Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt.

Burnt Desires: Part 5

"It began some time after my parents left." The client began, recalling the events with a deflated smile. "T-The downstairs lights would start to flicker at random hours, but I just blamed it on a faulty bulb." She paused. "But then the other lights began flickering until they all started to flicker in sync, and it freaked me out," The client breathed, swapping her gaze from her hands to Lin's syncopated typing. "T-The light flickering happened quite a lot and would keep me up at night. It suddenly stopped then a few days later and I was relieved, having thought that whatever was causing it had moved on. But my thoughts were soon proved wrong." She blinked, slowly curling her delicate hands into fists. "A loud thud sounded not long after I had settled down one night, scaring me out of my wits. Despite my fear I forced myself to the top of the stairs to peer over the banister but it was too dark to make out any detail. I...I-I then- No...S-Something sudden shoved me from behind and sent me tumbling down the stairs-" She broke off, clenching her hands to her chest. "W-Whatever pushed me had already disappeared by the time I reached the bottom. I survived, obviously," She chuckled tiredly, doubt written in her eyes. "With minor injuries of course. And when I finally built up enough courage to crawl back up the stairs, the spirit had left a mark for me to find on the wall." She shivered, shaking her head at the thought.

"W-What did it say?" Mai whispered, seeing the fright creep into her eyes.

"...I-It said 'SCRATCH'."

Lin paused his typing. "Scratch?" He repeated, swapping a confused look with Naru. In all his years of investigating paranormal events, never in his life had he witnessed a spirit leaving behind such a mark, let alone a readable one.

Straightening his jacket, Naru focused his gaze on the client, leaning against the arm of the couch. "Do you know what it means?"

She shook her head, feeling the tension increase in her hands. "No, I haven't got a c-clue, but I believe that something...s-something unholy resides in this house. That's why I called you." She said before releasing a deep sigh, rubbing at the dark circles beneath her eyes. She felt drained from the recent events and hadn't had a proper sleep since the stair incident. She just hoped the SPR could help her.

Mai frowned, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. If the client couldn't explain the marks logic, then how would they fare any better? They didn't have many leads to go on as it was, let alone any research. However, what caught Mai's attention the most was how the client had started her story. If it all began when her parents left, then where are they? Does she live alone? Her lips pursed at the thought, but she shook her head. No, she can't be. She looks no older than thirteen! Her brows raised as a different thought popped into mind, and she focused her gaze on the client. "Sorry to interrupt," She whispered cautiously, trying not to shiver under Naru's pointed stare. "I-I just realised that we haven't asked your name..?" She trailed off, unable to shake away her boss' look.

"My name..?" The teen titled her head, seeming clueless at her words.

Not understanding her confusion, Mai opened her mouth to ask again but stopped, feeling something prod at the back of her mind as a sense of awe overwhelmed her, clouding her vision. The teen's expression withered into a bewildered one, and Mai watched as an ounce of doubt filtered into her distant gaze, sparking something dark and surreal across her eyes. Her complexion seemed to grow paler as the darkness shrouded her vision, creeping towards the pupils of her crystal orbs. Mai sat frozen, forcing herself to blink as she watched the blackness cover the girl's eyes, smothering the compelling blue. Am I seeing things? She thought to herself, forcing another blink.

For a brief moment, the girl seemed senile with her blackened eyes and chalk-white skin, but the clueless expression tugging at her young features said otherwise, bringing her back to the present. Unfreezing her fear, Mai gripped the fabric of her jeans, whipping her head towards Naru to make sure she wasn't the only one seeing the teen's blackened orbs, hearing Lin's fingers type wildly across his laptop keys.

"Yurei."

Spirit? Mai's mind translated the word as she jumped in surprise, slowly turning back around to fix her gaze on the client. She gasped. She had never seen such a compelling look. "...W-What?"

"My name." She smiled lifelessly as her voice filled through the silence.

Mai leaned back, watching the blackness shrink gradually from her eyes, curling away into tiny balls and disappearing back into her irises. The teen's eyes grew dazed, and the familiar blue drew back, glistening under the dimming light of the lamp. She had looked possessed.

The teen shifted her gaze to Lin's hasty typing, moving her hand in an arc as she sighed. "Yes," She said with utmost certainty, nodding to herself. "Yurei is my name."

"Mai." Naru's sharp tone brought the assistant back to her senses. Focusing back on her boss Mai bit her lip, seeing the speck of hesitance seep into his eyes. He nodded abruptly at her uncovered ear, hardening his gaze as the assistant took a moment to understand his look. She reached up to where his gaze was settled on, feeling a pen tucked away behind her ear. Her eyes widened in realisation and she grabbed her forgotten hand-sized notepad from her jean pocket before scribbling the client's name down, drawing a large question mark beside it.

Looking back at Naru, Mai caught his pleased nod before he turned to Lin, lowering his voice into a whisper.

Finding herself conflicted with the sudden events, Mai gripped the pen in her grasp, feeling Yurei's eyes on the side of her face. Deciding to save the unsettling discussion for later, Mai brought forth a different matter, one that had been bothering her from the beginning.

"...Where are your parents?" She asked curiously, wanting nothing more than to change the subject.

The client flinched, meeting her gaze with startled blue orbs. "M-My parents?"

Mai nodded, feeling Naru's eyes watching her closely. "Y-You said the activity began once they left. So...where are they now?"

The client's face contorted into a confused grimace. She bent forward, appearing in pain as her hands cradled her temple, rubbing gentle circles into the side of her head while she thought, unaware of the three sets of eyes settled upon her. "...My mother. She's away on a trip. She's been working abroad for about two years now. Hasn't come back since." She said, blinking rapidly as she tried to process her thoughts. "A-And my...My father..." Her hands tightened against the side of her face. "I-I don't know where he is."

"What do you mean. Why don't you know where he's gone?"

The teen shook her head, causing her dyed silver tresses to cover her face. "I just...don't know?" She shrugged.

Mai watched intensely as Yurei tilted her head sideways, displaying the same dazed look as before. The assistant's gaze hardened unintentionally, seeing the slight twitch of the blackness resurface from beneath her eyelids, quivering with each step as if it was going to overtake her eyes again. Mai forced herself to breath, slowly taking in a breath whilst loosening her grip on the pen in her grasp and sliding it into her pocket along with her notepad, never taking her eyes off the client.

"Thank you Miss Yurei, that will be all." Naru interrupted with a firm tone, speaking over the droning taps of Lin's typing. The assistant pressed a few more keys before finishing off, closing the lid down with a silent thud. He reached behind him towards the unused desk and grabbed a thin case file, handing it off to Naru.

Noll pulled out a hidden pen from under his sleeve and scribbled something at the top, pausing to look at the client. "Miss Yurei, would you tell me your surname."

Mai followed her boss' line of sight as the pair of them stared intently at the client, watching for the change in her eyes.

Yurei smiled. "It's Hachimitsu," She said without delay.

Mai saw the hesitance on Naru's face as his gaze lingered a little longer, as if waiting for something to happen. Did he also see the blackness in her gaze? Seconds passed and there was still no change. Inhaling deeply, Naru inclined his head and wrote down her name before handing the file back to Lin, discarding the pen back up his sleeve.

"So...Will you take my case?" Yurei asked, twiddling her thumbs nervously behind her back.

Naru's paused, sending Mai a 'I need to speak with you' look before jerking his head into a nod, gesturing for Lin to pack up his things.

Yurei smiled happily, nodding her head in thanks while Mai gulped, feeling the dread swirl around her stomach. Running a hand down her face Mai released a long audible sigh, staring worriedly after Naru as he got up to leave. Lin followed closely behind him, stopping only to nod at Mai before continuing on, leaving the assistant alone with the young client.

"Well..." Mai chuckled awkwardly, scratching her head at the silence.

Yurei giggled along with her, oblivious to the tense atmosphere loitering between them. "Thank you for taking my case," She bowed her head, sending Mai a genuine smile. "I was afraid you'd turn me down and go back to Tokyo, especially after seeing my...erm, living predicament."

"Oh, no, it's fine. You just look so young to be living on your own." Mai said shaking her head, even though she knew there was something iffy about the whole thing. She had to talk to-

Naru's head popped around the corner of the entryway, startling the assistant wildly as her heart jumped at the sight of his irritated glare, demanding her presence. Swallowing a lump in her throat, Mai nodded tensely, wringing her hands in her lap as her lips twisted into a strained smile. I guess now's the right time to ask!

"A-Anyway, I better go help my boss with the equipment!" She scrambled to her feet, taking measured steps towards the door. "Oh! And if you have a spare room it would help us a lot if you could direct us to it once we're ready." She murmured, casting a quick wave back before rushing out the door and hurrying after her boss' retreating form.

Naru moved along the corridor with long, decisive steps, taking his time to ensure his assistant would catch up. His footsteps made the slightest echo as he walked, leaving his arms to brush against his sides, and advancing on until he felt he had distanced himself enough from the room the client was currently occupying. He wanted to talk with Mai in private; out of Miss Yurei's earshot.

Stopping halfway down the corridor Naru turned off into an alcove branching off from the hall, pausing for breath. He listened to Mai's hurried steps as she approached, almost missing his lean form tucked away behind a ridge in the wall. She stopped in front of him while he assessed her with his eyes, catching a glimpse of the empty corridor behind. Noticing her gaze turned towards the floor rather than upon himself, Naru cleared his throat, feeling slightly irritated with her lack of eye contact. His brow dipped as she bit her bottom lip, shyly running her eyes along the length of his arm before finally meeting his gaze.

Naru stood patiently, setting his mask in place as he stared at her with impassive eyes, expecting her to break the silence first.

Suddenly becoming aware of the missing person, Mai searched his gaze for an answer but he gave nothing away. She furrowed her brows at his blank stare, wondering what emotion he was keeping pent up inside them. "Where's Lin?" She whispered, casting a quick glance back over her shoulder to ensure there was no one else around.

"He's unloading the van." Naru said, his voice detached from any emotion.

Mai frowned but nodded anyway, her mind already moving on to the next issue. She sighed deeply. Just the thought of it gave her goose-bumps, but she needed to toughen up. Hardening her gaze, Mai began to speak. "Did you notice anything strange with how Yurei acted when I asked for her name?" She pondered, picturing the scene all over again.

Naru skimmed his eyes up and down her tense form, giving her a brief nod. "Of course I did." He replied.

She sighed in relief, relaxing the tension in her shoulders. "Oh, thank Kami," She breathed, shaking her head. "I-I thought I was the only one! When her eyes started changing colour I thought I was seeing things, b-but I wasn't!" Mai released a staggered sigh, shoving away her previous doubts. Her boss narrowed his gaze, waiting for her to continue. "A-And it happened again when I asked about her parents...But it was strange." She paused. "It was like she had completely forgotten herself, l-like she couldn't remember who she was..." Her voice trailed off, recalling the spine-tingling sight of the client's crystal eyes as she became dazed and almost robotic, leaving Mai to wonder what had happened. "Is it possible...that she was being possessed?"

Naru hid his sudden surprise at his assistant's feasible question, widening his eyes a fraction at her contemplating look. "It is a possibility." He nodded while his mind reeled back in shock, whirling around his memories until he found the book he had once read upon the issue, having stored the contents in a locked cavern of his mind for a later case such as this one. "Possession comes in two forms," He began. "There is Spirit Possession, which could consist of a low class Kami or disincarnate entity taking temporary control over a human body, but only for a short amount of time. In this case, Yurei appeared to be bewitched by some sort of paranormal entity –hence the change in her appearance; making this first case of possession possible." He paused, making out his assistant's curious stare amongst the dimming light overhead. Raising an inquisitive brow, Naru continued. "The second type is much more dangerous than the first, and is known as Demonic Possession. This initiates complete and utter control over the human body, allowing them access to the being's memories and thought processes, which makes them very difficult to catch, but doesn't seem to be the case here. If Yurei was indeed possessed by a Demonic entity, the physical changes wouldn't be so apparent-"

"-And she wouldn't have called our base." Mai interrupted, somewhat understanding the gist of his paragraph of speech. "If the Demon spirit had complete control over her movement, it wouldn't have called in a ghost busting team to sort out the supposed 'hauntings' unless it was on a suicide mission!" She gasped, rubbing soothing circles across her temples at the overload of information.

Naru flashed her an irritated look, feeling his eye twitch. But nonetheless, he felt a bead of conceited affection for the girl at her intelligent remark. Honing his gaze on his assistant Naru became aware of the pleased smirk tugging at his lips, verbally announcing his pleased thoughts to the girl. "Well done, Mai." He winced as soon as the words left his mouth, not used to expressing such kind words to anyone. Not even Lin.

Mai's eyes lit up with excitement as she bounced on the spot. She had never heard him praise her, let alone anyone before. Naru felt something inside him twitch at his assistant's delighted expression, withdrawing his amusement and tucking it behind his usual stoic mask as if her excitement was contagious.

Damn it. He cursed internally, forcing himself to turn away from his assistant before he too began smiling. She was like a disease. "Moving on-"

"A-Ah, no, wait!" She interrupted, again. "Y-You said that it's more possible that Yurei has been possessed by a spirit rather than a demon due to the obvious change in her physical appearance. So how come her eyes were the only thing that changed?"

Naru sighed, wondering why she was so inquisitive today of all days. "If I must enlighten you Mai, the eyes are sometimes perceived as another passage way into the soul. By looking into a being's eyes, you are given unlimited access to that person's emotions and life source. For a spirit to possess a human they must firstly find a way in, which in most cases, are the eyes. Stronger spirits are able to pass through without much of a struggle, only inflicting a small change on the being. However, lower class spirits can't possess someone without inducing a drastic change to the person's features." He paused for emphasis, giving her time to understand. "Yurei's eyes turned a pure black at one point, implying that she was possessed by a lower classed spirit due to the drastic change."

Mai nodded her head slowly, putting a finger to her lips in thought. "So we have a low class spirit on our hands."

"Yes. Or perhaps more."

"Ah, more than one- W-WOAH! WAIT A MINUTE!" She yelled, receiving a well-earned glare from her boss. "Since when were there more than one!?"

"Mai. You'll wake up the neighbours if you keep on."

"N-Neighbours? We're in the middle of no where, Naru! Why an earth would you-"

"Precisely." He cocked his head in amusement, casting her a smug expression.

"Wha-" Mai choked on her words, flushing a bright red at the narcissist's comment. Did he just crack a joke..?

Picking up on the girl's shock and surprise, Naru released yet another sigh, removing himself from their hiding spot with a smirk marring his face. Mai snapped out of her frozen state and stared at the empty spot before her. Huh? The blind assistant blinked and stumbled out from the alcove, spotting her boss' retreating form heading towards the front entrance. As if sensing her presence behind him Naru paused momentarily, waiting to hear the sounds of Mai's following footsteps before carrying on, keeping his smirk in place.

"W-Wait!" Mai panted. "Where are we going?"

Naru turned back, raising a perfect brow at her question. "To fetch the equipment." He mused, loud enough for her to catch the rebounding echo of his voice travelling down the corridor. With a smooth turn the narcissist carried on, leaving a dumbfounded assistant to stare after him.

Naru opened the front door of the house with a silent twist of the handle, feeling the soft caress of the setting suns warmth wash over him as he exited the house. His legs carried him towards the van where he found Lin stood behind the back of the boot, surrounded by boxes of equipment. Spotting his boss Lin dusted off his hands and closed the boot, handing him back the vans keys with an outstretched hand.

"Interesting isn't it." Lin noted after Noll took the keys, staring at the house behind them with open curiosity.

Naru nodded, glancing back with him at the stable building. To say he was surprised to see the house still standing on their first arrival was an understatement. No, not curiosity. It more like, interest. He had expected to find the burnt down remains of what would have been a house, and still believed so as they came across the charred forest. And yet here it stood in all its –cheap –glory, holding no remnants of a fire ever happening.

Something was bothering him, prodding at the back of his head in hopes of him turning around. Strange. He thought quietly, drawing his gaze towards the assistant to see if he too had felt it. Lin peered at him through a muddled gaze, too lost in his thoughts to make out the boy's expression. Apparently not. Focusing back on the equipment laying at their feet, Naru couldn't help but give in to the prickling feeling, and soon found himself staring at the oddity lingering amongst the tree line of the forest.

The muggy fog wavered clumsily in its solitary position, staying settled around the edge of the surrounding area. Naru frowned, narrowing his gaze at the tints of purple tendrils creeping in between the unnatural fog, as if urging the substance to stretch out further and encase them in it.

"Lin." He heard himself call out to the older assistant. "Your shiki."

Quickly catching onto the source of Naru's concern, Lin sent out his shiki towards the offending fog, stretching them further towards the edge of the forest. He instantly winced as the captured spirits made contact with the mist, feeling them reel back in shock at the uncanny power radiating from within. It wasn't a natural fog.

"They can't penetrate it." Lin informed him, pulling his shiki back towards him to rest. "The fog isn't natural, but I believe you already sensed that before you asked. The fog is weak, yet something...is keeping my shiki at bay." He frowned disapprovingly.

"Wow, that's some creepy fog."

Naru almost visibly jumped as Mai's voice caught him by surprise as he whirled around to face her, refraining himself from showing any physical shock at her sudden appearance. He hadn't heard her come out.

"Ehe, sorry for interrupting." She smiled sheepishly, scratching her head at his displeased glare.

Showing no sign of acceptance of her apology Naru chose to turn away instead, hiding his sudden shock as he put his mask back into place. "Mai," He bit out, irritation filling his tone. "Help bring in the equipment," He stalked towards the van. When Mai made no move to help he beckoned her over with a frustrated sigh, sorting through the nearest set of monitors with a strained look. He felt her gaze settle on the back of his neck. She still hadn't moved.

"Don't just stand there, Mai. We've got work to do." He barked, ignoring Lin's sceptical look.

Mai huffed and shoved her hands on her hips, feeling an angry reply rise up her throat, and only one word came to mind. Narcissist.

Posting Date: 17th December 2014

Symm: I think I've got a short case of writers block, and I'm surprised that I came out with such a long chapter. It's probably due to the fact that I haven't got a solid plan for this story yet, which seems to be a big mistake on my part. But I want to try and put up at least two more chapters before Christmas, so I guess I'll have to bounce some ideas off before continuing. Sorry for the wait!

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