I figured I might as well get this out of the way, since I have nothing else to do.

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Chapter 13: Hunted and Watched

Although it was late at night and rest was necessary, Eraqus was not willing to let any potential clue slip out of his reach when it could prevent more innocent lives from being destroyed. Using the information that Mary provided when he questioned her about the cause of the predicament she and her siblings got into during their travels, he retraced their steps as he and his pupils rode back into the forest again to search for the coach the Chastain sisters were riding in before the accident. By this time, darkness was already filling the sky, and the clouds rolling by didn't help things by making the place more unsettling than it already is.

"Professor, how do you suppose we'll be able to find a coach in the middle of a forest not many would venture through?" Ventus couldn't help asking, "I can understand that the girls we rescued had an unfortunate dilemma when they were stranded, but do you suppose we might as well be looking for a needle in a haystack?"

"From what Mary could remember, she said that the moment they found themselves stranded, their driver was killed by the horses and subsequently ran off," the professor explained, "It might be possible that the driver's body has not been taken care of, and their transport has suffered from neglect after being left out in the elements. If we can detect those clues, we will be able to find the vehicle we are looking for."

Just as they were getting closer to finding the path the sisters were traversing on, Aqua caught sight of a shadowy silhouette hastily shoveling dirt on top of a suspicious looking mound near a coach that had been torn apart, but not enough to get rid of anything identifiable. She couldn't help getting the feeling that someone is trying to get rid of any evidence of the scene.

"Professor, there's a stranger ahead us! And that person seems to be trying to clean up the scene of the accident," Aqua warned.

As they got closer to the scene, Eraqus cautiously stepped out of the wagon to inspect what was going on with Ventus and Aqua following closely behind him. But the moment they set foot on the ground, the stranger in black stopped what they were doing upon realization that they weren't alone.

"What are you doing out here at this hour? And for what reason are you destroying an important piece of evidence in the middle of the wood this late?" Eraqus questioned.

The stranger said nothing, but slowly turned around to barely reveal the face of a man with the X-shaped scar on his face and golden eyes that almost appeared to glow in the midst of the darkness. However, the frustrated frown gave solid that he was caught red-handed doing something that wasn't deemed very decent to the intruders.

"I could be asking you the same question. I know you are Professor Eraqus. You claim to be a doctor," the man with the scar said coldly, "but I have my doubts on that. Let me guess: those four women you took into town with you told you everything they knew, and you are investigating the truth. Am I wrong?"

The two apprentices were shocked at how much this man knew about the sisters.

Eraqus grew suspicious about this. "For someone who seems quite suspicious, you are quite knowledgeable…too knowledgeable, in fact. I take it you already know about the Chastain sisters and their accident in the wood. Perhaps you could kindly explain to me why you are trying to remove any traces of the misfortunate accident that transpired within this area? If you cooperate, I might only detain you for questioning."

The man scoffed at that. "If you've heard everything from them, then I shall have to make certain nothing you know comes to light…" As he was saying this, his canines began to slowly extend. "…or, to simplify any explanation…" In his hand, a spiked claymore formed, ready to cleave apart the target. "…you will not live to tell the tale!"

Within mere seconds, the man already charged straight towards them with murderous intent flashing inside the golden eyes; one swing from the claymore caused the ground to unleash shockwaves that nearly rattled all within its vicinity. But Eraqus, being the one more prepared for the assault, immediately pulled out a handheld cross from his overcoat and held it up in defense along with a loaded pistol. The instant the attacker saw the cross, he quickly recoiled in repulsion and growled at the sight of the sacred object; this gave the professor an opportunity to fire a few rounds at the assailant – although not able to kill him, he was able to drive him away from the coach and from them.

Upon realizing the problem, the stranger gave a harsh warning out. "For a man who hasn't even lived a single lifetime, you are a clever and knowing man. But know this: you won't be able to protect them forever. My master already knows where they are, and when we have the right moment, we will make certain they will not escape us again."

Then, the cloaked stranger jumped into the shadows and disappeared into the darkness before anyone could stop him. Left with no methods to track down their mysterious assailant, the three travelers had no other choice but to resume their investigations as quickly as possible and return to Twilight Town to plan a way to safeguard the Chastain sisters.

"What was that man's problem? The way he was speaking about the Chastain gives an impression that he has a grudge against them," Aqua wondered. "Did they do something that angered him?"

"I don't know, Aqua. He did sound angry at them, but I don't think his wrath was directed toward all of them," Ventus disagreed.

"There might just be a motive in his intentions on the sisters," Eraqus agreed, "but for now, we should focus on our investigation. Aqua, examine that mound and see what you can find. Ventus, come take a look at the coach with me. Let's see if we can find anything that can verify Mary's testimony."

Since their mysterious stranger left the shovel behind and the coach was still not completely destroyed, this allowed everyone the chance to inspect the scene and search for any evidence they could find.

On Aqua's part, she used the shovel to dig up the mound of dirt that had just been made as much as possible; soon, she discovered a casket that had been hastily placed inside the newly formed hole in the ground. Obviously, the casket wasn't there without a good reason.

Cautiously, she opened up the casket and – sure enough – found the remains of the coach driver inside. True to what the professor learned from Mary, the driver was undoubtedly killed by blunt damage to the frontal region of the head. Aqua could easily see the indents where a hoof would've hit the poor soul, who had suffered this cruel fate at the worst possible place to be. But that left the question as to why that man was being buried so hastily. Was it because that man intended on getting rid of any indications of who was with the sisters at the time they were stranded, and was instructed to bury the man as soon as possible?

Meanwhile, on the part of Eraqus and Ventus, they inspected every section of the torn coach to gather as much data as possible on the scene. On the professor's part, he examined the front of the coach where the horses were supposed to be and found broken straps of leather that were once part of the reins to guide the hooved beasts under specific restrictions. As for Ventus, he inspected the wheels of the coach and – without a shadow of a doubt – found that one of the wheels was almost completely falling apart whilst finding itself trapped in a little ditch that formed in the middle of the earthen road.

"It looks like the sisters weren't jesting about their accident. The wheel is almost completely destroyed, and some of it has gotten stuck in the dirt," Ventus admitted. "It's no wonder they were trapped in the middle of nowhere with no village or outpost nearby to aid them."

"And I happened to find the driver's body. True to what we heard, he did have an accident of his own," Aqua added as she was wiping her hands on a cloth, "There was a severe indent on his forehead, and there's no indication of healing or further blood flow. If anything, he's been dead for three days by now."

Professor Eraqus stroked his chin in contemplation as he processed the growing information being given to him along with what he had found. Now that he has confirmed that it was an accident, there was some questions that needed answering after all that he had seen: for what reason was that man trying to erase any evidence of where the sisters started having the nightmarish experience days before? Was that suspicious person somehow involved with the Chastain sisters?

Well, then again, he did speak as though he knows the four quite well, but his tone of voice had strong indications of hatred coursing through him. Not to mention, when he attempted to strike at them, he made it clear that he will do whatever it takes to fulfill his objectives by any means necessary.

However, now that he has implications there's something more to this than they initially thought, he'll have to make sure that none of the sisters will get into any more danger than they already are. Hopefully, he might be able to track down where the stranger disappeared to and find out who is pursuing the Chastain sisters; but preferably, he doesn't want any of the four to get caught in the middle of the hunt.

"Well, at least we have an idea of what we're up against. There isn't any more we can do right now, so let us return to town and rest while we can," Eraqus said as he started to head back to the wagon. "When daylight returns, we will have to meet with the Chastain sisters and discuss with them the importance of their protection."

Without any more to do in the woods, the three travelled back to Twilight Town as soon as possible and located an inn they could stay at until further notice. However, as they were doing so, they didn't realize that eyes in the shadows were watching them; the same golden eyes that were seen before leered with a vengeance that none could comprehend, but not as much toward the knowing elder in contrast to the family.

Now that he knew there is an enemy and an obstacle blocking the way to the sisters, he would have to report all of this as soon as possible. His master would not be too thrilled to find out that someone has discovered the trail, and would want something to done about the matter, to be sure.

Out in the streets of Twilight Town, under the cover of darkness barely brought to light by the lanterns at every corner of the avenues and boulevards, Xaldin and Marluxia waited by the gate entrance to a run-down, abandoned manor long forgotten by all of society whilst quietly withering outside of the busy squares without any care of the newly cared-for landscapes surrounding the area.

From the fog emerged the darkly ornate carriage pulled by four black stallions; with a hooded Xigbar driving the vehicle and Luxord holding on at the end with a rail set at the back, the vehicle arrived at its intended destination without anyone knowing that they were there to begin with. But – not wanting to take chances at being spotted by nosy eyes, Luxord looked around to make sure there are no witnesses before signaling Xigbar to continue doing his job and see to their master. With an 'all clear' signal given, the driver got off his seat and walked over to the carriage door, casually opening it and allowing the passenger to come out into the open without any trouble.

Then, Xemnas slowly stepped out of the carriage and out into the open ground, looking around the isolated area found away from the civilized world.

"There is no one around to see us, milord. This manor should be sufficient in sheltering us until we have finished our business here," Marluxia spoke in reassurance.

"Given how long no one has been out here, nobody would ever dare think about trespassing in this place," Xaldin agreed.

Xemnas nodded in approval. "Good…now that we have our refuge, we may proceed with our objective. Only Saix needs to return with a report."

Right on cue, Saix emerged from the thick mist and bowed respectfully to his master. However, his trembling fists clenched together gave a negative feeling among the group; something happened tonight, and it made his efforts go completely wrong.

"Master Xemnas, it seems we have more problems at hand than we initially thought. The old professor – the one called Eraqus – caught me ridding the scene of evidence on the sisters' accident," Saix reported bitterly, "He has heard about the accident, and – from what I understood – he was informed about it, most likely by one of the girls."

Xemnas turned to his right hand with a glare. "How much does he know thus far? Who told him about the accident?"

"So far, he knows about what happened that caused the sisters to be stranded," Saix replied, "If anything, he most likely heard part of the story from one of the four sisters…I'd guess the third, since she seems more inclined to tell anyone whatever they knew and experienced."

Needless to say, Xemnas was none too pleased to hear this upsetting information. It was one thing when their intended targets escaped from them, but to reveal what they knew thus far to a stranger who could potentially make use of that knowledge against them? That will not happen; not while he still walks the ground.

"But that is not the worst of it: I have reason to suspect that this Eraqus is more than just a travelling doctor," Saix added in his report, "I tried to have him and his followers slain to silence them, but he came prepared…with the las thing I wanted to see in my entire life."

Luxord and Xigbar looked at each other with unease apparent on their faces, while Xaldin and Marluxia tensed at the notion that there could be someone out to hunt them down. If what the second-in-command said was true, then that meant they have more danger on their plates than they had thought earlier. What are they going to do about it? For that matter, how will this affect their intentions of hunting the family that slipped away from them?

However, much to their surprise, Xemnas didn't seem too fazed at this shocking change. Instead, he was rather intrigued at this challenge presented to them.

"Interesting…it seems we have ourselves a worthy adversary trying to make a stand against us before we have even begun our work," Xemnas said with fascination. "Perhaps this could make our game much more amusing. On one hand, we all have a reason as to our pursuits and have begun to execute. On another, we have ourselves opponents who intend to make a stand against us…but they do not have enough knowledge on us yet." A smirk crept up on his face as he turned to his followers. "Perhaps we should find out more about our new visitors, and give them a…proper welcome, wouldn't you think?"

When all of them figured out what he meant, they couldn't help showing thrilled looks on their faces, eager for a challenge that never had for who the hell knows how long. Now they have more motivation to trump the Chastain sisters and seek their own objectives, especially to fulfill the desires of their master.

"Well, I am really looking forward to this! Just watch, we'll be making quick work of them before anyone knows what had hit 'em," Xigbar said with oozing confidence.

"Indeed, we all are certainly looking forward to this. Some of us seek vengeance, some of us seek pleasure…I am certain we will be able to finish our job," Luxord agreed as he stepped in the coach to fetch the contents inside.

"All the more reason to go after them, and the sooner I can get revenge the better," Xaldin added, impatiently clutching his arms.

"You can kill someone if you want, Xaldin. But Jane is mine to pluck off the tree, if you don't mind," Marluxia reminded him, "After all, don't each of us deserve a reward for all the trouble we've put ourselves into?"

Saix nodded in agreement. "I'll scout the town before dawn arrives. Should I see the sisters, I'll let all of you know what their position is."

"Proceed with caution. Even if you see them, do not make your strike," Xemnas ordered, "As much as you have a grudge to settle, it would suit you best if your target is left unprotected and susceptible to harm."

"Not a problem! We've got all day – and night – to do our job. We just have to do our part and prepare to do the job," Xigbar said eagerly.

In her upstairs bedroom, Mary didn't really feel like sleeping; after all that she had spoken of with Eraqus, she couldn't help thinking about those few days ago when she and her sisters were brought into Hollow Bastion before having to escape due to the horrors hidden within the dark halls. As much as she wanted to be relieved that someone is determined to help her family in any way possible, the one thing Mary just couldn't shake off from her mind is the dread of having to meet those same people who had discovered them. She was certain that her entire family has been put on a manhunt list regarding those frightening residents, and that there is no way to get out of it…unless some kind of solution can be given, if at all.

When her hands gripped the old journal a bit tighter, Mary snapped out of her fears and convinced herself to read further to see what else she needed to know about the mystery writer and find out what happened to him after losing his beloved to illness. After all, anything could cause a heartbroken person to fall down a negative path after a devastating loss. But once she found the next entry, she had to brace herself for what she had to read about:

'A dark, despairing cloud looms over all of Hollow Bastion and everyone in it. But the rain of grief was much harder on me. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear I could hear the rain falling everywhere as though the castle is weeping with me.

Five weeks have passed since the passing of my dear Hellene, the only beauty I've ever known in my life. After her death, I had the undertaker and his macabre cohorts construct her tomb deep within the gardens rather than have her placed inside a dark mausoleum within the outskirts of the countryside. I felt certain she would've loved to be among the flora that she enjoyed admiring from the bedroom window, and to me, it would be more fitting to allow what she loved most to watch her with utmost diligence.

However, no matter what I have tried to divert my mind off the pain that clings to me as though it were a parasite, the hole within my heart has become too much to bear.

How am I supposed to come to grips with this? The innocent who deserved so much better is now lost to me, and now I cannot find a reason to continue on without her! There is no way she could be gone!

If only there was some way for her to return to me…

If I have to lose myself to the shadows that have clung to me so, then so be it…'

When Mary finished the last entry, she was stunned at what she had just read. It made her question what could've happened to him after those words were written in ink.

What sort of man has fallen so deep into despair that he doesn't see the point in living without someone important to him? That was something Mary wanted to know. Granted, she could kind of understand what it's like to lose loved ones to unfortunate circumstances since they lost their parents to a tragic moment. But it begged the question as to how much pain the writer went through and what length that person was about to go to tear the agonizing suffering away in order to cease the misery inflicted.

As she looked in the journal one more time, Mary found that the next entry possessed dark indications as to the mindset of the writer after being consumed by the grief that hasn't been removed. Nervously, she started to read the next entry to find out what became of the writer:

'This agony has tormented me for far too long. Two months have passed since she was buried, and now I can no longer bear the burden of this overpowering suffering.

Once I was a man to be proud of; I once had an ordinary life, I experienced the joy of love and lost it all to sorrow within mere moments... What have I done to have the shadows cloud all that I know and treasured? Was taking Hellene not enough to torture me?

I suppose it wasn't.

I will not allow the torture to continue any longer. If I cannot have any light in my dull and uncouth life, then I make this promise: I vow that – one way or another – I will rise from my own death to avenge hers with the darkness that has infested me, and I will inflict pain and suffering on those who were able to gain what I had lost!

Unless Hellene returns to me in any way or form, I will never accept anything else from the world!'

Mary reeled toward the window in shock and repulse as she finished reading that entry. She couldn't believe that someone would be so corrupted with grief that they would proclaim such blasphemous words like that! What manner of madman would renounce the beauties of the light until the person he lost is returned to him?

But then, something caught her attention when she saw a black robed figure walking through the streets. But rather than simply passing through or waiting for someone at an appointed time, she noticed that the person out there seemed to be scanning the area as though that stranger was searching for something within a particular part of the town. However, she got herself an unnerving chill down her spine when she finally caught a glimpse of golden eyes peeking out from under the hood with a piercing gaze that could very well break the glass of the window if that were possible.

Hastily, she pulled the drapes together so that she didn't have to see those eyes again; but not without having to remember where she saw those colors before.

"God help us…! Why is he here?" Mary gasped, "Have they found us already?"