Oh, the things some men would do to get close to a woman...

And Mary's getting nosier than usual.

I own nothing except my OCs.

Read, leave a review, but no flames allowed.

Chapter 7: Nightly Visitation

As she sat by the mirror of the vanity table, Mina couldn't help but think about that tragic beautiful girl Xemnas spoke about; she couldn't help but think of how devastating it might've been to have lost someone who was so well loved by all who knew her, and how it affected all who once lived in Hollow Bastion. But there was something else on her mind: what did she see hours before? Was it a vision of the past, or was it a mere illusion? Not to mention, as far as she knew, only she saw what was going on while Jane didn't. Why was that?

But she didn't get the chance to figure it out when Mina felt something slowly brushing through her hair, knowing that she wasn't doing that herself. She looked over her shoulder to see Xemnas hovering behind her while stroking his fingers between the dark-brown strands.

"Oh, Xemnas, what a surprise to see you," Mina noted, "I didn't hear you come in."

"Oh? I only entered in here a few moments ago. Perhaps you were too distracted to notice," he replied smoothly, "What were you thinking about, Mina?"

She hesitated for a moment before answering, "Well…when you spoke that girl – the tragic beauty Hellene – it made me think about what I saw while I was looking around the studio with Jane. While I was looking at her portrait, I could've sworn that I saw something right before my eyes. It was like…I don't know…like a vision of the past or something. I don't know whether it was real or if my eyes were playing tricks on me."

"Tell me what you saw," Xemnas swayed her, intrigued at her words.

"I'm not sure how to describe it. All I know was that I saw Hellene, and…and there was someone like you with her," Mina replied as she thought back on that afternoon, "They were friendly with one another, maybe affectionate even, though I could hear no conversation at all." She shook her head. "It was so strange…It might sound silly, but she almost looked like me, except obviously slimmer and paler in contrast."

Unbeknownst to her, as she was describing what she knew, Xemnas watched her intently like a wolf waiting for its prey to foolishly lower their defenses. As he was doing so, he lowered his hand from her hair down to her neck, sensing her veins pumping the blood within in a secretly passionate manner; just feeling the blood rushing through her alone was giving him a hard time maintaining his focus on the subject at hand.

Mina, noticing the odd silence, turned her head back to Xemnas and asked in concern, "Sir, are you alright? You did hear what I told you earlier, didn't you?"

Xemnas quickly detected her faint curiosity and replied quickly, "I am fine. I was…distracted."

"Oh…if you say so," Mina said as she struggled to understand his quick answer, "Perhaps…you answered like that because you're just tired. It would be a good idea to rest, considering how you said that you've been quite busy during the day. I know I would be if I were in your shoes."

"Am I to assume I offended you?" the silver-haired host asked her.

"Well, even if it was offensive, I'm sure it wasn't by intention," Mina replied innocently before she changed the subject, "Will you be occupied again come morning?"

"Indeed, I will be quite preoccupied when morning comes. However, I can assure you and your sisters that we will not leave all of you unattended too long like we did before," Xemnas reassured her, "Perhaps I could offer a message to them and remind them of their liberties and their restrictions while they roam the castle."

"That's rather considerate of you, sir. It would make things much easier," Mina agreed sweetly.

"Very good…Now, then, if you forgive me, I must attend to a few things before I retire. I will leave you to rest quietly," the host said with a rather pleased smile.

As he left the room without another word, Mina couldn't help but be curious about that strange man who visited her. She was sure that he was quite odd, but she thought that he wasn't too bad; if anything, he was very kind and hospitable to her and her sisters. Though, was it just her, or was he being too kind…?

Not wanting to think about it for a while, she decided to retire to bed at once and rest until she was ready to think things over. Perhaps she could talk with Mary in the morning about Xemnas, and hear what she thinks; that would probably help ease her puzzled mind.

As much as Caroline wanted to rest her leg and get some sleep, there was one thing on her mind that she just couldn't get rid of: that eerie-looking old door that was standing at the bottom of the old staircase. After having a very fitful and restless sleep, she woke with a start and decided that she won't be at ease unless she investigated that door again; though she didn't get the chance to look inside because Mary told her not to, she was dying to take a look again and see if there's no one guarding the place at this hour.

Without disturbing her younger sister Jane, she carefully rose out of bed (while trying to steady her bandaged leg so as to not arouse any pain) and took one of the lit candlesticks so that she could navigate the castle halls with some form of light. Granted, she was still forced to walk with a slight limp in her leg, but she took her steps carefully as she navigated through the halls and tried anxiously to search for the door that she had seen but couldn't gain access to under Mary's insistence. Though, once in a while, she would hear faint noises that gave her the creeps, making her turn around and search the area for whatever was causing the disturbances; but when she found nothing, she decided to carry on until she found what she was looking for.

Sure enough, when she did find the door that she discovered earlier, Caroline had the urge to tread down the stairs once more and see the sinister place that she wanted to find. Unfortunately, just like before, she discovered that the door was still jammed and won't open up as she had hoped it would do. After several futile attempts to make the ancient door open, she finally gave up in frustration and marched up the stairs with the intent on returning to sleep as she should.

But as soon as she had reached the top, Caroline felt something – or someone – grab her arm and force her against the wall. She turned to find that the person who had detained her was none other than Xaldin; needless to say, she was far from amused that someone had found her without anyone's knowing.

"Well, well, what are you doing here all alone?" Xaldin questioned as he took in her form.

"Look, I don't know who you are, but you have no right to grab me like that," Caroline replied irritably, not liking how his gaze was moving. "You let me go right now."

"With pleasure, madam, but not without offering something to me in return," Xaldin answered her while he brushed his hand against her neck, "What could I do to you…"

Angered at the intention behind the man's lecherous pursuit, Caroline's available hand acted on instinct and slapped his face as hard as it could; upon hitting his face, Xaldin recoiled from the sting against his cheek, allowing her just enough time to slip out of his grasp and move herself a reasonable distance away from him.

"Stay away from me! I won't be around a man who looks at me with such filthy thoughts on their minds!" she shouted in outrage.

Without wasting another second, she immediately stormed away from Xaldin and disappeared down the hall where she came from. But what she didn't know was that the moment she was gone, Xaldin let out a low growl of anger as he rubbed his cheek where he had been slapped harshly.

"You'll regret that one day, Caroline…"

While the elder sister was away, Jane was peacefully sleeping alone in the bedroom with nothing disturbing her. There wasn't much light in the room, save for the few lit candles on the candlesticks, in the midst of the enigmatic darkness that surrounds the castle and the very room she rests in. But that matter didn't bother her, since she has the whole night to sleep quietly without a care in the world.

However, the serenity was interrupted when the bedroom door was slowly opened wide and someone entered the room without causing so much of a disturbance. On Jane's account, at first, she stirred slightly when she heard the door open, but didn't pay any mind to see who it is; but when she felt something lightly brushing against her face and down her neck, she couldn't help but shake off the veil of sleep and open her eyes to see who's there with her. Much to her surprise, she looked over to discover that her unexpected visitor was none other than one of the castle servants: Marluxia. Initially, she was unsure of what to do – whether she should call for help or question her unplanned guest; but then her mind shifted toward the second option since she didn't know what that man could do if provoked.

"I didn't expect to see you here, Marluxia. What are you doing here at this hour?" Jane asked.

"Oh…I'm sorry. I thought I'd pay a visit, make sure that you and your sister were secure in your room. Perhaps I was mistaken?" Marluxia replied; acting hurt by her question.

"No…um…it's just that you surprised me. I thought that one of my sisters was trying to wake me up, but I was wrong," Jane replied as she struggled to ease the misunderstanding, "I should be the one apologizing."

That was when Marluxia gave her an eerily sweet smile as he chuckled darkly, much to Jane's confusion.

"In that case, apology accepted," he said smoothly as he sat next to the introverted woman.

As much as she wanted to be at ease, Jane couldn't help feeling rather uneasy around the pink-haired stranger. Sure, he seemed to be behaving in a friendly manner like he wanted to be on the best terms with her, but for something, she wasn't certain whether to trust that man when she's alone without her sisters around to console her. If anything, what she wanted to know is whether he has been around other women before her or he was simply a master at charming anyone he sees.

"A-Are you sure you want to stay here any longer?" Jane asked nervously, "Any of my sisters might get suspicious, and…well, I'd rather not create a stain on our reputation."

"Why, are you afraid that I am some form of predator?" Marluxia asked seductively, "Do you think that I am a demon in the guise of a man? Come now, Miss Jane, you needn't be so shy. I assure you I mean no ill will on you. It's just that I've never had the chance to get involved with a woman for a long time and far too many of them were – how should I describe them? – rather distastefully dirty in the passionate sense; for that matter, I wouldn't call them women when they boast how they…get around."

Jane was about to give out some form of protest in an attempt to shield herself, but didn't get the chance when the sound of the door opening again caught her attention. She peered over Marluxia's shoulder to find Caroline entering the room – and obviously not too pleased that there's unwanted company in the bedroom.

"Excuse me, but what are you doing here?" Caroline demanded in irritation.

Marluxia looked over to see her, and sighed deeply. "Oh…I didn't see you come in, Miss Caroline. I thought your sister was the only one here."

"Yes, well, need I remind you we have had a long day because of your boss's absence, and I am not in the best of moods right now?" Caroline rebuked with rising anger, "So, you can either get out right now or I can alert my other sisters on the fact that you were trying to seduce and quite possibly thinking about making use of harmful actions against Jane."

As much as the pink-haired stranger wanted to make a clever argument against the eldest sister, he decided against it and reluctantly left the room as he should. However, he wasn't going to simply walk away empty-handed, so he had to do something that would let them know he will not give up on his goals; before leaving, he grabbed Caroline aside and whispered to her in a dark and sinister manner.

"At least understand this, madam: when there is something that interests me, I will do whatever it takes to get it," he warned darkly, "One way or another, I'll have Miss Jane in my embrace."

Then, without another word, he immediately vanished into the darkness whilst leaving no trace that he was there. As soon as he was gone, Caroline huffed and forced herself to return to her bed as Jane watched her sister settle back under the sheets.

"Caroline, are you alright? You're rather frumpy tonight," Jane asked in concern.

The elder sister gazed up at her sister with a scowl. "I had a run-in with one of the castle staff…that man with dreadlocks – what was his name again? – I think it was Xaldin."

"What did he do?" Jane questioned.

"He was harassing me, that's what. Can we not talk about it? I want to sleep," Caroline replied.

As much as Jane wanted to keep asking questions to her sister about the matter with Xaldin, she could see with the way Caroline buried herself under the sheets that she didn't want to talk about it whatsoever. So, left with other option, she decided to just let it go and ask her later in the morning; that meant she needed to try and get some rest while she can despite what conflicts she has on her mind.

Not feeling tired at the moment, Mary decided to keep reading in the journal she collected from the library to see what else she could find out about the writer's life. Ever since she heard about the history of the woman called Hellene Steiner and how she was part of the castle legacy, she couldn't help but wonder what the earliest owner felt when she entered his world and quite tragically brought a shadow upon it.

As she kept reading, she found an entry that piqued her curiosity and compelled her to read what it told from the writer's point of view.

'Not a day goes by for me without having Hellene on my mind. Ever since I sheltered her in my castle, I couldn't help but be drawn to her. Whenever I had the opportunity, I would watch her as she explored the place and was told by Xigbar about Hollow Bastion and the legacy it carried ever since my forefathers formed what is my home and inheritance. Once I spied on her from within a passage only I knew of, but she caught on that she was being watched and figured out that it was me. It embarrasses me to realize that I was caught in an act I shouldn't be proud of, but it allowed me to see what a unique gem she is among the rest of society.

'However, because of that moment, I finally gathered the courage to be more open to her and get closer to her. Not a day goes by when she made my life livelier than I could ever dream of; how alive I felt when she was near me! Whenever I had the chance, we would explore the castle halls together, have tea under the willow tree in the garden, and participate in the holidays when the weather is reasonably well; it might sound rather silly to say this, but to me, she became the light that brought a great luster to all who meet her, myself included. It was her innocence and curiosity that pulled me into a world I never imagined I'd be in.

'And, indeed, the purity of her love was what gave me my purpose. I couldn't ask for more when I have her with me.'

When she finished that sentence, Mary couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the last entry. Did this person – the ancestor – truly experience something completely new that he never thought he could? Well, at least, it made sense why Xemnas said that Hellene was loved by all who know her despite her sickly conditions and her unfortunate background.

But as she kept reading in the journal, she stumbled across an entry that had a drastic change of emotion present. However, it was what was written alone that stunned her quite a bit:

'Why did misfortune have to strike on Hollow Bastion? Why did it have to be her?

'A harsh winter came to us, and it unfortunately forced us to take shelter and stay warm as much as possible. But in the process, some of the staff and the guests developed sickness and were forced to keep a distance in order to recuperate without spreading.

'But to my greatest misfortune, Hellene also showed signs of great physical weakness and trouble maintaining stability. I had her rest in bed and made every effort to see that she was warm against the chills she was suffering from; then, I had Luxord come in and see what he could do to aid her. But it wasn't long until I was informed by him that she had contracted a stronger illness than the other residents of the castle have.

'Every physician who was able did everything in their power to help her fight this powerful sickness that has poisoned her, and even I have tried to help at every opportunity, but all that we have attempted to do to aid in her recovery was all for naught; but we had to keep trying until something proves otherwise.

'But one night, I was summoned by Xigbar, who informed me that Hellene was nowhere near recovering and that she is about to lose her life at any moment. I felt compelled to hurry to her aid, and though one part of myself had a suspicion that I am about to lose her, another side of me refused to believe that she is on the brink of death.

'I arrived at her bedchamber to find her struggling to regain her breath, so deathly pale and wretchedly thin from her illness draining away the rosy demeanor I once loved. My poor Hellene was feverish as she tried in vain to turn her head whilst whispering for help, something that tore at my heart as I approached her bed to speak with her. As I spoke to her with the intent on shifting her attention to what she would know to be familiar, she turned to look at me and had a faint smile of relief cross her face. Our conversation was so short, mostly reminiscing about the easier days when her frailty never hindered her chances at experiencing a happiness that she never thought she'd experience; her only grief was that she never had the chance to see more alongside me, as I was the only person she wished to be with. But it was painful to realize that the opportunity would never come to pass.

'Then, when she finally lost the fight against her illness…

'I cannot even begin to describe what I felt overflowing within me. All I could do was helplessly hold close to me the body of Hellene Steiner, so lately living, so beloved, the only woman worthy of being connected to my life.

'How could I possibly go on living without her? She was my world, my saving grace in the bleak life I once had…Why did an innocent soul have to be lost? Why wasn't it I who was ill and suffering?

'No! I will not accept it! She may have been taken from me, but I promise that I shall find a way to reclaim what was once taken from me.'

Unable to bear what she was reading, Mary quickly shut the book closed and put it aside so that she could compose herself (because without her knowledge, she was starting to shed tears when she read the tragic part of the story). As far as she was concerned, it seemed that the writer was in serious emotional pain when the woman who was so dearly loved had succumbed to an illness that she couldn't fight against due to her sickly conditions. Though, it made her dread what could've happened to the writer after experiencing such a tragic event.

"What did that person do after witnessing that woman lose her life so suddenly?" Mary questioned with unease, "I certainly hope the writer didn't kill himself or anything that extreme."

But before she could ponder the notion of the writer's fate, Mary heard the faint sound of footsteps located below her position. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she immediately hurried over to the window to see what was going on out there. She looked outside to find Saix out there again with the same lantern he was using; but this time, he wasn't the only person out there. Following behind him were three people – three village women, when Mary looked hard enough to make out the outlines of nightgowns – all of them walking in what looked like a drunken state at first.

Mary watched as the blue-haired man led the women toward one of the towers and opened the door with no effort, silently beckoning the 'guests' into stepping inside. Without saying a word or even so much as question these strange actions, the women stepped through the door as though they were being pulled inside on invisible strings. Then, once all of them were inside, Saix began to enter the tower himself and shut the door behind him.

This is just getting far too unsettling, Mary thought as she backed away from the window.

However, as she was stepping away from the window, she suddenly felt someone's hand clasp on to her shoulder, making her jump in shock and turned to see who it is. To her surprise, the person right behind her was none other than Xigbar.

"Sheesh, what was that for? You almost gave me a heart attack," Mary asked as she tried to calm down.

"Gee, that's a good question. I guess I thought everyone's asleep by now," Xigbar said casually as he shrugged his shoulders, "What were you doing by the window?"

"Well, I saw one of your master's men out there, and he was leading three women inside a tower of some kind," Mary replied, "What was the point of that? I thought your employer doesn't take in visitors too often?"

That surprised Xigbar a bit. "What'd you say just now, three women? Ah, yeah, about that: the boss sometimes likes to look for people who don't have the best lives and offers them to join in his services. Or, at least, I think that's the deal."

This raised Mary's suspicions. "If that's so, then how come I haven't seen any other employees roaming around the place to do something productive?"

However, much to her displeasure, the coachman kept his mouth shut as he quickly left the room like he had other business to attend to; however, it's because of this that Mary began to grow even more suspicious that something was just wrong about Hollow Bastion and its residents altogether. But what could it be…?