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 13

The sun hung high in the sky as Gene and Mai left the park, walking side by side down a quiet street. Despite everything Mai had told him, Gene seemed calm, though there was a lingering confusion in his eyes. He kept stealing glances at her, as if trying to piece together the puzzle that was their strange connection. Mai, on the other hand, was full of quiet resolve. She had done the impossible—brought Gene back—but the stakes were higher than ever. She hadn't changed everything yet.

The smell of food wafted through the air as they walked, and Mai's stomach growled softly. She hadn't eaten since before her world turned upside down, and the thought of sitting down with Gene for something as simple as lunch felt oddly comforting.

"Are you hungry?" Gene asked, noticing her glance at a nearby café.

Mai nodded, smiling softly. "Starving, actually."

Gene gave a half-smile, the kind that seemed a little uncertain but sincere. "There's a place nearby I've been meaning to check out. The food's supposed to be good."

Mai fell into step beside him as they made their way to the café, her mind racing with the weight of everything they still hadn't talked about. She had to protect him—now more than ever. She knew what was supposed to happen. She knew why he had died. And now that she'd brought him back, she had to stop it from happening again.

But how was she supposed to tell him?

As they walked, Gene seemed to relax a little, as if he was finally starting to accept this new reality, even if he didn't fully understand it. He glanced at her with a curious expression. "You said we were connected... even when I was a spirit. Do you think that connection was always there? Like, even before I died?"

Mai shrugged, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I don't know. Maybe. It feels like we've always had this bond, even though we didn't meet until after... well, after everything. Maybe some people are just meant to find each other, no matter what."

Gene seemed to ponder that for a moment before nodding. "Yeah. That makes sense, in a strange way. I can't remember everything, but it feels like I've known you for a long time."

Mai smiled, warmth spreading through her chest at his words. It felt good to hear him say that, even if he couldn't remember the details.

As they turned the corner, the café came into view, its small outdoor seating area dotted with a few customers enjoying their lunch. Gene motioned to a table near the front, and they sat down together, the air between them comfortable but weighted by the unspoken tension of what had yet to be discussed.

A waiter came by to take their order, and once he left, Gene leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful. "I've been thinking," he said, his voice casual, but there was a slight edge of uncertainty there. "Before all this happened, I had planned to check out this place. It's supposed to be haunted—an old abandoned cabin in a forest near a lake. People say weird stuff happens out there."

Mai's heart stopped. Her mind flashed to the stories she had heard about Gene's death—the vague, fragmented memories she had from Naru's investigation. He had died alone, in a remote area, and they had searched for him for so long, never knowing exactly what had happened. And now, here he was, casually mentioning a location that sounded eerily familiar.

This was it. The place he was supposed to die.

She swallowed, her hands tightening around the edge of the table as she struggled to keep her composure. Gene was watching her, waiting for a response, completely unaware of what his words had just done to her.

"That sounds… interesting," she managed, her voice soft but steady. "When were you planning on going?"

Gene shrugged, oblivious to her sudden tension. "Sometime in the next few days, I guess. I've been curious about it for a while. Seems like it'd be an interesting case to check out."

Mai's mind raced. She couldn't let him go there. If he went, he wouldn't come back. That much, she was sure of. But how could she stop him without telling him the full truth? She couldn't just blurt out, You're going to die if you go there. It would only scare him, confuse him even more. And he didn't deserve that—not after everything he had been through.

She took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice light. "Do you really think it's worth checking out? I mean, there are a lot of haunted places out there that are just rumors. Maybe it's better to wait, do a little more research before you head out into the middle of nowhere."

Gene raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by her sudden reluctance. "You don't think it's worth looking into?"

Mai bit her lip, her mind scrambling for the right words. "I just… I don't know. I have a weird feeling about it. Like maybe it's not safe. I can't explain it, but something about it feels… wrong."

Gene tilted his head slightly, studying her for a moment. "You think something bad is going to happen?"

She hesitated, not wanting to scare him but knowing she had to stop him from going. "I don't know. I just think maybe it's not a good idea right now. Maybe you should… change your plans. At least for now."

Gene watched her carefully, his eyes narrowing slightly as if trying to read her expression. "You're serious about this, aren't you?"

Mai nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. "Yeah. I am."

He didn't say anything for a long moment, just studying her face, trying to understand the urgency behind her words. There was no logical reason for him to believe her—no explanation that made sense. But something in her eyes, in the way she spoke, made him pause.

"All right," he said slowly. "I won't go. Not right now, anyway."

Mai let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, relief flooding through her. "Thank you," she said quietly, her voice filled with gratitude.

Gene smiled, though there was still a hint of confusion in his expression. "I trust you, Mai. I don't know why, but I do."

She returned his smile, her heart swelling with emotion. "That's all I need."

The waiter arrived with their food, and for the first time since their reunion, the tension between them eased. They ate together, talking about simpler things, Gene asking about her life, Mai sharing stories from her time with the SPR team. It was easy, comfortable, almost normal.

But beneath the surface, Mai's mind was still spinning. She had stopped him from going to the place where he was supposed to die. But for how long? How could she keep him safe when time itself seemed to be pulling him toward a fate she had already witnessed?

She didn't know the answers. Not yet. But one thing was clear: she couldn't let her guard down. Not for a second.

Because now that Gene was back, she had to protect him from the very fate she had rewritten.

A/N: I swear I'll finish this! lol Here's chapter 13 done! Sorry it took so long!