Chapter 7

Thursday Evening May 3rd

Case 1: Day 3

It is cold. Or maybe I'm cold? I don't know, I can't sense anything. It feels like I'm in a haze, a cold dark haze. Like it swallowing me whole. I can't feel, see, or touch anything around me. Where am I?

"Mai" a voice? A female voice, but I can't pinpoint who the voice belongs to.

"– Mai!" Mai? Am I Mai? Why can't I seem to remember?

"Mai, please wake up. It's Gene" Gene? I know Gene. He's the brother to my boss, I remember. My spirit guide. My name is Mai, I was attacked….I think?

"God Dammit Mai, wake up!" The female voice screamed. My eyes bolted open as I launched forward. I gripped my head as a wave of dizziness came over me "She's awake!"

"Because you screamed. Be glad we are dead and no one besides Mai can hear us"

I felt a cold touch on my left arm, lowering my hands away from my head I looked up to see Gene kneeling in front of me "Gene. What happened? Where am I?" I struggled to stand on my own. "I'm in so much pain"

"That's because of your lack of intelligence." I looked over to the faceless female voice.

"You!" I leaned against a stone wall, gripping my abdomen "W-what are you doing here?!" standing there in her beautiful silk colonial dress, was my doppelganger.

"Well, that's not how you act to someone who helped save your life." I just looked at her dumbfounded, then I glanced at Gene with a question written all over my face "Mai, this is Kat-"

"Lolita is my given name," she said as she picked at her nails "You know who I am. When I latched on to you, you were able to see a memory of me. Granted it wasn't the memory I wanted anyone to see...let alone I remember" I remember, that dream I had a few days ago. She had some freaky witch magic. Her village was burned down, her people hunted and killed… her daughter...she brought her daughter back to life

"If your name is Lolita-" she cut me off "

I go by Katerlina since it is my middle name. I no longer want to be reminded of the name Nature bestowed upon me at birth" Katerlina looked me dead in the eyes

"Do you even know your birth name?" "Kat!" Gene yelled

"Gene, what is she talking about?" I looked between the both of them. I was shocked by how much Gene looked like Naru at this moment. They are identical twins, but you can see the difference. And right now it feels like Naru is standing in front of me.

"She needs to know! Its happening Gene, its happening now!" Katerlina yelled back. I'm so confused. What is happening? What are they talking about?

"We are bound by an oath Kat-"

"What good is the oath is this girl is going to be killed." Katerlina raged on. I took a few steps forward towards the arguing pair

"Can you both please stop yelling!" my vision started to fade in and out "P-please" I gasped out. Collapsing on the cold stone ground I moaned in agony "Mai!" Gene rushed to my side.

"Mai, you're bleeding" suddenly my head filled with the memories of the attack. How long ago was it? How long have I been away from the ball?

"We need to get her out of here," Katerlina said. Where is here? Out of the corner of my eye through the haze, I glanced around. Stone all around me, it looks like I was in a tunnel built underground.

"Mai, I need you to get up, we need to find a way out" Gene spoke

"I cant" I panted out. My vision became foggy, and soon I couldn't see anything at all. It was like a white foam was covering my eyes "I-I can't see! Gene!" I could feel my hurt race inside my chest, a panic attack was looming over me

"What do you mean?" I could hear the worry in his voice.

"Gene, I need you to listen to me -" Katerlina began

"Not now Kat! We need to help Mai" my breathing became heavy and my head felt like my brain was pushing against my skull. What is happening to me? I could feel my self-become lighter. Like I was losing all the scenes around me. Nar...Nar…

Naru….

The world around me ceased to exist

Night of May 3rd

A few hours had gone by since Mai was determined missing. Mrs. Mataki was saying goodbye to last few remaining party guest. Assuring them that everything was going to be alright. Father Brown had told Mrs. Mataki that Mai had gone missing, and that she needed to end the Charity Ball at once. It was like she had already thought this was going to happen, she took to the stage to calmly telling her guest that they had to evacuate the property due to a gas leak. And that the proper company was already on the way to fix the issue. And with minutes the house was empty except for a few coworkers of her husband, wanting to stay with her until the issue was solved. She wished us luck on finding Mai and Miss. Williams and bid us a farewell. I sat in my computer chair, not even bothering to look at the footage Lin had brought up.

I was alone, I pulled Mai's necklace from my coat pocket. The small dainty rose felt cold in my palm. I remember when I gave this to her, the day I had left…

You could hear the rain pouring down. It was like the universe knew it was a day of mourning. I watched from the window as the workers moved the black casket that held the remains of my deceased twin brother into the bottom of the private jet. I had told mother not to make a scene with the plane, that I was fine taking a commercial flight. I just have to be ready to ignore the questions from the others. Its been a little less than a year since Gene's murder. Since I personally felt and witnessed my brother's killing. I'm sorry Gene that it took this long to find you. Now you can finally be put to rest and move on. Maybe this will give my family and I the closer we need. We may never know who killed you. What matters is that you will be home in England. Home.

Its been a while since I was home. I miss England and my parents. Since I've been in Japan, this country has become a second home. The people I've meant are completely different from the English. I should feel at home here. Since I am Japanese. I guess the two halves of me make a whole. I never cared for Japan. Gene did, ever since we were told that we were adopted, Gene's main mission was to find our birth family. He wanted to know what ran through our blood. I, on the other hand, could care less. Our birth mother gave us up for a reason. A reason I never cared to know. My parents are the ones who raised us. They are the only family that matters to me.

"Naru?" I turned to see Mai standing beside me. Looking at the same scene I was. The workers had stopped, deciding to put the luggage in first "Or Oliver?" I didn't answer her. Naru sounded like Noll in Japanese so the name never bothered me. But hearing her say my real name. It was not the norm.

"Well, whichever name you prefer I like them both. Oliver suits you" When I looked at her I saw she was already looking at me, Giving me that smile of hers.

"I was named after a family friend, so my mother told me. He passed away before Gene and I were adopted. Kazuya was the name my birth mother gave me."

"I'm surprised you used it"

"It's a common name. People wouldn't look my way. Perfect name to use when you're trying to stay out of the spotlight."

"Well I think your secret broke Monk" Mai giggled "He's low key been wanting to ask for an autograph"

"I guess working together wasn't enough for him" Mai just smiled, she looked back out the window. I saw a sadness in her eyes

"It rained on both my parent's funerals. It was like nature was crying alongside me. Like she too lost a child. But I think these are tears of happiness. She's happy that you finally found him, and that he gets to return home." Mai always has a way of finding the light in the darkest of moments.

"I never thought of it that way." We watched as the crew finished putting the casket in. they closed the door and started to walk back. I let out a sigh. I'll have to be leaving soon.

"You always have to look for the positives in everything. That's the only way to truly be happy. Well, that's my opinion at least"

"Noll" Mai and I turned to see Lin "We are boarding in twenty. Time to say your goodbye's" "I'm going to miss you, Lin!" Mai rushed and gave him a hug. The look on Lin's face was pure shock. But he smiled and hugged her back. "You as well Mai."

"You guys will be coming back soon? Can't keep SPR closed for long" Lin looked at me and then at her "right?" Mai looked at me. I could see the heartbreak in her eyes "Naru?"

"I'll give the both of you a minute" He nodded towards me and headed to the rest of the group

"Mai"

"You were never planning on coming back were you" Tears welled up in her eyes

"No. England is my home, Mai. I only came here to find Gene" I pulled out a little black box and handed it to her

"A goodbye present" she took it. Never opened it, she just looked at it with tears streaming down her face. "Goodbye, Mai." I walked past her heading towards my terminal entrance where Lin was waiting.

"I love you!" Mai yelled out. I stopped in my tracks "Naru – Oliver – after everything you told us, after all the lies. I was so angry and mad. But I came to realize that I still love you. So please, please come back Naru" I heard her choking on her sobs "Come back for me"

"You love Gene, Mai. You fell in love with him, in your dreams. We are not the same" I started to walk again. Never bothering to look back at her.

"N-Naru..." I heard the crushing sound in her voice. I made it to the terminal entrance were Lin just shook his head at me. "Not a word" and I walked past him. A few moments later I was sitting in my seat. Listening to the pilot.

A few minutes till take off. I looked out the window and saw it had stopped raining. Then I saw her. Mai, standing in the same spot I left her. Her face red and covered in tears. Ms. Matsuzaki and Tokugawa comforting her. Mai's hand was placed on her chest, and as she moved the light glistened off the rose necklace I had just given her. I smiled and looked away as the jet started to move down the runway.

Forgive me, Mai.

"Noll! Look!" Madoka pointed to the window. And there, over the airport was a rainbow.

Maybe Mai was right. Maybe nature is happy.

"Naru?" jolting out of my thoughts. I come to see Lin seated next to me "Mai's necklace" Lin look at it and then to me "Naru please tell me you didn't try psychometry to find Mai."

"No. I haven't. I'm not an idiot" I placed Mai's necklace back inside my coat pocket. "Where is the rest of the team"

"They are getting changed into more reasonable attire" I took out my notebook to re-read all the data I had written down. Trying to see a pattern that I might have missed, anything to give me a clue as to where Mai had gone.

"We are going to find her Naru" I didn't answer him. Just stared at the pages before me written beautifully in cursive. This is the first time Mai has disappeared on a case. The cases we've been taking on have gotten more and more dangerous. But these are the cases I enjoy taking. Its amazing research and each case seem to open the door to the paranormal that no one has seen. But is all of this worth Mai getting hurt or even worse… killed. I didn't act like this when Miss. Hara went missing. Sure I was worried and wanted her to be safe, she's a family friend, I've known her family for years. I remember Gene was so persistent to court her. She gladly excepted of course, and soon after he passed she moved right on to me.

"Naru!" Tokugawa threw open the door "Has there been anything new?" the rest of the team followed in suit and sat down. He walked over to Lin and I and looked at the paused footage on the screen

"What is this Lin?" he asked

"This is the footage I have of the ball. The only camera angle close enough to the balcony the time Mai was attacked and taken" Lin played the footage. You saw Mai walking towards the balcony and disappearing into the darkness of the night. Nothing else for a few moments and then the team and I rushing out.

"Is that all?" Ms. Matsuzaki asked, standing behind me. I didn't even hear them move for the lounge area.

"No. Lin and I were also keeping track of the temperature's throughout the house." Yasu said. Lin switch screens to the thermal video. And played the footage back

"As you can see the temperature in the ballroom is a few degrees higher. Then the rest of the house, besides the kitchen of course. This is due to the number of people and their body heat. But as soon as Mai leaves the ballroom, you then start to see the temperature go down. And then right here! The temperature drops excessively. This is when we believe Mai was encountered and attacked. But Lin and I also noticed that around this time the temperature drops double the amount. Leading us to think that a second spirit had come." Yasu finished

"A second?" Madoka questioned

"It's possible both the spirits of Mr. Rosenberg and Zoe appeared" Father Brown joined in.

"Is what we are currently thinking" Yasu answered.

"Okay, so we think both spirits appeared but that still doesn't help us with Mai's location," Madoka said. Visibly upset.

"We are working on that Madoka" Lin said while trying to console his fiance. Madoka started to sob into his shoulder. "H-her blood was everywhere" she cried.

Tokugawa took Ms. Matsuzaki in his arms and spoke "She's right, Mai is seriously hurt and without medical attention..." he trailed off, not even bothering to finish the sentence. We all were thinking the worse. I could hear Father Brown sitting in the armchair in the corner praying. I twitched my lips upward. Mai was right, Father Brown doesn't like to be in the center of the room. Amazing how she saw that one little habit.

Yasu was rustling through paperwork full of data "I'm sure Mai is perfectly fine. She always is" Miss. Hara spoke for the first time. I actually forgot she was present in the room.

"No need to act like she's already dead."

"You don't know that Masako. With all the blood we found, she is incredibly injured" Ms. Matsuzaki said, her doctor mode slipping through "I need to tend to her. Depending on where she was injured she could have internal bleeding, and if that's the case she needs a hospital right away."

Miss. Hara raised her kimono-clad arm to her face. Hiding her expressions like always and tilted her head slightly up. "Did any of you act like this when I was taken by Urado" I was a little taken back by her statement.

"Stop being so selfish Masako! Not everything is about you!" Ms. Matsuzaki yelled. Stepping closer to the doll-like teen. "Of course we worried. But Mai was the one who worried the most."

Tokugawa also chimed in "Don't you remember? Mai never gave up on you. She was the first one to you. She made us all believe you were still alive and well" Miss. Hara looked down and didn't pay any mind to the couple. Movement caught my eye. I glanced at one of the nearby screens, my breath caught in my throat. Mai. Standing in the middle of the ballroom floor.

"Lin!" Seeing what I saw he raised the volume and on the screen next to it pulled up the same footage with thermal control on. The rest of the group gathered around.

"Mai" Madoka gasped out. The thermal footage reads Mai as cold. Spirit level cold. I could feel my stomach churn.

"How are we able to see her?" Father Brown questioned. No one had the chance to answer before Mai let out a scream of agony. But it didn't just come through the speakers on the computers. It was like she was screaming next to us. The whole house filled with her agony. She fell to her knees. Her tattered golden dress spilled out beneath her

My body felt like it was being turned apart. I let out a scream of pain, tears streamed down my face like molten lava. I collapsed to my knees. Everything around me was cold as ice. It was like someone was taking a knife and slicing my skin open all over me. I pulled at my hair, trying to release the pressure in my head. Every move I made, caused me to feel like each bone was being broken. My back burned as if someone branded me in the center. Even though it hurt, I kept screaming. And begged for this pain to go away. What was happening to me?

"Mai!" I heard my name, through wet eyes I saw Gene. I can actually see him. The white foam that was over my eyes was no longer there. Wait. I'm in the ballroom...not that weird stone tunnel. Was I back? No, sadly I was not. I'm in my dream state. Gene rushed to me. Collecting me in his arms.

"Don't touch her!" it was Katerlina. But she was too late to warn Gene. He pulled away in pain. I could see that his shirt had melted and left holes in places he held me tighter. Steam came off the melted fabric. Gene looked at me in shock

"H-how?" I was just as confused as he was. I shouldn't be able to cause Gene harm. I'm still alive and he is a spirit.

"Gene, stay away from her." Katerlina came over to help him up. She looked at me with pity in her eyes "I'm so sorry Mai"

"Help me" I begged. My body fully collapsed to the floor "What is happening!" I screamed out. My back arched up as I let out another scream of pain. I rocked back and forth as I cried. I hear Katerlina kneel beside me

"Mai, this will all be over soon I promise" I looked at her through fogged eyes

"Your mother, she made me take an oath." My mother? She took my hand, I tried to pull away, not wanting to burn her like I did Gene, but she held tight. She wasn't affected.

I was still gobsmacked that I could see Gene. He didn't move on. Even when we laid him to rest, he was still here, here in this building. I watched as he rushed to Mai, I tilted my eyes away, not wanting to see him embrace her.

"This can't be happening. I don't understand. What is happening to Mai?" Yasu asked. We all saw her in a frenzy, screaming and crying.

"I'm more concerned on how we can see her. Naru's brother I understand cause he's..." Tokugawa trailed off "Sorry" I just ignored him. But he is right. We shouldn't be able to see Mai at all.

"What!" Madoka yelled out "She just burned him! That's not possible!" Madoka came closer to the screens to get a better look. None of this is making sense at all.

"Wait, who is that?" Ms. Matsuzaki asked. Right after Gene was burnt, another spirit emerged. She looked identical to Mai, just with longer hair dressed in a silky gown that was looking to be made in the eight-teen hundreds. We watched as Mai fully collapsed to the ground, arching her back and screaming in pain. Mai begged for help as she cried, the look-a-like knelt beside Mai and took her hand. Mai didn't burn her. Why just Gene?

"Mai, this will all be over soon I promise." I heard the sobs of Ms. Matsuzaki and Madoka "Your mother, she made me take an oath."

"What oath?" Yasu asked

"For some reason, I have this feeling that what we are seeing in front of us, has nothing to do with the present case" Lin stated

I could feel how wet my body had become. I've broken out in a sweat. Panting. Katerlina still holding my hand, helping me get through each wave of excruciating pain.

"Kat" Gene stood above her. Katerlina looked at him "We need to call her" Call who? Does Gene know what is happening to me?

"We don't have enough time. She's going through the faze as we speak." I gripped her hand tighter, I saw her wince from the pain. I let out another painful scream. Katerlina has been mumbling under her breath each time a wave overcomes me. I can't tell what language she is speaking, it sounds so familiar to me I just don't have the consternation to translate

"I told her to not place the spell on Mai. I told her this would happen. She broke an oath" Katerlina said

"She did it to protect Mai" Katerlina whipped around and stood, letting go of my hand

"To Protect! Look at her Gene! All that power that she was born with was stored away and never used, and now, after the spell has finally finished wearing off, it is hitting her all at once. This is dangerous."

"Her mother never attended for this to happen. She never planned on being killed"

"Please. I watched as the mark of Nature was bestowed on Mai. I saw the fear in Mira's eyes. I told her to not cast that spell. She made me take an oath, to never show myself to Mai. To never send Mai any type of sign dealing with her true identity. That was our agreement. I thought Mira listened to me, upheld her end of the oath"

"Then James was killed by a hunter protecting Mira. That's why she did it, Kat. She already lost James. She didn't want Mai running and fearing for her life."

"At least she could have had training, to protect her self" is everything they are saying true? My mother did this to me? What am I? Who am I? My heart picked up in pace, not because of the pain, not because of anger. I felt my arms tremble. I rolled over and held myself up on my hands and knees. The burning sensation in my back began to spread across my shoulders and arms. The air around me became thicken, making it hard to breathe. I stood myself up. And at once all the pain escaped my body.

"Mai!" Katerlina yelled. She rushed over to me "Mai, listen to me, I need you to control yourself" she placed her hands on the sides of my shoulders. I heard her, but my mind wasn't processing what she said. I was just so angry. My mother lied to me. She did something to me. The room began to shake, I let out a scream of war. The glass windows and doors shattered, flinging glass in every direction, the wind from the outside whirled in. Twisting my full skirt around my legs, whipping my hair across my face. The chandeliers crushed to the floor. Causing a sea of glittering diamonds to spread across the floor

"Mai stop!" Gene yelled. Am I doing this? My body went limp and I was engulfed in darkness

We watching in shock as Mai stood. Her arms, shoulders, and back covered in black markings. When she turned around the group gasped in shock as her eyes went from melted chocolate to snow white. Mai let out a cry of anger that we all heard throughout the empty mansion. The floors began to shake, the hanging chandelier swayed, computers and monitors started to fall from the shelves. The girls started to scream in fear. The guys besides Father Brown who was holding up a bookcase helped Lin and I protect some of the equipment. Soon the shaking subsided. We all took a minute to collect ourselves. I looked back at the screen showing the ballroom and all I saw was broken glass and chandeliers. No Mai, or Gene, or the look-a-like named Katerlina.

"What the hell just happened!" Tokugawa demanded

"Is everyone okay?" Lin asked. They nodded. I looked around at the mess, some screens fell and broke, along with some extra cameras. I sighed.

"I'll give Mrs. Mataki a call and tell her about the damages," Yasu said as he exited

"Father, go with Yasu," I said, father stood and left the base.

"Whatever is going on, just got a lot more interesting," Madoka said. I couldn't agree more, Those things Katerlina and Gene were talking about. Did Gene know Mai's mother? He couldn't have, Gene passed away a little a year ago, Mai's mother three. That was Gene's first trip to Japan. There is no possible way. Maybe he met her in the spirit realm?

"Naru" my thoughts were broken by a soft female voice.

"Miss. Hara"

"I sense Mai" I shifted my gaze to her, nodding for her to go on "It's faint. It's not her spirit I sense, more like an energy."

"An energy? I thought you can only sense those of the dead" Tokugawa asked. He took a seat along with Ms. Matsuzaki.

"I do. But if a person's energy is strong and I know the person I can tune into the wavelengths it is sending out. When she was in the ballroom, I could feel this vibration of power coming from her, pulsing like a heartbeat, growing stronger and stronger. Then when she let out that final scream it was like a star exploding. It washed over me. I've never felt anything like it before."

"You said this energy you feel now is faint" I stated. She nodded "Correct. Once the trembling had stopped, the energy I felt from Mai vanished, just like she did. Now I feel it. Mai is somewhere on this property."

"Tokugawa, find Yasu. Tell him to dig up every floor plan of this house. New and old. I want to know even if they replaced a doorknob"

"Got it" he stood and left, followed by Ms. Matsuzaki.

"Miss. Hara, I want you to focus on what you feel. And the second you feel a change let me know" she nodded in understanding. Madoka and Lin finished cleaning up the fallen equipment.

I sat back down in my chair, reaching into my pocket, clenching onto the little rose necklace I will find you, Mai