Chapter 4. Demons in a House

"Oh, the records?" Miya-chan had kindly stayed after setting their trays on the floor although she declined to eat with them, saying she had already done so earlier. "They are in a local elementary school. Unlike you, Hazama-sensei did not wish to stay within the Kurosaki estate."

"I could see why," Tsuzuki mumbled around a mouthful of pork.

"I'd like to see them if I could," Asuka volunteered. He turned to his partner. "Let's go this afternoon?"

"Well, one of us has to stay here," Tsuzuki said hesitantly, "just in case..." Their eyes met and Asuka nodded.

Miya-chan was carefully serving more rice to Tsuzuki's bowl. "The school isn't very large. It's summer now, though, so no children are there. You may serve it to your heart's content. You will have to ask Sanae-san for the keys there, though. Her husband, who died a few months ago, used to work there."

"Miya-chan, who was that man with Kurosaki-kun?" Tsuzuki asked.

While Asuka blinked at the name Tsuzuki used for their current master, the girl did not seem to mind although she did smile a bit worriedly. "That is Iwao-sama, the young master's uncle."

"His father's brother?"

She nodded, eyes cast down. "Master Nagare's older brother."

"Oh." Stunned, Tsuzuki made some quick connections. If the older brother was still alive, and Hisoka-kun was now the head of the Kurosaki household, then it must mean that the head was not the older brother Iwao, but the younger brother, Hisoka's father. He was a bit curious about it, but it probably had nothing to do with the case, and he did not really want to indulge too much into servants' gossip. He fumbled a bit with the new information: "So the old master's name was Nagare?"

"Yes. He was a kind man, even to us servants, and indulged us every summer." The girl smiled. "He would let us go out for Tanataba and watch the shows and fireworks."

"And Iwao-san?"

Miya paused in refilling Asuka's bowl before, as if thinking of the appropriate answer, before speaking: "He is the Young Master's uncle, our Old Master's brother, and another part of the Kurosaki Clan. There is nothing else to say about him."

---

After Miya-chan had cleared the trays and left, Asuka managed to convince Tsuzuki that, no, he will not fit into Asuka's clothes and that he had his own robes donated by the kind Kurosaki Hisoka-sama, why can't he use those instead? The older man pouted but Asuka only smiled apologetically as he carefully folded his jacket and left it at one corner, right next to his bag.

"Sure you don't want to come?" Asuka asked, checking his pockets.

"Yeah." Tsuzuki nodded. "Will that be okay? I mean, you know how erratic this case might be—"

"It's fine," Asuka assured hastily. "Please don't worry."

"I'm sure you can take care of yourself."

There was a moment of silence, which Tsuzuki thought was almost awkward, before Asuka spoke again: "Tsuzuki-san."

Tsuzuki did not allow himself answer, only stared at the younger man looking out the window.

"I cannot stay here long."

It took Tsuzuki some time to reply with a curious, "What do you mean?"

"I..." Asuka turned to him. "The trial ended three days ago. I was already given a judgment."

Breath held, eyes widening. Tsuzuki found that his fingers were clenching and he stared at the other man dumbly, realizing that his brain was beginning to focus, to realize, and he was beginning to despair again—

"I have been allowed to pass on."

It took Tsuzuki some time to clear his dry throat, then some few seconds to formulate the question: "When?"

"In a week," his partner replied quietly.

"Can we solve the case by then?" Tsuzuki asked.

Asuka shook his head. "If we cannot, you will be required to go back for a reassigning of either position or partner. I cannot..." He paused, distressed and obviously worried about what Tsuzuki would say. "I'm sorry."

"Why did they assign you to this case then?" Tsuzuki asked, finding his voice seemingly different, more hard, and thought that this was probably unfair to Asuka.

"Because they were understaffed. The Kantou shinigamis are swamped; Kinki was getting an unnatural high record of mysterious deaths; only Kyushu was quiet for some time. And Tatsumi-san is booked until next month. Kachou foresaw the need for someone with medical training, so he sent me." The explanation was what Asuka had told him earlier, but he probably thought Tsuzuki needed to hear it again.

He was right. "I see."

Another awkward pause. Then, Asuka kneeled before the shoji door and pushed it open, still not meeting Tsuzuki's eyes. "Shall we talk more later, then?" he asked softly.

Tsuzuki nodded, realized that Asuka could not see him, and swallowed the lump in his throat before answering: "If we have to."

As an answer, the silent swish of sliding doors told him that his partner had already left.

Tsuzuki found himself staring out the window for a few minutes, hating the sun, hating the trees, hating this stupid job with the stupid policies that made him feel stupidly inadequate. Most of all, he hated this stupid place; everything was creepy and not making sense. He remembered his dream only the day before, just before he left for Kamakura, and thought dully, Oh, so that's what it meant.

He glared out the window and, strangely enough, just at that moment saw a figure beneath his window.

It was the boy again, strolling out of the house as if he had nothing else to do with his time. Tsuzuki would have believed that if he did not notice that the boy hastily look behind him as if he was expecting someone to follow before resuming his walk.

Tsuzuki barely even realized that he had moved until he found himself hastily putting on slippers and running out of the house where he last saw Kurosaki-kun. Quickly, he made his way through the garden and into the thicket of trees where he almost frantically darted through the branches, thinking that he had probably missed him already, and was that boy a fast walker, until he heard some rustling behind him and he jumped.

"Do you easily get lost, Tsuzuki-san?" Kurosaki-kun asked, raising an eyebrow.

Tsuzuki had to catch his breath before answering, "No, not really. But, yeah, I get lost easily."

"Are you lost now?" The boy stepped closer, watching him curiously.

By this time, Tsuzuki had already regained his breathing and managed to stare back without difficulty. "I was hoping I'd find you," he told him truthfully.

"Just as you hoped you and Asuka-sensei hoped you'd find me earlier when you eavesdropped on a private conversation?" the boy asked calmly.

Tsuzuki blinked. "You knew? How?"

"I have my ways," Kurosaki-kun replied dismissively. "You should not underestimate me."

"Nor should you underestimate me," Tsuzuki replied evenly.

They stared at each other until Kurosaki-kun looked away. Tsuzuki released a breath he did not know he had been holding, following the boy with his eyes as he moved away. It was only when Kurosaki-kun paused and turned to him once more that he blinked.

"Well? You did find me for a reason. We walk, you speak." The boy indicated to the ground. The shinigami hesitated for only a second before falling next to him, uneasily remembering the sudden change of the boy's personality only this morning.

They walked silently for a while despite the young master's order that Tsuzuki speak, taking a direction that Kurosaki-kun seemed to know very well despite the absence of paths. The trees thickened, as if they had entered a woods, and the light from the sun dimmed considerably. Even the birds seemed to be too far away. Tsuzuki tried not to think creepy thoughts, but the trip was short before they were again in a clearing next to a river.

"This river within the estate," Kurosaki-kun said in a formal voice, "leads to an underground passage going towards the lake, which you can see from your quarter's window."

"Oh, that lake." Tsuzuki nodded, remembering. "I didn't know there was a river going to it."

"Lakes are just endings," the boy said quietly. "There are always sources like rivers or streams that come from somewhere."

They fell silent, standing side-by-side and watching the river flowing, until Kurosaki-kun spoke again: "You have something to say to me, I believe."

"Actually, I don't," Tsuzuki told him truthfully. He grinned, scratching his head. "I just thought I'd go with you, you know. Accompaniment and all that—"

"Are you always this impulsive?" Kurosaki-kun interrupted.

Tsuzuki blinked. "Well, actually, no. In my line of work, it's dangerous if you don't think twice about what you intend to do. I mean, a lot of my co-workers say I'm impulsive, but they know I try not to be."

"You make some sense even when I sometimes think you don't," Kurosaki-kun said, and it was with a small smile.

"Thank you." Tsuzuki paused. "I think."

"You have left Asuka-sensei at the house?" the boy asked, changing the topic.

Thinking about Asuka sobered Tsuzuki, and he shook his head. "No. He...he had something else to do."

Again, they fell silent, staring into the flowing river, watching as the current gracefully crashed into some rocks and reeds along the way. The place, Tsuzuki thought, was silent and sad. He remembered something like this in his hometown. The river was wider, though, and deeper, and he had thought more than once that he should allow himself to drown there.

Tsuzuki has had his share of partners; he knew they would all leave him one day. Ever since that time, almost fifty years past, when Tatsumi had told him in that efficient voice of his that they would not be partners anymore, Tsuzuki had learned not to hope, to keep his heart close.

He did not really think Asuka would be different. But the declaration had seemed different, almost sadly warm; he thought he might be taking this well if they were in the office, but the household was contributing to his sadness, his sorrow, and he could not help remembering the first time he and Asuka met, how the boy had shamelessly done all that he could to protect his loved ones.

And he could not hold back his anger. He's going ahead. The depression whirled in his head, almost making him dizzy. He knew this feeling, this envy, and was ashamed for being angry.

But Asuka was leaving, he was being granted rebirth. Tsuzuki was tired, too. He was so tired and he wanted to leave, to just sleep and never wake—

Tsuzuki felt like he was sinking into the deepest earth with the unbearable weight of fury and shame. He was angry and jealous at Asuka for going ahead, for being permitted to pass on while he stayed on to bear his sins. How could he look at Asuka now? He would have to put on a new mask, have to keep smiling so the boy would not remember him as a demon he really was, but as a human who would never do his own work. But what was the use? Push him away, hurt him, and Asuka would still forget when his memories are erased so he can be reborn. So it didn't really matter, did it? It didn't matter if he pushed his friend away, because there will be nothing left—

A low groan interrupted Tsuzuki's thoughts and for a while, he thought he had done it; only when he turned to his side, he was in time to see Kurosaki-kun topple headfirst into the churning waters.

"Kurosaki-kun!" he gasped, darting forward to catch him.

He was not in time, but he managed to grab the kimono and tug before the boy let himself be taken by the current. Tsuzuki splashed into the water, gasped again and pulled harder before realizing that Kurosaki-kun's robe was wedged between two boulders. The earlier depression kicked in and his anger surged. He gave it a tug, knew it was helpless, and worked on keeping Kurosaki-kun's head above the water. The river was not deep, but Kurosaki-kun seemed to be unconscious, slumping against Tsuzuki while the older man hurried to unknot the boy's kimono sash.

"Kurosaki-kun!" he shouted, furious at himself for letting this happen. "Hisoka!"

The boy's eyes fluttered open, locked into his, before he struggled away. "Get—get away!" he panted.

"Keep still!" Tsuzuki yelled, fighting the urge to hit him, just as the robe fell away. He wound his arms around the boy's waist—shocked to find that it was so small—and threw themselves into the riverbank.

The toppled over the muddy grass, half in the water and half on the soil, Tsuzuki over Kurosaki-kun as he tried to keep them from getting pulled by the current once more. The boy master stopped fighting long enough to take a sharp breath before he flailed his arms and gasped again, "Let go!"

"You goddamn idiot!" Tsuzuki started, only he was not seeing Hisoka anymore—

—but a dark silhouette with pale hair hovering over him; weak light glowed behind the figure, but he could only feel pain and anger and filth, such filth, and blood—

—intensely furious with the loneliness that had Asuka's face, or was it his own face, or were he and Asuka the same—

—hearing voices speaking in his head, heard voices telling him he was a monster, that he would die like the whole family had—

—when will the God of Death grant him his wish, to let him die, because he was always so alone—

Stunned, he stumbled back and almost hit his head on a rock. The riverbank had reappeared, and Hisoka was beside him, pale and wide-eyed, staring ahead as if he could see nothing, probably seeing what Tsuzuki had also seen.

Tsuzuki allowed himself one final burst of anger and drew back his fist to hit the boy's jaw.

---

Hisoka awoke with a gasp, immediately sitting up. Tsuzuki watched impassively from a few meters away, uncrossing his arms as the boy struggled to return his focus. The kimono Tsuzuki had fetched from the river was now draped over the young master, but it fell back over his lower body when he sat and looked around.

"That was short," Tsuzuki said, unsurprised to find his voice cold. "I thought you would sleep the whole day."

"I—" For once, the young master seemed small and uncertain. "Where are we?"

"Still here. You collapsed."

Hisoka opened his mouth to speak again, only he winced and raised a hand to touch a tender jaw. "You hit me," he accused.

"I had a good reason to." Tsuzuki stood and deliberately made his way towards the boy.

All the hostilities he had been harboring these last few minutes, however, disappeared upon seeing the boy shrink back, clutching the kimono over his body as if it was his last defense. Tsuzuki's expression softened and he felt himself sag with relief. "God, you scared me...Are you—are you okay?"

"I'm f-fine." Hisoka kept his eyes cast downward but Tsuzuki could see that his scowl was returning.

There were a few moments of silence before Tsuzuki finally spoke once more, "So, are you still going to keep silent about it, or should I pry it off you?"

Hisoka gave him a startled look, followed by a glare, but continued to press his lips together.

Tsuzuki was annoyed. "Look, if it wasn't for me, you'd still be drowning in the river."

"If it wasn't for you," Hisoka shot back, "I would not have fainted in the first place."

What he said seemed to stun him and Tsuzuki himself had not quite expected it, but he thought it was better than nothing.

So he replied, "I know." When Hisoka did not speak again, he went on, "Anyway, I kind of guessed it when you fainted."

Hisoka's brow furrowed further and his hands clenched. "You bluff well, sensei," he said harshly only to be interrupted by Tsuzuki's words.

"We synchronized."

"What?" Hisoka glared at him. "What does that mean?"

"Synchronized," Tsuzuki told him simply, folding his hakama beneath his legs so he could easily sit. "Our thoughts became connected and you saw my foremost thoughts, I saw yours."

"It is impossible," was the flat reply. Hisoka stood, carefully covering his nudity by draping the kimono over his lower body and refastening the knot quickly before Tsuzuki could blink.

"It's not improbable," the shinigami said carefully. He had to approach this subject or else it would be dangerous not only for him and Asuka but for Hisoka as well, especially if he now knew that they were not doctors. "It's even very likely."

"It cannot be done."

"Yes it can, if one of the initiator is an empath."

Hisoka's hands paused and Tsuzuki watched with some interest as his shoulders tensed and his spine straightened. Then, the boy resumed putting on his kimono. "There is no such thing," he said, but his voice trembling. "Such a person would be a demon."

"Is that what they called you?" Tsuzuki asked softly, then drew back sharply when something whipped across his face, pointing at his throat. Hisoka had moved so fast that he had managed to grab a pointed stick that he now brandished against the older man.

"It would be wise, sensei," the boy said through gritted teeth, "not to use that word on me again."

Tsuzuki looked up, stared at the anger in his eyes, and softly told him, "They called me that, too."

Hisoka froze.

"There were other words, but the word 'demon' was mostly used." He was not afraid; after all, he could not die in this boy's hands. He was, after all, already dead. "I was different, so they were afraid."

He had never mentioned this to anyone else, had not even so much as breathed about it, in fear that they would be afraid of him, or would not be able to take the weight of his words. There had been no one like him, but here he was, finally uttering these words to a boy whom he had known for barely two days.

But he's an empath, he argued to himself. He would know anyway, so what's the use in hiding it? Besides, if we're the same—

—then I can use it to my advantage. I can get him to trust me and help me. The final thought made him feel terrible. Never in his whole time as a shinigami had he ever done that, and he did not think he should do so now. But it felt easier to think that and still maintain a distance to this boy instead of thinking that they were truly the same.

He could not bear anymore rejection.

Hisoka continued to watch him, assessing his every move, but Tsuzuki knew he was probably trying to figure out how to read the emotions and thoughts. Smiling, the shinigami held up an arm to gently push the stick away from his face.

"You won't be able to read me now," he told Hisoka. "I know how to shield."

"How?" Hisoka demanded, looking furious with himself.

Tsuzuki shrugged. "It's easy. You just have to concentrate on keeping your emotions in check. Aura is like blood. If it leaks, you get weak or someone else thinks you're weak; I've known for a long time how to keep it in, but I've never thought it might be useful for something like this." He gave what he hoped was a gentle smile.

He must have done something right because the young master's face returned to its original blank expression before he turned around. "The second day has already almost passed and I still find myself being surprised by you," the boy muttered stiffly before continuing, "We had best get going. I do not know how long I was out—"

"Just a few minutes."

Hisoka shot him an unreadable glance. Tsuzuki only shrugged. "We must get back," he said again.

Again, they began their trek back to the estate in silence, with the crunching leaves beneath their feet and the gurgling of the river behind them as the only sound around them. When they reentered the creepy woods, Tsuzuki mused out loud, "This feeling here is almost like when I went to the doll room."

"What do you know about the doll room?" Hisoka asked sharply, not turning to him.

Tsuzuki blinked, startled that the boy had reacted. "Oh, well...nothing, really. I just saw all the dolls. Miya-chan kindly let me enter and look at the dolls—"

"I have told them time and again that the room should be closed." Hisoka sounded infuriated.

Tsuzuki grinned and placed a hand on Hisoka's shoulder. "Don't be angry, Hisoka. They probably forgot, that's all."

Hisoka looked at him silently, and it was only then that Tsuzuki realized what he had done and said. Feeling his face flush, he drew back and stammered, "I'm—I'm sorry, it's just that—your name, it's a nice name, and you should use it—"

"My name is just a name," the boy told him quietly. "I would appreciate it if you refrain from commenting about it again. And while we are on the subject, please do not return to the doll room."

Tsuzuki quickly removed his hand from his shoulder and fell silent. They came to the edge of the woods, where they could see the lake surrounded by reeds and tall grasses. There was no one in sight.

"Forgive me, Kurosaki-kun," he said formally. "I meant no disrespect."

"That's the trouble," Hisoka replied with a sigh, and he sounded like a weary teenager made to bear all the world's troubles. "You mean no disrespect every time. It makes it harder to be angry."

Tsuzuki had no reply to give but he thought that maybe Hisoka had not meant to speak aloud or did not know he had spoken at all, so he kept silent and trailed behind the master.

At the back of his eyes, he thought he saw something splash from the middle of the lake, but quickly averted his gaze and dismissed it as another one of those pond frogs.

---

Asuka managed avoid a pile of crates just in time. He closed the door with a sigh before stopping in front of a room and closing his eyes to concentrate.

Miya-san had been unable to remember which room the doctor had occupied, and none of the rooms seemed to hold any of the records. What he did find were boxes that held notes concerning children who were probably adults by now, and old abandoned school notes so out of date.

It took him around an hour before he thought of using his spiritual powers. He was not as good as everyone in the office, but he knew how to control them up to some point. If he just concentrated hard enough, he could lower part of the barrier in his mind and pinpoint a distinctive aura, anything out of place.

The problem was there seemed to be a jumble of aura in the building, which was understandable considering it used to be a schoolhouse. They were almost as messed up as the boxes themselves. If he was a bit stronger, or if he had Tsuzuki-san's or even just Watari-san's practice and ability, he would have been able to sweep this whole building in less than a minute; however, he only had a few years of education and even less time for field training.

Thinking about it, however, would do him no good, he realized.

He stood at one part of the hallway and positioned himself, concentrating on both his breathing and clearing his mind. It was easier now that he'd been doing it continuously, and he could cover more ground.

A few seconds revealed nothing, and he sighed again, about to pull away when the edges of his abilities caught something.

He almost opened his eyes in surprise.

There was something distinct about the aura, as if it had a mind that was trying to hide from someone who had accidentally caught him stealing a cookie. It was wary, but at the same time curious.

Fascinated, Asuka took a deep breath and managed to pinpoint the exact location before reopening his eyes and allowing himself to move towards it.

In the middle of one unlocked room, Asuka thought he could feel something radiate, like a faintly glowing light, only it pulsed lightly in his blood. He could feel a bit excitement as he pushed boxes and old table tops away to reveal a trapdoor on the floor.

Delighted at his find, he cleared more things to make room before he managed to kneel next to the lid. He felt around and gave himself a smug grin when he found a place where his fingers could wedge inside so he could pull. It was a bit hard, earning a small grunt from him, but still he was surprised that it opened only after a few tugs.

It didn't seem to be a room; in fact, it looked like one of those small storage places where people used to put their precious things during the Second World War. He did not find any food there, but he did manage to find more stacks of papers.

Careful examination did not reveal anything else; they seemed to be receipts and documents concerning the schoolhouse or other estates, poorly copied. Some were written by hand and were already faded; there were also torn pages of magazines and newspapers dating from around forty years ago.

Asuka sighed. Clearly, this was getting him nowhere and the sun was already setting. Finally admitting his defeat, he dumped the stuff back into the storage, but was surprised when something a rectangular paper fluttered next to his feet.

He took his time in rearranging the other documents before he allowed himself to glance at the paper.

Suddenly, Asuka was glad he was sitting down; he would not have to fall back in shock.

Two faces smiled back at him; one was of a woman with long dark hair pinned over her head with a bright pin; her lips were small and painted and she was dressed in an elaborate kimono as if she was going to her marriage. The woman was undoubtedly the woman whom they called Kurosaki Rui.

However, Asuka could not be too sure, as the other figure that stood next to the woman who looked like Kurosaki Rui seemed to be her identical twin sister.

---

Tsuzuki was in the room, slowly striking keys on the laptop; however, he turned to Asuka when the other man pushed the door open to let himself in. "I was going to send a message to Gushoushin," the older shinigami explained, "for some information on empaths."

"That's good," Asuka replied, sitting next to him and crossing his legs, "because I want them to give us every information concerning Kurosaki Rui's lineage."

At Tsuzuki's puzzled frown, Asuka explained about the picture he had found in the schoolhouse, of Rui and the woman who looked exactly like her. Tsuzuki listened to him intently before telling him about their young master's power.

"An empath?" Asuka echoed, blinking. "That's rare, isn't it?"

"Extremely," Tsuzuki agreed, "which explains why he was kind of dodgy around people."

"He must have learned how to control it," the younger shinigami mused.

But Tsuzuki shook his head at this. "I think he only has minimal control. It must still be difficult for him to be with other people, but he manages it better. I don't think the other people in the house know, though."

"And his parents?" Asuka asked.

Tsuzuki bit his lip before replying quietly, "They knew. They locked him up in the dungeons below this house."

Asuka paled and Tsuzuki turned away, busying himself with looking for the next key to press. "A-anyway," the younger man went on, apparently composing himself, "this empathy might also be a key to solving our mystery."

Tsuzuki thought about it. "You may be right. I haven't asked Hisoka about what emotions Rui's been projecting, but if he tells us—" Right then, his shoulders drooped and he shook his head. "But I don't think he's open to discussion about it right now, especially since we got into a disagreement earlier." He shrugged at Asuka only to find the man staring at him with one raised eyebrow. "What?"

"You just called him 'Hisoka'," his partner explained.

The older shinigami was flustered. "Well, it's a nice name anyway," he defended. "That has nothing to do with anything."

"When did that happen?"

"I have no idea!" Tsuzuki snapped, feeling his face flush. "It's just a name, I like it, and I think it suits him."

"He is kind of mysterious," Asuka agreed.

"It's just a name, okay?!"

His partner gave him an apologetic grin. "Alright, I won't say anything else about it. How did you know about it, anyway? Did he tell you?"

Tsuzuki did not turn to him and continued to furiously type the letters on the keyboard before he replied cryptically, "It was accidental. Nothing special." He did not elaborate and his partner did not ask.

They fell silent again with the sound of fingers striking the keys as the only sound. Then, breaking the silence, Asuka went on, "Tsuzuki-san, about what we discussed earlier..."

Tsuzuki paused before resuming his typing. "Just forget about it. This case has nothing to do with it."

Asuka was about to say something but he thought better and did not say anything else. Instead, he stood and announced, "I'm taking a shower."

The older man did not turn to him but nodded in reply. A few minutes later, the door closed and Tsuzuki pointed the mouse curser over the button 'SEND' and clicked.

---

He never thought it would be possible to drown with too much air.

He never thought it would be possible to feel too much pain.

The skin that pressed against his, however, were not the most violating part of the act; no, it was the thoughts. He had heard about it; people called it "rape", but he had never thought that his brain would actually feel part of it.

He thought perhaps he could forgive this, this act that tore his body and mind apart, that pulled his screams and made him scream more.

But there was no more skin, only scales, and water, except that he could breathe and he could scream again, and the marks on his skin felt like they were angry welts as if they, too, were being violated.

Give me my name back!

Slithering—there was no other word for it—over his mouth, forcing the lips to part, while another wound around his arms and torso, lower until they almost gently clasped around his ankles and thighs.

My name!

"It's just a name," he had told Tsuzuki-san, but—oh!—how it had hurt to say that, because he had nothing that was his own now.

You're the demon who stole my name!

"Ah!" He choked on his gasp, trying not to cry out as his body burned and slithered at the same time, feeling his throat fill with water and something else entirely—

He had nothing, owned nothing. Not his body, not his thoughts, not even his very name.

He was nothing but a secret, a shadow.

I'll take it back from you.

He choked again and refused to weep; water would only give it power, and what better punishment than gloating over his tears? Slowly, almost ashamedly, his hips began to move to the rhythm set for him and his thighs tightened without the help of those things around him. Toes and knees pressed harder against the wooden ground, palms fell forward and clenched.

Someone laughed behind him and he squeezed his eyes shut. It was during this time when he was most vulnerable; already, he could hear specific words from everyone inside the house—

"—getting chilly but summer just started—"

"—old bones will break if they don't help—"

"—since Watari had better—"

"—is Tsuzuki okay with all this—"

"—no pity for love—"

I'll make you give me my name back.

"This is, of course," the voice from behind him crooned, "all that you Kurosakis deserve."

He opened his eyes, gritted his teeth, feeling sweat roll down his cheek and back. The faces of his ancestors stared back at him; all their pictures hung on the wall, staring at him without expression. He shook his head and turned away. His father's portrait was there, amongst them, staring down at him with eyes that seemed to speak but could not formulate words.

He arced his spine and threw back his head, giving a low cry, thrusting his hips faster into the tightening hold, finally allowing himself release.

---

There was only one candle lit in the middle of the doll room, the room her son hated so much; she could not blame him. She hated it as well.

For a moment, she stared at it impassively, eyes darting from one shelf to another before she saw one particular doll.

That one doll—

—the one that changed positions each day—

Without a low cry, she lunged forward, not caring if the movement would upset the shelves or that she might trip over her loosely-tied kimono; somehow, she knew she must try to take it again.

But there was something that coiled around her wrists and pushed against her body. It was a small figure, smaller than hers, but the eyes glinted like red moons against the flickering flames.

"Oh," the figure purred, "but you surely had us fooled."

-end chapter 4-

Notes:
Sorry for those who waited for this to be released, but I was a bit hesitant to post this chapter because of the scene with Hisoka. It took a long time (years!) for me to decide that I should just keep it there and just shut up about it. In the meantime, I also reviewed the contents and deduced that I need not raise the rating as of yet.

I apologize for keeping many of you waiting. I hope it won't happen again.

Coming up next!

Preview:
Resentment that tasted as bitter as bile immediately overcame Tsuzuki's throat. "Asuka-san, the briefing clearly stated that we must investigate the source for her wavering light in the House of Candles before the retrieval."