Disclaimer: I do not own ghost hunt, I would be filthy rich if I did.

1:02 a.m.

Lin put the last of the remaining equipment in the van, and slammed the door. Against his wishes, Naru had gone ahead of him to the site where Ayako and Takigawa were. 'This is ridiculous, when it comes to Mai, he always takes action before thinking. He could have at least waited until I got all the equipment in. I wonder if that girl's logic is contagious…' Lin started up the van, and put it in reverse.

He had 20 minute drive to Himiwara Hill Manor, where he would meet eventually with Naru and the others. There, he would also see Mr. Lee Wong, and would need to explain what the circumstances were. He was, after all, arriving with all the equipment and no team.
He did tell Wong about Mai's disappearance briefly over the phone. Wong, being a police investigator himself, was nice enough to send out some officers to look for Mai around Himiwara.

At this point in time, Naru had only told him to wait at the manor as he searched for Mai, and then stand by for his call. Lin allowed him to do it, only in the conditions that he search for one hour, and if the weather persists, like how Takigawa described, he would need to call it quits and return to base.

'Ah, I need to call Madoka, and update her on what's happening.' Lin felt around for his phone.

Riiiiiiing.

'Ah, have they already found Taniyama-san?' Lin pressed the accept button.

"Moshi Mosh, Lin speaking."

A man with a heavy Chinese accent answered the phone, somewhat startling Lin. 'Who could be calling at this time of the evening?'

"Hello, my name is Sun Wang, and I am Taniyama-san's physics professor. This number was listed under emergencies. I'm just notifying her that she left her exams in my office on her way out. Am I speaking to her father?"

Lin paused, thinking about how to best respond to the question. "No I am not her father, Wang- san, but I am her guardian. I will let her know that she left her exams. If you don't mind me asking, what time was it when you last saw her?"

There was a pause on the other line, as if Sun Wang was recalling the last encounter. "That was about a quarter until midnight. Lin-san, if you don't mind me asking, has something happened to Taniyama-san for you to ask me that question? If I am correct you are also her employer from Shibuya Psychic Research?"

"Yes but how did you know…"Lin replied, shocked at his words. Had Mai told him about us?

"Oh I merely got that information from her emergency card. Now excuse me, I'm currently driving and there seems to be some obstruction on the road. Call me if you need any more information."

Lin heard the disconnection tone, slightly confused. For some reason, his intuition told him that the man was not being entirely truthful. Additionally, he suspiciously phones in the middle of the night to tell Mai about some tests she left at his office? Couldn't he just call tomorrow, or wait until their next class meeting?

Lin drove on. There were other things to think about right now, like figuring out ways to effectively find Mai. She was gone for an hour and a half now…

xxx

12:55 a.m.

A black Mercedes quietly pulls up on a dark deserted street. It stops and parks midway on the road. A man with black hair, and deep blue eyes steps out. He walks towards two people leaning on the van. It takes a moment for the two to recognize him.

They stop talking when they realize who he is. The blonde haired man starts to walk in his direction, with the brunette following beside him.

"Hey Naru! Thanks for coming in so fast! But I thought you would at least be with Lin-san to make the search party complete! Anyway, I think we should look over there," Takigawa pointed to the heavily forested area off to the more elevated part of the road, "since that area is closest to the bike trail. The bike must have flown off when it was turning and was wrecked from the impact–"

"Show me where her bicycle is." Naru asked coldly.

Both Ayako and Takigawa stopped dead in their tracks. There is something strange about Naru. Ayako thought to herself. I haven't seen him act like this since…Mai's disappearance in the Urado case.

The only difference this time was that the air around Naru seemed to be charged with electricity. His aura was even more noticeable because of the fog that surrounded him. Even in this hazy weather, they could see clearly his cold blue eyes demanding an answer from either one of them. Immediately.

Ayako pointed to a dirt patch behind the minivan, which was parked a few feet from the road."It's over there," She stated flatly. She didn't need to think twice to know that it was not in her best interest to get in Naru's way this evening.

He glided over to the bike, with Takigawa and Ayako following. His brows came together in concentration as he kneeled down. Naru's facial expression changed from emotionaless and impassive, to completely focused. He took a breath. Quickly, he reached out for the handle and closed his eyes.

Takigawa saw the whole event in slow motion. Why didn't he anticipate Naru doing this? Is he crazy?! "STOP NARU! You're not supposed to use your psychic powers! You're only going to hurt yourself!" Takigawa grasped Naru's arms to block him from touching the handle.

But Naru had already made contact. The electrified air around him charged to its climax, and his body slumped into a heap against Takigawa's arms. His eyelids were only half open. The charged atmosphere seemed to dissipate in that moment.

"Naru!" Ayako yelled, taken aback. She and Takigawa knelt down next to him."Are you alright? Say something if you're ok!" At this point, Ayako did not want any of their teammates in a coma, especially while Mai was missing.
This idiot, doesn't he realize we need him to find Mai?
Naru's breath came out in shallow, irregular huffs. To any normal person, he would have just looked like he ran a marathon. But his jaw was clenched, and his eyes had a look of desperation to them.

"Mai is…no… longer here. Her… existence has…disappeared." He mumbled, as he put his arm over his eyes.

There was a moment of silence. The fog whipped around them, and the cold bit at their faces. Still, Naru's words echoed in the air for what seemed like eternity.
Ayako was the first to act. She sat Naru up so he could normalize his breathing.

She and Takigawa backed up slightly to give him his space. Takigawa gave a sideways look at Ayako. The emotion in her eyes nearly matched Naru's, but her hands trembled as she folded them into her lap.

"What do you mean she's disappeared?" she whispered.

In that instant, a stinging brightness made them shut their eyes, as headlights from an approaching car illuminated them. The car slowed down to a stop until it was right next to Naru's Mercedes. A Chinese man with huge glasses and a red bow tie popped his head out the driver seat window.

"HEY YOU KIDS, DO YOU REALIZE YOUR CARS IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD? It's already hard to see in this weather and…"

He had not expected to see a half-dead boy on the side of the road, or the two people sitting next to him as he struggled to breathe. Another thing he did not expect was the minivan that had the Shibuya Psychic Research painted in small letters on the door.

"…ah. You're those people who investigate paranormal activity. Ghosts, right? You need help?"

Ayako shot Takigawa a vicious 'you-handle-that-and-I'll-handle-this' look, as she checked Naru's vitals again. Takigawa responded to this by standing up and sighing. The control freak has returned.

"Hey there!" Takigawa said, while walking a few feet towards the car. He flashed him a bright smile. "Yes, that's right, we are SPR! We're just taking care of our friend here. He just had a little too much to drink, so we stopped here for a rest. Thanks anyway, we're doing fine, so you can just be on your way."

Takigawa gave him another reassuring smile, and finished it off with a wave. 'Don't need any outsiders messing with this situation.' Takigawa thought to himself. 'Now, we just need to get Naru to Lin up on Himiwara Manor, and then we'll come back for the Mercedes later.' He walked steadily back to Ayako and Naru before hearing the man's voice call out to him.

"Unless you've called a tow company, I don't think you'll be going anywhere." Takigawa spun around in the direction of their cars. On the hood of each car, were wisps of steam coming out, as well as a subtle sizzling sound. Unless one looked closely, one would not be able to see it. It was a miracle to even notice it in fog.

"You sure have some amazing eyesight to be able to see that smoke in this weather." Takigawa said, as he started to walk back towards the man, who was now laughing mildly.

"Hoho! Oh I don't mean to laugh, you just have such a funny look on your face. What did you do? Use some of that psychic energy and overheated your cars?! Hehehehe!"

Takigawa mouthed off excuses faster than his mind could make sense of them.
"Uh…no. The hill is strenuous for cars, so cars naturally...overheat. By themselves. Without any abnormal environmental factors." Takigawa stammered. He knew Ayako could hear every word he said, and was already feeling the disapproving vibes on his back. The grave you're digging for yourself is getting deeper.

"Excuse me for just a second." Takigawa smiled sheepishly. He made his way back to Ayako and Naru, who was now completely passed out, but breathing evenly.

Ayako tugged on the bottom of Takigawa's shirt and pulled him down to eye level with her. She spoke in a low voice about 2 inches away from his face.

"What are you doing chit chatting with that man? Do you realize Mai has literally disappeared, and knowing her, probably gotten herself in some lethal situation? Use your cell phone to call Lin-san to get us, and politely tell that man to go away!" she let go of his shirt.

Takigawa sat down abruptly, hitting the rocky ground. "Ouch! Okay dearest, let me just get my cell phone out. Calm down." Takigawa fished through his pockets and took out his phone. The screen was pixilated and frozen, and the phone itself smelled like burnt metal. Uh oh. He took out Ayako's phone too, and not surprisingly, had the same condition.

Looks like Naru really overdid it.

Ayako's eyes widened slightly from seeing both their modes of communication smoking away. Takigawa just sighed and stood up, and strolled back to the driver, with the phones smoking in his hand.

"I suppose your phones got damaged from the hill overheating it, too!" The man called out from his car, quite amused about the situation. "Come on, I'll give you a ride to where you need to go."

1:20 a.m.

Naru was securely in the back seat with Ayako, while Takigawa sat in the passenger's seat.

"Sorry, with all the commotion, I haven't properly introduced myself yet. I'm Takigawa, this is my girlfriend, Ayako, and our unconscious friend here is Nar-, uh...Shibuya-san."

Sun started up the car, and accelerated up the elevating road. The fog swirled around the car, making it hard to see outside. "I'm Sun Wang, a professor at Himiwara University. You can call me Sun. Nice to meet you. Oh, where did you say you were going?"

"We need to be at Himiwara Manor, just northeast of here, on top of the hill." There was a second where Takigawa could feel the air get heavier. The car slowed down slightly. At the same time, he thought he saw a hard look pass over Sun's face, but it was only for a moment. The next thing he knew, Sun was smiling at him.

"Oh yes, that place is quite beautiful, a nice view of the forest and marsh areas, as well as the city lights. There's a nice bike trail not far from here. Although lately, there's been terrible accidents both on the main road and the bike trail. You probably already know about it." Sun gave Takigawa a sideways glance. "Since it's most likely in your expertise."

Takigawa and Ayako were stunned that he knew the case was connected to the supernatural. At this time, the media projected it as a string of unfortunate events, due to the volatile weather on Himiwara. Reports on the news omitted any mentioning of ghosts to avoid transforming the case into a circus. Either way, it was more acceptable to the public to explain the incidents as "accidents".

Bump. The car jostled as they went over the more rocky areas of the main road, named Mullberry Lane. The jostling had caused something to fall and roll around Ayako's feet. By the sound of the thump it made, it was something heavy. She felt the pressure of it hitting her left foot, and felt around the car's carpet flooring to find it. She picked up a rock that was as big as a grapefruit: It was dense and jagged, with a dull gray color.

Sun peered at Ayako through the rear view mirror. "Oh, I see you've found one of my geodes. If you turn it over, you will be able to see their internal composition."

Ayako flipped the rock upside down. What used to look like a dull gray surface, was broken into, exposing hundreds of glittering crystals. They reflected back any sources of light hitting them, throwing faint rays of light around her.

"It's beautiful. I haven't seen one this big in a long time." Ayako said as she put the crystal stone to her side. Her fingers hit another hard surface, and she looked down. Next to her, there was a wooden box, that was partially covered by a leather cloth. It was just above where Naru's head lay. However, something shimmered in the box, beckoning her to take a look.

In it were hundreds of different colored crystals of different type. On the very top sat an ornate glass box. Inside that box were three, very detailed, crystal cranes. What's more was that the interior of the box had a specific shape that held the crystals securely. It was as if the box was made for the purpose of those three cranes.

"I see you're an avid collector. Or are you a part time geologist?" She inquired, while fingering the glass box that protected them. These cranes were the most beautiful out of all the crystals in the box, one red, the other yellow, and the last was a dark violet, almost black.

"OH! Please don't touch those. They are very valuable, and are a part of my private collection." Sun Wang drew out an arm and lifted the leather cloth. He quickly covered the wooden and glass box containing the crystals completely.

Ayako huffed. I suppose this was no time to be ogling over beautifully handcrafted objects anyway. We need to find Mai!

"Ah, I hope you're not offended Ayako-san. Those cranes are as precious to me as life itself." Sun shifted gears to accelerate further up the slope, and peered once more through the rear-view mirror. "To answer your question, about me being a geologist – I am not really, I'm more a specialist on crystals."

Ayako eyed him quizzically. "I had no idea there was a specific career for that. What do you do?"

"Haha! Yes, It's rare to meet someone around here that works in this kind of field. These days, there are not many who would consider it a career. But it's a fine job, and very fulfilling since what I teach can be directly related to them. As for what I do- I categorize the crystals by element, composition, and ability."

Ability?

Sun took out three small crystal rocks from his pocket, and handed them to Takigawa. He put them in his hands gingerly, and turned on the rear view mirror light to see them better. "Crystals are not just for aesthetics, they can be very effective, in more ways than one." He paused. "That is… if they're used properly." Sun rounded another turn on the hill.

Takigawa was taken aback. His use for crystals was very limited. The only capacity he knew that crystals had was to enhance healing, and catalysts for prophecy. "What other abilities do they have?" He asked, while picking out a white transparent crystal of the three.

The car slowed down since the Mulberry Lane turned into a private road that went around to the cliffside. "For example, that crystal you're holding is mostly composed of silicon, it is often used in experiments to handle and control lasers, or other high frequency energies. Just like crystals can reflect and refract light, it can also do the same with energy. Its geometric structure allows it to completely harness the energy directed through it and reflect it outwards to a focused point. As for the other two you're holding," he pointed in Takigawa's hand, "one is a diamond-silicon carbide, also known as the 'White Dragon Eye', while the blue tricolored crystal is an Agate."

Ayako's ears perked up to the word 'diamond.' She leaned forward slightly with eyes widened.
"What does the White Dragon Eye do?" She inquired, trying to be nonchalant.

Sun adjusted his glasses and chuckled to himself. He replied, "The White Dragon Eye does exactly what the silicon quartz does: it harnesses and focuses energy that it's contacted with. The only difference is that micro diamonds embedded in it strengthens the structure as a whole, enabling it to conduct and control extremely high amounts of energy. In ancient mythology, it was often used by powerful sorcerers to help control their high emission of spiritual energy, and also to avoid the Boomerang phenomenon."

"And the Boomerang phenomenon is…?" He inquired as the Eye caught the surrounding light and sparkled back at him. They rounded the last turn. The fog around them got thinner, and they were beginning to see farther ahead of them. On cue, a yellow light appeared at the end of the private road. They were almost to the manor.

But in the car, Takigawa and Ayako were at the edge of their seats in interest.

"The boomerang phenomenon," Sun continued, "is exactly as it sounds. People who are born with high spiritual power, don't necessarily have the physical body to sustain it, especially when the energy released is enough to tear their bodies apart. It backfires on them, injuring the body as a whole. The body will start to deteriorate, starting with the muscles. First effects are breathing," he glanced at Naru behind him, "and coordination. It will eventually over-stimulate the brain to the point where it automatically shuts off the the important functions of the body- leading to loss of consciousness, coma, or even death."

Ayako and Takigawa looked at each other. This was sounding awfully familiar.

"The boomerang phenomenon was avoided for those who were lucky enough to possess the Eye. Not only has the Eye never been known to break, but it was also recorded for use in attacking, defending, and dispelling evil by merely focusing one's energy through it. For this reason, the white dragon eye is sought after and is very rare. Also, it only naturally occurs in places that have extreme heat and pressure, such as volcanic caves and pipes."

"Ah, here we are." Sun slowed the car to a stop. The sky was still dark, but the fog had lifted. They could now clearly see around them. A few meters ahead was an enormous mansion, completely made up of gray stone. It looked like it would have around 20-30 rooms, and was completely lighted. The yellow light they saw a few kilometers back was coming from this place. The manor's size was accentuated by the smaller trees around it. Under the moonlight, it looked like it had been there for decades or even centuries, because of its old English structure. To top it off, it was surrounded by an antique gate, about 20 feet tall, with uniformed guards standing in the front.

"Geez, all this place would need is a moat and it would be a full blown castle." Takigawa mumbled to himself, as he checked the car clock.

1:22 a.m.

xxx

In the last twenty minutes of the car ride, Naru laid next to Ayako, ignorant of the world around him. An onlooker would think he was having a peaceful nap, but that couldn't be further from the truth. He was in that limbo of being awake and asleep, all the while hearing voices in his head. They were somewhat distorted, just like echoes in a cave.

Am I dreaming?

"If I didn't have work, I would visit Narajara cave…"

Mai?

"Exploration time with Imminent death…scary lady…Calm down Mai, she's not here right now-"

Mai's thoughts?

"Get out of here..Mai…the walls…get away from them!"

Gene…

"Miss, you look lost."
"Can you help me? I'm looking for a way out."
"…we are ALL looking for a way out…"

These voices…Mai's not alone?

"I need to tell…tell them about this…he…coming for me…"
"…It's impossible…your body will remain…"
"Please don't… you're not…"
"No! He wouldn't…Naru … Naru…NARU!"

"Naru." He felt a warm hand pat his face gently.

He opened his eyes to find Ayako smiling at him, with an expression full of concern. How long have I been asleep? He forced himself to remember what had happened before he blacked out, while trying to push away the emotions that still swirled through him: Confusion, anxiety, guilt, and another…betrayal?
Naru shook his head to orient himself. He can't be overcome by these feelings, even if the source for them might have been Mai. Right now, he needed to rationalize. He needed to plan. Now, he had a clue of what happened to Mai – that was a start.

"Naru? Are you ok? You've been out for about 25 minutes now. Take it easy, we've just arrived at the manor." Naru snapped to a sitting position so quickly, almost hitting Ayako's head in the process. He pushed past her and got out of the car. Surveying his surroundings, he found Takigawa talking to an unknown man a few feet away from him, and started to walk to them. Ayako followed him from behind, yelling,"Naru, I said to take it easy, you were close to dying you know! At least wear a jacket in this freezing weather! Naru!"

Naru was only a few feet from the men when he heard the tail end of their conversation.

"Thank you for taking us here, but why are we stopping so far from the main gate? We still have a quarter of a mile distance to walk." Takigawa inquired while scratching his head. "I even had to ask Ayako to wake Naru, he really should still be resting over such an ordeal."

"Yes, since being drunk can almost kill you." He shot back sarcastically. He gave Takigawa a meaningful look. He was speechless. How much did this guy know?
Sun sighed in defeat. "To be honest," he confessed, "the reason we stopped here is because I'm not in particularly good terms with the owner of Himiwara Manor."

"Mr. Lee Wong?"

"Yes."

"So you plan to drop us off here?" Naru asked flatly. It was more a statement than a question. Sun Wang and Takigawa spun around, just realizing Naru was standing there…fully conscious.

"Ah! Shibuya-san!" Mr. Wang exclaimed while bowing. "My name is professor Sun Wang, I'm a professor up here in Himiwara. It's nice to see you up and well! You must take care of your body better, and know your limits in alcohol use!" Naru shot a severe look in Takigawa's direction but said nothing.

Sun continued, "As for traveling the rest of the distance," He pointed back at the manor towards the guards. They were looking over in their direction, and two of them entered a black minivan.

"They are coming to get you. Just state your name and purpose. You'll be able to meet up with Lee Wong in no time." Sun made a move to leave. "Anyway, I must really be going now! It's nearly 2 a.m. and I have a class to teach tomorrow!" Mr. Wang exclaimed while walking in the direction of the car. Ayako and Takigawa gave each other a confused look. Suspicious, much?

"Do you teach a physics class, Wang-san?" Naru asked casually.

Wang kept going without turning around. "Yes, as a matter of fact I do."

Beep!

The black minivan approached them with two guards, and Lin sitting in it. Naru didn't say another word as he stepped into the van. Ayako followed to him, staring at him questioningly as he sat down. He knows something. It seemed like the situation was going into a whirl at that point. Lin sat opposite Naru, and started updating him about the set up of the base, new information on the case, how Mr. Wong's search party for Mai was progressing, as well as information on Mr. Wong himself. The other guards remained silent and emotionless in the two front seats.

Takigawa was in the progress of going in the van, before realizing the crystals were still with him. He turned to find Sun Wang, who was already in the driver's seat of his car.

"Oy! Sensei! You left these behind!" Takigawa opened up his hand for him to see. Sun started up his car, and proceeded to drive in the other direction. At the last moment, he popped his head out of the window, and yelled back.

"Keep them. You'll need it."