Damp, cold, foggy rainforest is fucking hard to get through.

Soul is struggling to walk between the mossy branches of the towering trees of some rainforest in Alaska. He didn't even know there is a rainforest in Alaska before this, because Alaska is supposed to be cold, right? He hadn't even took it seriously, thought Kid was just messing with him when he first told Soul about where his week-long mission would be. To be fair, he was convinced at the time that this whole mission is just a big fat joke. But alas, he's here now, trying to navigate the fog to look for some… Broken pieces of machinery. That's the only hint he gets, that, and the fact that he's looking for some witch. He's sure that if he sees another person here, they have to be a witch or some kind of forest hippie or something because there is just no way anyone comes here to hang out.

Walking through the forest is tedious, physical work and it's giving his mind free rein to think about everything that went down with Maka this past week. The date at his place, the kisses, the training and oh Death, the kisses… Just imagining her lips on his makes him sigh with content, but he's quickly pulled back from his daydream with the anxiety of what will happen when he gets back. For some reason, this mission is important enough for his dear friend, the God of Death, to send him to the fucking Alaskan rainforest three days earlier than he was told.

He had called Soul right as Maka and him were on their rescheduled training session to tell him to pack up because something urgent had come up, and he had to go on his search early Sunday morning. "There is no time to waste, this is of utmost importance, Soul!", Kid had answered him when he asked what had happened to him leaving on Wednesday.

So, he had no actual time to take Maka on another date, and they had cut short the training session there for him to be able to get ready. But what had happened around midnight that day was nothing short of extraordinary. His door had rung, and when he buzzed the person in he was greeted by nothing other than ash-blonde pigtails, animatedly explaining something to him but he didn't hear a single word. Just the embarrassment on her face, her eyes darting anywhere other than his, and the light blush dusting her cheeks. The deafness to her meaning didn't mean he couldn't also hear the slight quiver in her voice.

He didn't think, he just pulled her inside by her waist and kissed her, which turned out to be part of the reason why she was visiting him, anyway.

His breath catches just remembering that moment, and he shakes his head to get rid of the thought. He still has some area to cover for today, he can think about her when he gets back to his hotel room, maybe even call her. He'd been resisting calling her for three days, waking up with the dawn and going to sleep for only a couple of hours to scour this place, he's deserved a break. He pulls back another branch with a groan, and passes through some others to reach an opening with a small lake.

When she came to his door was the last time he saw her, and it was 3 days ago. He has only made it to Tuesday so far, and while Kid says he can come back early if he finds something, it seems impossible since he doesn't even know what he's looking for completely. He's sure at that point that Kid also doesn't know what they're looking for, but he doesn't want to give that away to Soul. Apart from the machine parts, the only clue he had given the Death Scythe was that he should be on the lookout for stuff that might look familiar to him. What would that even be, this deep into a damned forest?

He takes a deep breath, and moves to sit on the edge of the river to relax a bit. Taking out his water bottle to filter the water and adding a tablet in it, he lowers his head to watch the fish swim. Nervous, as well as a little curious, he tries to imagine what will happen with Maka when he goes back. Will whatever's going on between them prove to be just a passing spell? What is it, anyway? He doesn't even know what it is that he's feeling except that it's intense, and could hurt him deeply; what if he goes back and she acts like nothing ever happened, or that it was all just nothing, didn't matter?

Sitting there for a while, he racks his brain for any kind of explanation for anything, but he's got nothing. Wasting time overthinking this will do him no wrong, he realizes, since there is no way to know what will happen; he has to go back ASAP. So, he moves to get up, taking a sip of his water, hoping the purification is done since he didn't time it. Oh well.

Something catches the corner of his eye as he places the bottle back into his pack, something yellow just peeking through the lush greenery on the other edge of the river. He starts walking around to get to it, trying to figure out what it is in the meantime with no luck. What would bright yellow be doing in a foggy rain forest? He rubs at his eyes to make sure he's not just imagining things to make himself believe that the mission is not a total wild goose-chase.

He gets closer, and realizes the yellow has some brown stains on it, and realizes what the stains are immediately. Blood. Steps get faster, he feels a pull to the color, a panicky feeling of I need to get to that, and before long he's reaching out for what he realizes is a bloodstained piece of yellow fabric, and grasps it, ripping it from the tree that it's stuck on.

The pain is immediate and overwhelming, and while he tries to fight it, but he finds himself on his knees anyway when they give in.

His eyes close with piercing pain that resonates on his chest as if something is slashing it right across, and when his ears start ringing, he can hear screams of his name between the loud, shrill sounds. Also something about doors… He tries to shift his focus to the words instead of the the pain, and is able to distinguish a calm voice repeating, "The doors here only open one way… They open inwards."

Another couple of minutes of sitting there, folded in himself in agony, his brain works itself to the bone for more clues as to what is going on, and how he's going to get out of this. The pain only increases as he focuses on the screams of his name, it sounds like the person is crying at the same time, and the pain in the voice almost doubles the pain in his chest, this time stabbing at his heart, and his blood runs cold as he finally figures out the reason.

The screaming voice belongs to none other than Maka.

He holds the fabric to his aching chest, hoping to relieve some of the pain he's feeling; but it's almost like he's burning from the inside. He gasps for air, clenching the fabric against his chest as if it might hold him together. Through the pain, he tries the stupid 4-7-8 breathing thing—anything to pull him back from whatever that vision was. He manages to open his eyes; the sounds and ringing get fainter until he can't hear them anymore. Sitting himself completely down to the damp floor, turning the fabric around, he examines it for any hint for what the fuck just happened, and notices that this is familiar.

It's the sweater vest that Maka used to wear all the time. With blood on it, deep in the Alaskan rainforest. Something familiar, just like Kid said to look for. Running his hands through his face and hair to get rid of some of the shock he's feeling, a chill runs down his spine. Does this really belong to Maka? What is all this blood on it, there's so much! Who does the other voice belong, and what the hell do doors have to do with whatever the fuck is going on?

It doesn't seem like his brain is going to stop soon, but instinct takes over. With another deep breath, he pushes himself back up to his feet, leaning on a tree for support when world surprises him again by showing him how it spins. He takes a moment to steady himself, and places the vest in his pack, then searches the area for anything else that might connect to Maka. As he breathes in, realization hits him— this is real, the fabric carries cuts from when he snatched it from the tree, flecks of moss, and of course the blood; proving that it's here, now, amid the forest two thousand miles from home, where Maka is. Almost as if it has been waiting for him to find it.

Without being able to find anything out of place, he takes another sip of his water to maybe still his spinning head, to no luck. He starts walking anyway, hoping to find something else that could be of importance. Suddenly, the mission doesn't seem like a joke anymore, going home isn't the most important thing about it anymore. He will not leave before he finds out more.

"Hi, Maka, right?"

The voice that stops Maka on her way to class has something that annoys her instantly, which puts her in a bad mood even before turning around to see who it belongs to.

Look, Maka never swears. But if she was ever to drop the f-bomb, it would be that moment exactly.

The girl that Soul was chatting with on the day of their date is staring into her face with her big, gorgeous, brown eyes. Annoyingly beautiful in her emerald dress, almost taunting Maka, she reaches out her hand for her to take. "I'm Remera, nice to finally be acquainted."

Confused by her choice of words, Maka shakes her hand before answering, "Likewise." and with a jingle, her attention is pulled to the bracelet she's wearing. It's gold, but somehow doesn't feel like gold with the way it sort of shines as the light hits it, almost as if keeping the light in instead of reflecting it. She notices some symbols on the large chains, the same on both sides of the cube trinket in the middle. Perfectly symmetrical.

Somehow, despite the warmth of Remera's hands, a cold chill runs down her spine, and she forces a smile on to make sure her reaction goes unnoticed, but she has no luck as the other girl's eyebrows rise the moment Maka's body quakes. Hands are quickly pulled back as an awkward silence stretches out; this girl is unnerving as she stares smiling into Maka's eyes, before looking her up and down, almost as if she's examining her for weak spots, and her smile takes on a sharp edge for a fraction of a second.

"Are you and Soul going out, Maka?"

The question has a sharp edge that buries itself in Maka's chest and she's left breathless with shock for a moment. To hear the question that she's been trying hard not to fixate on, directed at her by a stranger is not how she imagined she would have to finally face it.

"Why do you ask?" She replies, proud of herself for being able to keep the smile on through the shock of it. She studies Remera with a careful eye for a second, trying to understand what it is about this girl that has her so on edge.

She still has that poised, unnerving smile when she answers, "Oh, nothing. Just curious," her gaze falls to Maka's shoes before very slowly coming back up to her eyes. If she wasn't looking for flaws before, she definitely is now. "Soul and I used to spend some time together, you know." She sighs and shakes her head wistfully, and Maka's mind is sent reeling.

She feels her throat tighten, her brain is going a mile an hour, trying to find a place for this girl in her world that makes sense. What does she mean by "spending time together"? Soul hadn't even remembered her name, right? A flicker of doubt claws at her, fear slipping in. What if he'd lied?

"Oh, really?" She hears her own voice say, not commanding her mouth at that moment. "Well, I hope you had a good time." The smile is still on her face but it's weaker now, almost like it could break if Remera kept pushing.

Remera chuckled softly, with a hand in front of her mouth. "Oh, we did! Actually, our first date was so successful that I think it's his go-to now. You know, him cooking, an action movie… The works, right?" The familiarity in her tone sends an icy chill down Maka's spine. Remera could have told her directly that Soul is just playing her, but she chose to dress her words in a thinly veiled suggestion. "Well, maybe you're the lucky one, Maka. Maybe the practice made him perfect, for you."

Maka can feel the mortification written on her face, it's probably the reason why Remera isn't even trying to mask the fact that her endearing smile is really a cocky grin. Wow, what a bitch! Maka chastises herself for the thought, but the sentiment still stands. Through the millions of different thoughts rampaging in her head, somehow, she's able to collect herself to divert Remera.

"Well, not to anger you or any of his other fans, but the dinner wasn't even that good." She shrugs nonchalantly, stepping away before turning back with one last comment, voice low and casual. "His tongue is a godsend, though." She doesn't look back to see the other girl's expression, and walks as fast as she can without a destination.

Soul is barely carrying his body back into the room in the small hotel that Kid had settled him in. Normally he would be staying in a hostel or guesthouse if there were any, but since this is a longer mission, Kid had insisted on maximizing his comfort, and Soul wasn't about to refuse when he offered.

Throwing his pack to the side as soon as he opens the door, he rushes through the room to turn on the hot water for a soak. He gets into the tub, and the feeling is heavenly to say the least. The cuts and bruises on his arms, legs and face feel like the water is healing them now; he sighs into the empty bathroom, closing his eyes before submerging his head as well. Washing off the cold and the jungle shit that he's been accumulating for the past two days— he's been roaming the rain forest from sunrise to sunset, he couldn't really do much after that except collapse in bed— makes him feel almost renewed as he stays a good 45 minutes in the tub, letting the water cool with him in it.

So when he finally decides to leave the tub and go to sleep, the bathroom is free of the fog. He looks into the mirror as he's drying himself off, and his eyes trail over his own reflection in the mirror, appreciating the fact that he grew into his body as he does quite often, but something different catches his gaze this time. The pale, raised scar going right across his chest, from his shoulder to hip, with stitch marks on the sides of it. Realization hits him hard; he knows he's had this scar since forever, it's as much a part of him as his left arm. But he can't remember the last time he really noticed it.

He raises his hand to his chest, running his fingers over the scar and shudders, it's more sensitive than other parts of his skin, and the disorientation that twists in his gut almost floors him. How the fuck would he forget about this, it's important! It's a part of him, but… how exactly had he gotten it? He presses his fingers into the scar, trying to reach the memory it's tied to; it's right on the edge of his mind, but he can't reach it like it's blocked by this invisible wall. The only thing he can tell is the weight of the memory, and a feeling of relief that seeps out from it.

The frustration is what gets him speaking for the first time since arriving here, "Why the fuck can't I remember?" he almost yells before squeezing his eyes shut as hard as he can and pressing even harder; trying to physically recreate a fraction of the pain he must have felt when he got it to maybe trigger some information to reveal itself. A slight ache starts forming behind his eyes with the strain, and he breathes in deeply to take it under control as he tries to unlock the memory again. It feels so close yet so far, and for a second, he sees a flash of light; a white ceiling light, the pain on his chest, the cold covering his body… Before it's gone, and the only reply he gets for trying again is static, white noise that sounds like screams after a while, reminding him of Maka's screams he's heard in the forest before.

Without thinking, he slams his palms against the sink, staring at the scar from the mirror. "Come on," he grits out, but nothing else comes out as he lowers his head, feeling helpless and useless at the same time. It's his own fucking body, with a huge scar that goes the length of his whole chest, and he can't remember a single detail about it. How stupid can a person get?

He grips the sink for a moment longer, eyes closed as he takes a couple deep breaths to clear his mind. Everything that happened so far on this mission is all tangled in his mind, the insecurity seeping into every other thought he has. If he can't even remember something so massive, how can he trust himself with anything else?

Grumbling, he leaves the bathroom and pulls on a t-shirt and sweatpants before falling to bed. His arms are sore, legs are tired, and eyes are shut closed instantly. He tosses and turns for a couple of minutes, before realizing just how restless he is. Everything is uncertain now, confusing and frustrating, not letting him rest.

There is only one thing he's sure of, and it's that if Maka were here she'd have an explanation for everything, for sure. If she couldn't, she'd still find some way to make him feel better. This, he has no doubt in.

So he reaches for the phone, staring at it to calculate the time back home for a moment, but his mind is already complaining and he can't recall the difference for the life of him. Giving up with a sigh, he decides to just call, and she just won't answer if she's not available, right?

As the phone rings, a mix of longing nervousness grips him; he doesn't know what he'll say exactly, but hearing her voice will make everything better.

The phone connects with a click, and he's breathless for a moment when he hears her speak for the first time since Saturday night.

"Hey, Soul." oh her voice sounds so nice and soothing saying his name all warm like that; he can't help closing his eyes and enjoy the peace for a moment. "I didn't expect your call. How's Alaska?"

"Hey," he says softly. "It's good, uh, it's dark all the time, just walking around in a freezing forest every day. How've you been?" He settles into the bed more comfortably now; his body relaxed a considerable amount as he tucks the blanket to the sides of his body and lays his head on the pillow.

"Fine, uh," he can almost hear the way she holds her breath for a second, and the calm leaves his body as fast as it came. "Just keeping busy as usual."

He frowns at her conversation killer line; something definitely feels off. Hoping to get a reaction out of her, he continues, "Yeah? Kid's got me out here chasing bullshit clues. Feels like I've been going in circles." He scratches his head, not sure whether to mention this or not.

Figuring he'll have to tell her eventually, since it seems to involve her as well, he decides to just test the waters. "Hadn't found anything worth shit, until today." He gives a dry laugh, hoping to break the tension a little, spark her interest. When she gives him nothing but silence, he fels the words heavier on his tongue. She isn't even curious. "Came across something that reminds me of you. Don't know what it means yet, but I'll figure it out."

She's comments with a detached hum, "Kid must be counting on you a lot, to be sending you on such a mysterious mission, alone."

"Yeah, I guess," he sits back up on the bed, so tightly wound that he's even more nervous than before. He decides to face the problem headfirst to see what he can get out of her, "Maka, is something wrong? You sound a little off."

She sighs, and waits for a moment before answering. "Yeah, just tired. A lot to think about today." He waits for her to elaborate, but the quick, quiet reply he gets is only disappointing. "You know, you don't have to check in, Soul. You're on a mission, you should be using your free time to rest as much as possible."

Leave it to Maka to lecture him on how to do his job even when something is so clearly wrong. His frown deepens, "I know… I- I just wanted to hear your voice, see how you're doin'." His voice is soft and low when he answers, purposely, as he feels her pulling back. "You'd tell me if something was wrong, right?"

She gives out a faint laugh that sounds so sad, and the alarms blared in his head again. "I told you, nothing's wrong. I have a lot on my mind." But she sounds even further away now, as if she's forcing herself back with every word she says.

"Wanna tell me some of those stuff? I'm a good listener." He gets out of bed now, pacing around the room as panic threatens to overtake him. He holds his breath as he waits for her answer, but it never comes. "Maka? Is this about us?" He can't help but ask. The elephant in the room now sits on his chest, making it hard for him to breathe.

"There's just… A lot we haven't talked about," she sighs silently, probably trying to hide it but he's so focused on any sound that comes out of her mouth now that he catches it easily. "And you're far away on a mission and I don't want to be a distraction." A new resolve appears in her voice that lets him know that she will not be easily convinced that she's not even close to what a distraction is at that moment. But damn him if he won't try.

He tightens his hold on the phone as he sits down on the edge of the mattress and answers. "You're not a distraction. You never could be." Knowing the words have the power to make or break whatever they have going on in an instant, he sighs as he thinks about what to say next. "I thought… I tried to…" He trails off, still thinking about how to tell her everything he's been thinking about while he's been in Alaska, but she's faster.

"Maybe when you're back, we'll figure things out. We… Uh, we don't have to define anything right now."

The 'maybe' kills him. The hesitation in her tone is a stab right to his heart.

"For now, just be safe out there, okay? I'll see you when you get back, Soul."

He pauses for a moment before replying. Now, it's him who's cold and distant when he whispers into the phone. "…Alright, be safe too, Maka." They both stay silent for a moment before he hears the click of the line cutting, lets the phone fall to the mattress and covers his face with his hands. Nothing makes sense anymore.

This has been a shitty ass day.

The bright blue burns Maka's eyes for a second as she steps into the Death Room. Kid had called her in the middle of the day, which in itself isn't out of the ordinary, but when he told her the matter is of utmost importance, her nerves were immediately fried; she has a feeling now that she knows what this is about.

Soul.

She feels the weight of the guilt from the phone conversation they had the night before, as her eyes meet Kid's measured expression. For some reason he's wearing a poker face, his eyes far from having their usual glint. Professor Stein stands behind him, leaning on the desk as he screws his head tighter. "You called for me, Kid?" She asks, keeping her voice steady despite the knot twisting in her stomach.

"Yes, well." He starts, as he gestures for her to come closer. She does, and he continues. "You are already aware of the urgency of my call. It's about Soul."

Her breath catches in her throat at the mention of his name. "Is he alright?"

"For now." Kid replies, his gaze still calculated as he studies her. "In accordance to his recent findings, though, we think his mission is more complicated than anticipated."

She frowns, trying to get any clue as to what's exactly going on. From what Soul had told her before leaving and on the phone, Kid's been very secretive about this mission so far. Whatever information she can gather is good, at this point. "What do you mean?"

Kid exchanges a look with Stein, who snaps a book on the desk shut as he notices Maka slowly getting closer, trying to peek a look. "You know Soul is up there tracking a witch. She turned out to be more dangerous than we initially thought." He sighs as he explains. "Her methods aren't usual. She's been using unheard of and… unorthodox methods to cover her trail."

"What unorthodox methods? Are you sure Soul's fine?" Her hands instinctively curl into fists as she sharply questions.

"We can't share all the details yet," Kid says, his tone calm but firm, communicating clearly that he won't give away much more right now. "Except that even her missteps feel deliberate, like she's trying to lure us into a trap. Soul is at a significant disadvantage without a meister. He's strong, but even a Death Scythe has limits."

Maka knows she's angry now. "Then why was he sent alone in the first place? There are meisters he's worked with before, surely some of them could—", but Stein cuts her off before she can finish her rant.

"Because there wasn't time to prepare, Ms. Albarn," he interjects his tone calm but calculated. "Sending him alone was a calculated risk, one based on careful analysis. But even I don't repeat the same experiment when the margin for error is this narrow."

Kid's gaze shifts to Maka, steady as he delivers the killing blow. "That's where you come in, Maka. Next time, you'll be going with him."

"Next time?" She questions as her heart falls even heavier in her chest with her fear for Soul's safety and the sheer size of the responsibility that's been thrust upon her.

Kid leans against the desk now, his hands crossed on his chest indicating that he will not be taking no for an answer on the matter. "Stein mentioned that you've shown potential as partners, which is promising. But potential isn't enough. I want the two of you to resume training as soon as he's back. You'll need to master Soul Resonance before we gather more intelligence on this witch and make our move."

"But we have only trained a couple of times, and all those times ended with a failure on Soul Resonance. I don't know if we'll be able to achieve—"

"You will." Kid's voice carries a calm but undeniable authority, almost stunning her. "I hate to put it this way, but this isn't optional. The threat this witch poses is far greater than we initially believed. I need you to be ready."

Maka gulps down a breath, forcing determination on herself to carry out this assignment to the best of her power. The fear is still gripping at her, though, and she has to ask. "When is he coming back?"

"In a few days, maybe." Stein replies casually, lighting a cigarette despite the sharp look Kid shoots at him. "It's up to him, really. So far, his findings have helped measure just how dangerous this witch might be, but her intentions remain a mystery. Last we heard from him; he was considering following a trail he believes she left behind." Maka nods along, as he informs her, exhaling a thin stream of smoke.

"Okay," Maka sighs, she's frowning again when she asks: "You'll keep him safe until he's back, right?"

Kid's voice softens, despite keeping his expression neutral. "We'll do everything in our power."

As soon as Maka leaves, the door clicking shut behind her, Stein leans back against the desk. His smirk is faint and edged with something different than his usual psychotism—thoughtfulness, maybe even concern. "You're putting a lot on this, Kid," he says, the smoke curling around his words. "Banking on a bond that hasn't even been tested."

Kid stands motionless, his gaze fixed on the door where Maka had just left. "What choice do I have?" His tone is clipped as he answers. The tension evident in his words as well as his movements when his hands grip the edge of the desk. "The connection between them isn't ordinary. If they resonate, it might be enough to shatter the spell."

Stein exhales slowly, tapping ash into a tray on the desk as he considers the words. "And if they don't?"

Kid finally turns to meet Stein's gaze, his golden eyes unflinching. "Then we'll face something far more dangerous than I've accounted for."

There's a moment of silence before Stein tilts his head, his smirk curling back into place, this time more amused than anything else. "Well, that's comforting," he mutters, "But I guess you've already done the math, haven't you, God of Death?"

Kid's jaw tightens, his voice steady but laced with an undercurrent of authority. "They're our best chance."

Stein hums, his eyes glinting with something unreadable. "A calculated move, then. But even you know, these things usually go sideways." He taps the side of the desk as he continues. "Still, I'll admit, it's an intriguing gamble. Let's hope it doesn't blow up."

"It's not a gamble," Kid retorts firmly, "It's a plan. And if they resonate, it'll work."

Stein watches him for a moment, then lets out a low chuckle, dragging the cigarette to its end before stubbing it out. "If you say so," he says, his tone half teasing. "But I guess we'll find out soon enough if that connection of theirs is strong enough."

Kid doesn't reply, staring thoughtfully at the closed book on the desk. The room falls into silence, then.

Sleep-deprived and stressed Cera finds the time and motivation to actually write this episode woooo

Honestly this was the hardest to write so far even without the outside factors in my life right now. I want them to be together together already but the plot wont let me and its just plain sad :(

Still it's also my favorite so far I think, it's the first time we're actually getting part of the true plot so yay

Take care love u bye (im really sleepy)