Hiroaki woke up.

That fact alone surprised him as his brain sluggishly pieced together his memories. He'd fallen. Fallen far and wow, his head hurt. How long had he been out? Had Murasame and the other guards managed to find him?

As he opened his eyes, he quickly found the answer to that question was a resounding no.

With an undignified squawk, Hiroaki scrambled backward, elbow knocking into something hard and sending him sprawling back to the floor. He struggled to get back to scrambling but found his legs tangled in his own robes.

The skeletal undead's skull didn't move. It just continued to stare at him, no light visible in the empty eye sockets. Hiroaki finally breathed when he recognized that the skull wasn't connected to a body. The thing was dead.

That's when he finally took in his surroundings. He was still underground based on the stonewall pressed into his back. The area was dimly lit by several spheres of light lining the wall. They illuminated the room to paint a very strange picture. The first of which was what appeared to be a bed mat located where he'd been laying down. He also found a chair knocked to the ground right beside what appeared to be a desk.

For several minutes Hirkaoi didn't dare move, too many questions swirling in his head. Finally, he summoned enough courage to stand up. Hiroaki's mouth fell open when he could finally see past the desk.

Gods, just what is going on here?

The room he had assumed to be in was better described as a chamber, probably the largest one he had ever seen. A section of railing stood several yards before him, separating him from a large drop. He could make out switchbacks on the opposite cave wall, spiraling back and forth as they dipped lower and toward the center. Catwalks protruded from different levels, sometimes connecting to each other, but just as often connecting to an enormous root punching a hole through the center of all this.

That was the fig tree. He recognized the lush aura it produced, the hue a deep healthy brown. This was what the tree roots had looked like before it became sick. Before sickly tans and murky whites had infected its upper body. Here, deep underground, the tree was still healthy. He'd made it to the center.

Drawn by his curiosity, Hiroaki slowly walked toward the railing and peered over the edge. It was as he thought. The edge dropped away into darkness, the bottom almost visible to his eyes. He could just make out strange shapes at the base, blocky and humming with magic near the root. The whole place was flooded with it. Pure light magic.

The core is still healthy. Thank the light.

He crept an inch closer to the edge, leaning on the railing.

"I'd be careful If I were you. The railing has been known to give out."

Hiroaki jumped back, head swiveling as he tried to find the source of the voice.

"Who's there?" he said.

"I'm over here," said the voice patiently.

"Where?"

"Here."

Hiroaki looked at the undead skull, eyes wide. There was no way. The voice had come from this?

"An undead talking?" he whispered. "That's not possible."

"They've always been able to talk," continued the skull, rattling on its perch on the desk. "We just weren't able to understand their language."

"Then wait, what are you? Are you possessing the dead body of this creature?"

"Of course not," and it was strange to hear a snort issue from the thing. "This is just a spell. A handy one I came up with to help with surveillance and communication."

A loud rushing sound came from behind Hiroaki. He turned just in time to see large leathery wings brush past. He gaped as a man in black smoking armor landed before him. One of the arms was missing, the other holding a staff. Malice and evil seeped from the cracks between metal. The armor began to disappear, vanishing quickly once it parted from its originator, whisked away like smoke. It revealed the form of a very familiar person beneath.

"Father?" whispered Hiroaki.

Hirotaka smiled, but it wasn't the distracted smile Hiroaki was used to. This one was too wide.

"My boy!" said Hirotaka, rushing forward. He set down his staff and embraced Hiroaki, who stiffened at the contact. "I'm glad to see you up so soon. I was worried when they brought you back with that head wound. Wasn't supposed to happen, no, you were always meant to be left alone. But they are stupid creatures, those undead. Complex instructions are too hard for them to understand."

He pulled back from the embrace, looking over Hiroaki with a fond smile. Hiroaki knew Accursed changed after they made a contract with the Dark Djinn. He'd met prince Kuon before he became Cain after all. But unlike Cain, Hiroaki's actual appearance hadn't changed all that much. He still looked frazzled, hair wispy with eyes that shone with an unending supply of enthusiasm for magical science. Somehow, that made it worse. As did the pride his father seemed to be showering on him with just a look.

"Dad," Hiroaki croaked out. "You're here… But. You're an Accursed."

Hirotaka nodded fervently, wrapping his one arm around Hiroaki. "Yes, yes, we'll talk about that here in a moment. But first. I want to show you around. I've been wishing for you to come join me and The Djinn has heard my pleas. I don't want to waste a single second. Watch your step here. I can't wait to show you all the great things we are doing here."

Dazed, Hiroaki found himself being led through the maze of hallways and catwalks around the entire place. It felt surreal. Ever since he was a kid, he'd watch his father flit around workrooms, usually talking while he worked, other times spending hours in one spot doing apparently nothing. Hiroaki had always wished his father would take a second of his time to show Hiroaki around. The few times he'd asked, the man had told him he was too busy or launched into an entirely too detailed explanation for him to understand.

Now here he was, well into his own career that he had built without his father, being dragged around just as he had wished as a kid. It wasn't what he had imagined. Though he could now understand what his father said, a part of him wished that he didn't. The slimy feeling of oil seeping into his skin grew stronger with each second he stayed in contact with his father.

"This right here is just a little side project I've been working on. It helps to amplify the staying ability of the dark seeds, though I've hit a little catch where half the time it causes them to implode. I'm so close though. I'm sure there's just one rune I'm missing and then the whole thing will be complete. It's just right here—"

He detached from Hiroaki, the oily sensation leaving with him. The Accursed was now immersed in the project littering this workstation, pulling apart arcane circles and writing furiously. Typical Hirotaka. Already forgetting Hiroaki was there.

Finally finding his voice, Hiroaki cleared his throat. "Dad, I want to leave."

Hirotaka waved absently at him. "Not possible. Not possible. You'd die with the Miasma so thick. Better to stay here and learn with me. I can show you some great—oh! Now that is interesting." He leaned back into his work, muttering away.

"Dad," said Hiroaki, but Hirotaka didn't respond this time. The blatant disregard for Hiroaki's presence on top of everything else pushed his frustration forward. He strode up right next to his dad, heart thumping in both frustration and fear.

"I'm not staying," he said.

Hirotaka finally paused, blinking in confusion. "Why not? Isn't this what you wanted? To get the chance to work with me?"

"No, not like this," said Hiroaki, trying hard not to sulk. Years of neglect were hard to get over so quickly. "It always ends up with you working and forgetting about me and—that's not the point. I don't want a part of any of this. You're an Accursed. You're working on things that will hurt people. Why are you doing this? Why did you change sides so quickly? Were you really that desperate for knowledge that you turned your back on your own kingdom?"

"Knowledge is neither good nor evil," said Hirotaka. "And neither is the pursuit of it. I have merely given myself the opportunity to study a greater scope of magic than any man before me."

Hiroaki shook his head. "You don't have to be helping them to study magic. You could come back with me. Help fight against them just like Cain—like Prince Kuon does. We can find a way to get rid of the relic you hold-"

An ugly expression contorted Hirotaka's face. The staff snapped back into the Accursed's hand, random plates of dark obsidian armor clanking into place. Tendrils of darkness began to radiate off him like steam.

In a second Hirotaka had gone from harmless, to murderous.

Hiroaki ran.

He stumbled several times, not daring to look back to see if his father was following. He sped through several halls cluttered with strange magical instruments and desks littered with papers. He knocked over a tall beaker, splashing over the spilled liquid and greenish contents within. His shoes squelched, but he didn't take the time to stop.

Finally, he found a bare tunnel. This had to be a way out.

Shoes still soaked, he magicked a light above him, following down the darkened tunnel. About ten feet in, he skidded to a halt.

A wall stood in front of him. Not one made of dirt, root, or anything else you might expect underground. It was a blackness so thick, it looked nearly solid. It began just as suddenly as it had stopped, as if a line in the ground had been drawn and nothing could pass through it. The hairs on Hiroaki's arms stood telling him exactly what this was.

The Miasma.

This was why Hiroaki wasn't dead, despite being underground. The miasma was being held off. If he were to step into that thick smog, he would no doubt die.

He scurried away from the wall of darkness, not stopping until he reached the next room. He took several long breaths, relishing in the pure air that filled his lungs.

I can't leave.

The thought nearly sent him into a panic attack. His hands shook, nerves frayed, and body coated in sweat. Now was not the time to panic. He needed to keep a level head. He had to pull himself together and think! Think Hiroaki! His dad could come around the corner any second and kill him. Think!

It took several minutes to calm his nerves. In that time, he concluded that his father hadn't followed him.

He probably didn't even move after I left, he thought bitterly. What to do now?

With a groan, Hiroaki sank to the floor, head between his knees as he attempted to muffle his panicked sobs. He wasn't some grand adventurer or strategist like Cain or Kuresaki. He belonged in the back lines of the battlefield, patching up wounds and the like. Not being kidnaped with the enemy on all sides. He was trapped with no idea how to escape.

The woman would have been considered beautiful had she not been dead and deformed by dark magic. Half her body was covered with the black marks of the rot, rough ugly patches that marred her otherwise porcelain skin. She had other marks as well. Dark runes trailing from her skin onto the floor beneath, fanning out like a morbid tapestry. They oozed with an evil that time had not yet erased. The evidence of such was easy enough for Cain's eyes to spot.

The worst thing that marred this woman's otherwise attractive figure was her expression. The pain and fear twisted around an empty eye socket, burned to black as if scorched by the sun. The rot had swollen the other one shut, but he didn't doubt it was just as empty as the other.

Crouched beside the body, Cain hovered a hand over the runes, further assessing the magic.

"Her name was Kimiko Morizumi," said the soldier standing beside him. "Her servants found her early this morning. We're still questioning them, but so far no one saw or heard anything unusual last night. Scared the poor maid the death finding her like this."

As Cain remained silent, the soldier clearing his throat to continue.

"We, uh, did talk to her personal guards and they're… well. They're really freaked. They were part of the resistance that fought against you, the late Lady Kimiko here at their head. They, uh, think you killed her because of what she'd done."

"And what are they claiming she'd done to me?" said Cain.

The man looked back at his reports. "To be honest, a lot sir. It will take a while to distinguish exactly what was going on here, but it seems they were generally involved in defaming you and building the resistance."

Cain retracted his hand. So, this woman had been a leading part of those working against him. Cain knew someone of influence had been leading the cause, but with so much going on he hadn't been able to pin down the source. It seemed he wouldn't need to hunt much further.

Kuresaki entered the bedroom, boots stomping and frown deepening as he looked at the dead woman. His gaze lingered only a moment before he jerked his head away, instead focusing on Cain. A well-seasoned soldier the general may be, but a case like this would make even the most accustomed to death shiver.

"What do you make of it?" said Kuresaki. "I've never seen dark runes like this. I couldn't even get the medical examiner to inspect the body. Said it didn't feel right. Like death multiplied several times over."

"They're not too far off." Cain stood, staring in pity. No matter if this woman had opposed Cain, she still hadn't deserved a death like this. "Her essence was ripped out."

Kuresaki's eyes narrowed, the gears visibly turning. "You've seen this before."

Cain nodded. "At the palace, both before and during the attack. This is how the Dark Djinn kills his victims."

The soldier paled, looking as if he might drop his spear. Kuresaki's eyes focused back on the dead woman, a new level of trepidation in them.

"Gods above," he whispered. "You're saying he's here?"

"Undoubtedly, and probably with other Accursed as well. They've already managed to infiltrate the city."

The only time Cain had seen the Djinn was with other Accursed. It didn't mean the Dark Djinn couldn't be here by itself, but it was unlikely. If that was the case, it begged the question of why. Why did the Accursed kill this woman? Why leave her for them to find? Was it to send them into a panic? To send a message? Or was it out of pure arrogance, leaving her here knowing they would still win in the end.

If only we knew just how many Accursed were here, or even how many Accursed were still alive. They knew about Hirotaka and the beast-man with the axe relic. Reino's pendant had been stolen by Hirotaka and had yet to show again. Cain had no doubt it had found another owner by now. The ruby dagger had been destroyed by Kanae and Shin when they killed Naomi so thankfully that was one less problem to worry about. That made two known relic holders and another potential unknown one.

Since obtaining his own relic, Cain had assumed he would recognize another Accursed on sight. It had been that way with Sozen. Even with the spells covering the man's essence, Cain had been able to detect the relic immediately. Even Kyoko had been able to, now so accustomed to dark magic. But was it possible he had missed them?

"I need to do another sweep of the city," said Cain. "See if I can find the Accursed that was here."

Kuresaki raised a brow. "And what will you do when you do find one? Or more? Tear apart the city again?"

"We can't let them roam free."

Cain was already heading out the door, tightening his gloves and checking his sword strap. "Try to get a hold of Kanae and tell her to come back. It's too dangerous having her alone in those caves. And increase the guard around Kyoko."

Kuresaki trailed after him. "Her guard is as heavy as it can be, unless you want to employ men you haven't screened."

"Then I ask that you personally assign men you think we can trust." It would be a risk, but it was one they'd have to take. Cain was already outside the manor house, looking left and right, senses spread as far as he could manage. Maybe a good tracking spell could help.

Kuresaki met him outside, stopping him with a hand.

"I'll find the men," said Kuresaki. "But Cain, be careful. With this most recent death, we can't stop them from talking. They're already blaming you. All that progress we just made because of the duchess could be swept away if they thought you murdered her out of revenge. And roaming the streets looking like murder isn't going to help."

"I'm well aware of this General. I'll try to be discreet."

Cain sidestepped the outstretched hand, spells twirling around his fingertips as he attempted to find a way to track down the Djinn and Accursed. He didn't want anyone else dying like that.

Traveling alone was always faster in Kanae's experience and the caves were no exception. She found herself near the site Murasame's party had been ambushed in little more than half the time. She stopped in a small chamber, taking a moment to rest and recuperate.

Munching on a piece of bread and cheese, Kanae pulled out the cave map, idly making small corrections. The cartographer who had edited it hadn't been the best and he'd made quite a few mistakes. With Kanae's photographic memory, she had no problem keeping track of twists and turns despite there being so many.

They were right about this portion eventually leading back toward the center.

She was just two chambers away from where Hiroaki had disappeared and where the monsters had shown up. From there, it was a straight shot to the center of the tree. The problem was going to be getting there as the next chamber had a detection spell.

The spell was laughably easy to detect. Even rudimentary scouting spells would have spotted this one immediately. That would have warned the previous party to be on their guard and perhaps saved some lives. But no, soldiers had no sense of flexibility other than follow orders and push straight ahead. Kanae didn't consider herself to be a very creative person, but she understood the importance of flexible thinking in the presence of magic, battle and scouting missions.

Kanae brushed the crumbs from her hands, thinking through her options. There were still other chambers she could explore. Ones that branched off half a mile back and could potentially lead to the center. But those could be protected by spells as well. Either way, the presence of these detection spells meant there was something down here.

She pulled out the "travel-sized" relaywell, cursing the thing's size and weight. She filled it with water from her bottle, tapping on the rune to activate the thing. The rune glowed a dim color, but the responding connecting rune didn't active.

"I knew this stupid thing wouldn't work," she grumbled, swatting at it in frustration. The abuse did nothing as the rune continued to glow dully, waiting for an accompanying signal to connect. She suspected it had more to do with magical interference than being this far underground. It hadn't worked since the moment she'd entered the caves. She put away the water and basin, considering her options.

Should she keep going, or should she go back? Would it even be worth exploring other portions of the caves? She'd been instructed to find out what she could, but if there was an alarm spell it meant there were likely more enemies. While she had confidence in her own combat abilities, she was also deep underground, alone and covered in a miasma that could decide to start working any second. They still had no idea why she was alright walking through it when others died from the exposure.

More than anything, she didn't like that alarm spell. Something about it bugged her. It was too obvious. Too easy to detect. Was it set up by a normal magician siding with the Accursed, or had the Accursed just not put any effort in hiding it? Assuming it was an Accursed that had laid it. Or had the alarm system been set up after that incident?

She thought for a few more minutes, eventually letting loose a grumbling sigh.

What did it matter why it was there or when it had been placed? The truth was that Kanae had to go check it out, otherwise this entire trip would be a waste of time. The sooner she checked out the center of the tree, the sooner she could get back to report.

Tidying up her makeshift camp, Kanae slung her pack over her shoulder, adjusting the spear on her back. She hated these caves. It was so cramped in here she'd had to condense her spear, shortening it for travel. A soldier who didn't know any better had asked her about bringing it underground. As if she'd leave it behind. It was the one thing she still had from Master Kotetsu Usugi. Kanae wasn't about to leave it behind.

And while it was technically a terrible choice for closed spaces like these, she had ways to work around it. Such as shortening it magically. Or using her daggers.

She reached the next chamber quickly, finding herself at the edge of that detection spell. With practiced movement, she spun an arcane spell, cloaking her presence to allow her to pass through undetected. It should work, barring there weren't any hidden spells her magic was unable to detect.

Here goes nothing.

She stepped through the spell, reaching the other side before pausing.

Nothing.

No magical fluctuations she could detect. No sounds. No anything.

It didn't feel right.

Kanae kept moving forward, senses spread out as best as she could manage. She may not have the natural talent at sensing that Kyoko did, but she did have spells to assist her, and those weren't picking up a single thing. Well, save for the small magic emanating from the tree roots and the Miasma around her.

It's gotten thicker.

Kanae reached the drop where Murasame and his team had been ambushed. She screwed up her face, holding a sleeve to her nose. As if that could help.

Miasma rolled on the cave floor, thick as a storm cloud. Her enhanced eyes couldn't spot the ground, instead picking up the enormous waves of dark energy wafting from below. It was a wonder the team hadn't all died the moment they reach the bottom. She had to give Hiroaki's tinctures more credit. The question was if she could live walking through that miasma without a tincture herself.

Kanae guessed the answer would be a resounding no. Jumping down there would be courting death. There was no way she could survive miasma that thick. She should have waited until morning when the apothecaries had finished another tincture. Damn Cain and his haste. It was going to end up costing them.

Grinding her teeth, Kanae took several steps back, mentally readying herself to explore the other caves as quickly as possible.

A presence entered the edge of her senses, followed by several more. Based on the dark aura they exhibited, they weren't friendly. They were also coming from the tunnel she'd exited.

Coming in from behind, just like Murasame described.

Kanae shut off her light source, weaving a spell to help her see. Without any light to pull from, Kanae was left seeing vague shapes of magic instead of solid outlines. To her right was a thick weak stump of light magic. That had to be a tree root.

She hurried behind it, throwing up a cloaking spell to blend in with the worn gray. Hopefully, she'd been quick enough to shut off her light that the things coming hadn't seen it. She could already spot a small glow of light growing from the mouth of the passage.

A minute later, monsters came into view; Two necromancers, several undead, and one Lamia carrying with them their own light.

The snake humanoid was hissing at the necromancers, the language unknown to Kanae, but it sounded like she was displeased. The necromancers didn't look too thrilled themselves, remnants of dark cloaks hanging from their rotten flesh and white bones. Kanae had to resist pinching her nose in disgust.

The hissing from the lamia got louder, the undead clanking their teeth in response. Just when it looked like they would come to blows, the lamia branched off, slithering to the wall opposite of where Kanae hid. It was difficult to make out what was happening with the undead in the way, but a moment later she heard a loud grinding sound, like stone moving against stone.

An opening appeared in the wall. Kanae watched, eyes narrowed as she tried to make out the spell the lamia had used. Yes! There it was. Very well hidden behind its own cloaking spell. No wonder Kanae and the others had missed it.

She watched as the monsters disappeared through the new tunnel, memorizing the spell with a glance. Rock slid closed behind them and she was thrown back into total darkness. She waited a few moments before emerging from her hiding place. She threw up a few lights, bending down to examine the rock.

"I wonder how many of those hidden entrances I missed," she muttered to herself with a curse.

"I wouldn't feel too bad about it. They've got some strangely sophisticated spells for creatures of their intelligence," said a bored voice.

Kanae jumped away, her spear snapping into her hands at it extended toward—the tree root? That's where the voice had come from. She kept her spear raised threateningly, spells ready at her fingertips.

"No need for that." said the voice again.

"Then feel free to show yourself," said Kanae, squinting at the darkness

There came a long-suffering sigh, and then the root began to shift.

A section of the root broke away, twisting into a human-like form. The torso was bare, as were the arms and feet and though fleshy in texture, the coloring of its skin was too fair. Green shimmering marks wound around the whole body, a cross between the lines of a tree and arcane runes. A section of root softened into a long green strip of cloth girded around the creature's waist before dropping to the floor. Last to form was the head.

While masculine in quality, there was a strange softness and enteral lining to the jaw. Its cheekbones and bowline were a touch too high. What should have been the whites of the eyes were black, iris's green as tree leaves. A short crop of messy hair stuck up in several directions, ornated with soft white lights that shimmered with light magic. Light magic in a miasma saturated place like this! This creature was a dryad.

Kanae gaped, unable to help herself.

The Dryad eyed Kanae's spear, raising a hand in defense.

"I came out as you asked," he said with a note of annoyance. "Can you put that down now? It's making me nervous."

That night, Kyoko dreamt of Aya.

It had been a long time since she had thought about the concubine, murdered after trying to murder Kyoko herself. The death of Kimiko felt similar. Both young women. Both opposing Kyoko or Kuon in some way. Yet both had been murdered by the Dark Djinn. Had Aya and Kimiko been a third party just caught up in the crossfire? Or had the Accursed betrayed their own? Kyoko had never found out the answer to Aya, and she doubted she'd find the answer for this Kimiko either.

Kyoko sighed, shuffling the deck of playing cards she'd been given. They sat out on a flat board lain across her lap, giving her something to do during her bouts of energy while she wasted away in bed.

"How many more bloody times are you going to shuffle that deck?" said Murasame. He sat in the bed next to her, glaring at the cards Kyoko held in her hands. "If you're not going to play something then just put them away, you're going to permanently crease them."

After some coaxing, Kyoko had gotten Hikaru to agree to move her to Murasame's room. She figured the man could use the company. Not only that, but with her increase in guards, hiding her in one of the more sheltered room was now ludicrous. Better to have a good location they could defend easily than worry about secrecy. Everyone knew where she was at this point. Her sickness was no secret.

Kyoko finished her shuffling, tapping the cards on the board to line them up before started sorting them for a solo game.

"I just wanted to make sure they were shuffled properly," said Kyoko with a pout. She had definitely not gotten lost in her thoughts. "I can't play a decent game of 'Carts and Horses' with a poorly shuffled deck, now can I?"

"Sure," drawled Murasame. "And I can't get any decent sleep with your shuffling. It's driving me insane."

Kyoko gave a sad smile. The man had complained non-stop since Kyoko had joined him in his room. He complained about Cain, the room temperature and had once bullied Kyoko into telling him a bit more about her travels. All while complaining about any and everything under the sun. Everything except the pain from the final stage of the rot

Kyoko started her game, trying to focus on the cards. Their faces slipped from her attention as her mind wandered back down familiar roads.

She thought of Hiroaki and the funeral service she couldn't attend. She worried about Kanae, hoping her friend would make it back alive. She fretted over the Accursed and Cain, wondering if the city would survive another fight between the Accursed.

She thought about Rosa, their best hope for fighting off the Dark Djinn.

Destroy the relics.

That was the only thing Kyoko really remembered from their exchange inside her essence. Everything else was just a hazy sense of unease that centered around her and Cain. Not that they had needed Rosa's input. Killing the Accursed and the Djinn had been on her agenda from the start. Now, if only they could manage that without getting killed themselves.

"Oi," said Murasame suddenly. "It's even creepier when you go silent. Are you even paying attention to your game?"

"I'm paying attention," said Kyoko. She wasn't. "I thought you wanted me to be quiet."

"And what did I just say? It's even creepier when you go quiet."

Before Kyoko could think of something to say, Hikaru came in.

"Any news?" said Kyoko eagerly.

"Not really," said Hikaru, taking the seat beside her. It sat between her bed and Murasame's, facing between them rather than cutting Murasame out of the conversation. "Cain came back a few hours ago but apparently didn't find any signs of the Accursed. He's in a meeting to assess damage control on the new rumors spreading after Kimiko's death."

"Let me guess," said Kyoko. "We're back to square one with everyone hating us?"

"Not yet. Enough people heard she was killed by the Dark Djinn and while some take that as confirmation that Cain is a traitor, some are taking it as a sign that the Djinn is against Cain."

"You can't convince everyone," said Murasame with a huff. "Especially those that don't want to see the truth."

Funny that he should be the one saying that. She was about to tease him for the comment when she noticed he wasn't looking at her. His gaze focused somewhere over her shoulder, eye glassy. She looked behind her, seeing nothing before looking back at him.

"Are you okay?" she said.

Murasame frowned deeply, rubbing at his one visible eye.

"Blood," he said. "In my eye. Coloring my vision."

Kyoko shared a look with Hikaru.

"There's nothing in your eye," said Hikaru, but Murasame shook his head.

"It's there. I can see it. Everything red…"

"Get the physician," said Kyoko quickly. "He's about to have another episode."

Hikaru left quickly, leaving Kyoko with Murasame as he kept rubbing his eye. She stood, tottering the two steps to his bed to grab his wrist.

"Stop that," she said. "You'll hurt your one good eye if you keep at it."

He shook his head quickly, the shivers traveling down his whole body as he gave a groan.

"So cold," he whispered. "No. Can't… stop. The blood."

He dissolved into low murmurs, the tremors continuing. Kyoko made soothing sounds, trying to keep him comfortable until the physician returned. When he did, he quickly shooed Kyoko back to her bed, scolding her before helping Murasame sleep.

Kyoko sank back into her covers, watching the man work with a heavy heart. That's what she should be doing. What she would be doing if she wasn't sick. Helping people. Helping Murasame stay comfortable during this last day of his life. But she couldn't. Just those few minutes of soothing Murasame had left her weak. Her eyelids felt heavy, fluttering as they threatened to close.

"Rest," said Hikaru's low voice.

"But I want to stay with him," she muttered. "Its… the least I can do."

"I'll stay with him."

She gave an understanding smile. "Just like you did with Norishigue?"

When he didn't answer, she reached for him blindly, knocking into his arm before finally finding his hand. Though covered with a thick pair of gloves, she still felt his warmth as she gave it a tight squeeze. He returned the gesture. With his comforting presence, she fell into a fitful sleep.

Her dreams were full of dark shapes and running through deserted rooms. They remained empty for some time until she finally found something; Aya's body.

She left that room for another, only to find another body in there as well. Then in another. She found Rosa in one room only to have the Phoenix swallowed up in the dream. And all the while Kyoko felt something watching her, raising the hairs on her neck as she kept moving.

It finally got to the point that she couldn't help it. She turned to see what was there.

Nothing. Just more darkness and rooms with bodies.

That tickling in the back of her mind would not stop. What was it? Not something watching her. Something… something else. Something she'd forgotten or not figured out yet.

She ran back through the rooms, zipping past now empty spaces. She saw a light and made a decision. She dashed into that room, throwing open the doors.

It was a bedchamber shrouded in the waning light of dusk and elegantly decorated. In the center was a body she'd never seen, covered in all too familiar dark runes.

This had to be Kimiko.

The dark magic gave a soft glow, just giving Kyoko enough light to see the outline of the body. Kimiko's empty eye socket seemed to suck away all light, growing deeper and deeper.

So much pain from such evil magic, Kyoko thought mournfully. Only dark runes could do something like this.

Kyoko's eyes shot open.

She sat up quickly, swaying as her head spun.

"Whoa there, easy does it." Hikaru was still sitting beside her. He held out a steadying hand, probably stopping her from passing out. "Bad dream?"

"How long have I been asleep?" It felt like she'd wandered those halls for hours.

Hikaru shrugged. "About ten, fifteen minutes at most?"

Good! That meant she still had time. The physician was gone and Murasame was still breathing, his chest rising and falling in the stable rhythm of medicated sleep. In her dreams, the pieces had finally snapped together.

Kyoko threw her covers aside, prompting Hikaru to call out. She ignored his usual worries about her health, wobbling to one of the medicinal cabinets. She touched a hand to her necklace, sending out a signal to Cain and considered sending a second.

"Send someone to get Cain," said Kyoko instead. "I've already sent for him, but he needs to hurry." She cut off Hikaru before he could start protesting again. "Please. The faster we get him, the better chance we have of saving Murasame."

Hikaru's eyes widened. "You don't mean...?"

Kyoko nodded, finally finding what she was looking for. She yanked the device from its place in the cabinet, pressing on the magic installed inside to adjust the coding. The runes shimmered in the air before her, most unneeded for what she was going to do. She erased them in a calm sweep, using her finger to write a new arcane code.

"It's a long shot," she said without pausing. "But I think I figured out a way to cure the rot, and I can't do it without Cain's help."

Thanks to those of you still reading XD!

Baby is still incoming. Just a few weeks away now. Not sure if I'll post before then so let me give my Merry Christmas, Happy Thanksgiving (For those in the USA), Happy New Years, and whatever million other holidays I may or may not miss in that time!

And yes, I will explain why Kanae can walk through the miasma, I promise. I think some of you have figured it out already.

-Blushweaver

I Imouto approve this chapter.