Hey! I'm back with another one! I promise they'll keep coming just have patience with me lol.

ATTN: I do NOT own Ghost Hunt or the Characters associated with it. If I did well... I wouldn't be writing this and Vol 12 would exist in English translation.

Anywho lets get started! NO Beta so sorry for any mistakes but focus on the story and enjoy! :)

IT WAS YOU

*RECAP*

An otherworldly screech shredded the silence as the shaking started. Immediately on their feet the silent duo moved in unison for the door to base. Lin threw it open making his way for the stairs to retrieve the team. Naru moved in the opposite direction, Outside. He didn't know what was making that sound but he needed to make sure the team was fine first. The giant chandelier above the entrance made him give pause for just a moment, it swayed back and forth violently, rattling from the abuse as shards of the crystals fell like snow around him. Not wanting to waste anymore time he rushed through the foyer and out the door. Skipping the steps all together as he looked around the large clearing. Where were they? The screeching came to a halt then the world around them slowly came to a still. In the sudden silence Naru could hear the collapsing of trees in the surrounding woods, The shattering sounds echoing through the clearing. Where the hell was Mai and Takigawa? He heard them before he saw them, from the right side of the house Monk appeared, his head bleeding, with an unconscious Mai laying limply in his arms. His heart sank, what the hell was going on?

ATTN: There is some of the tagged warnings of this fic written in this chapter. Please be aware, it isn't super detailed and explicit, more eludes to it but didn't want to catch anybody off guard.

CHAPTER 7

He didn't have the abilities of his team members who were, in his opinion, an array of super humans. Big boss and Mai by themselves were powerhouses; then you add Lin and the others, the odds were usually in their favor. But this wasn't a typical case and he didn't need psychic abilities to know, when the house started to shake, they were in trouble. He'd been in his newly acquired home, a.k.a. the storage closet in the client's home office, when shit hit the fan. Lin and Ayako had warded the small room so he could access the records and dig through the history unbothered. Though they did little for him as a shrill scream bounced around the tight space, his hair standing on end as the first few books hit the floor. He didn't waste any more time in that death trap as he scrambled out, laptop in hand, not a second too late either. The quaking only seemed to get worse as the floor was ripped from under him, sending him crashing to his knees as he witnessed the collapse of the floor to ceiling shelves in his little abode, the makeshift cot crushed under the weight. His heart hammered hard in his chest, the pounding flooded his ears. His eyes were pulled up to the window a splintering crack forming across the pane, the sharp sound catching his attention just before it shattered, ducking his head, to avoid the glass now raining down, he gripped the top of the desk located in the middle of the room and pulled himself off the floor, attempting to steady himself in the chaos, he needed the door. He lunged for it grappling for the handle. It was difficult to grasp as vibrations sung through his bones, the knob dancing wildly in his grip. Tightening his hand, he ripped the door open and stumbled into the second story hall, arm numb as he fought to stay standing. The others were already in the hall, struggling toward him. Yasu warily eyed the landing, the light from the large chandelier bounced around the room as it flickered in and out. His eyes caught Lin as he made his way up the stairs to Yasu's right.

"Everyone out, now!" Lin's voice a muffled sound in the destruction, his right hand holding the railing in a death grip. How'd he manage to go up the stairs when Yasu could barely walk? Just as John stepped toward the stairs supporting a dazed Masako the shaking stopped. The silence hardly comforting as the group froze. The stillness a heavy weight over them.

Ayako was breathing deeply, her voice shaky. "What the hell just happened?"

"Masako, Are you alright?" John gently asked the woman leaning into him.

"I..I am fine." Masako breathlessly responded. "I need to lie down, we need to find Mai too. If.. if I'm this affected she most likely is as well." She had looked up at them then, several emotions flickered across the normally stoic mediums face. The girls had made a system early on into their show to check on the other when they themselves were affected by the spirit, they'd essentially created a psychic wellness buddy system. Masako was right, Mai's abilities had grown at a scary rate not long after SPR disbanded, the main reason they'd needed a system in the first place. She'd had a hell of a time getting them under control. The girl hadn't refused any cases during the time though. She has the scars to prove it, Yasu wished he could forget that case.

"Alright then let's get you down to base." John gave a comforting smile, guiding her toward the stairs.

Ayako was already ahead of them, she'd taken off down the stairs the moment her adoptive daughter was mentioned. Yasu trailed behind the group, moving as a herd down the stairs, toward base. As he took his first step down the front door opened, Naru carefully pushed through, his attention solely on what he carried, quickly moving for base. What made him pause though was his friend, her head bleeding yet again, passed out in the man's arms. Monk trailed in after the duo, blood staining the side of his face. The man leaned against the frame of the front door, attempting to catch his breath. Time seemed to move again for Yasu as he saw Ayako appear next to Monk, gripping his chin and turning his head side to side. Doctor Ayako was on the scene, they'd be just fine. He finished his descent down the stairs as Ayako demanded , "Yasu, go set up 2 bowls of water and fresh rags in the base so I can get these two idiots cleaned up." Knowing better than to refuse the worried woman, he put his hand to his brow in salute, "Yes, ma'am." He would fetch the water and rags, he knew better than to argue with her.

Walking into base with a warm bowl of water in each hand and the rags folded over his forearm, he was greeted with a sense of Deja-vu. There had been many cases in the past he had seen his friends like this. Ayako a flurry of energy as she loudly complained about them always getting hurt, her worry in full display no matter how much she said otherwise. Monk blushing in response to that care, instigating the situation further. Lin at the monitors going through the feed, Masako and John in quiet conversation as he tended to her. Then there were Mai and Oliver. Walking to the coffee table he placed the bowls and towels down, Ayako berating him for taking so long. Yasu had watched those two dance around each other from the beginning. He hadn't been part of the group till the case at his school but he had noticed it right away. There were psychics out there that claimed to be able to find your soul mate, for the right price of course, but Yasu didn't need those abilities to see that they were two halves of the same whole. He'd always scoffed at the idea of soul bonds, soul mates, twin flames. Even with his current profession things of that nature just still seemed so storybook, love was always a fickle thing. Over the years he'd come to cutting those emotions out of his life, ready to be rid of it. He'd honestly come to admire the way Oliver had always been in control of himself over the years. Although, He had forgotten how magnetic those two were. They were complete opposites in this life and yet couldn't stay away from each other. They were yin and yang, complete and balanced when together.

Yasu had been so sure during his school's case when Mai had completely lost it on Naru that the poor girl would be fired, it only made sense. He had been pleasantly surprised though, Naru had taken the brutal onslaught and still spoke with her civilly. Anyone else and he would have dismissed them, but only after a particularly brutal comment or two. With Mai, they seemed to just meld back together. Talking as if the incident hadn't occurred. Mai admitted later that Naru had apologized to her. Which was not something he'd do for anyone.

Since He and Monk picked up the duo from the airport, the two seemed to be even closer than before. How? He had no clue they'd had no contact for five years. But they were so in-tuned to each other. It was visible even now, Naru had laid Mai on the couch, she was out of it and completely unaware of the damp cloth the man of her affections was carefully dabbing her forehead with. When Yasu had placed down the bowl the man had immediately grabbed a towel and wet it. Proceeding to ring it out he took his place next to the couch, sitting on his knees.

There was once a time Yasu had been jealous of the man. Part of him had been serious when he was flirting with Mai during that first case. He had been genuinely interested in the girl. Hell even now Yasu would be happy to be by her side as Naru was now. He'd held back though, When he'd realized the two of them were head over heels infatuated with one another. He'd thought of approaching her recently, but that seemed to no longer be a viable option for him. He would indeed need to revisit his earlier plan of locking it away. Smiling to himself Yasu moved towards the monitors, needing a distraction and wanting to help Lin. He may never tell her how he feels, but that doesn't make it hurt any less to see them together. "Need any assistance Lin?" Yasu took a seat while snagging the head phones Lin offered, who was already pulling up the cameras Yasu would need to check. He was happy for them though, truly.

The darkness was warm and comforting. She hadn't felt this peaceful in a while. The calming waves washed over her as she floated in that warmth. The subtle smell of spring in the air as she felt a breeze brush her face. A warmth settled over her as she felt the tickle of the ground beneath her. Her eyes slowly opened, attempting to adjust to the sunlight blinding her. She took note of the grass she was lying in as she sat up. She didn't know where to look first, the meadow she had found herself in was amazing. The cherry blossoms surrounded her as they danced in the cool breeze. The grass answering with its own, flowers following their lead. She could do with waking up in places like this more often, it was definitely more appealing to some of the places she'd found herself in. Question is though, Where was she? She slightly recognized the area though she couldn't place it. It was definitely a dream plane too, she made the deduction as she looked over herself. Second question, Who was she? The finery of her kimono showed great wealth, the embroidery beautifully detailed in swirls across it. The breeze picked up slightly blowing some hair into her face as a chill settled over her. The black strands had covered her vision as she rushed to pull it back out of the way.

"Hayami..."

She froze as she finished tucking her hair back. She knew that voice. The woods. How had she forgotten about that!? It all came back to her in a rush as she pulled her fear into herself, giving her best I heard nothing act as she stood up from the ground. She wouldn't acknowledge it, she'd walk off and find where she was, maybe do some info digging in the past. She wasn't ready to deal with who or whatever was calling her. She paused as she heard it again, Its tone promising, adoring, yet cold.

"Sasaki Hayami...love...come..."

Love? Who is this Hayami? She'd need to remember that name. She debated turning around as she heard the rustle of grass behind her. The footfalls slow as they approached. She needed to go now or face it. Too late she realized as the steps stopped and she felt whoever it was shifting behind her, toward her. She whirled around intent to back away. Too late, an arm laced its way around her waist as she turned, then a hand grabbed hers and she was pulled into a sweeping dance. Her skin froze where it met theirs. She was getting really tired of the jumbled messages this spirit was giving her. She was attempting to get a good look at who was her current dance partner as they moved but through the spins and the movement it was impossible. Though the sturdy figure before her coupled with the low tenor of his voice gave her some clues. Their face was covered in shadow, either they weren't ready to be seen or the memory wasn't right. She wouldn't be surprised with how her abilities had been anything but reliable this case. She moved with the man, cradled gently with every step. She couldn't help but notice just how romantic this moment was, if only it wasn't through the memories of Hayami. She wouldn't let herself dwell on her next thought, pertaining to a certain Narcissist and focused back on her current dilemma. He pulled her in close, chest to chest, his hands around her waist moving with a familiarity. She chanced a glance then, and almost threw up. The man was clearly well off in his finery but his face had left much to be desired. Parts of his flesh on the left side were missing, exposing the bone beneath, rotten skin hung around the weathered bone as it stretched across his jaw, exposing teeth. The other half was completely normal, as if he were still alive, and the most shocking part is he looked just like Naru. Her stomach churned at the disfigurement and the resemblance. She thought of Gene then, his body when it was recovered from the lake, she wanted to throw up. But her body was not her own, as he leaned in to place a kiss into her neck in greeting, Hayami apparently seeing nothing wrong with the situation leaned into him and sighed as if content. Mai could scream she was not cool getting all... her mind went into a panic as the man continued down her neck and to the edge of the kimono covering her skin. Calm down Mai... deep breaths. This is a dream, a memory from Hayami. It is not happening to you. Her attention was wrenched back to the scene she was being forced to play out as soft hands slid down the collar of her kimono wet kisses following its path, Mai clutched for anything to ground her. Her old key burned bright in her mind as she focused, recalling the weight of it and how its rough surface would bite into her hand. The grooves, scratches, and worn teeth from years of her gripping it. Her good luck charm materialized as the cool metal settled in her fisted hand. Ground yourself, now! Those soft hands disappeared as Mai fell forward into the grass, her key cutting into her hand as she struggled to breath. IN and Out...In and out. A cold breeze cut through the clearing making her starkly aware of just how undressed the previous encounter had left her. Her cheeks burning she quickly righted the cover, he had somehow managed to almost completely remove it from her upper body. So Hayami was in a very intimate relationship with whoever that man was. If only she'd gotten more than just fondled like some high schooler, she needed more information. Pulling herself up from the ground she heard another call to her. This time she turned toward the sound, almost entranced by it. Oliver stood on the edge of the clearing dressed in an all black kimono.

"Mai!" he called to her again. Without hesitation she took off, running towards him, her feet moved before she could think twice, Then his image flickered, revealing the man from before. Then it was Oliver again. She couldn't understand what was happening as the figure continued to flicker between them both. She was still running but couldn't get closer, each step she took he got further away from her. She strained to run faster to get to him before... before what? Her breathing was erratic as her head started to pound, the sound of a drum reverberating around her skull.

She needed to call to him let him know she was coming, "AKIO!" Mai fell to her knees as her foot landed in a hole, twisting her ankle. That wasn't her voice... that definitely wasn't what she'd said either. Her voice had been drowned out by Hayami's. AKIO? It was at least one of the twins stuck here with Hayami. She was pretty sure the other twin was too, Asahi. She needed this pounding to stop if she was going to figure out anything else. It only got worse as she leaned forward pressing her forehead into the dirt, begging the cool earth to deafen the chaos in her head.

It only worsened as her head was ripped upwards by her hair. Her vision blurred as she tried to see, just see something, squeezing her eyes closed as pain laced her body.

"I told you I loved you, th... that I was all you needed. ME! Yet you chose him. You whore." Anger heavily laced the man's voice. "I'm going to show you exactly why you should have picked me, he can't love you like I can, not anymore." She was thrown to the floor, the wood hard against her frail form, she felt weak as the pounding leveled out to a distant sound. Rolling onto her back she watched as the twin image of the man from before, completely intact, strode toward her, anger marring his handsome face. She knew what was coming before he even reached her, she tried to stand up, fight him, this memory. She didn't want to go through another one of these visions... Mai panicked as he leaned over her, she begged whatever god that was listening to save her from this. But no god was coming for her, for Hayami as he leaned down to her ear, his breath hot against it, "I want you to say my name this time Hayami. If you don't it will only make this worse for you." He met her gaze, demanding an answer. His name? His name?

Hayami seemed to understand as she brokenly whispered, "a-asahi.."

Asahi's responding smile was not comforting as he forced Hayami's weak body to the ground. "Don't worry love," She began to panic as his hands traced their way up her thigh before ripping her thin dress away, "I'll take care of you so much better than he ever could." Broken sobs ripped through her as she tried to fight back against those rough hands. No. No. No! She pushed against the memory, she wasn't staying for the rest, she needed to get out now. Mai pushed out the screams and the pain as she gripped the key tightly in her hand, swinging it at the barrier holding her in Hayami's memory. Once, twice, the barrier began to crack as she hit it a third time and broke out, stumbling into a familiar darkness. Her body ached as she landed, her breathing erratic. Taking a deep breath in, attempting to gain some control. Her vision grew blurry as she focused on the key still in her hand. Tears stained her cheeks as her heart quieted its thunderous roaring through her veins, her mind lost. She couldn't understand what Hayani wanted from them. She could however understand why the poor woman was stuck on this plane. The twins still confused her though. Akio seemed to be Hayami's true lover while the twin, Asahi, had an unrequited love for her. Mai's body grew heavy as she tried to put the pieces together, a dull pain working its way into her muscles, her hand still tightly gripping that small bit of metal, she was exhausted. This place hadn't let her have a bit of good sleep. She yawned as she gently fell back, through the floor of the plane into herself, a sweeping warmth washing over her.

He was getting real tired of the constant injuries his team seemed to procure. BSPR hardly dealt with injury in the first place let alone multiple on one case. He had forgotten how exciting the cases in Japan, especially with SPR, were. Even if he had only cared about finding Gene at the time he'd come to enjoy the antics of his team. Though he'd enjoy them more if they weren't so damn loud. He cut a glare to the married couple making a fool of themselves across base. How the two of them made it work with the constant arguing and borderline abuse he had no clue. They do provide another perfect example of why he is not so keen on marriage himself. He'd shut his parents down very quickly when they had attempted an arrangement on his behalf. He'd snapped and lost control, destroyed his mother's favorite tea set in the process. He would have been inclined to feel remorseful for his lack of self-control if his mother hadn't cornered him in the kitchen the following morning. Gene had been the one who wanted a wife, some kids. It had never interested him. He just wished the two children would calm themselves, he could deduce that Monk was fine if he still had the energy to rile up his wife. Oliver prepared to cut in when they finally stopped arguing. He watched incredulously before quickly looking away as the two kissed sweetly, the event must have set them both on edge. Especially with their daughter once again unconscious. He leaned toward the table discarding a used rag into a bowl of similar cloth before grabbing a fresh one. Resettling into his previous position he gently dabbed the dry towel across Mai's face, removing any water and blood left on her soft skin. He had done a once over while he'd cleaned it. She had a cut on the back of her head, and some scrape marks on the right side of her face. This probably did wonders for her concussion. Could she not go just one day without getting hurt on this case?

Oliver sighed as he leaned back against the table behind him, tossing the towel with the others he took stock of their situation. "Ayako, when you're done Mai's cleaned up. There's a gash on the back of her head that needs some attention, I didn't want to wrap it without proper examination." She paused, quirking a brow at him before giving Monk a peck and separating from him, bag in tow.

"Alright, I'll take care of her from here." Ayako gently responded, eyes focused on the prone girl. Pushing up from the floor Oliver quickly vacated his spot heading toward the monitors. He needed to see what footage they'd captured from the event. Approaching the two men at the table he asked, "Have anything yet?"

Lin glanced over to him shaking his head before looking to Yasu who responded, "a few of the mics picked up this scream but with the chaos it's hard to understand what it is. I've listened five times now slowing the audio down bit by bit to try and figure it out. Here," Yasu shoved the headphones toward him, " I've got it up now, see if you can figure it out." Oliver placed them comfortably over his ears before signaling to Yasu to play it. The recording started as a chaotic jumble of noise that gradually muffled a piercing sound cutting through. He fought against the sharp sound scratching across his eardrums, how had Yasu listened to this repeatedly? But as it went he could hear the syllables of a word, he motioned for Yasu to replay it. Focusing in on the scream as it played again he heard it, "AKIO!"

What would he have to do with this spirit? Unless it's not Akio Turner but another. Akio Kaneko, one of the twins that had disappeared. Mai's hunch was right again, He had missed that talent of hers because of it he already had the information on standby with Yasu. Removing the headphones he asked the man, "Do you have that information on the twins?"

Yasu leaned over, reaching under the desk to grab his backpack, pulling a thin stack of papers out, coded by the binder clip labeled with masking tape and scrawled in black ink 'The twins'. The action reminded Oliver of their old cases. Yasu used to label them the same way then as well. Nodding his thanks Oliver left the two to finish their tasks. He glanced back at the group clustered in the sitting area of base as he made his way to the table. They were relatively fine. Discussing trivial matters, to his annoyance, most likely to quell the fear of what they experienced. He couldn't blame them, this had been the most activity he'd dealt with since working with the team. He wondered if it was the same for them. Though he had speculations it wasn't, they did have Mai, the trouble magnet. The woman was still passed out on the couch, though she seemed in much better form than when he'd first laid her there.

Coming to a stop at the table, he skimmed through the stack, notating the medical records he'd seen previously mixed in. Before he went through it he needed to check on the team. Dropping it on the table, homework for later, he moved toward the sitting area. Choosing the oversized chair next to the couch he sat down and pulled out his notebook. Relaxing back into the soft cushion he observed as Ayako gingerly wrapped Mai's head next to him. He couldn't recall a time he'd seen the fiery red head so peaceful, she held Mai's head up with one hand, securing one end of the wrap with a thumb as the other slowly wound the plush cloth around the unconscious girls head. What surprised him most was the gentle humming coming from the woman, reassuring and calm.

The scene reminded him of Luella, many times he'd witnessed a similar scene while he was growing up. He watched as Ayako gently laid Mai's head back down, who hadn't woken up once, and said, "Alright Mai's concussion has most likely been aggravated, I won't know until I can evaluate her once she wakes up. The wound on her head is superficial, just a bit of a bleeder." Standing from the floor she turned to address the group, "Anyone else need me to check them over?" Meeting each person's eyes, receiving a head shake or no in response she placed her bag on the table and dropped down next to Monk on the love seat.

Calling over the two men from the monitors, he began, "Let's go over as a group what happened from the end of our last meeting to now. Starting inside, I was reviewing documents. Lin?"

"I was finishing the destroyed sitting room evidence and checking the equipment for anything abnormal or technical issues." Lin responded curtly.

Sitting next to Lin, Yasu added, " I went up to my makeshift room in the office closet. I was going through the old documents stored there. Trying to fill the gaps in our information. I had just found some type of arranged marriage contract. It's lost in the closet now. I heard this piercing scream and that's when books started to fall from the upper shelves. I barely got out when they collapsed. The whole room was shaking, it busted the windows. Then I made my way to the hall where I ran into the others and the shaking stopped. That's when you came in with Mai," the man glanced at the woman as he continued," And you know the rest." Oliver watched the man, eyes narrowing imperceptibly, something was off with Yasuhara. The man was pure confidence and yet his demeanor changed when Yasu recounted seeing Oliver carrying Mai in. He'd tuck the information away for later.

Oliver glanced at John next as he began, "Masako and I had started upstairs going room to room."

John shared a look with Masako as she continued, " We couldn't sense anything. Not a thing. We walked this house twice and nothing. Not even a flicker of what I felt yesterday."

"Aye, though the strangest thing about it is that we should still be able to sense each other's presence spiritually, especially standing next to one another, but we can't. The spiritual void within this house is unnatural." Oliver watched the two for a moment as they attempted to explain it.

"A spiritual void?" Oliver asked.

"Yes," John's eyes were hard as he responded, almost as if this 'void' put him on edge.

"And, you feel this as well Masako?" A nod was his only response. He made note of it in his notebook, gesturing toward them to continue the meeting.

"We were on our third walkthrough, upstairs, when the shriek and the shaking started. We were at the end of the hall leaving Akio's room when it started and met Ayako in the hall." John finished, Masako nodding in agreement.

"I was working tirelessly on the charms the majority of the time and had just gotten upstairs, I wanted to check in on everyone's charms and replace any if needed, when the screaming and shaking went off." Ayako added, turning to her husband, " I want to know what the hell happened outside."

Monk sighed, rubbing his hand down his face before lacing his fingers in his hair, resting it against his head as he propped his arm up on the couch. "At first nothing happened, Mai and I walked around and talked. We tried to find something and just like John and Masako we got nothing. That is until suddenly Mai was muttering to herself and quickly making her way toward the tree line. We'd been by the old garden shed, I was checking out some large old stone blocks when it happened. I'd just barely gotten to her in time when she starts fighting against me. Mai didn't even recognize me, she literally fought for her life against me as I forced her to stop." Monk took a heavy breath as he bent forward, his forearms resting on his legs, and stared at the ground. Oliver could see the agony in the man's body, witnessing his daughter that way, at being forced to go against her will. Quieter than before he continued, " Before I could even get Mai to come back to her senses something calls out from the woods." Monk looked to Oliver then and locked eyes with him, " They were calling to her." The man's voice carried an emotion he'd rarely heard in it before, fear. Takigawa took a deep breath, aggressively wiped his face and leaned against the couch. Dropping his head back, eyes closed he finished, " I stopped Mai from answering, She attempted to fight again as he called for someone, I didn't catch the name, I was... preoccupied. Then the presence was gone and Mai seemed to come back into herself so I tried to see if I could sense anything out there. She catches my attention again as she starts to stumble and before I can even think about catching her this blinding scream comes from all around us. I watch as Mai smacks her head on the stone blocks. I make it to her as the shaking starts only to get smacked in the head by something, I have no idea what. That thing hit me hard enough I was dazed. It took a second before I could stay standing, once I could I grabbed Mai and ran into Naru." Ayako looked pale as she watched her husband. He could see the information that Monk had already realized, had tried to convey to him earlier. Mai was the only one who could spiritually connect with this entity. Whether that was her doing or its, Oliver did not like the situation one bit.

He glanced at her prone figure once more, she really was a danger magnet. He just needed to end this case before it reached a level of danger he couldn't handle. He could recount all those times when they were younger. The fear and adrenaline rush when she'd fell into the well, dragging him with her. The infirmary ceiling collapsing over them. He watched her sleeping face, he hoped her dreams were peaceful. Focusing back on their current situation he asks, "Mind showing me these stones, if you're well."

Monk stood and stretched, grimacing as he did, "Yeah, I'm good. Thanks for the concern though Naru, that's something I thought was specially reserved for a certain someone." The man continued with his usual grin, bouncing back in true Takigawa fashion reminding him of a certain female medium, who was also impervious to his glare, much to Oliver's annoyance. "I want to check the woods in that area too. She kept yelling about meeting some guy and being too late." This piqued his interest.

"Can you tell me what all you remember her saying?" He almost felt bad for asking the man, knowing the encounter was difficult for him, but he needed the information. It could contain some direction in this case. Monk sighed heavily before agreeing.

Nodding his head, "yeah I'll tell you on the way out." The man threw on his jacket and headed for the door. Following suit Oliver told the team to get dinner, rotate monitors, and Mai watch. As he passed the monitors he called, "Lin." The man stood from his chair and moved to follow him out. Good, they needed to work and he had a feeling he was about to find some answers.

Following Monk and Noll, Lin took in the facts. They had multiple spirits on the property. One highly active, believed to be female spirit and then another or possibly two more if Mai's hunch was right. Though he hadn't seen her miss one yet. The stillness of the grounds surrounding the house set him and his Shiki on edge as they rounded the house, heading towards the garden and the old shed. Monk came to a stop by the small building, the stones leaning against the weathered side of the shed.

"These are the blocks I mentioned. I was here," He pointed to the ground at his feet before raising his arm toward the tree line around the back of the shed, "When Mai started acting weird. I took after her when she didn't respond to me and caught up as she tried to sprint off into the tree line there." Following behind Noll as he made his way around the shed, he was on alert. His Shiki were as well, the presence of whatever had been here previous left a spiritual weight behind. Almost imperceptible, he locked eyes with Noll, who confirmed with a nod that he too felt it.

The man spoke then, "You said she mentioned a well?"

Monk nodded in answer to Noll," yea, the well she said she needed to meet him at. I'm assuming him was whoever was out there calling her." Lin had a feeling Oliver knew something.

"Well let's go see if he's still waiting then." Noll replied coldly. He walked for the tree line and Lin swore the temperature grew colder the further in he followed behind his friend. The woods were silent as they trekked down the overgrown path, in the surrounding wood he could see the fallen trees and broken stumps mixed in with those still standing strong. The shaking earlier had definitely had a larger radius than he'd thought. Through the tree line on the path he could make out a stone structure up ahead, he whistled, sending two Shiki to scout it out, the other three remained in base with the others. Receiving a look from the Monk he provided explanation, "scouting." Not caring to know if the man had understood he pushed past Oliver to take the lead, he was still in charge of the man's safety, much to Noll's dismay.

The clearing was intimately small, the well its main feature. Though missing pieces and extremely worn, the well told a story of former beauty. Engravings on the stone, simple vines and swirls barely visible but timeless. They were overgrown with moss and brush, it would be stunning in the warmer months and completely isolated he realized as he took in the currently bare woods that if in full bloom would hide this area completely. His Shiki returned from the well with nothing. They couldn't feel anything other than the unease that smothered the woods. He realized they hadn't heard a signal bird or seen any animals since they arrived. What exactly were they dealing with?

"Noll, my Shiki are unable to sense anything in the well, and neither can I."

He waited for Noll as he mulled over the information, "the spiritual void?"

Lin considered it for a moment, "Highly probable."

Noll nodded back before returning his focus to the well.

Monk caught his attention when the man glanced between them looking lost. Quirking his brow in question at the man he became concerned the Monk may have been more injured than he thought.

"Those are your conversations?" Lin didn't really get what the monk was asking. "That is how conversation works Takigawa-San." The monk gave him a look of exasperation before Lin realized Noll was leaning over the well. Making his way towards the idiot about to give him an aneurysm he heard the monk ask,"how does Mai do it?" Lin could swear, this job is less 'ghost hunting' and more 'babysitting overgrown toddlers', he did not get paid enough for this. "Noll back up."

"Calm down Dad. I know how not to fall into a well. I'm not that stupid."

Cooling his irritation he snarked, "I seem to recall several times I've had to pull you and Mai out of a hole much like this one." He narrowed his eyes as they clashed with Nolls glare. Laughter from behind broke the tension between the two as they both glanced at the man behind them currently holding his stomach as he laughed.

Attempting to calm himself Monk added through his laughter, "Though I do think Mai can take the majority of the blame for those instances, he does have you here Naru."

"If you all are done acting like children I'd like to get back to work." Focusing his attention back to the well, ignoring the two behind him, he took in the structure. What had been calling Mai out here. A male spirit he assumed from Monk's recount of events. He was getting really tired of this spirit. The team wasn't getting any information spiritually. The fact that only mai has been able to spiritually connect with it is a major red flag. This spirit was smart and powerful. If it could manipulate its presence to hide and create this 'void' they were experiencing this would be harder than he thought. If Mai could connect with it, that means it was possible to. Maybe he could find something. He hadn't used his psychometry much since Gene passed. This case may need to be one of the few exceptions. Kneeling before the stone wall of the well he placed his left hand atop it. Closing his eyes and bowing his head he focused on the rough, cool surface beneath his hand while slowly relaxing the bindings around his abilities. Immediately he was pulled into a wave of memories. The flashing of images were overwhelming as he recalled Mai referencing them in England after her nightmare. Too quick to process. He was being pulled out and spiraling. Gripping against those bindings he pulled the chains tighter, choking his power back, less use less idiot. The memories stopped flooding as he took in the well from another's memory. Leaning against the stone was a woman with black hair and a kimono of a nobleman's daughter fast asleep. The memory brought him closer to her as the man bent down and brushed a hair from her face. He froze as he met a familiar set of eyes. Warm chocolate brown stared up at him adoringly. Oliver tried to figure out what was happening as the memory continued to play. This memory wasn't giving him much, He needed something else. He searched through the memories this stone held and found similar ones, the woman playing a key role in all of them. But as he continued he found a gap where the woman was gone. Focusing on this memory in particular he saw the well but a man was sitting on its edge. A man that looked... like him. Then the memory ended and he was forced out. He had no time to react as a strong force slammed into his chest, knocking him away from the well to the ground. The hard uneven dirt slammed into his back as he attempted to control his fall. The attack catching him off guard. Numbly he pushed himself up into a sitting position. There was a hot sting coming from his hand, lifting it up to check he thought maybe a rock or twig had forced its way through his skin. Etched across his palm in crude cuts was a warning. Thankfully he had brushed up on his kanji when he returned to England, the crude character 'Shi' meaning death now marred the palm of his right hand. He could feel that pit settle in him again. Irritation fueling it. This damn spirit was playing a game of hide and seek. Ignoring Lin's questions, snatching his hand out of the man's reach he stood and started back toward the house. He was done with these games time to finish it.

...

I AM SO SORRY for the impromptu six month hiatus. I have been dealing with a lot in life but have been working on this when I can. This chapter was a bit information heavy as will be the next chapter. Anyone have ideas about what happened at this place? Follow to find out. :)

As always a big thank you to everyone who is still reading and an even BIGGER one to those who follow it 3

Until next time *two finger salute*

(I'll try to update sooner this time)