Chapter 5: Fire

Naru quietly watches over the sleeping girl. All of a sudden, the boy smells smoke. He walks to the door and slowly opens it, to find bursting red flames, burning down the hall. "Damn it!" Naru rushed towards the sleeping girl and shook her awake.

"Naru, what's wrong?"

"We have to get out of here! NOW!"

"Eh? Why?"

"The house is burning down."

"The house is burning down! But- How!" the young girl asked with a frightened voice.

"I don't know, but I don't care about that at the moment. Your safety comes first!" Naru took hold of her hand and dragged her out of bed. They ran out the door and down the hall to warn the others.

Mai turned around and saw the flames engulfing the hall. She shakes in fright as memories of her past comes back to haunt her. Naru enters each room informing everyone of the situation. As John made his way down the stairs to escape, the flames enlarged and covered the entire second floor. Mai and Naru rushed down the stairs towards the exit, but the flames got there first, trapping them inside the burning house.

"Naru, what should we do now?"

"I'm not quite sure, but we have to find a way out of these flames before-" Naru stops as he hears a laugh over the raging flames. Mai shivered in fright as she recognized the voice. Naru glared and pulled Mai close to her, making sure he could see her.

They circle around, trying to find the voice of the spirit when all of a sudden, Naru gasps in pain. "GAH!"

"NARU!" the boy fell to his knees, clutching his side. He held out his hand as he saw blood covering his hands. "Naru…" Mai covered her mouth in shock as she noticed blood staining his shirt. He's been stabbed… "KYAA!"

The girl screamed as she felt a familiar thin blade of steel, cut a shallow cut across her back. This is like what happened before. He's making this happen to me.

An eerie voice pierced through the flames. "I won't let you get away again, Precious. But first, that man has to DIE!" Mai notices a shadowy figure holding a knife rushing towards Naru. He took my parents from me. He took everything from me. He ruined my life. But not this time. I won't let him take away anything else that's precious to me ever again!

Naru's POV

"But first, that man has to DIE!" I have to get up, I can't leave Mai alone. She's been through enough. Get up! Body, listen to me! After I heard a slicing sound, I notice that I didn't feel any pain. I look up to find a shadow covering me. I immediately recognize the figure. Mai… Mai was in front of me.

"Hahaha, who knew she would go to such lengths to protect this man. Saves me the trouble of dealing with her later." My eyes widen as he throws Mai's body across the floor. I could feel the anger boiling through my blood. I've had enough of this!

I slowly stand up while holding my chest and walk towards the spirit. "What are you gonna do, young man! You have no way to get rid of me! I'll kill you just like I did with Precious!"

I glare at him with a fire burning in my eyes. I hold out two fingers and drag them to create a formation. White beams appeared from my hands and wrapped around the spirit. "What is this! What are you doing!" The constraint tightened, causing the spirit to scream in pain and disappear.

I fall to my knees, heavily breathing from using to much power. I remember what happened to Mai and rush to her side. I gently pick her up and hold her close. Her face is very pale, her body doesn't move, she's so cold. It's almost like she's…No! I can't think like that! She has to be alive! She's not dead!"

Mai shifts in my arms, causing me to open my eyes in shock. "Na…ru"

"Mai…You're alive!"

"I may be now…but not for much longer."

"Don't say that!"

"I've never gotten…the chance to tell you…but I…I've always…loved you…" My eyes widen as I realize we both have the same feelings.

"Mai…I-"

"Let everyone know that…I'm sorry…"

"For what!"

"All this…everything that's happening…it's all my fault…" Tears start streaming down her face in guilt. Naru holds up his finger and catches the tear on his finger.

"None of this is your fault! Just hang on. We'll get out of here an-"

"It's too late for that now. I've lost too much blood." I looked around us and realized that I was sitting in a pool of blood. I could feel the red liquid seep through my clothes and dye my skin red. I started to shake, thinking I could really lose her.

Mai reaches her shaking hand towards me. "Let…everyone know…that I…have always…loved…being…around…them." I was about to grab hold of her hand when it suddenly drops to the floor.

"Mai…"

"…"

"MAI!"

Normal POV

The house continues to burn, flames surrounding them, wood beams collapsing, trapping them inside. Naru holds Mai's unconscious body close to him as he tries to get her to wake up, but to no avail. the boy begins to shake as a single drop of water ran over his cheek, falling on to the young girl.

The young boy leaned over the girl and whispers. "I love you as well, Mai…" Naru picks her up, covering them with his jacket to protect them from the flames. "I promise I will get you to a hospital. I will not let you die!" he ran towards the flaming entrance and rushed through the fire.

As the boy made it outside, an explosion caused him to get launched into the ground. He turned around to see the entire house, engulfed in flames. Naru could barely hear the voices of his friends as they surrounded him, finally realizing the young girl he held close to him.

"Mai!"

"Oh no…"

"Is Jou-chan alright!"

"The ambulance is on their way." Everything went silent. Naru couldn't think anymore. The last thing he saw, was his assistant being taken away to the hospital for emergency care.

Only one chapter left! What will happen now that Naru has confessed his feelings? Will Mai survive the attack?