Sakura blinked at the offensive red glare of her new digital alarm clock. Touya had come home late last night (much later than Sakura), snuck into her room and put down his 'gift' for her. He was nonetheless surprised to find Sakura was not only awake, but was staring at what he made out to be, a little black velvet box. She swore Touya paled almost instantaneously, except at 4:18 A.M in the morning, it was still dark, so Sakura really couldn't see much except for his outline. She immediately snapped the box shut, just as Touya nearly dropped her new clock, but somehow managed to catch it at the last moment. He stumbled over to her, placing it rather clumsily on the little nightstand beside her bed. Sakura, of course, tried to hide the box, shoving it quickly under her pillow, but it was unbelievably obvious Touya had already seen it. She braced herself for yet another AOP (Annoying, Over-protective, for those of you who don't remember) Touya moment, except it never came. Sakura looked up at her brother's figure, and was sure he was staring back at her. But there was nothing but what seemed like stunned silence. Had he seen what the object was?

"Touya?" She finally called out, breaking the nerve-racking silence. It sort of reminded her of being with Syaoran, although she sure as hell did not need a reminder of him at this moment.

"Y-yeah?" Touya was fumbling with his words. The Touya she knew (for 16 years) rarely behaved this way, except when he was incredibly pissed off or exceptionally nervous. There was no reason that could possibly dignify his reaction, unless of course, he had seen what the object was.

"Touya, I can explain. You see –." But it seemed as if the world loved cutting her off, because he quickly interrupted her.

"Uh, it's kind of late. Night Sakura." And with those words, he darted out of her room as if he'd seen a ghost. She then scolded herself for thinking that way; because if there was one thing in this world she was afraid of, they were ghosts. Well, that and now Syaoran.

But why had Touya acted so strangely? Why hadn't he had a frenzied breakdown and interrogated her until she was late for first period class? Why had he simply, run? And this was yet another thought that had kept her up all night. 5:56 A.M, her clock read. Sakura groaned, shoving her face into her soft pillow. Her fingers unconsciously curled around the box. What was she going to do with it? And why had Syaoran given her it? She slapped her free hand against her head, drowning her screams against the innocent white rectangle of comfort. Her brain was on the verge of exploding. She had never used so much brain power in a day, well, besides the night before her Math midterms. But that was another story for another day. Sakura instantly hated Syaoran more than ever. It seemed as though ever since the day he entered her life, she hadn't been able to get a good day's rest. Damn him to hell.

She giggled lightly at the thought of Syaoran dressed in red rags and chains, pleading for mercy, while she adorned a crown with two horns, a sparkly red dress and a pointy pitchfork in hand. But then her mind wandered back to the object, what was she going to do with it? With a small sigh, she flipped the box open. It was beautiful to say the least. Staring up at her was a luminous pink stone. Curled around the orb was none other than the outline of a proud wolf. Whether the silver band was metal, steel or silver, she didn't know. Somehow she felt it was worth quite a bit, especially when she saw her name was engraved neatly into it. She'd find out the next time she saw him. She had no doubt that she would, seeing as it seemed he'd taken it upon himself to pop up when she least needed him to.

She pulled the object out of the box, examining it by the light of the rising sun. It looked even more breathtaking, the sunlight illuminating the precision cut corners. Before she knew what she was doing, she had unclasped her own necklace (yes, the one Sakura had sacrificed her lips for), looped the ring through the chain and tightly locked it back onto her neck. With a loud sigh (though nobody could hear her), she rolled herself out of bed and trudged her way towards the bathroom. Her body felt heavy. Had she gotten fatter since last night? Sakura shook her head fiercely; she didn't feel like thinking anymore. But when she laid eyes on the figure before her, she gasped. Sakura rubbed her eyes, just to make sure he wasn't an illusion. He wasn't.

"Daddy!" Sakura spoke with a smile. (I bet you all thought it was Syaoran, huh?)

"What are you doing up so early? Even Touya is still sleeping." She was glad to see him. She hadn't seen him last night and decided he was probably working late again.

"I couldn't sleep last night."

"Are you alright Sakura? Is something wrong?" Concern was evident in his eyes. For that, Sakura was grateful. She was lucky to have such a caring family.

"I'm fine. Just a bit of rest and I'll be back to normal." Sakura bit her lip, contemplating on whether she should just tell her father about Syaoran.

"Don't get yourself into trouble, alright?"

She nodded dutifully. "I won't." She couldn't.

Heading into the bathroom, she sighed discreetly. It seemed her life had gotten so much more complicated. Sakura turned on the shower, allowing the steam to fog up the bathroom mirror. Stripping herself down, she smiled contently as the hot water beat against her bare back. A nice shower always washed away your troubles. For once, it was true.

When she'd finally stepped out, she wiped at her damp mirror to get a good look at herself. In simple words, she looked like crap. Her eyes were darker than usual, showing her obvious circles. She bit her lip; it was nothing a little foundation couldn't solve.

Reaching for the nearest towel, she dried herself off and got into her uniform. It was nice actually, how she had time to dress herself up. Sakura smiled vaguely at the times where she had barely enough time to brush her teeth and run out the door before she'd be late for school. She brushed her hair, admiring the auburn color. When it was silky smooth, she stopped and dabbed a bit of foundation under her eyes. There, she looked good as usual.

Pleased with her appearance, Sakura made her way downstairs and immediately smelled the scent of strawberry pancakes. Her mood seemed to lift; today was starting out to be a nice one.

"Morning everyone!" she chirped as she entered the kitchen.

Touya was already sitting there calmly. He made no effort to even look at her, was he upset?

"Touya, about yesterday…" but he cut her off abruptly.

"What?" He looked at her innocently, as if nothing had happened.

"Nevermind." Taking her seat across him, she began eating.

"Y'know…" Sakura looked up nervously as he continued, "Kaijuu, I'll pick you up from school today."

"It's not necessary." Why was he treating her like a baby now?

"Still, I want to, so don't be late." Without another word, he resumed scarfing his pancakes.

Sakura opened her mouth to tell him off but was interrupted by a loud honking. All three heads turned towards the door. When nobody made a movement, the ear-piercing honk rang again.

"Sakura dear, you should go see who it is before the neighbors wake up." She nodded to her father and excused herself from the table. Taking a deep breath at the door, she desperately hoped it wasn't Syaoran. It wasn't, but even worse – it was Tomoyo.

"It's Tomoyo, Dad." She really didn't want to face her.

"Oh alright, go to school with your friend then." Sakura couldn't really tell him what had happened between them. So awkwardly, she agreed, taking her time to put on her coat and book bag.

"Bye dad, Touya."

Her brother grunted. "Have a nice day!" her father called out.

She shut the door behind her and began walking. What was Tomoyo doing in front of her home? She fixatedly looked before her, determined to ignore the car driving beside her.

"Sakura…" Tomoyo began, "Let's talk."

"Shut up. There's nothing to talk about."

"Please, Sakura you have to understand." Sakura bristled. Turning to her, she spoke.'

"Understand what Tomoyo? That you've been lying to me?"

"I wasn't allowed to tell you!"

"I'm your – I mean, I was your best friend! What'd you think I was going to do? Tell the whole world you were in some gang?!"

Tomoyo held a finger to her lips frantically. "Being my best friend and being in that group are different things Sakura!"

"They sure are! Just leave me alone alright?" She began to walk again, and from behind her she heard a loud exasperated sigh.

"Sakura! Please be reasonable!"

She scoffed. "Reasonable? Reasonable!? You tell me how I should be fucking reasonable when I was being played around with yesterday and my BEST FRIEND did nothing to help me!"

Tomoyo shut up at that, but nonetheless, drove besides her all the way to school.

When Sakura took her first step on school grounds that morning, the yard suddenly became unnervingly still. Everybody had their eyes on her and there was no doubt that yesterday's after school "event" had spread through the entire student body.

"She's still alive!" a girl nearby sneered. Sakura shot her a look that would keep her quiet for the rest of the week. The girl paled and hid behind her friend. "I bet they turned her into a sadist." she mumbled. But before Sakura could retort, an ear-piercing wail of a loudspeaker rang.

"Sorry about the everyone." The principal spoke over the static. "Sakura Kinomoto, please report to the principal's office. Please report to my office, now. Thank you."

What had she done now? She made her way through the school in silence; everyone stared at her with large eyes – as if she'd committed some crime. She heard hushed whispers behind her back, and it was all enough to bring tears of frustration to her eyes. Oh how she wanted to punch their lights out. When she'd finally made it in front of the office, she pushed the door open forcefully. With a loud bang, she walked in and found that the principal was not alone.

"Sakura, please take a seat." He spoke calmly. As if suddenly Sakura had found the reason behind all her problems, she glared at the person beside her and spoke venomously.

"What's he doing here?" It was Syaoran Li; still looking as untroubled as ever, as mysterious as ever and as goddamn gorgeous as ever.

"A little bitter this morning, are we, Kinomoto?" Sakura chose not to respond but instead concentrated on the middle-aged man before her.

"Is there a problem, sir?"

"So I hear that you've requested to take leave today?" Sakura shook her head.

"No…" The principal cleared his throat.

"Yes, you have. You're excused for the day. Please follow Mr. Li as he escorts you out."

"Mr." she looked at his nametag, "Fuji. I did not, I repeat, I did not request anything nor sign anything." She glared at Syaoran; it had to be his doing. He looked smugly at her.

"Sakura Kinomoto! Are you failing to follow instructions?" Sakura gaped at him. Since when do principals actually force you to take a day off from school? She opened her mouth, somewhat shocked, but was briefly yanked out of her chair by Syaoran.

"Well," he began cheerily, "we'll be off now! See you tomorrow Mr. Fuji." Once they were outside (and Sakura recovered) she shoved him off.

"What the hell was that about?" Syaoran shrugged.

"Didn't you hear? We're taking the day off today."

"Yes, but why? If my family finds out…"

"It's fine with them."

"Wait, how do you know?" Syaoran stopped walking and looked at her strangely.

"You don't know yet?" he asked. Sakura crossed her arms, arching her brow. "Well, you'll find out soon enough."

They were in the middle of the alley. Oh damn, how had he tricked her into coming to this kind of place?!

"What are we doing here?" she asked nervously when they came to a sudden halt.

"Do you have it?" She looked at him strangely.

"Have what?"

"I told you to check your pockets…" he trailed off, looking at her expectantly. Oh, that! She lifted the chain from her neck and revealed the ring. His eyes twinkled, almost delightedly. "Now give me your hand."

Hesitantly, she reached out to him. Suddenly, he took her hand and placed it against the brick wall. Um, what the hell?

"Syaoran, this is a wall." She spoke slightly puzzled.

"This is not a wall." A third voice spoke. It was feminine. Sakura nearly jumped out of her skin. Where the fuck had that come from? "Good morning Master Li. I sense a stranger beside you." Was she hearing things? She sure as hell didn't see another person. She looked around her, just in case somebody was playing a trick on her.

"Authorize her." He commanded.

"Authorizing…Kinomoto, Sakura. Age 16. Birth date: April 1st, 1990." Oh yeah, she had definitely gone crazy. She felt her forehead, was she sick? Hallucinating?

"Sakura," his voice broke her out of her stupor. "Sakura, place your ring into the slot."

She was going to ask him 'what slot?' but it seemed magically, a strange device had appeared and was supported by thin air. "What is that?" she asked; a hint of fear in her voice. She took a step back. Sure, she could stand fights and gangsters, but hell, this stuff was getting downright spooky.

He smirked at her; amusement lit in his eyes as the removed the ring from her neck and slipped it into the device. The device glowed eerily, as if scanning the ring. "Sakura Kinomoto; authorized. Welcome to the Li Clan." Then the strangest thing happened. The ground began to shake, frightened, Sakura clung onto Syaoran and shut her eyes tightly. 'I will not die, I will not die' she chanted to herself. Seconds later, or minutes, or even hours, Syaoran spoke.

"We're here." Somehow through the process, Sakura found herself in his arms. She peeked around her carefully, still clenching onto his shirt. Oh holy cow, how did that alley way turn into a sudden fully functional, fully modern building?! She looked around wildly, people stared at her blankly before bowing to Syaoran and resumed their work.

"S-Syaoran…"

"Yes Sakura?"

"Is this what I think it is?"

"If you're thinking 'Oh, I'm inside Li Corp.' then yes, you're right."

"Oh, I see." She managed weakly. Then she blacked out.

When she finally awoke, which was exactly two hours, twenty four minutes and thirty-six seconds later (according to Syaoran), she groaned pitifully. "Where are we?" she asked softly.

"We're still inside Li Corp." She sat up abruptly, holding her head. As if she came into realization, her eyes widened.

"Oh my god, this is the mental hospital isn't it? I'm crazy aren't I?"

"No," he said slowly, "but I'm beginning to think I should have brought you there." He cleared his throat. "Now, before you go around screaming or fainting again, let me explain this to you. Li Corp. is a highly functional and technologically advanced company, as you have seen. We have technology here that won't be released to the world for another hundred years. Only members of our clan have access to this facility, you get in with your ring and handprint." He looked at her, "Do you get what I'm saying?"

Somehow this all seemed farfetched, as if cameras would suddenly pop out of nowhere and tell her she'd been pranked. She nodded anyway. "Sure."

He looked at her hesitantly, and then continued, "Anyway, your father and your brother also work in this company."

"What?" That wasn't possible, her father was an archaeologist!

"Yeah, your father works for our archaeology department and your brother focuses on creating new inventions with our group of developers, specially chosen from many parts of the world." As if reading her mind.

"Wait, you're not just messing with my head, are you?" she had to ask, just to confirm. It all seemed much too unrealistic.

"No. I had specifically told Touya to tell you last night, so you wouldn't be as shocked today. He reacted the same way when he was first inducted, except he freaked out and started crying."

"Then why didn't they just tell me when I was child? You know, what they really did?"

"Each and every individual is sworn to secrecy. If told, it's automatically detected with our machinery. Then they die, and the person they tell dies as well. Simple. We do not tolerate betrayal."

Something in her mind clicked. "Is that why Tomoyo…"

"Yeah, most people don't find out their closest friends or family are in this until they get in themselves. And if they don't, they'll never find out."

"…So what if I go around telling people?" He sighed, exasperated.

"I'll kill you personally."

So after half an hour of touring, in which Sakura closely resembled Charlie in the Chocolate Factory and Syaoran, would have to tell her to stop touching everything or else he'd have to zap her with a laser and blow her into smithereens, Sakura sat in awe.

"I never knew all this stuff existed." Syaoran shrugged.

"You and the billions of people out there."

"So what exactly is the purpose of the gang?"

"It's more of a social thing, I guess. Many people know Li Corps. as an organization that's linked to The Wolves. In other words, we do the dirty work and keep Li Corps. squeaky clean."

"This is like a movie! You guys with all the futuristic technology and ruling the world with an unknown underground gang."

"Right." He said slowly. "Anyway, you should go talk to Tomoyo. You'll be seeing her at tonight's party."

"What party?"

"It's a monthly thing. This is how all get to know each other."

"Will my father be there too?" She had yet to imagine her clean cut father dancing wildly on bar tables.

"It's optional after the first year, but since you're new, you have to be there." Sakura nodded understandingly. Oh all the things she anticipated, this was definitely not one of them. "Oh and whatever you do, don't lose that ring."

She arrived home around six, only to find Touya standing wide-eyed in front of her.

"So? What happened?"

"Thanks for not telling me Touya!"

"…I was going to tell you! Just, when I saw you with that ring…" he trailed off nervously.

"Syaoran showed me around, it's pretty interesting, huh?" There wasn't quite a word to describe it.

"Syaoran? Himself?" he looked at her skeptically. "Sakura, it's not a good idea to get involved with him."

"It's okay Touya! I can handle myself. There's a party tonight, are you coming?"

"Yeah, but you better be home by 12…" he said warningly. Sakura stuck out her tongue.

"Maybe, maybe not!" she teased, running up the stairs and into her room.

"Sakura Kinomoto!" she heard him yell out briefly after. Laughing, she went to pick out an outfit. Tonight would definitely be fun.

"You are not going out like that." Touya growled lowly.

"I am too!" What was wrong with the way she was dressed? A tank top and a skirt, at least she wasn't naked.

"You'll have guys all over you!"

"Should I change into a bathrobe then?" she retorted sarcastically. That shut him up, for about a second.

"Sakura, change into something decent!"

The doorbell rang. Thank you, whoever it was.

"Too late now!" she said, taking advantage of the situation. Ignoring his protests, she flung the door open. It was Tomoyo. "Car first, talk later." Turning back, she stuck her tongue out at Touya and made her way into the darkness.

About five minutes into the drive, and five minutes of uncomfortable silence, she spoke.

"Tomoyo, I'm sorry." She looked at her.

"For what?"

"I didn't realize how secretive you had to be about it…"

"It's okay Sakura. We all go through that shock."

Laughing, they knew their friendship would be okay. They finally arrived at a club around 8. 'Naughty Angels' it was called. Sakura snorted.

"That's a corny name." Well, it wasn't as if she regularly went to these things, still.

Tomoyo laughed. "They just acquired it last week. They're planning to change the name soon."

Sakura nodded. There was still so much she didn't know; it was like she had just been introduced into a new world she never knew existed.

"How do we get in?" there was a huge line in front of the club and if they were to stand there, there night would probably be over..

"Easy." Tomoyo said, leading them to the entrance. Flashing what seemed like an ID card, the security guard immediately unhooked the line, welcoming them with a small nod. She couldn't help but smirk as groans were emitted from impatient clubbers who'd been waiting for the last three hours. "See," Tomoyo began, "being a Wolf does have its perks." She led Sakura to the bar table and was instantly greeted with a drink, her usual.

"And what would you like, Miss …?"

"Sakura" she answered with a smile, she could get used to this. "And water would be fine."

"Oh don't be such a party pooper Sakura" Tomoyo taunted. "Spike it up for her." Sakura shrugged, taking the drink nonetheless. When in Rome, do what the Romans do, huh? She took a sip, nearly gagging at its bitter taste but warmed up to it, or rather it warmed her up. She took a large sip, reveling in the warmth it provided down her throat and into her stomach. Sakura could most definitely get used to this.

"It's good Tomoyo." She finally said. Tomoyo burst into a grin.

"I told you so, now let's go dance!" Sakura shook her head, glancing quickly towards the building crowds. She didn't feel like being stuck in between sweaty bodies.

"Go ahead Tomoyo. I'm going to have a few drinks first." Tomoyo laughed, shaking her head and mumbling about her becoming an alcoholic, but made her way onto the darkening dance floor all the same.

Sakura finished her drink, feeling the urge to burst into giggles.

"Hey..." she called out to the bartender, the same one as before appeared seconds later. "Can I get something good?"

He nodded knowingly, grabbing a few bottles of liquor and mixing them expertly. The strangely pink liquid swished into a martini glass, in which he added a slice of lemon.

"Here, a nice drink for the pretty lady." With a small wink, he disappeared to serve the other customers. Sakura lapped at the glass, just a bit and was surprised at its strong content. Taking the slice of lemon, she placed it in her mouth and chugged the drink. She regretted it instantly as it sizzled down her throat, burning in its course. Her mind throbbed, and suddenly, it felt as if the club had heated up a couple of degrees. Why was it so goddamn hot in there? She tugged at her tank uncomfortably, it was so suffocating.

"Hey!" she called out enthusiastically. Several people glanced her way, but seeing nothing more than a drunk girl, they went back to doing their own thing. When she saw the figure standing before her, she mumbled, "Can I get another one?"

The bartender stared at her, impressed. He had given her one of his strongest alcoholic drinks, usually enough to have people drop after one glass, but here she was asking for more. She must have been a strong drinker, he decided, making a second one. He plopped it in front her. "Are you okay, Miss Sakura? Are you depressed?" It was usually the reason why people drank anyway.

Sakura shook her head, and then hiccupped softly. "I'm just…very happy tonight." He shrugged, unconvinced but accepted her answer anyway.

"Alright then."

Sakura sipped at it this time, growing found of the sour taste from the lemon. Man, why hadn't she drank this before? Right, because she had never thought of these things before Syaoran appeared. Though speaking of which, where was Syaoran tonight? She unconsciously pouted; he who invited her here tonight hadn't appeared himself. But enough about him, this drink was really tasty. She lifted the glass to her lips, and frowned when nothing met her waiting lips. Where had it all disappeared to?

'More' her mind told her, 'more.' And as if on cue, a filled sparkling glass sat before her. She smiled happily, exchanging her empty for the new one. Momentarily she wondered how many cups it would take her for her to be drunk. How was it like being drunk anyway? She stared off into space, wishing there was an air conditioner somewhere. Or maybe she shouldn't have worn so much. Tempted to take her top off, she paused gleefully only when she spotted another filled glass on the table.

After only god knew how long and how much liquor Sakura had consumed, she stood abruptly. She needed to pee. Her eyes widened, for the world had seemingly tilted on its axis. And how did everyone suddenly get a twin? Stumbling, she made her way to the bathroom, having only the wall as her support. She flung open the first door she saw, staring at the strange gadgets that met her. Since when did the girl's bathroom have stall-less toilets? And why were they so much closer to the ground, where would she sit? Stupid bathroom makers, she cursed. Though to her joy, she cackled elatedly upon finding stalls in the back.

Relieving herself, she washed her hands, barely noticing what a mess she looked like, Sakura mere patted her hair and strolled out, ignoring the strange looks she received but rather gasping when a man walked in. That pervert, going into the girl's bathroom! If she hadn't been feeling so dizzy, she'd definitely punish him! She walked blindly along, where was the bar again? Where was she going? Instead, she came across a row of doors, and opened the first one. Intriguingly, she peeked in, squinted and saw two figures atop of one another. They looked like rabbits, she mused, and slamming the door behind her as the couple resumed their activities. Sakura opened the second door, pouted at its emptiness but spotted a comfortable looking bed. Bed, she yawned at the thought. She was awfully tired. Careful as not to trip over strange rocks that had mysteriously appeared, Sakura flopped onto the vacant bed, snuggling against its softness. Her head throbbed, more painfully than ever, so she shut her eyes. It would only be for awhile, she hazily thought, it was still early.

Her eyes opened at the feeling of a heavy figure atop of her. She attempted to zoom in on the figure, but instead her eyes blurred. She groaned, feeling a strange sensation between her legs. The man was moving, moaning strangely. Sakura giggled, the man was drunk wasn't he? She wrapped her legs against him, enjoying whatever the man was doing. She glanced briefly to her side and spotted a blob of pink. Was that her skirt? Funny, what was it doing there? She gripped the bed sheets tightly, the muscles in her legs tightening. Though strangely, it wasn't painful but rather pleasant. Yes, pleasant. She whined as the man moved away from her, leaving her feeling empty and instead flopped beside her. Suddenly, she was feeling tired again. Goodnight, she mumbled to no one in particular, and drifted off into her slumber.

A/N: I apologize if the first and second part of this chapter are not compatible. Keep in mind the first part was written months ago! And the latter was written today, when I finally decided to stop procrastinating. I further apologize for the many mistakes you'll spot, because I'm too lazy to edit and there's another fanfic (not on FF) that I'm suppose to be working on. Thanks to everyone who enjoyed this chapter, and is still loyal to this story after months of the absence of this idiotic author who disappeared! Also, I'm hesitant on telling you guys when the next update will be, because truthfully after such a long writer's block, I've lost site of my original plot and the urge to continue on Sinful Temptations and Miracles. But from all the reviews I received in the previous chapter, I couldn't just leave you guys hanging, so please review, okay?

Until next time,

Descension.