His
He twisted and turned on the bed. The silk blanket fell on the floor on his movements. On his first night upon transferring to the mansion, he was ecstatic on his new bedroom. It's size was twice the size of his room, the mattress were stuffed with cotton, his blanket was silk. On the side was a huge nightstand with a black lamp and letter of welcome from Patty judging from the giraffes doodled around it. He have his own walk-in closet and bathroom. Despite it though, he always found it difficult to sleep. It felt like he was being swallowed by the mattress or suffocated by the blanket. He wake up expecting to see nearly naked cat witch on top of him but then remembering where he was. It gotten worse when he haven't seen Maka for months. The black blood boiled in his veins, seeking to destroy something. He did talked to the girl earlier but it was for a mission. He missed their silly talks about stupid things and the closeness they shared.
Soul sighed then checked the clock on the nightstand, 3:31 am. He haven't slept a wink since he came back. They argued but she listened and relented in the end. So, why is he so agitated? What bothered him most was her apology. It almost sounded like goodbye but he shrugged it off as mere over protectiveness towards the girl.
'Tch, it can't be helped then. I'll go check on Kidd. He must be studying the mission already.'
He got dressed and rode his motorcycle to Shibusen. As he expected, the Shinigami was hunched over a table in the library. Scrolls and books were scattered everywhere, it's a wonder how could he deal with all the mess.
"A little excited, aren't we?" Kidd turned back at him. "The assembly time is 5 am in case you have forgotten."
"Nah. I can't sleep so I came here to help or something." He shrugged, treading the sea of books with caution. "Anyway, what are you reading about?"
"It's a series of reports from our people on France, Italy and other parts of Europe. They have a rumor about a delusional mother that kidnaps girls and leaves them with little to no memory if they don't obey her. Stein thinks that it might be part of the Lethe problem because of the amnesia and location. What do you think?"
"We should consider the possibility even if it's slight so that we would be ready to prevent it. Plus, Professor Stein's hunch was never wrong."
"I thought so too. We have to let the others know before you leave for the flight. Especially Maka assuming the witch was the real suspect."
He raised an incredulous brow, "Why? What about her?"
"Well, the descriptions of these girls were the same leading me in a conclusion that she have a specific target. You can check it if you want." Kidd handed him five folders containing the profiles of each victim.
His stomach churned while comparing the photos. "This is insane! They-"
"-have the same features as Maka, I know. Blonde, green eyes, petite built with age ranging from sixteen to nineteen."
A shout followed by heavy footsteps cut their conversation short. "Kidd! Kidd! Where the heck are you? Darn it! Kidd!"
They shared an alarmed look before running out of the library to meet a frazzled, nightgown clad Azusa. Her face mirrored the relief she felt but a lingering panic in her eyes haven't been reduced even the tiniest bit.
"What is it?" He took off his robe and place it around her shoulders.
"It's Maka… She took… the plane." She spoke between heavy breathes. "I tried to stop her... But she knocked me unconscious. I'm so sorry, Shinigami-sama."
Soul's throat constricted, "She what?"
The woman's face became resentful. "I fought to stop her but she forced her way to the chopper. There was nothing I could do. She's faster and stronger than me."
"That's just bull!"
"That's enough! Azusa, get my private jet. Plans have changed, he'll leave in five minutes. Scratch that." Kidd's eyes flashed gold, glancing at him. "You're leaving now. She's already in Europe."
"Thanks, Kidd."
"Be careful, Soul. We all know that you're the only one who can find her."
Agonizing. That's how he would described his trip. The doubt gnawing at the back of his mind grew as the minute passed by. Blurry surroundings and howling wind did nothing to ease his dread. Any time now, Maka could encounter the witch. He prayed that it wasn't the real culprit behind those incidents or else the meister would be in trouble. No matter how strong she became, she couldn't do anything without a weapon. In addition, many order defying witches sought her soul to experiment and gain power. His system buzzed with black blood, fingers twitching in response. An aching need to play the piano. He gritted his teeth and balled his hands into fists.
"Come now, Soul. We know you want to." The imp was back with his mocking grin. "It's been a while since you played but don't worry. It's still finely tuned patiently waiting for you."
He was floating in the darkness staring at the lone door where the red demon sat in his chair. Jazz music drifting from the room to him. Beckoning.
"Shut up. I won't fall for your taunts. I will enter and play whenever I wish. It is my soul." His clothes changed into a pinstriped suit the moment his foot touched the tiled floor. "My room, my concert and my piano. Stand back and watch as I play the music of my meister."
Web-like thread sprang out from his piano to search for a certain soul. It widened the imp's grin even further.
Their jet finally landed on Italy. He jumped down then ran on the direction where his music led him not wasting anytime.
Closer.
Closer.
Closer.
She reached back to him. Their souls brushed and he almost rejoiced when the sound came to a jarring stop. The thread from his piano snapped like the strained string of guitar and he recoiled from the intensity of their separation. Emptiness quickly replaced the comfort of her soul wavelength.
"Deathscythe-sama, are you okay?" One of the crew asked staring at him with concern.
He slammed the keys of his piano in frustration, creating a discordant sound. "It can't be…"
Her music had faded out of existence.
