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 10
The day broke with a fragile silver light filtering through the clouds, casting long shadows across the dew-drenched lawn of the old house. Inside, the team was already awake, gathered around the kitchen table where Mai was recounting her vivid dream and the conversation with Aradia. Her words hung in the air, each carrying weight and wonder, as Naru, Lin, and the others listened intently.
"We have our mission," Mai concluded, her eyes alight with a resolute fire. "We restore the ley lines, cleanse the land, and break the seal. We free Aradia."
Naru nodded, his features set in a grim line of determination. "Then we need to plan carefully. This isn't just about hunting spirits or cleansing a house anymore. We're dealing with ancient forces, a battle between deities."
Lin, ever the scholar, was poring over old maps and texts, trying to pinpoint the exact locations of the ley lines. "We might need to conduct rituals at multiple points," he suggested. "The nexus under the house is just one part of a larger network."
As they strategized, Mai felt a familiar chill, a sign she was starting to recognize all too well. She excused herself and stepped into the garden, where the air felt clearer, less burdened by the shadows of the past. As she walked, the ground beneath her feet seemed to thrum with energy, a silent echo of the ley lines that lay hidden deep below.
Aradia appeared before her, emerging from a shimmer in the air like a mirage becoming reality. Her visage was serene, yet there was a depth of sadness in her eyes that tugged at Mai's heart.
"You carry a heavy burden, Mai," Aradia spoke, her voice resonating with the wind. "The path you choose to walk is fraught with peril, but also great possibility."
Mai took a deep breath, steadying her nerves. "I'm ready to do whatever it takes to set things right. Not just for the house, but for you, Aradia. For the peace of this land."
Aradia's expression softened, and she stepped closer. "I see the strength in you, and the pain. You've lost much in your pursuit of saving others. Tell me, Mai, if you could, what would you seek for yourself? A boon, perhaps, as a reward for your bravery and service?"
The question caught Mai off-guard. She had been so focused on helping others, on fixing the wrongs of the world, that she hadn't stopped to think about her own desires. Yet, there was one wish that lingered in her heart, a silent yearning she had buried deep within.
"I…I would wish to turn back time," Mai confessed, her voice barely a whisper, "to save him—Gene. He was my soulmate, and I lost him before I could even…"
Tears welled up in her eyes as the grief she had held at bay surged forth. Aradia reached out, her touch ethereal but comforting. "A wish to turn back time is a powerful one, and fraught with consequences. But for you, brave Mai, I will grant you the means to attempt it, once my power is fully restored."
Hope, mingled with fear, fluttered in Mai's chest. The possibility of seeing Gene again, of saving him, was overwhelming. "Thank you, Aradia," she managed to say, her heart full of turbulent emotions.
"First, we must cleanse the land and break the seal," Aradia reminded her. "Then, I will aid you in your quest to reclaim what was lost."
Mai nodded, wiping away her tears, fortified by the goddess's promise. She returned to the group, her resolve hardened, her mission clear. They would cleanse the ley lines and restore Aradia's power. And then, perhaps, she could change her own fate.
The days that followed were a blur of activity. Under Lin's guidance, they performed rituals at strategic points around the house and beyond, each step bringing them closer to their goal. Naru coordinated their efforts with precision, while John and Monk provided the necessary muscle and technical support to implement the complex arrangements required.
Finally, they stood together in the cellar, the nexus of the ley lines, where they would perform the final ritual to break the seal and restore Aradia's power. The air crackled with energy as they chanted, the ancient words resonating against the stone walls, rising up through the foundations of the house.
As the ritual reached its climax, a brilliant light flooded the cellar, the power of the ley lines igniting like a beacon. The darkness that had clung to the land dissipated, swept away by the surge of pure, cleansing energy.
When the light faded, they found themselves standing in a transformed space. The oppressive atmosphere was gone, replaced by a sense of peace and vitality that pulsed through the air.
Aradia appeared once more, her form radiant and whole. "You have done well, my champions," she declared, her voice echoing with the power of the freed ley lines. "The land is healed, and my strength is restored. Now, Mai, come forward. It is time to grant your boon."
With a trembling heart, Mai stepped forward, ready to face whatever challenges lay in her quest to turn back time and save Gene.
As Aradia's form shimmered with newfound vitality, her gaze focused intently on Mai, ready to bestow the promised boon. Mai stepped forward, her resolve palpable in the charged air of the cellar. The light that surrounded Aradia cast ethereal shadows across the walls, painting scenes of ancient battles and long-forgotten peace.
"Mai, are you certain of your wish?" Aradia asked, her voice resonating deeply, filled with the power that now coursed freely through the ley lines.
Mai nodded, her voice steady despite the tumult of emotions within her. "Yes, I've never been more certain of anything. If there's a chance to save Gene, I have to take it."
Aradia extended her hands, the air around them beginning to thrum with energy. "Then let it be done. May the threads of time unwind and guide you back to the moment you seek. But beware, altering time can change more than just one life."
Before Mai could respond, Lin and Naru, who had been observing the ritual, suddenly grasped the implications of Mai's choice. "Mai, wait!" Naru shouted, realization dawning on his face. "Think about what this could mean—not just for you, but for everyone!"
Lin was close on Naru's heels, his expression filled with alarm. "Changing the past could alter everything we know!"
But their warnings came too late. Aradia's magic was already at work, the energy building around Mai like a storm. "I must do this," Mai called back to them, her voice laced with both determination and sorrow.
As Naru and Lin rushed forward, intent on reaching Mai before the magic could fully envelop her, a brilliant flash of light filled the cellar. There was a deafening bang, as if the very air around them was splitting.
When the light and noise faded, Mai was gone. Only the echo of her last words lingered in the now-still air.
Naru and Lin stood in the center of the cellar, stunned and disoriented. "What have we done?" Naru whispered, the weight of the moment settling upon him.
"We have to figure out how to bring her back," Lin said, panic threading through his voice. But even as he spoke, the world around them seemed to shimmer, the edges of the cellar blurring and wavering as if made of water.
"What's happening?" Naru reached out to steady himself against a wall that seemed to no longer fully exist. His hand passed through it, sending a ripple across the surface of the room.
"The timeline... it's changing," Lin realized, his voice filled with a mixture of awe and horror. "Our present is collapsing because Mai's actions are altering the past."
They watched, powerless, as the reality they knew began to dissolve around them. The process was fast, the cellar decomposing into fragments of light and shadow. Naru tried to reach Lin, but his hand passed through his friend, who was now nothing more than a wraith-like figure.
"We need to find a way to stabilize this!" Lin shouted over the growing din of the collapsing timeline, but his words were fading, swallowed by the increasing void.
A/N: I swear I'll finish this! lol Here's chapter 10 done! Sorry it took so long!