Notes: So Mai in my story is going to be a little OOC. This is Mai x Gene. Just stick with it. It will tell the story of a truly desperate soul searching to save another.

Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt. Period. If I did, the romance would have been more fleshed out and Mai wouldn't have been so childish all the time.

Chapter 9

The dawn light crept timidly through the cracks in the curtains, casting hesitant beams across the worn floorboards of the old house. Despite the calm that seemed to follow the night's upheaval, a palpable tension lingered in the air, like the quiet before a storm. Mai, Naru, and Lin gathered in the dimly lit kitchen, around a map strewn across the table, each point marked and annotated from their investigations.

Mai, who had barely managed any rest, sipped her tea slowly, her mind racing with the implications of Aradia's appearance and the revelations she had brought. "She said it was a binding," Mai mused aloud, turning over Aradia's words in her mind. "That this house, or rather the land it's on, was used to seal her away. What kind of power would it take to bind a goddess?"

Lin, always eager to delve into the mystical and historical, adjusted his glasses as he scanned through his notes. "The lore suggests that such bindings require a nexus of ley lines or a place of significant spiritual power. It's possible this house was built specifically for that purpose, to harness or contain such energy."

Naru folded his arms, his gaze fixed on the map. "Which means our cleansing ritual might have weakened the seal but not broken it entirely. If we're going to help Aradia and keep this entity from coming back, we might need to strengthen her, give her back her power."

The conversation was interrupted by a sudden flicker of the lights above them, a reminder that the entity was still aware and perhaps growing agitated by their plans. Mai set her cup down with a clatter, her expression set. "Then we need to find out exactly where these ley lines intersect. We need precision if we're going to do this right."

The team split up, with Lin taking on the task of researching historical records and geographic data that might give them clues about the ley lines. Naru began to prepare a more robust set of rituals, based on the ancient scripts Aradia had revealed. Mai, feeling a deep connection to Aradia and driven by a newfound resolve, decided to revisit the site of their first encounter with the goddess.

As Mai approached the hallway where they had seen the glowing symbols, she felt a whisper of the peace that Aradia's presence had brought. She paused, closing her eyes, trying to reach out with her senses beyond the physical. "Aradia," she whispered, "if you can hear me, tell me what you need."

The air grew colder, and the faint glow of the symbols began to pulse gently, rhythmically. Then, as if carried on a breeze that shouldn't exist within the closed walls of the house, Aradia's voice returned, softer this time, more distant. "The lines are fractured, broken by shadows and malice. Restore the nexus, and my strength will return."

Mai opened her eyes, her resolve hardening. She needed to find the nexus, the focal point of the ley lines. She hurried back to the kitchen, where Naru and Lin were deep in discussion over a pile of old maps and texts.

"We need to find the nexus of the ley lines," Mai announced, her voice carrying a new authority that made both men look up in surprise. "Aradia spoke to me again. We need to restore it to strengthen her and seal away the darkness permanently."

Naru nodded slowly, a spark of admiration in his eyes for Mai's growing leadership. "Alright. Lin, how close are we to pinpointing the location?"

Lin spread out another map, this one overlaid with a network of lines that he had drawn based on his research. "I think I've got something. There's a pattern to the disturbances we've recorded, and it aligns with historical accounts of spiritual activity. If my calculations are correct, the nexus should be right beneath the house, possibly under the cellar."

The cellar had been avoided largely due to its dilapidated state and the oppressive feelings that seemed to emanate from its dark corners. Knowing now what might be lying beneath, the team prepared to breach its depths with a mixture of dread and determination.

Equipped with every piece of spiritual and protective gear they had, they opened the old wooden door to the cellar, its hinges groaning in protest. The air was musty, filled with the smell of earth and mold, but beneath it all lay a trace of something else—power.

As they descended the creaky steps, each footfall echoed ominously around them, the light from their torches casting long shadows. Mai led the way, her every sense alert. They reached the bottom of the cellar, where the air felt charged, the hair on their arms standing on end.

"There," Lin pointed to a spot in the center of the room, where the dirt floor seemed unnaturally disturbed. "That's where we need to focus."

Naru began to set up a circle of salt and crystals around the spot, chanting softly as he worked. Mai and Lin joined in, their voices melding in an ancient incantation designed to cleanse and seal.

As they chanted, the ground beneath them began to tremble, a low rumble that grew in intensity until it was hard to remain standing. But they did not stop; their voices rose over the din, strong and clear.

Above them, the house seemed to groan in resistance, the entity fighting back against their efforts. But it was no match for the combined strength of their wills, fueled by the divine assistance of Aradia.

Finally, with a deafening crack, the energy shifted. A brilliant light burst forth from beneath the ground, enveloping them in warmth and power. As it faded, the darkness that had clung to the house was gone, replaced by a sense of peace and purity they had not felt before.

Exhausted but victorious, they ascended the cellar steps, leaving behind the remnants of shadows that could no longer touch them. The house was now a sanctuary, no longer a prison for a goddess or a haven for darkness.

As they stepped outside, the morning sun broke through the clouds, bathing the old house in golden light, as if the world itself was acknowledging their victory. Mai looked back at the house, a smile spreading across her face. They had done more than cleanse a haunted house—they had restored a goddess and protected the world from a darkness that had lurked, unseen, for too long.

The road ahead would be filled with new challenges, but Mai knew they were ready. With the blessing of Aradia and the unbreakable bond she shared with her team, there was nothing they could not face. And for the first time in a long time, Mai felt a profound sense of hope and purpose, a certainty that whatever lay ahead, they would meet it together.

A/N: I swear I'll finish this! lol Here's chapter 9 done! and I've started the next one.