Day slipped away into night and wakefulness turned to fatigue, as the boy had nothing to eat, nothing to nourish him for the duration he was in his grandfathers private lab. The child's arms were lightly strapped but restrained non-the less to the stiff bed he rested upon.
Muraki couldn't tell how long he'd been there, if his parents had been found or if the world continued to exist beyond the familiar white walls. He let the shadows comfort him, as he had nowhere else to turn. The smile he first conjured from the ordeal quickly faded into complete helplessness. Even his most respected elder seemed to have abandoned him, and nothing hurt the child worse then being alone.
Calm whispers and hushed voices swirled around him. They were deciding, calculating voices that seemed to be conspiring some sort of intervention behind his back. Muraki tried to hear them; he strained against the silence of the room and concentrated on the thin wisps of tone that seemed to dissipate as soon as they were projected.
He too gave up on that, and let the droning hum of spirits collect around him.
A wooden thud parted the voices around him as they slipped away with the entrance of the said elder.
Muraki twisted his head to the left, straining to see from his confined position from the lack of full optical capacity.
A shaking wrinkled hand touched his forehead and pushed back a mass of silver hair.
"Dear boy… what you must've gone through." Muraki's eyes squeezed shut, gleeful in the company and projections of a brighter future flickering in his mind.
"Ojiichan!" the boy whimpered, pulling his arms lightly on the restraints as a silent plea to be freed.
"Not yet, son." There was an odd smile that crossed the old man's lips. It was smile of betrayal and fear, one that the boy hadn't completely processed, nor could understand if he did.
But the spirits knew and sent waves of danger to the youth, making him understand the ill intent the older doctor had towards his next of kin.
Muraki shuddered, and closed his eyes, letting the hums and voices clear his thoughts.
'What are you doing?' One said, not to him, but to another spirit. The indecision and conversation pushed through the boys mind, showing him evils that could bring fruit and wrongs that could produce happiness. All he had to do was will it, and it would be done.
'He knows…'
Scattered tones and voices poured out until finally with a swift chant and falling charms, stopped all spiritual speech.
"Are they loud boy?" The grandfather asked, pushing the charm card closer to the child's chest.
"What are they?" Muraki whimpered, wishing their existence to be explained. The elder just laughed, cowering closer and closer to the small medical bed.
A knowing look sparkled behind the seasoned eyes, but he chose not to disclose anything more.