll take some time to get down there, and Nakashi can show you the way to start, but it holds vital information you must give to Mai, she will know what to do then." The voice was distorting quite a bit and she sped her speaking up a bit, "Nakashi hired you here to help him, so he could finish the renovations…" She said motioning to the door behind her. "The only way to do so…" She started but was unable to finish as Mai collapsed. I easily caught her and picked her up.

"Daughter?... That was Mai's mother…?" I heard Yasuhara say, for once not messing around.

"Yes…" Ms. Hara said, her kimono sleeve over her mouth as always, "Her energy was the same as Mai's, but stronger…" She finished.

"Lin. Speak to the caretaker, find out what she was speaking of. Yasuhara, you arrived earlier and didn't yet inform us of your information. You will do so now. Ms. Hara, are you up for a séance?" I asked, she nodded and started to leave, John following. I walked back with Lin and laid Mai on the couch in base. Sighing as Yasuhara walked in.

Yasu's POV

I had decided to do some more research before going to the base, so it took me a few extra days to get there. But here I am with a file over filled with the documents. Sitting down I pulled them out and started with everything I could find.

"So, honestly this may look like a lot, but most of them are newspaper articles." I said calmly to start. "However, what I found on this place does in fact relate to Mai…" I continued. Lin had begun to type notes as I spoke.

"What's the history?" Naru asked.

"It was built in 1789. This is in fact still the original building with some modifications. The castle was passed down as a family home, through the Hamachi family up until 20 about years ago." I stopped and glanced at Mai before back at the papers, pulling some newspapers out and laying each copy on the table.

"A fire had broken out around December of '98. Killing almost everyone who lived here. Women, children, fathers and mothers. Even animals. However, four of the people who had lived here escaped and dropped off the face of the earth practically." I continued.

"Which four? Any names?" He asked again.

"Only three. Mairu, Riku, and Sairu Hamachi. Mairu being the mother and Riku and Sairu being twins. It's reported they had a 6-month-old baby at the time, but no name was disclosed, and they said she had been killed in the fire, however, still theorized that she had too, gotten out with her mother and siblings. No one knows for sure though." I said, "I didn't find anything on which craft like you said, but I did find something along the lines of a spiritual energy that was overwhelming around October of every year…But that's the only thing I've found on any 'magic' kind of practice."

I sat there as they talked quietly to each other before Naru looked at me, "do you have a picture of the last family that lived here?" He asked.

I nodded and pulled a small photo out of the folder, "this…is the last family of spirits."

"Family of spirits?" Lin asked, the eye that was uncovered was widened, I nodded.

"That's what the village called them. Said they were an odd family with off abilities. They always claimed they saw and heard ghosts. So, they were nicknamed, 'The Family of Spirits'" I said calmly. They looked at each other and started talking in hushed tones. "Um…is there something I missed?" I asked.

"The Family of Spirits weren't only in Japan, there's one in England, Asia, The States. Major countries. They originated here but spread throughout the world. That would explain why the balance hasn't unshifted in the spirit realm." Naru said, "There were still other branches of the family that kept the practice going. You said the name was Hamachi?" he asked, I nodded, "Lin, speak to Nakashi as soon as you see him. We must know what's down in that basement." He said, Lin nodded and stood up, leaving the room, and I went to leave, "Yasuhara, was this all you could find?"

"Yes, like I said, there wasn't much but that and the newspaper's. Nothing on any previous owners or anything." I said, and he nodded then let me leave.

Mai's POV

I was standing in a room I didn't know. A big circular room that seemed to be a place of prayer. No…not Prayer, ritual. A large mirror is donned on the wall that almost seems as big as the room if it were to be stretched across the walls.

"Soon my love…I'll release you soon…" I saw a man say as he touched the mirror. He was in what looked to be a traditional Haori. A woman appeared in the mirror, looking as if asleep in a red wedding kimono.

She opened her eyes slowly before her face contorting in fear. She tried to yell something to him but he only smiled, "Soon we can be wed my love…" He said softly, she shook her head wildly and waved her hands.

"No, you mustn't!" She tried to yell, but for some reason only I could hear her, and he could not, "You'll release him as well!" She said.

"Oh, my love…rest now…I'll return tomorrow…" He said and kissed his hand, touching the glass and walking away. She fell to her knees in the mirror and sobbed.

"Sad isn't it…Our great-grandfather…the one that started all of this…" I heard Sairu say.

"Huh?" I looked at her and Riku, Gene not far behind them, he smiled and nodded.

"We had to tell him, he was being annoying." Said Riku, "However, Sairu is right, our Great-grandfather broke the mirror trying to set our great-grandmother free. Only…Instead of her, he got a monster."

"The man we know as NoriYuki died in a prison execution when the first generation of our family lived here." Sairu finished.

"NoriYuki?" I asked, shuddering at him name.

"Yes…His name was originally Fujinawa…When he was released from the mirror he made a deal with our great-grandfather to bring his wife back, for the price of his soul." Riku said. I rubbed my arms to calm my heart down. "He agreed and Fujinawa brought her back right then and there…"

"He's haunted our family ever since. Being an advisor and a friend." Sairu finished. I gulped.

"Mai…" Gene finally piped in, "I think it's time you come clean to Noll about what you know." He said. I only nodded. He's right.

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I woke up with Naru sitting on the couch, my head in his lap. I felt my cheeks go Strawberry red as I sat up quickly, gripping my head.

"Idiot." He said. I groaned.

"Naru...I think it's time I tell you what I know…" I said.

"You think?" He replied, looking at me. I smiled sheepishly.

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Woo! Ok! This chapter didn't quite end up how I wanted it to, but I think I got the point through.

I encourage positive Reviews if you like it so far! And if something doesn't make since or if I didn't explain something clearly, please do let me know!

Thanks for reading!