3 Insecurities, Auras And Monsters

Shibuya Base, Masako Room

John Brown wasn't particularly good at dealing with the matters of the heart, especially when love was involved and young ladies seemed to suffer. He knew Masako Hara was in love with Naru—as Mai called him—but the love she held was simply one sided, because Naru already had a not so hidden interest in his assistant. That much was clear to him. Still, it pained him to see Masako overly upset for something out of her reach.

"Miss Hara, please calm down. Naru has a point in putting us in pairs. I promise to be the perfect gentlemen and give you as much privacy as possible without putting you at risk." He said to the distressed girl in front of him.

"I'm not distraught because he partnered us, it's because she gets the special treatment. Why did he call me for if he's only relying on her? I am a professional medium who makes time in a busy schedule to assist him. This is a horrible place to be, so full of dark emotions that only makes you feel worse." She said angered at the narcissist and his apparent cruelty.

"Miss Hara, he does care for all of us. He did give us a choice in this case, whether to accept or refuse. He's simply a little more concerned with Mai. We all know she does things by heart and therefore is unpredictable. I myself worry for her safety all the time as she truly is like Monk calls her, a danger magnet and this is not a very good place to attract attention to oneself. You did have a terrifying experience at the Urado case, right? Even so, Mai did her best to trace you and her ability helped us to find you before it was too late. She was a great help back then." John said trying to dispel the negative emotions toward Mai. Maybe she was right and the environment was influencing them in a way.

"Yes, she did help..." She said while remembering that horrifying experience and how relieved she had felt when Mai gave her that key. Maybe she was overreacting. She didn't want Mai to get seriously injured or killed, she just wanted Naru to herself, nothing more nothing less. Jealousy was truly a green monster and she needed to get rid of it. John was right, this wasn't the place nor the time for such childish behavior. She needed to become the professional person she claimed she was.

"Do you feel better now, Miss Hara?" John asked giving her a warm smile that made her blush a little.

"Yes, thank you, but can I ask you to call me Masako instead?" She said already feeling a little lighter from the oppressing feeling she held before.

"Sure, mate. Masako it is as long as you call me John. Do we have a deal?" He asked extending his hand for her to hold.

"Fine by me, John." She replied taking his hand in a kind of pact between them. It was always good to have someone to count on and she was glad that the cold hearted jerk at the very least, had the courtesy to pair her with the all too good John Brown.

"Can I ask your professional opinion of this mansion? I know Naru will ask you soon enough but, I feel… kind of restless in here. You seemed a little sick before we entered, so you must have felt something already. I just want to be prepared for whatever is thrown at us, and it's kind of my duty to keep you safe from here on." He said while blushing a little and Masako smiled at him. He was such a kind soul. Why she couldn't fall for a guy like him instead of a cold scientist who was too full of himself and apparently didn't have good taste in women? Well…the answer should be obvious. John was a priest and she respected that.

"There is a vicious air all around this mansion and it's not only concentrated inside. It comes from the outside woods as well. I don't think this monster or demon has any restrictions or bonds, like Urado did. It can come in or out whenever it pleases and is very strong. The women it kills are trapped here, not able to rest or move on. There's so many of them and they all plead and wish to be free… it's so horrible…" She said taking pity on the poor souls. "I don't think a cleansing is possible here… only an exorcism could purify such darkness. I just wonder what kind of atrocities were committed on these grounds to have soiled it to this extent." Just taking a guess gave her the chills and she subconsciously hugged herself in search of more warmth.

"This will be a very difficult case and it will probably take a lot of energy to exorcise it. I feel a strange sensation too, but I think we can handle this case. Now, we should go back, if you are ready Masako. The more information we gather the better and Naru is not exactly a patient kind of person." John said smiling at her. Masako took the helpful hand and stood, but just then, a rush of sickness overwhelmed her. The smell of decaying flesh and blood filled every corner of the room… no, it was more like the entire mansion. Something really bad was coming their way, one step at the time.

"Masako, are you all right? Do you feel seek just like before?" The priest asked holding her as she became as pale as fresh snow.

"It's coming John, it's coming…" And the world became a void of darkness for her.

Akihiro Base, At The Same Time

"Well, look at that. I have to say, this is quite alarming. I haven't seen someone with this intensity before. Shouldn't we inform my cousin about this? He will want to know as soon as possible. The last thing we need is another woman going missing like Ryoko and I think Noll does have a thing for the girl. He almost froze me over when I let slip information about Oliver Davis to her. I swear he could have kill me right there if I had said one more thing about Gene, even though it was her who asked. Her instincts are far sharper than he let us know about." Ethan Davis said to the rest of his team in the Akihiro base.

The small group was looking at the image taken by the special camera which specialized in capturing peoples auras. Impressively enough, the girl's aura was almost blinding. It has brilliant and pale yellows as well as white and sparks of gold, even some light blue. The colors themselves were not what attracted attention, it was the intensity that impress them.

"She has gold too. Does that means she already has someone watching over her?" Asked Tadashi with curiosity.

"I believe she has a spiritual guide and that would be the meaning of the gold (the color of guardians or angels). For what Oliver told us before when he explained which talents his team members possess, she just recently awakened as a medium. That would explain the bright yellow, the pale yellow also makes her act on instinct or by heart, the white is probably due to her pure caring nature, the same goes for the light blue which would make her truthful. What worries me is the intensity of them. To be honest, I even felt her aura become warmer when near. Taniyama Mai simply walks like a shining sun in the darkness of the spiritual world. Without proper training, this girl will always get targeted by spirits whether friendly or hostile." Akihiko said, not sure what to make of what he witnessed with his own eyes when he first looked at her.

"I will go and bring Noll here. I can't allow any other women to share my sister's fate. It is bad enough for me not knowing what kind of terrors my sister faced, or is facing as we speak, and even worse not being able to find her or help her in any way. I can now understand how he felt when he lost Gene and could do nothing to prevent it. This is hell. At the very least I can help prevent further tragedies. It was my sister who made Gene come to Japan where he met the worst possible fate. I owe this much to Noll and so do you Ethan. You did bring Ryoko here a year ago when you first heard of this mansion and wanted a second opinion on your findings. She became obsessed with this place ever since, now she is probably dead. As painful as it is I can handle it, but I don't think that Noll can manage another loss, especially if he has deep feelings for her." Katsumi said having opened his heart to the little group of old times friends.

He knew that one of the main reasons Noll had for coming there was to find clues about how Gene ended up being killed when he was only supposed to give assistance to a dear friend. At the time Gene decided to travel to Japan on Ryoko's request, Noll was away giving a conference about one of his books at Cambridge University. Although Gene did talk to Noll by phone about his sudden departure, he never clearly explained why he couldn't wait until he finished his business.

Ryoko was the last person to contact Gene before his disappearance and although she didn't really know what made Gene change destinations, there was always the possibility Gene could contact Ryoko at the place they were meant to meet again.

"You should hurry then, Katsumi. It's almost time for the awakening and I have the feeling this time will be a hundred times worse than yesterday." Tadashi said looking at the clock on the wall.

"Damn, I forgot about that!" And he almost stormed into the adjacent room, sliding the door faster than he should. The sudden action made Naru turn his head at the intrusion. Katsumi noticed he was talking to someone at the door of one of the rooms, but when he went to step forward into the second base, the lights began to flicker on and off. It was already there, he thought in dismay, looking back inside his own base toward the door that led to the hallway.

Shibuya Base, With Naru And Lin Alone

Oliver Davis, better known as Naru in Japan, was deep in thought. He was kind of worried about what Akihiro said about Mai. He always thought that Mai's awakening as a psychic was more or less normal, but was he mistaken? He didn't think anything in particular about her finding more dangerous situations than the rest. Miss Hara had also fallen from high places and even been taken to the hospital twice, not to mention been transported to a sealed room by a monster. In comparison, Hara had it worse than Mai, yet he probably overlooked something or her powers where progressing faster than he'd anticipated.

What could possibly make spirits notice her more than others? Her abilities were growing, but no in an alarming way as far as he knew. She does most of everything by instinct and that almost always puts her in danger. Why was he wrong? Should he try and make a more serious test on her or perhaps let Lin train her? She was just awakening to a whole new world after all and he was in a way partially responsible for involving her in the paranormal. Maybe it was time for him to take more responsibility for his own inexplicable actions.

Even Lin seemed surprise when he first told him he was hiring Mai as an assistant. The reason he gave to Lin was that she reminded him of the times they were orphans, but in reality, the real reason he called her to work for him was still a mystery. He could have hired an expert on the paranormal or at the very least someone with better knowledge about spirits than her, yet he couldn't deny himself her presence. As troublesome as it was, she became necessary in his daily routine, not to mention he was practically addicted to her tea.

Now, a new unexpected danger was facing her and he was as blind as the rest. He needed to have a serious talk with Akihiro once he finished with all the explanations of the case to his team. Yet it bothered him to no end not knowing. Could Lin give him some insight? Should he ask him and expose to him how worry he was? Bloody hell Noll, safety should come first. You said so yourself just minutes ago. Just ask the man, for the love of God.

"Lin, have you noticed something particularly strange about Mai? Has any of your shiki noticed something off about her?" He asked the man sitting next to him who was forever typing. Just how much information was there to gather for him to be always writing on his laptop?

"Why are you asking? Is something bothering you about her?" So he finally was opening up, Lin thought.

"There is something Akihiro said to me when we entered the base. It's bothering me quite a lot, to be honest. So is there something out of place or not?" Already grumpy? He must be quite worried. Lin sighed and faced the young man.

"They seem to like her better than the rest. She appears to be warmer and brighter. That's all they let me know. I guess it's probably because of Mai's personality, the description definitely suits her." Lin said in a serious tone.

"Brighter…how is she brighter?" Naru asked already thinking about a possible answer.

"That I don't know. Spirits of all kinds see the living things differently than us. They probably see our life energy better than us because they are attracted to it." And then, Naru stood up in shock and headed for Mai's room.

"Of course! Why I didn't see it before, it's so obvious…" He said in disbelief.

"What do you mean, Noll? What's so obvious about what?" Lin asked also standing up and Naru turned to face him.

"Akihiro's specialty is aura reading, father always liked aura readings. He finds them fascinating and that's how he came in contact with Akihiro in the first place. They met in a seminar here in Japan, then father invited Akihiro and his team for Gene's and my aura reading in England. He can see auras without any equipment, he must have taken a better look at Mai when he saw her for the first time just half an hour ago and found something strange about it. Watch the base, the others will be here any moment now." And he slid open the shogi door to find Mai still blushing and murmuring to herself.

"Mai… it's about time you…" He was interrupted when the shogi door on the other side of the room opened in a hurry. Katsumi looked at him and was going to enter when the lights of the room begins to twinkle on and off. Naru hurriedly entered Mai's room and grabbed her hand, almost dragging her out. At the same time Lin heard John calling Masako's name and Takigawa and Ayako stormed out of their room on high alert. Then the lights went off and the most horrifying sound penetrated every corner of the mansion.

What seemed like a hundred people screaming put together resounded everywhere. It was intense and seem to reach their very soul. Let me out, please help, free me and save me were just a few of the wails that could be clearly distinguish among the overwhelming anguish of who knows how many spirits. That was only the beginning. The smell of blood was overpowering even for Naru. Rotten flesh and decay followed. Then there was the sound of dragging and a cold blast of wind. The room temperature lower several degrees in seconds.

"Naru!" Mai screamed scared and he held her closer to his body in a futile effort to make her feel better, but no amount of physical contact could ever make the situation any less frightful. She tried to minimize the yelling by covering her ears with her hands but without success.

"Mai… everything is going to be fine. There is no need to be afraid. Trust me." Naru said lowering himself enough to whisper his words into her covered ears and she let go of whatever small control she had left and hugged Naru for dear life. He hugged her back and used his own hands on her to cover her head.

"Stay close to me and don't let go." Said Naru as a new noise was introduced. Strong banging's began to assault the barrier. A lot of them. Since the door that connected the two bases was wide open because of Katsumi, who was still standing there, they can all see the sparks of flashes coming from the door leading to the hallway when the spirits collapsed against the barrier. They were trying to cross the barrier created by the charms with just raw force. One after the other without stopping. Slow at first, then faster and faster and faster for who knows how long.

Bang, Flash, Bang, Flash, Bang, Flash… over and over in different parts of the barrier all at the same time. Lin sent his remaining two shikis outside and the sound of breaking bone were mixed with the still piercing screaming. Ayako immersed herself in Tokigawa's embrace, even though they can barely see each other. Only with the flashes of light from the banging.

"This is maddening. It's far worse than the last time!" Ayako screamed and Takigawa was beginning to worry about the status of the barrier. The assault was made by multiple spirits at once at different points, if just one weaker spot on the barrier was hit, they will rush inside in waves.

He knew Lin would never create a barrier with lope holes on it, yet the attack was so damn intense it gave him the chills despite the freezing temperature. All kinds of insecurities rushed through his mind, then he thought of Ayako almost trembling in his arms and stilled himself. He was not the kind of man who backed up in the face of danger or fear. If the barrier failed, then he needed to act as a replacement.

"Naru, will the barrier hold such assault? Is there something we can do to reinforce it?" Takigawa asked readying his Vajra—the one he used with the yebasu—just in case he needed to activate another layer of the barrier with his own power.

"I'm already reinforcing it, just in case it weakens. Be quiet I need to concentrate." He said closing his eyes still holding Mai close to him.

"You idiot! The barrier will hold with Akihiro, Monk and me reinforcing it, if there is a need. Do you want to die? There is no hospital in the vicinity, you won't be receiving any medical assistance in hours and by the time we get you to the nearest hospital, it will be too late." Lin said rushing toward the impulsive narcissist and Mai's dark figure in the pale light. The last thing he needed was a repetition of his last trip to the hospital.

"It's coming, there is no more time and only I can create a barrier big or strong enough to cover the two bases at once. This is only a precaution, no need to panic, the barrier I'm creating only takes the energy I usually discard in meditation, it will not kill me. I will only really push myself if the charms don't hold, but I think they will do. I trust your capability." He exhaled and inhaled repeatedly in a slow manner, emptying his mind of the hellish atmosphere. The thing will not get the best of him, of that he will make sure.

All of the sudden, after what seems like hours of flashing lights, the noise of screaming, and banging, stopped entirely, leaving only a deafening silence and darkness. No one moved and most of them held their breaths in anticipation of what was coming next. Mai had a very bad feeling. The hairs on her arms rose up and she wasn't sure if it was because of the freezing cold, Naru's silently gathering of energy, or the coming monster. Soon enough, the whole place seemed to shake a little, like in a small earthquake.

Then, a deep laugh was heard all over. It was the kind of evil laughing you hear in horror movies. A huge amount of dark energy seemed to gather just outside the front door. Mai could almost taste it. Dark emotions seemed to rush over her and she flinched at the foreign sensation, Naru on the other hand didn't move a finger, too deep in concentration.

"I will come for you…very soon…" The hoarse voice said, resonating inside like hundreds of voices speaking together, chilling Mai to the bone. "I need more… more… very soon." It repeated, then the lights went on and the cold lifted as fast as it came. Both Ayako and Monk sat on the floor without reserves, Lin gathered his injured shiki, Naru opened his eyes in anger, and the men from Akihiro base sighed in relief. John and Masako where nowhere to be seen and a panicked Mai rushed to their room fearing both of them to have disappeared in the commotion.

"Masako! John!" To her relief, both of them were still there although Masako seemed to be unconscious. John was holding her while she rested in his lap. "John, are you ok? What happened to Masako?" She asked while kneeling beside him.

"We are fine, Mai. She fainted when that monster headed our way. As a medium, her perception of the spirit world is several times sharper than normal people. The voices specially were overwhelming even for me, this should have taken quiet a toll on her. Fortunately, nothing happened besides giving us quiet the fright. We are fine." John smiled at her, though it was kind of a weak one, not the usual warming one.

"Well, I guess there is no need for a briefing now, huh? This is even worse than I expected. Hell, that thing is certainly in a whole new level of its own, such a strong energy even through the barrier. Can we even hope to exorcise it? That should count as a high level demon, right?" Takigawa asked while looking at John from the entrance of the room. Ayako was just behind him still trying to calm herself. She should never have come to that place.

"I'm afraid so, Monk. We are definitely dealing with a high level demon or monster. On my own, I'm afraid I can't exorcise it." John reply in a low voice almost ashamed of saying it. Even so, he knew that an exorcism performed by only him could take long hours and it will be very dangerous.

"Then, it's a good thing you are not alone. We need a plan to deal with this thing. More women are bound to be killed if we just let it run free as he wishes. Our top priority was finding Ryoko for the beginning, but this need to be dealt with. It's time for us to hunt a monster." Naru said barely containing his anger. This thing he will hunt, even if it kills him on the process. He knew for certain that the monster has his claws turning on Mai's way and hell will freeze over before he let that happened.

AN: I think I overdid it for a first time encounter. Oh well, my bad, too much dramatic, epic music while writing.