Suzu's eyes shot open, but she couldn't see the world around her. A wave of confusion rolled over her, did the power go out? Had she awoken in the middle of the night? It wasn't exactly a new experience for her. If she wasn't sleeping constantly, she had insomnia for hours upon hours. But even so, something seemed wrong.

It hit her like a sack of bricks, she was sitting. Sitting? She thought, not sure if she was still suffering from morning confusion. She didn't trust her memory sometimes, it being full of unconscious holes, but something felt different. She'd fallen asleep in their bed, that was for sure.

Hisao, where was he? Her eyes searched the blackness around her. Surely her eyes should've adjusted to the dark by now?

She felt a slight pressure on her temples, was she getting a headache? She tried to move her hand to rub her forehead, but it wouldn't move. Her confusion was suddenly replaced with panic as she realized her current situation.

She was tied down. Now she noticed it, the smooth, nylon tying her wrists and ankles, the thick rope wrapped around her waist, the anchor point of the whole twisted setup. Why was she like this? Hisao and her hadn't done anything as… adventurous as this, but she knew he would ask before attempting something like this.

Suzu's nose absentmindedly tasted the air around her. It smelled dingy, a scent that hadn't been near civilization for awhile. The mildew she smelled also contributed to the atmosphere of the strange place she was currently in.

How long was I out…? Her mind still couldn't comprehend the obvious. Suzu wasn't to blame, she'd never experienced anything like this in her whole life.

Slowly, she put it all together. The fact that she was tied up, blindfolded, inside an abandonded place she assumed wasn't her apartment…

She'd been kidnapped, Suzu was certain of it. Her heartrate climbed, not helping her situation. Where was I? Where's Hisao? What did these bastards do to him? Her mind wandered, never staying on any particular question for long.

Her ceaseless wondering was suddenly interrupted, along with the beating of her heart.

Light footsteps sounded off, a slight crunching noise further indicating the condition of her prison. They grew louder, synchronizing with the beating in Suzu's chest. Her mind scrambled for a plan. Should she try to break out of the bonds? No chance, whoever had tied her down obviously put some thought into it. Scream for help? No way. If these kidnappers were as competent as she thought they were, she was miles from anyone who would bother to give her an assist. Pretend she was still asleep?

Before considering the cons to her new plan, she acted, drooping her head and pleading for her heart to slow down. The footfalls stopped just behind her, muffled by something. A door? Her question was seemingly answered by the slow creaking of a neglected door hinge. She slowed her breathing even more, whoever her captor was, he was right behind her.

They stayed like this for awhile, at least from her perspective. For all she knew, it was mere seconds before the captor behind her humorlessly chuckled, making a few more steps. The man was right behind her.

"Don't bother love, I can see that you're up and about, plain as day." The man's voice was refined, carrying a heavy English accent. On any other man, Suzu would've said it was lovely. She didn't need sight to prove that this man, was in fact a reptile.

Proving his prior point, he gave one of the chair's legs a little kick, causing Suzu to jump. So much for that plan.

The man walked away, toward the side of the room she was facing.

"Who are you?" She asked, more of a question to herself than to him. She was surprised by her own voice, she sounded weary.

Even though she was blindfolded, Suzu could see the man's smirk. "They call me Thom." He said with a small grunt as he picked up something from across the room. "But we're both intelligent people, dear, that's not my real name." His voice grew louder as Thom approached her, from the front this time. "Maybe if you're nice, I'll tell you."

Suzu scoffed as the sound of creaking wood reached her ears. What a charmer. She assumed they were sitting opposite each other now. A metallic thumping noise vibrated the table, it sounded like a briefcase. As if to prove her point, she heard a faint click.

Thom remained silent through all of this. The sounds of him working on… whatever he was doing blended together. A short sound of pressurized air emanated from the device, and a short, but resolute beep soon after. A few short seconds of respite before a strange sound, almost like rope going through a hole, wavered it's way around Suzu.

What the hell was this man doing? She found herself wondering before feeling a cold, but soft shape press against her wrist.

"Wouldn't want you to get infected, would we?" His voice wrapped itself around her throat, seemingly strangling her. What did he mean by 'infected'? Her questions were soon answered as she felt a sharp pain enter her wrist, soon replaced by a dull ache.

An IV? What was it filled with?

She heard the sound again, she assumed it the IV line. After a few short seconds, the creaking of wood announced Thom had taken his place opposite of her again.

"No questions?" He asked, his voice moving toward her slightly.

"Good, you're late for your training."

She was about interrogate him before she felt a foreign fluid enter her vein. Suzu felt something grip her chest, like a vice. She suddenly felt exhausted.

After a few short seconds, she succumbed to the night maiden's embrace.