Chapter 7

Handing in her test papers, Nyoko's hand brushed accidentally with Mr. Katsuma's. 'Crap. . .'

"Ah, Miss Kokoro, I do hope the test was not too difficult," smiled the older man.

"It's not if you studied," Nyoko replied, wanting to end her talk with the teacher. "Have a nice day."

"Nyoko."

She flinched as she felt a hand touched her shoulder. "Yes, Kai?"

Kai dropped his hand to his side and grinned sheepishly. "I really hope I didn't fail that test we just took. I need a high grade to pass."

"I'm sure you did well," Nyoko felt odd. She was acting a bit cold to Kai ever since he started to call her by her first name.

"I'll see you soon," Kai hurried pass her. Soon? As in seeing her outside when leaving the school for the day?

"Excuse me," Shuichi smiled as he brushed pass Nyoko.

"The games shall begin shortly," Ronin whispered as he had claimed Nyoko's arm in his.

Nyoko eyed Ronin as he was leading her quickly through the crowded halls, turning into different wings of the school. "What's going on?"

Ronin didn't say anything until they were alone in an empty, dark classroom. "Nyoko," he murmured as he locked the door behind him. He held the weirdest expression in his eyes. "Did you know. . . ." he trailed off, his eyes roamed over her body.

'What's going on?' Nyoko started to feel nervous about the fact that she was alone with a demon even if it was Ronin, her friend. "Ronin?"

"I would never hurt you, Nyoko," Ronin smiled sincerely. "But I cannot help you."

Confusion written across her face, Nyoko questioned, "What do you mean?"

His eyes did not hold the same cheerfulness as his smile. "The school will be deserted less than fifteen minutes with all but three and you. I cannot stay long. . . .Even if you cannot feel it, the air is filling with demonic energy."

"Why can't you stay?" Nyoko suddenly felt scared. What was going to happen?

"Because I do not wish to be caught just yet," Ronin turned his head to look at the clock in the room. "No one must know that I, Kuronue, had reborn." His lips curled into amusement. "Don't be afraid. . .you have those who will protect you outside. All you have to do is not to get caught."

"Wait—What?"

"There will be a key hanging from the ceiling somewhere in one of the halls," Ronin continued to watch the clock. "You are the only one who can see it. You are to retrieve it and use it on any locked doors in the school. The key is important because you have to unlock your way out of this school."

"This isn't funny, Ronin," laughed Nyoko nervously. "Tell me you're joking."

"I'm not."

'He wouldn't. . .he wouldn't leave me here alone, would he?' "But I don't wanna do this."

"Too bad," Ronin's tone grew emotionless. "You had to catch the eyes of them or rather let them mark you with their youki. You. . .a normal human girl had to meddle with the supernatural in some shape or form." He faced her. "Don't worry. . .one of those three is my friend even if he now sometimes annoy me and doesn't recognize who I am."

"Who—"

He stepped closer to the young woman, cutting her off. "You'll notice if you see two of them go against one together. That one alone is my dear old partner. And yet. . ."

"And yet what?" Nyoko looked up into his dark eyes. What did he mean by mark? How was she marked by those three?

"It's best if you do not get caught by any of them," Ronin placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it. "Nyoko. . .you are in heat."

"Huh?" she gave him a 'What the hell are you saying' look.

Ronin lowered his head closer to Nyoko's face which grew red. "We have excellent noses, Nyoko. Just because humans cannot tell if one another is in heat, doesn't mean that they aren't. You're now the—excuse me—the bitch in heat and three dogs will be here with you in this building."

"Ronin, you can't leave me!" cried Nyoko, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him. "I'm too young for this! I-I-I. . ."

"The prize is far greater if it is pure," Ronin pulled her hands off and held them in his. "As long as you find the key and a door leading to the outside, you'll be fine." He smiled. "You're a kendoka. You can kick their asses if you want."

'This is just like some horror movie except the victim, me, won't be killed by some psychopath but. . .WAH! Why me?' "But—"

"Hey, just so you know," Ronin kissed Nyoko on the nose. "I decided to scatter your scent throughout the building in the air. None of them will be able to locate you easily. Now good luck. It starts as soon as you see these windows go black and the lights shall be flickering." He headed over to the window, opening it to jump out. "Let's call this—"

"Ronin, don't go. Please don't leave me."

"—Passion Plays a Game of Tag."

Someone was chasing her through the forest. Wicked shadows casting from the twisting arms, bare of leaves by the silvery blue moon. Nyoko really hated dreams like these especially when she was being chased by something she could not see. Her bare feet burned as they touched the cold ground whose hair was trying to grip her down. 'I hate this!' Cold forces, causing goosebumps were attempting to slow her down. Behind her, she could faintly hear two pairs of running feet or perhaps the creature had four legs.

Branches thrashed; sticks cracked; heavy footsteps pounded in her wake. Her side ached. 'Why won't my alarm ring and wake me up?' Nyoko hated nightmares where she was a prey of a predator hidden from view but always close. She glanced back. Always a mistake. Something big was after her. And she didn't know what it was.

She stumbled over a branch and hit the ground hard. 'NO!' She couldn't breathe. She felt like she was going to die. Then suddenly air returned back to her lungs. She gasped greedily. Something leaped on top of her. She twisted and grabbed fistfuls of fur. 'What the. . .'

It was silver and huge like a dog but it wasn't a dog. The ears were too big like a fox. Yet it had four tails. 'A fox with four tails. . .' What a weird dream she was having. Its eyes were amber and humanlike. 'Like the ones outside my window. . .' A sudden growl emitted from the fox, sending fear throughout Nyoko's body. It went for her throat, but instead of biting her, it licked her collarbone. Nyoko shuddered and knew that the fox was male. Her body was on fire as the fox moved lower and lower.

This was wrong. So wrong on so many levels. The licking stopped around her naval. Nyoko struggled to sit up but a hand came and kept her down. A hand. . .with claws. Looking up, she saw the back of a man with long silver hair. Her eyes widen as she saw two fox ears perched upon his head. Suddenly pain shot out throughout her body. She felt wetness trickling down her bosom.

"You have the sweetest scent," a silky deep voice spoke. "And yet you are merely human. I loathe humans. Let's hope you aren't one in your next life." A flash of silver came and—

Why does Nyoko suddenly remember her dream now? Why is it coming back to her vividly? Her heart pounded, hurting her chest. 'Why do I feel like I met that. . .fox thing before?' Perhaps it was from the memory that Hiei had suppressed from her. Was it bad to be kept from her? What if it was something valuable? Her hands tighten on a golf club she had acquired from the classroom. Apparently the teacher, who had that room, liked golf and kept a club in the closet. 'Golf's not my thing but what the hell.'

"Took you long enough."

In times like these, Nyoko needed to think positive. She shouldn't be freaking out. Oh no. She shouldn't let the fact that the lights were flickering on and off, casting shadows around. She shouldn't scare herself by telling herself that the shadows looked alive and real. She shouldn't let the fact that the windows were stained black so that no one could look to see her from outside. She shouldn't let the fact that the phones (she stopped by the payphones) weren't working. She shouldn't be afraid that there were three males after her and planned to—

WHAT WAS THAT?! Nyoko eyed the room from where the squeaking sound came from. Curiously and fear drove her to see what lies within. Closer and closer she went toward the door. She felt her blood pounding in her ears.

Peering in, she let out a sigh of relief. It was just the mice running on their wheels. 'Great. . .my only witnesses to see me before. . . .'

Oh, how Nyoko hated Ronin or Kuronue or whoever he was now. Had he not realized that the school was two floors high and she was on the second floor? How the hell was she going to search the whole place for a key without getting caught? Now she noticed how many corners this school held. 'Too bad I don't have a map like the one in Harry Potter. . .'

"Does the dark frighten you?"

Nyoko swallowed. Passion. Why had Ronin called this Passion Plays a Game of Tag? Was it because to the demons, passion to have her drove them to pursue her? Or was it passion that drove her to find the key and a way out?

Damn. The flickering was getting worse with the darkness lasting longer. The hair on the back of her neck was standing up. Something told her not to go through the doors that lead to the staircase down just yet. Hell, one of the doors was opened wide but the other was closed. Something could be hiding behind it. Then—

Her body froze. Faintly she heard a whistling sound. She turned and squinted as she saw something shiny swinging straight down the hall. Nyoko blinked. She had come from that hall. Why didn't she notice the key up there before? Then again, it was hanging from a short string. 'Fuck. . .' There was no way she could reach it unless she went and got a chair from one of the classrooms. That would take too long. She could just hope that it would take one jump and she wouldn't land loud.

"It is I, who you should be afraid of."

Shit. Where were these words coming from? They sound strangely like the creature from her dream but he had never echoed these words to her. Had he?

The shadows were multiplying.

Nyoko bit down on her tongue, but not hard enough to draw out blood. "Come on," she whispered as she jumped, stretching out her hand.

"Now what should I do with you?"

'YES!' Nyoko had acquired the key. She—

A door slammed somewhere.

Nyoko ran. She hurried to the stairs as quickly as she could. She—

"Miss Kokoro, is that you?"

Turning, the young woman faced the one who called out to her. "Mr. Katsuma?" What was he doing here? Had Ronin been wrong that the building was vacant except for three demons and her?

"What's going on?" Mr. Katsuma seemed frighten.

"I don't know. . ." Nyoko could not find herself to relax. Something nagged at her. A gut feeling, perhaps? She recalled the fact that he was looking at her in class not so long ago.

"Put down that golf club, Nyoko."

"I have an idea. . .I've never bedded a human woman before."

Her grip tightened on the golf club. "No. . ." He called her by her first name. His tone was off when he said her name.

"What?" Mr. Katsuma approached toward her.

She turned and ran toward the stairs. Something collided with her foot, causing her to trip and fall on the floor. Looking back, she saw a tennis ball. Where had that come from? "NO!"

"How about roughly against the wall?"

"Now, now, let's not make things complicated," Mr. Katsuma held on end of a long piece of jump rope.

"Let me go!" Nyoko grabbed hold of the closed door. She refused to be dragged. She struggled but the rope would not slip from her ankle.

"I promise to be gentle," he purred.

"FUCK YOU!" Nyoko used her other hand and threw the tennis ball hard. Seizing the moment, she freed herself and ran down the stairs, skipping two or three steps at a time. Oh, she better not trip and fall.

"That hurt."

Nyoko bit back her scream as Mr. Katsuma was in front of her. She swung her golf club but missed. "Let me go," she panicked as he had her pinned down on the stairs. His grip was tight; she could practically feel herself bruise. Damn. . .he was far stronger than her.

His eyes gleamed. "Now that wouldn't be so much fun." His face leaned closer, enjoying the horrified look appearing on the young woman's face.

"What all females fear most. . .losing the one thing they can never get back."