His

He was swinging his blade in every direction. Blade ripped into someone's flesh. His body went out of control as the imp cackled with glee. The bodies of their comrades laid still a few meters away from him. There was blood everywhere. In the ground, the plants, their clothes and his hands. All of a sudden, they moved and stared at him, eyes lifeless and a huge gash ran across their chests. They surrounded him.

"Why did you kill us, Soul?" Their accusations echoed in his mind. "WHY?"

"I didn't!" He shouted, trying to escape from them. Guilt and dread threatened to consume him.

A voice shouted in the distance. "No! Get away from me! Help! Somebody help me!"

His feet took him to the source of the sound and his blood ran cold. Maka was clutching her bleeding side while running away from him. No, it was another person who looked like him. He saw him restrained the meister while laughing. His blade rose to deal the finishing blow and he bolted towards them but the others held him back. "STOP!"


He woke up screaming and drenched in sweat. Blood pounded on his ears and he could hardly breath. His eyes burned, blinking back tears as he glared at his trembling hands.

He knew it was only a nightmare. He knew it didn't really happened. Yes, he wounded some of them during his blind rage, not that it was okay, but he could never kill them even with the influence of the madness. He knew it. But darned, it felt too real!

The ones on his nightmare loathed him, their voices played on his head on repeat. But in reality, they forgave him so easily and brushed it off like it was a normal occurrence for them and he didn't know which was worse. It must be his punishment for losing control of the black blood twice despite Stein's warning that it grew stronger.

His hands curled into a fists, nails digging to his palms. "Stupid, stupid, stupid. I'm so stupid."

The bed dipped with someone's weight and he was locked in an embrace. "I thought, we've already established that fact a long time ago."

A familiar warmth washed over him when he heard her voice. The manner she said it almost led him to believe her memories returned. And for a moment, he did.

"Maka? What are you doing here? You're supposed to be at the hospital recovering."

"I don't like hospitals. The smell of antiseptics is driving me insane." She leaned her chin on his shoulder and he could hear the scowl on her voice. "Besides, I don't feel comfortable without you. You're the only one I know and trust. You can't leave me with a bunch of strangers and expect me to stay."

"I'm so sorry." Soul wrapped his arms around her tight, burying his face into her hair as he apologized for a millionth time about a different reason. A reason they both knew. Holding her there, listening to her voice and knowing she was okay flooded him with relief he never thought possible. His composure flew out of the window. Tears fell from his eyes and he choked out his fears. "I was so terrified, I- when… when I saw the gaping hole on your stomach… I thought- I thought you're gone. Forever."

His voice cracked but she never said anything. He didn't care if anyone saw him crying right now. Maka was there, in his arms, and that was all that mattered to him. She fastened her grip on him as he the truth spilled out of his mouth. "Maka, I don't wanna lose you. I can't bear it."

"I'm sorry, Soul. It was my fault. Because of my selfishness- because I left without you. I made the problem bigger. I hurt everyone without meaning to. I've hurt you. It's my fault you lost control. It's my fault you had to fight our friends. It's my fault that you are suffering… All because I wanted to prove to myself I've gotten stronger enough to rescue those kids alone." Her shoulders shook and her voice was full of remorse. She buried her face to his shirt and he had a vague notion she too was crying. "I didn't want you to leave me behind… Ever since the battle of the moon, I couldn't shake the feeling that you're going somewhere faraway. I'm afraid I won't be able to reach you."

He understood what she meant. None of them had been the same after the battle with the Kishin. Kidd and Black Star's power increased and they gave off a strange, ancient aura like the madness of Asura but quite different. The Thompson twins worked harder for the Shinigami's sake and Tsubaki could morphed into even more dangerous weapon with her meister's incredible wavelength.

Maka also changed. She pushed her body further than the limits, read every information she deemed important and became even more perceptive of souls to the point where she could almost read the emotions in it. And he was no different than the rest. He stopped running away and faced things head on. There hadn't been a day when he skipped training and lectures. On some days, he would ask his friends and seniors to spar with him and teach him new tricks. They, himself included, could feel the power of the spider queen flowing in his soul and the black blood churning in his veins grew every time he trained.

Maka spoke again and he strained to hear her small, almost vulnerable, voice. "Call me selfish but I can't lose you, Soul. Not in a million years."

She pulled away to hold his gaze despite the teardrops rolling down her cheeks. Maka Albarn never show weaknesses in front of anyone, especially in front of him.

He realized, she was just as serious and terrified as him.

They held on to each other like a lifeline, sobbing in the dead of the night. It was like they resonated. Mutual understanding dawned on them. He couldn't comprehend how deep their affections ran for each other or whether it was platonic or romantic. But one thing was sure. They didn't wanna lose each other. Somehow, that fact was enough for him. Leaning his forehead into her, he stared at her deep, sea green eyes that's swirling with emotions. "Just say the word, Maka. I'll never leave you as long as you want me to."


He watched the scythe meister clutched a duffel bag he didn't noticed she had the time she crashed to him on the market. Her face had took an ashen shade. "Hey, are you alright?"

"Yeah. Just a little nervous." She released a long, steadying breath.

They were standing in front of a basement door where the witch was held captive. Kim and the others were already inside since they set up the necessary things to establish communication with the Shinigami and Queen of the Witch Order. Faint voices could be heard which signified that the interrogation had started.

They entered the room and was taken aback by the tension palpable in the air. Chained on the far wall was the woman they fought five days ago. Her bloodied lips set in a smirk while Kilik, Tsubaki and Jacqueline held back an enraged Black Star. Kidd's image rippled in the large mirror placed just beside the door. Mabaa and her right hand stood beside him.

All of their expressions was a cross between horror and anger.

"So, what are you gonna do? Kill me?" The witch taunted. Her attention moved towards them. Towards him. For a second, fear flashed before her eyes.

It was only for a short time but they saw it and they turned to them.

"We're here, Shinigami-sama, Mabaa-sama." Maka bowed and he followed her example. "I apologize for creating more complications but I do know where Peisinoe is now thus fulfilling my initial mission."

"She's not her?" Kidd asked, pointing a finger on the woman.

"No, that is her sister, Thelxipea, if I remembered correctly. Like the Gorgons, the Sirens are composed of three sisters. All of which had an innate ability to change their appearance. The real Peisinoe is there, in Death City, for the preparation of a reversal spell. Her main goal was bigger than we thought."

"Reversal spell? I don't understand." Soul's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Whenever he thought they had made a connection to the witch, it always turned out to be wrong. It's like they're playing a guessing game and he was so sick of it. "What about the missing children? Is she the culprit behind it too or are we chasing down an entirely different person?"

"Don't worry, you're in the right track." She replied. "She wanted to reverse Arachne's spell on the weapon and for that to happen she needed a few things and an army to protect her with their lives while she cast it. An army of innocent weapon and meister we wouldn't hurt. But I managed to delay their plans but it is only for a while though."

He watched in stunned silence as she pulled out a thick leather-bound book from the bag. It had ancient writings scribbled around the cover along with the witch's symbols. The very book Peisinoe raged about, though Maka insisted the one they fought was a different witch. He knew his Meister was quick-witted but he didn't expect her to ruin the enemy's plan while living with them under the same roof for more than a week and without a memory of her mission whatsoever. Judging from Kidd's face, he didn't expect it either. In fact, none of them did.

"Nyamu." Mabaa broke the silence.

"The book of Ancient Spells." Her right hand, the male fox witch spoke. "I haven't seen it since the last century. But only witches could hold it."

"Um," she bit her lip then glanced at him for support. He nodded in encouragement. "It must be because it recognized the witch soul tied on my own."

Her words brought the tension back in the air.

Thelxipea let out a hysterical laughed. "Have you told them what we did to you, little birdie?"

She didn't respond, her eyes fixed on anything but the witch. The others stared at her, confused. He knew they didn't noticed the way her hands gripped the book with so much force her knuckles turned white nor the way her lips trembled ever so slightly when she was fighting back her emotions.

"Perhaps, you have forgotten it. But I'll tell them for you." The witch licked her lips and took delight in recounting their torture. "She drank the whole bottle of Water from the River of Lethe and miraculously survived with her senses still intact. We took her to the basement and strapped her on the surgery table to sew Atarah's soul on her. It was such a pleasure cutting such smooth skin on her chest."

His eyes darkened with rage and he clenched his hands into fists. They should have let him killed her before. The two stumps on her back could never repay the horrors they had done to Maka. Like erasing her memories wasn't enough already, they had to cut her up. He wanted to snap their necks with his bare hands. Blood boiled in his veins, raging with him. His heart hammered to his chest. The insanity was restless. It bubbled on the surface of his soul.

He was about to move when someone held his hand. Maka shook her head, her eyes pleading him not to do anything reckless. While a few meters in front of them, it took all of their friends and Stein to stop a furious Black Star. He let out a heavy breath then squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"She woke up screaming in the middle of the operation. Oh, it was the most wonderful sound I've ever heard. Each time we took her to the basement, she would beg us to stop. I wanted to run few more experiments with her but Ligeia threatened to stop helping us if we continued it." The witch mentioned the name with distaste.

"Shut up!" The book fell with a loud thud. Her hands flew to her ears and she crouched as if willing herself to shrink small enough to disappear. She was trembling and shame burned in her face.

Soul heaved her up to his arms, ignoring her cries of protest. They were getting out of the room. No more listening to insane witches. They would turn mad, either with fear or fury.

"Such a shame I couldn't see souls. Otherwise I would have rip the wings off of her-"

Thelxipea's words got cut off by a loud smack. Someone gasped and they turned back to see Marie standing over the witch. Her hand posed for another slap but Stein caught it just in time. "Don't do it, Marie. Our treaty with the witches would be in danger."

"But she hurt our precious Maka! I couldn't just stand here and listen to what they've done!" Her voice was full of emotions.

"I know, Marie. I know." The professor held her to his chest but he was also seething with anger.

Mabaa hummed, her eye fixed on the woman crumpled on the floor. "She deserved it. Nyamu."

He didn't know which was more shocked. Them or the siren.

"It is what Mabaa-sama had said. I admit our mistakes, we got fooled by the Siren's trickery. Although we will pass judgement according to what she had done on your students and the others." The male witch glanced at Kim and Kidd for a second. "Our judges are strict as you know. She won't leave without paying for her sins. Assuming she could leave at all."

"Thank you for your kindness." Kidd bowed in respect and they followed him. Their images shimmered then disappeared.

His golden orbs fixed on them. "Former Spartoi. I want you all to fly back here as soon as possible. Leave Thelxipea to Stein and Sid. The Coven will come for her."


The ride back to Death City seemed like forever when it was only for an hour. An uncomfortable silence wrapped around them in the whole flight. There was an unspoken rule between them not to asked or mention anything about the torture. Maka recovered her composure before they boarded the plane but sometimes stared at something in a frightened daze. She couldn't look at anyone in the eye and would avoid any physical touch. When she went to the bathroom, Black Star finally snapped.

"I couldn't take it anymore! What is she so ashamed about?" The assassin jumped out of his seat. "So what if she begged or screamed or cried? Any sane human would if they were tortured!"

"Please, Black Star. Think about her feelings!" Tsubaki gripped his arm. "She must have a reason-"

"Reason?" He repeated with disbelief. "To be ashamed in front of her friends who went through so much with her? Does she think we're that low as to abandon her after a few witches made her feel weak?"

"You don't know what you're talking about! Try putting your shoe in those below you for once!" Maka screamed from the doorway, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, before running through the hallway into death-knows-where.

Most of them watched her disappear. Too stunned to move. Too shock to speak. They always thought she would rather die than admit she's weaker than anyone, especially Black Star.

Soul let out a weary sigh. There's no point in getting angry. It would only lead to more misunderstandings and he wanted to avoid it at all cost. "Maka's been through a lot, Star. You and I both know she wouldn't think of that bull. She blamed herself for every single mess we encountered right now because she ruined the plan by leaving earlier."

"That's crazy!"

"Is it though? She felt responsible for restoring balance on the world because she was the only one who could. She could locate her and, unlike us, the anti-demon in her wavelength could protect her from the insanity of the Water. Five feet away from the thing and you'll go mad. She knew it too but she left in a hurry because she felt the children's soul." He stood up, planning to find the meister in the maze-like plane. It was time they knew her secret. Even if it felt wrong to tell them without her permission, he had to. "You didn't know what she went through. They told me she would suffer like BJ because they have the same ability. And I'm guessing she did. She continued to suffer even when they stopped experimenting with her."

"She felt the other victim's pain like her own. Oh, death." Kim paled in horror and he could see the gears turning on her mind. "Her Soul Perception is so advanced, she could see and feel everything in the soul like an empathy link. If they die…"

He left them reeling in the revelation.