**Hello, the story is starting to take an upturn in intensity. I found a song that perfectly describes how one of the characters in the party views Nina\Lilith.

It's called 'Headstrong' by trapped.

Here's the link:

youtube-.-com/?reload=7&rdm=1w0jzx6uh#/watch?v=B3J6CyeFUds

Enjoy Chapter 21! :)**

Chapter 21: Queen of Club's

Hiro had walked back to the house. She set her hand on the doorknob, and held it there a while... Her thoughts began to stir... And she felt a familiar feeling well up inside of her.

She shook her head, and went inside of the house.

The feeling buzzed in her mind again.

She started banging her head on the wall.

"GO AWAAAAAAY! STOOOOOP!" She screamed, continuing to bang her head.

The lights were off, but she preferred them that way. She sat down, her back against the wall.

She laughed softly. "Well, that was fun."

She grabbed her head, and started screaming.

A man stood in front of her.

He usually came to visit when she was like this... Always riddling... At least for a little bit. She knew he wasn't real, but she didn't mind him.

She started laughing again. "Hi... You're my imaginary uncle! JUNICHI!"

She laughed maniacally.

"How've ya been!?"

He spoke. "Sister, sisters... Mother's tired... Sleeping. The average brain needs at least 7-8 hours of sleep, and sleep deprived people can die you know. You do not, knowing knowledge. Do you have any idea how much she misses you?"

"WHO GIVES A DAMN!" She screamed.

She cried. "Mom... I'm sorry, it was the only..."

She busted out laughing. "Look at ME! I'M SUCH A WIMP!"

He shook his head. "Hiro, this place is driving you mad! Please, go home. You're mother is worried sick, and Lilith is causing treachery on both sides."

She laughed. "You're not REAL!?"

"I am real!" He yelled.

She jumped. He had never yelled at her before.

"SHUT UP!" She yelled. "You're in MY HEAD! ...Kaihn? He's real... He never goes away, never... Goes away!"

She glared at him. "If you're so real, then WHY!? WHY DON'T YOU STOP HIM!?"

"Because you need to learn to protect yourself." He said. "Go home. This isn't worth it."

"Yeah? Really? REALLY!?" She laughed again.

He put a ghostly hand on her shoulder.

"You're in pain." He said. "I can hear it in your laughter... And it's not just emotional, is it?"

She grabbed her head, and started screaming, banging it against the wall.

"What do YOU KNOW!?" She screamed.

He looked at her. "I'm going to tell you a story about your mother and I."

He sighed. "When she was young, she always looked up to me, as a prince or a knight she'd say. I wasn't like our sisters or our father. I would always spend time with her, and play with her... Let her feel like every child should..."

Hiro had calmed down a little. "What did you do together?" She pried.

He smiled. "I used to take her down to a large lake, and we'd go swimming. I used to be 'The shark' but I was a nice shark apparently. She'd always scare me half to death when her head would poke in and out of the water. She'd be hopping on her toes, claiming she could touch the bottom..."

His face fell.

"But then our father had lost his business, and needed some extra income. He had taken Linn in the middle of the night, and sold her to a bathhouse. He took in her payment as his own, while they worked her to her core... She was only seven. I would write to her... And I promised I would sve her, and train her to protect herself. Father found out, and ordered that they bar me from the place, and reject my letters. I tried to break in several times... Then the old witch Yubaba put a curse on me. Even so I still-"

"Hold on!" Hiro exclaimed. "Mom and dad used to tell me stories about a fat, and mean witch named Yubaba, who smoked out a bathhouse, and ate too much pork... You... You're REAL!"

"Yes." He said. "And do you know how this story ends?" He asked.

She shook her head.

"I found your mother years later, but she did not recognize me. I trained her, hoping I could ease my own guilt, and keep my promise to her. She always mentioned me with hate, and resentment. I was beside myself with grief, thinking I had failed her. I took my own life, thinking she wouldn't look for me. She did, and she found what was left."

Hiro's eyes widened.

"She screamed, and I cried... She could not hear me, not anymore."

Hiro felt tears forming.

"Don't let her go into the trials... Or you will never see her again. Find her... Find her and say... Junichi wishes his warrior princess well."

He disappeared.

Hiro started sobbing. "Mom... Dad... I miss you! I'm SORRY! Don't hate me... Please don't hate me!"

Eiji walked in.

"Hiro...? What's wrong!?"

He ran to her, and wrapped his arms around her.

"It wasn't something I said, was it!?"

She shook her head, and continued crying.

"Hiro... What's wrong?" He asked softly.

She sighed, and her breath trembled.

"M-Mom's in danger, and I think it's because of Lilith..."

Eiji froze.

"Are you serious?"

She snapped again. She had never done this in front of Eiji.

"Serious... SERIOUS!" He jumped, and she started laughing.

"You should have seen the look on your!... Their faces! FACES IN MY HEAD! GO AWAAAAY!"

She banged her head on the back of the wall, and felt dizzy as some blood trickled down.

Eiji turned on the light.

"H-HIRO! Calm down... J-Just calm down..."

She banged her head two more times before he stopped her, blood covered his hands.

His eyes widened.

He picked up Hiro, and set her away from the wall.

"Stay right there... I-I'll be back in a second!"

He ran back with some guaze and tissue paper. She was curled up on the ground, laughing. There was a good sized blood spot on the floor.

He put the tissue paper on the spot, and wrapped the gauze tightly around her head.

She attempted to tear it off, but he grabbed her arms.

"Look into my eyes Hiro..." He said.

She didn't, but instead averted her eyes.

He stuck his face in front of hers, catching her eyes. They focused, following his face as it moved.

She was calm again.

She sobbed. "I'm sorry!"

She burst into tears, grabbing the back of her head.

"Why does my head hurt so bad!?"

She looked at his hands. "Th-That's my blood isn't it!?"

He nodded.

She continued to cry.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

"Don't be sorry, please?" He said softly. He gave her a kiss on the lips.

"Please... It's not your fault."

She leaned into him, and cried silently.

He held her, rubbing her back.

She eventually calmed down.

"Eiji... What are we going to do? Mom's gonna die... That's what he said."

"Who said that?" Eiji asked.

"Mom's brother, Junichi." She said.

"He died a long time ago, and said mom was in danger because of some... Trials... Something like that..."

Eiji stopped.

"Do you think he meant the 'Nine Trials'!?"

She froze.

"Those trials...? Are they insane!?"

Eiji held his head in his hands.

What do I do?

These are Hiro's parents, and they're in danger.

(My parents are in danger too...)

So? Who cares about them!?

(Could I really let them die though!?)

So what!? They ASKED FOR IT!

(No! They probably didn't ask for any of this! I'm such a horrible person!)

No, they're the horrible ones! They blocked my powers, and treated me like I was... SOME WEAKLING!

(That was three years ago! They're probably really messed up about it now!)

Let them be sorry... They deserve to feel sorry!

(They've been sorry long enough! How can I be so CRUEL!?)

They were CRUEL!

(No, they wanted to keep you safe. Their methods were wrong, but they weren't trying to be cruel. You are.)

Shut UP! You're wrong.

(Oh really? Look at where you are! You've shipped yourself to a madhouse!)

No! YOU'RE WRONG!

(Look at Hiro... LOOK AT HER, AND SAY IT! SAY I'M WRONG AGAIN!)

Oh god...

No... NO! What have I done!?

"We have to help them!" He exclaimed.

She nodded. "I think so too. This has gone on long enough."

They went to Talin, and talked to him.

"Talin?" Eiji asked.

"MASTER! MASTER! WE MADE YOU-!"

"Hold on. There's an emergency." He said.

They stopped, and their faces went dark.

"What is the emergency, Master Eiji."

"Hiro's parents are in danger, because they are headed into one of the nine trials." He began.

"Her uncles ghost had told her that Linn would die if they went in. I can't sit around and do nothing, I have to help them."

They nodded.

"Can I eat Lilith?" Max asked in a low voice.

Hiro smiled darkly. "Yes. Devour every last wretched piece of her. Leave me the teeth, and I'll make a necklace for you."

They cheered and hollered as they prepared to leave.

Hiro brought her club.

It was exactly 156 pounds, and was three and a half feet long, riddled with spikes.

She smiled.

"It's about time I get to use this. The Queen of Club's."