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Chapter Text

Tea Leaves and Black Lipstick

Match One: Lady Fan, Old Clan Secrets, and Graduation Prep:

-Ju-

I stood in my living room, looking confused. Who was Lady Fan?

"Is something wrong?" I heard behind me. I turned to see Yao standing in the doorway to the stairs. I stood at him for a moment.

"I don't know," I said, shaking my head. "Yao, can I ask you something?" He had a curious look.

"What?" Yao asked.

"Who is Lady Fan?" I asked. My husband narrowed his eyes.

"Why?" he asked. I tilted my head and narrowed my eyes. Well, I wasn't expecting that answer. I played the message on the answering machine again.

"Hey, Liao-Xiānshēng we need to talk. Lady Fan is back. She will be coming to Beijing in two weeks' time. I had to warn you before it was too late. I don't know how you're going to get out of this one. I wish you luck," the message said.

"End of messages," the answering message said. The color drained from Yao's face.

"You can't be serious," he said in a low voice.

"Who is she?" I asked. Yao shook his head.

"No…. no," he said quietly.

"What?" I asked. My husband pulled out his phone. I watched as he started dialing numbers on his phone.

"Yao?" I asked. "What are you doing?" My husband held up his hand as he paced around with his phone to his ear.

"Hello? It's me," he said. "You need to get the main house right now!"

"Yao?" I asked again. My husband lowered his phone to his side.

Hen-to, Fei, Yao, and I all sat in my kitchen. I've never seen those men look so grim before. The clock ticking in the background didn't help the situation.

"Is anyone going to tell me what's going on?" I asked. The men all looked at each other. It looked like they were daring each other to speak up. I pressed my hands down onto the table.

"Who is Lady Fan?" I asked. Hen-to sat up straight, lifting his chin.

"You wouldn't know her," he said.

"So… who is she?" I asked.

"There is another branch of this clan," Hen-to said. Yao and I looked at him.

"What are you talking about?" Yao asked. Hen-to turned to Fei. I leaned in closer across the table. Hen-to pressed his lips together.

"Your great-grandfather had a brother," he said. "They were raised by their mother in isolation. You see, she came from a clan of savagery."

"They were so extreme that the government wanted them exterminated," Fei added. "Your great-grandfather distanced himself from his roots."

"I don't get it. Why haven't I heard about this?" I asked. My advisors sighed.

"We were told not to," Fei said.

"Your father didn't want to talk about this part of the history about the clan," Hen-to added. His tone told me that I didn't want to know why. But I just had to know the truth.

"Are you going to tell me why?" I asked. "Or are you going to dance around this subject?" Hen-to and Fei didn't speak at first.

"Guys…" I said.

"How long do you have tonight?" Hen-to asked. I looked over at Yao. He didn't say a word.

"We are here all night," I said. Hen-to and Fei looked at each other. I see I have backed them into a corner with this. Something deep down inside just had to know all of the gory details now. Hen-to lowered his eyes.

"You heard about heard of Fan House fire last year?" he asked.

"No…" I said.

"Here," Hen-to said. He slid over an article out of a newspaper that he had clipped out to me. I picked it up and took a look.

"Fan House Burned to the Ground," I read. "It is suspected to be arson?" I looked at the date under the headline.

"This was two years ago," I said.

"Keep reading," Hen-to said. His face looked so ashen.

"Okay…" I said. I turned my attention back to the article.

"A fire broke out deep near the Qilian Mountains conifer forests," I read. "The source was determined to be the old Fan House. Judging by the circumstances of the fire, it is believed to be deliberately set. While searching for victims or survivors, they came across the remains of a woman. They could only determine the gender by the size of the pelvis. However, she isn't the only body found on the property." My stomach turned as I read the next part.

"Police have dug up several remains of children in the backyard. So far, they have turned up thirty-seven bodies. So far, there is no word on how old they were or how long they have been dead." I looked up at my boys.

"Guys…" I said. No one said a word. I didn't want to know where this was heading. I tried to think of something to say, but no words formed in my mouth. I pressed my fingers to the article.

"Why is she coming here?" I asked.

"Honestly, we don't know," Hen-to admitted.

"Why now? Why after all this time?" I asked.

"We don't know," Fei said.

"We have been keeping track over that side of the clan for years now," Hen-to added. "We don't know how this slipped through the cracks. Forgive us." Both men bowed.

"It's okay," I said. I paused for a moment.

"What should we do?" I asked. Hen-to and Fei didn't look so comfortable. The looks on their faces told me that Yao and I would be doing this on our own. Even my husband didn't look easy about this. I buried my head in my hands.

"Do you think we're going to war?" I asked.

"I hope not," Hen-to said.

"I can't have this," I said. "I already have a crazy witch-cult stalking my family. I don't want this too."

"Don't you have graduation coming up too?" Fei asked.

"Don't remind me," I muttered.

"Do you need some tea?" Yao asked at last.

"No," I said. I dropped my head again and sighed. Why did it keep piling up for us?

Fei was right about one thing though. I had a graduation to worry about. Yes. Through the clan, marriage, Szu's rape, the clan losing money, having a baby, and being stalked, I still had school. They helped me stay on track. I even went as far as to take online classes. One has to know how to make it all work. It's my job after all.

Right now, I didn't want to think.

I saw Hen-to and Fei out the door.

"Good night," I said.

"Night," Fei said back.

"Take care," Hen-to said.

"You too," I said. My advisors bowed and walked out the door. Yao held me in his arms. Jing started crying in the house.

"I've got this one," Yao said.

"Alright," I said. He turned and walked back into the house.

"Hang on, Jing," he muttered. "I'm coming." I stay at the doorway until Hen-to and Fei walked down the path to their respective houses. I closed the door. I just wanted to go to bed. This day was fine until…

I shook my head. Can't focus on that. I have my exams coming up after all. Have to get those out of the way so that I can graduate. Oh yes. That. Graduation is a week from now. Where did the school year go? I kind of had to hold off on a semester due to my situation that I mentioned before. Tina, Mei, and Qin have already graduated. I feel like I've fallen behind.

I flopped down onto the couch. Today started out better too. I pulled out my phone. Oh, a new text. It's from Mei. I tapped the screen.

"You okay?" it read. I sighed and pressed my lips together.

"Not really. My family's been keeping secrets. You?" I wrote. I paused and erased the last two sentences. This should be fine. I pressed send. I looked up in time to see Yao coming back to the living room.

"He's asleep now," he said.

"Oh," I said. Yao walked over to my side.

"Tell me it's going to be okay," I said. "I don't care if it's a lie." He sadly smiled as he took my hand.

"I don't know," he said. I frowned. Somehow, I wasn't surprised that he would say that. Time for another challenge to get through again.

Chapter Text

Match Two: Huangshan Pine:

It's been quiet lately. However, something doesn't feel right.

Alfred already came to terms with his past life. He met the mother of the ghost girl he kept seeing. Lydia was putting her life back together. He was even a father now. But still…

The American man shook his head. Baby Florence slept in a basinet at his feet. In a way, he envied her. She didn't know what the world was like. He would try to keep it that way as long as he could. The baby would never get to meet her mother after all. It was just going to be her, Lydia, and Alfred.

Alfred looked up when he heard footsteps walking up to the doorway. Lydia stood with her hand on the frame.

"Hey," he said. "Can't sleep either?" Lydia shook her head. She held her hand on her stomach.

"Ah," the American man said. Things had been quieter between Alfred and Lydia lately. There were more important things to worry about. Baby Florence and the other baby were the reasons. Lydia walked over and sat down on the loveseat. She looked down at her niece. Baby Florence had a calm temperament. It was easy to get her to sleep.

"Is something wrong?" Lydia asked. Alfred looked up at me.

"What do you mean?" he asked. She shrugged and shook her head.

"You seem… distracted," she said. The American man tilted his head.

"Do I?" he asked.

"I don't know," Lydia said. Her hand rested on her stomach.

"It's kind of hard to explain," Alfred said. He paused with thought. She eyed him. How was he going to ask this? It sounded crazy to himself.

"I think I saw myself in another room the other night," the American man said. Lydia looked up at him.

"What are you talking about?" she asked. Alfred rubbed the back on his head.

"I don't know how to put it," he said. "It's just…" He looked out to the window across the room. The thick brown curtains were drawn closed. The American man sighed.

"I think it was a dream," he summed up.

"What kind of dream?" Lydia asked. Alfred turned his head.

"I am walking into a room like this," he said. He pointed to the front door.

"I walked inside," the American man said. "But something wasn't right. It was this room but yet it wasn't. Something felt off about it." Alfred got up and walked over to the front door. He walked through the living room and stopped in the middle. He looked left and then right.

"Everything looked the same in this room," Alfred said.

"But it wasn't?" Lydia asked.

"Uh-huh," the American man said. He held his hand out to the couch.

"There was someone sitting there," he said. "I can't see his face at first. He's mumbling something."

"What does he say?" Lydia asked. Alfred shook his head.

"I don't know," he said. The American man lowered his hand.

"I asked him hello," he said. "He didn't answer. I walked closer to him. I said hello again. He still didn't answer. I felt a sense of dread wash over me. Like, I wanted to turn around and run. But I just had to see." Lydia tilted her head.

"Who was he?" she asked. Alfred paused for a moment. He debated on whether he should say this next part or not. Lydia waited, leaning in. Alfred took in a breath and raised his shoulders.

"When I got closer to him, he turned around," he said. "I thought I was going to scream. He looked like me." Alfred froze.

"Only… He wasn't me," he said. "Do you get what I am saying?"

"I guess…" Lydia said. Alfred sighed.

"Just forget it," he said.

"Why?" she asked. The American man blinked.

"Huh?" he asked. Lydia shifted in her seat.

"Why do you want me to forget it?" she asked. He had a dumb look on his face.

"You… actually believe me?" he asked.

"I don't really know," Lydia said. "But it wouldn't be the weirdest thing that I've heard." Alfred didn't know how to take this. He walked over to the couch and sat down.

"It feels so weird," Alfred said.

"This other you," she said. The American man looked up.

"Hm? What about him?" he asked.

"What is he like?" Lydia asked. Alfred took a moment to think.

"Creepy," he said. The American man shivered.

"He just looked… wrong," he said. He put up his hands as if holding a bat.

"He had a bat," Alfred said.

"A bat?" Lydia asked.

"Yes," he said. "A bat with nails in it." The American man didn't know why he was saying any of this. It just kept spilling out.

Alfred shook his head.

"I'm just rambling at this point, aren't I?" he asked. He rubbed the back of his head.

"Sorry about that," he said. The American man rose to his feet.

"Alfred?" Lydia asked.

"I'm going to bed," he said. "Good night."

"Good night," she said back. Alfred reached down and picked up the baby.

"You coming to bed?" he asked.

"In a little bit," Lydia said.

"Okay, good night," the American man said.

"Night," she said. Alfred walked down the hall to his room.

He's been here for about eight months now. Alfred might as well move in. That wasn't on his mind, however.

His phone rang. The American man mumbled to himself as he felt around for the phone.

"Hello?" he asked, half-asleep. He could hear mumbling on the other line. Alfred narrowed his eyes.

"Hello? Who is this?" he asked.

"Mr. America?" a small voice asked.

"Yes. Who is this?" Alfred asked. Soft whispering came through the phone.

"What?" Alfred asked. The American man sat up in bed.

"Who is this? Hello? Hello?" he asked. The next few words sent him into shock.

"I know you saw him."

Alfred dropped the phone on his bed.

I found him. I found him! I twirled with a smile on my face. Heh. I was surprised that it didn't take that long. I thought it would take me days. Maybe even longer. Heh. It looks like it's my lucky day.

I twirled around in my chair and laughed. How long has it been? It's been so long, hasn't it? Who cares? We're going to be here now. That's right. We're. There are more of us coming. How many? When? Oooo. Sorry, I'm not telling you that yet. You are going to have to find out when we get here.

And who I am? You will have to find that out when I get here.

For now, good night. Sweet dreams.

The next morning, Alfred looked at his phone. Lydia was downstairs tending to Baby Florence. What was that call last night? The American man frowned. Suddenly, his phone buzzed.

"Hello?" Alfred asked.

"Alfred?" another man's voice asked on the other line.

"Toris?" the American man asked. "Is something wrong? Are you okay?" There was a pause on the other line.

"Are you still there? Hello? Hello?" Alfred asked. A low whisper came through the phone.

"What?" he asked.

"Have you seen…?" Toris began to ask.

"What?" the American man asked. Another pause came over the other line.

"Toris?" Alfred asked.

"Your other self?" the Lithuanian man asked. Alfred froze.

"You too?" he asked. Toris sighed in relief.

"So I'm not crazy," he said.

"When did you see him?"

There came another pause over the phone. "Last night."

"That happened to me a few nights ago too." An idea came into Alfred's head.

"Hey, Toris, are you busy today?" he asked.

"No…" the Lithuanian man said.

"Great," Alfred said. "Let's meet up at the café downtown. Does three o'clock sound good?" The American man heard typing on the other line.

"I can do that," Toris said. Alfred breathed out.

"Good," he said. "I will see you then. Bye." Alfred hung up his phone and looked at the window across the room. He couldn't get the dreams out of his head. But at least he wasn't going crazy alone.

Chapter Text

Match Three: Raiju:

It's the mirror. Sena tilted her head. Had that always been there? She walked towards the tall full-length mirror in one of the back rooms. The black frame seemed to sing to her. A cold chill ran through Sena's body. She shook her head. When did she buy this mirror? Her fingers reached out for the glass. Soft whispers filled her ears. Sena froze and drew back her hand.

"No," she said. "Uh-uh. No way. No. No." Sena turned and ran out of the room.

Sometime later, Kiku sat in front of the mirror. He too could hear the glass singing. A pair of hands rested on his shoulders. She smelt of death now. Death and blood. He could see her smiling in his mind.

"Can you see him?" she purred in his ear. A knot formed in his throat. His fingertips reached for the glass. The humming grew louder. He shook his head.

"No…" Kiku murmured.

"Don't be afraid of it," she whispered. "Embrace him." Kiku couldn't see anything in the glass. Just nothing but darkness.

"No…" he said again. Her nails dug into his shoulders.

"Do it," she hissed. A blast of ice ran through his body. It felt like his throat was on fire. His hand trembled as his fingers grew closer to the glass. Kiku could hear his heart pounding in his ears. A chill ran through his body. He shut his eyes and touched the mirror.

Silence.

A high-pitched wail cut through the dark. Kiku opened his eyes. Pure darkness all around. This seemed to wake him up.

"Oh…" he said. Low snickering caught his attention. Kiku looked ahead. A man sat on a throne of iron. Dread filled Kiku's chest. He backed up, shaking his head.

"This can't be…" he said.

"Oh yes," the man said. His baritone voice gave off a strange, soothing calm. Kiku took a slow step closer.

"You look like me," he said. "How do you have my face?" Kiku felt along his right cheek.

"I am you," the man said.

"No, that can't be possible," Kiku said. "I am me."

"Yes," the other man said. "And I am also you." The Japanese man got a better look at the other man. He looked like an emperor in his black navel uniform. Kiku felt so small under his gaze.

"What do you want from me?" he choked out. The other Kiku snickered.

"What you want," he said. "I want to live."

"What?" the Japanese man asked. The other man leaned forward.

"I want to live like you," the other man said. "I want to live in your world." A knot formed in Kiku's throat. She appeared next to the man on the throne. Her fingers caressed his right cheek.

"It's not an unreasonable request," she purred.

"But why?" Kiku managed to ask. He felt like he was going to vomit.

"Why not?" the man asked. He leaned forward from his darkness.

"Can't you see?" he asked. "The world is changing. I will rule over our home with the game is complete." Kiku put his hand to his chest.

"But where does that leave me?" he asked. The other man smirked.

"You will still exist," he said. "Just... Retired? Maybe?" Kiku stepped back, shaking his head.

"No…" he said. The other man laughed.

"Oh, you don't seem to understand," he said. "It's already in motion. None of can't stop it. Haven't you noticed that Ikebukuro is dying?" The man closed his eyes and smiled.

"Mmm," he said. "Can you hear that? The sounds of vice drowning the city. It's such a beautiful sound. Mmm."

"You can't do this," Kiku said. His eyes looked worn out with fear.

"It's too late," she said. "It's already started."

"No… no," the Japanese man said. He sank to his knees. Kiku's body trembled. The man turned and kissed her on the lips. She disappeared and stood over the other Kiku. She gently patted him on the head. He trembled underneath her touch.

"You can't walk away now," she purred. "We've already gotten started." Kiku tightly shut his eyes as if the fight back the tears. The other man sat watching the whole time.

Sena found Kiku in one of the back rooms the next morning.

"Kiku? Kiku?" she asked. Her footsteps walked along the tatami mats softly. Already, she had a bad feeling about this. As if on instinct, Sena walked towards the back room. She found her husband huddled on the floor in front of that damned mirror.

"Kiku!" Sena shouted as she ran into the room. He didn't look up. His wife pulled him into her arms.

"Baby, what's the matter?" she asked. Sena could feel him shaking. Kiku started wordlessly mumbling to himself.

"Baby, what's wrong? Talk to me," she said. Kiku's hand shook as he pointed to the mirror. Sena looked up and saw the mirror. Her stomach dropped as she saw the inky darkness.

"What the…?" she asked. The darkness swirled under the glass' surface. Kiku broke down sobbing. Sena's glance hardened. This mirror had to go.

Meanwhile, he arrived in the Living World. Turned out, it was much easier than he thought. He stretched his neck from side to side.

"I don't get out much," he said. The man looked around at Ikebukuro. The vice smelt like honey. It made his mouth water.

"Mmm," he said. "So good." But he didn't have to time take in the drowning city around him. He had a destination to get to. He turned his head when heard a low whistle. She stood across the street, watching him.

"Welcome home, my love," she said. He bowed with a smirk.

"So good to be back," he said. He stood up straight.

"I will see you again, later," he said. "I have to make my way to Asakusa. I have a certain house to visit."

"I know the way," she said.

"Would you really?" he asked.

"Why yes," she said. She began her walk down the street. He gladly followed behind.

Kiku sat at the table in a daze. Sena set down his plate.

"Here you go, dear," she whispered. She broke the chopsticks apart and set them down the bowl. He didn't look up at her. Sena sat down across from him. She picked up her chopsticks and started to eat. She hadn't figured out what she was going to do with the mirror yet. It couldn't stay there. Where did it even come from?

"Sweetie, have we always had that mirror?" she asked. No response. Sena scratched the side of her head with the chopsticks.

"It's so strange," she said. "I don't remember when or where we got it. Was it a present or something?" No response. Sena lowered her chopsticks.

"I can't imagine it being that," she said. Her eyes moved towards Kiku across the table. He hadn't touched his food. Sena sighed and dropped her shoulders.

"Are you okay, baby?" she asked. "Baby? Baby?" Her husband lifted his head. She had never seen him look so worn out before in her life. Sena's heart ached so much. He's been like this for about five years now. Most people would've given up by now. Sena couldn't bring herself to do that. He needed her. Plus, that woman would come for her either way. Sena shuddered just thinking about her face.

"Come on, dear," she said. "You have to eat a little bit. I can't have you wasting away." Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Sena turned her head.

"Who that be this early?" she asked. She got from the table. But then, Kiku grabbed her wrist. His wife whipped her head around. He clung to her wrist with a desperate look in his eyes. Sena tried to pull away.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" she said. "Let go. Let go." Kiku wouldn't let go.

"Come on. Come on," Sena said. She struggled to pull out of his grasp. Her husband wanted to scream at her to stop, but no words came out.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Sena asked. He quickly shook his head.

"Baby, I can't help you if you won't tell me," she said. Kiku could only stare at her with a desperate look in her eyes. Another knock came on the door. This time, the doorbell rang. Sena dropped her shoulders and sighed.

"I'll be right back," she said. "I promise." She looked into his eyes. Kiku still had a desperate look in his eyes. Sena forced herself to turn away and walk to the front door. The doorbell rang again.

"Coming!" Sena yelled. She looked out the peep hole. She couldn't get a good look at the figure outside.

"Who is it?" she asked. A low mumbling came from outside. Sena raised her eyebrow. Against her better judgement, she opened the door. The color drained from her face. A man with Kiku's face stood outside. He wore a black naval uniform with his sword at his side. His eyes looked empty. He had no emotion on his face except for that icy smirk on his face. Sena took a step back. The man with her husband's face chuckled.

"Honey, I'm home," he said in a low voice. Sena's eyes widened as she tried to slam the door. The other man grabbed the edge of the door. She tried to close the door, he proved stronger than her. Once he opened the door, the man with her husband's face now had a demonic grin.

Meanwhile, Kiku felt his spine freeze at the table.

"She's already let him in," he mumbled to himself as his body broke into a cold sweat.

Chapter Text

Match Four: Gwydion:

All over the world, the mirrors appeared. It already began in Japan. He was out in the world and came home.

Allison stood in front of her mirror. The inky darkness swirled around under the surface. A low hum filled the room. Her lips curved into a hungry smile. She waited for this to come. She had longed for this. Allison counted to down to the moment the game would give them leverage.

Fingertips slipped out of the glass. Allison grinned as she took a step back. She held out her hand to the mirror. A full hand came towards her. A man with white, blonde hair came out of the mirror. He looked cute with his light blue bowtie. More and more of him came out of the mirror. With one more step, he entered the room.

"Welcome home," Allison said. The man opened his eyes and stretched his neck.

"Mmm, my neck hurts," the man mumbled. He looked up and saw Allison.

"Oh," he said. "Fancy seeing you here, my dear?" Allison broke into a little smile.

"Oliver," she said. "It's so nice to see you again." The man tilted his head.

"Allison?" he asked. She held out her hand. His lips curved into a smile.

"My dear, Allison," he said. "It really is you. How have you been? I haven't seen you in ages." Oliver walked up to Allison and embraced her. The sickeningly sweet scent of his body filled her nostrils. She pulled him into her arms.

"Oliver," she said again. Allison didn't want to let him go just yet. The man had to gently nudge her off.

"So where is my counterpart?" he asked.

"He's resting," the nightcomer said. Oliver raised his eyebrow.

"Resting?" he asked.

"Let me show you," Allison said. She turned and walked to the doorway. The man had a curious look on his face as he followed behind.

Allison led Oliver to the living room. The man had to shield his eyes from the sun. The nightcomer walked across the room. She stood next to Arthur sitting in a chair in a daze.

"Here he is," Allison said. Oliver frowned and tilted his head.

"That's him?" he asked. The man walked up to his dazed double.

"Damn, that's kind of sad, mate," Oliver said. He reached forward and tapped the other English man on the cheek. Oliver looked up at Allison.

"When is he going to wake up?" he asked.

"It comes and it goes," Allison said.

"Oh…" Oliver muttered. He waved his hand in front of the other England's face. Nothing. No response. Oliver dropped his shoulders.

"Hey, have you eaten yet?" Allison asked. Oliver looked up at her.

"No…" he said.

"Excellent," she said. "Join us for dinner tonight." Oliver had an odd look.

"Us?" he asked.

"My daughters and I," Allison said. "You will get to meet the whole family." The man broke into a huge smile.

"You know what? I would love that," Oliver said. The nightcomer looked excited.

"Excellent, I'm so glad you accepted," she said. He took her by the hands and kissed them.

Meanwhile, Arthur could hear everything. He couldn't show it, but fear ran through his body. A single tear ran down his left cheek.

Her daughters had mixed opinions about the other England. Tessa met him first. She came home from the market. Oliver was already at the door, waiting for her.

"Good evening, my lady," he said. Tessa wrinkled her nose.

"Uh… Who are you?" she asked.

"Oh, where are my manners?" the man asked. He gave her a little bow.

"I'm Oliver," the man said. "Pleased to meet you."

"Okay…" Tessa said. Oliver smiled at her like a hungry wolf. The nightcomer raised her eyebrow. The English man chuckled.

"Oh that's right, your mother didn't tell you, did she?" he asked.

"Tell me what?" the young woman asked.

"Ah," Oliver said. "I guess you are going to have to see at dinner. Now, can you point me over to the kitchen?" Tessa pointed to the direction that he came from. Oliver turned his head.

"Thank you so much," he said. He turned and walked back to the kitchen. Tessa stood for a moment, trying to piece together what was going on. Suddenly, something clicked in her head.

"Oh," she said. Tessa couldn't help but smile.

Sabine was a little warmer to Oliver. She spotted him in the kitchen. The sickeningly sweet smell drew her down the hall.

"What is that?" she asked herself. Sabine took another sniff. Something told her to stop, but she just had to keep going. Chopping sounds filled the air. The nightcomer poked her head around the corner. Oliver stood in the kitchen, chopping something on a cutting board. He hummed happily to himself. He took a moment to sniff some basil.

"Excuse you?" Sabine asked. The man paused with the knife.

"Oh hello, my dear," he said. Sabine paused.

"Um… who are you?" she asked. Oliver smirked to himself as he turned around.

"Nice to meet you," he said. "My name is Oliver. What is your name?" She blinked at first.

"Sabine," she said. "What are you doing here?" The man took a look around.

"Your mother invited me here," he said. "As for being in the kitchen, I am making some of my special brews."

"Is that right?" the nightcomer asked.

"Uh-huh," he said.

"Heh," Sabine said. Oliver kind of frowned.

"What is that around your neck?" he asked. She looked down at her necklace.

"Oh this?" Sabine said. "It's my necklace. I made it myself." Oliver narrowed his eyes.

"Are those… teeth?" he asked.

"Uh-huh," she said.

"How dreadful," he said. Sabine frowned.

"Jerk," she mumbled.

"Hm?" Oliver asked. Sabine shook her head. She tried to look over his shoulder as he went back to chopping up the basil. Arthur tried to block her vision.

"No, no, no," he said. "No peeking." The nightcomer cocked her head. Oliver gave her a warm smile.

"It's a surprise," he said.

"Is that right?" Sabine asked.

"Uh-huh," the English man said. The nightcomer narrowed her eyes.

"Right…" she mumbled. Sabine turned and walked back to her room. Oliver smiled to himself.

Hecate would be the hardest to convince. Still, he just had to meet her. The encounter was rather anti-climactic.

"Hello Oliver," she said when she found him sitting on the couch in the living room. She had no emotion on her face. The man pouted at her.

"Aw, that's it?" he asked.

"She finally got the edge, huh?" Hecate asked.

"You can say that," the Englishman said. The nightcomer wrinkled her nose.

"Uh-huh," she said. Oliver frowned.

"You don't sound too impressed with this," he said. Hecate shrugged.

"What do you want me to say?" she asked. "You're here. Things are going great for mum. What is there to say?" The Englishman's lower lip quivered. Hecate rolled her eyes.

"Whatever," she muttered. She turned and walked down the hall.

"We're have a dinner party tonight," Oliver shouted after her. Hecate waved him off before she was gone.

Dinner was at six in the evening. Allison sat at the head of the table. Oliver sat at the other end. Arthur looked like a lifeless doll sitting at the table. Her daughters didn't talk at first. Allison tapped her glass.

"Everyone, I would like to welcome our newest member to our coven," she said. "Please applaud for Oliver." The nightcomers politely clapped. Oliver smiled and nodded.

"Thank you so much," he said. He tried not to make eye contact with his catatonic double. It looked like they were having a dinner with a dead body. Oliver's right eye twitched.

"My dear, does he have to be here?" he asked.

"Why yes," Allison said. "He's a guest like you."

"Yes, but…" Oliver said. He shook his head.

"Never mind," he said. Hecate smirked to herself. She said nothing as she took a drink of her white wine.

"So, why are you here, if you don't mind me asking?" Tessa asked.

"Ah, yes," Oliver said. "Why am I here?" He set down his glass.

"You see," the man began again. "I was drawn into this world. I was living across the mirror when I heard something." He took a sip of his wine.

"Let me guess, mum had something to do with this?" Hecate asked.

"No," Oliver said.

"Well, that's a first," she said. Allison shot her a cold look.

"I can't explain it, actually," Oliver said. "All I know is that I heard it and I had to come and see what it was. Your mother was waiting outside for me." Allison smiled and nodded.

"And we are delighted to have you with us," she said. "So tell me, what are you planning to do now." The man took a moment to think.

"I haven't thought about that yet," he said. "All I know is that Kuro made it to Japan. The others aren't here yet." Oliver paused for a moment.

"No, wait," he said. "I think Allen is trying to get through." The man shrugged to himself.

"I don't know," he said. "I left before I got a look." He took another sip of his wine. The nightcomers eyed him as he did so. Allison smiled to herself.

Meanwhile, Arthur could hear everything. There was nothing that he could do. He was trapped in his body. Oliver glanced over at him.

"How long is he going to be like that?" he asked.

"It comes and it goes," Allison said.

"Oh…" the Englishman mumbled. He sounded so disappointed. Allison chuckled.

"He'll come back eventually," she said. Oliver perked up.

"Really? Do you mean?" he asked.

"Why yes," Allison said again. She finished off her wine. Oliver chuckled to himself as he finished off his glass.

Hecate's eyes moved back and forth between the new guest and her mother. Clearly, this man was going to be on her mother's side. Of course he would. Still, Hecate could find a way to use him to her advantage. For now, she would have to play nice. The nightcomer noticed that Oliver had his eyes on her. Could he tell what she was thinking?

Allison rose to her feet.

"I will go get dessert," she said. The nightcomer walked over to the doorway. She looked over her shoulder.

"Don't go anywhere," Allison said. She chuckled as she walked into the kitchen. The daughters all looked at each other as they descended into chatter. Oliver cleared his throat. They went silent and looked up. His lips curve into a smirk.

"So tell me," he said. "What are you ladies planning with this game of yours?"

Chapter Text

Match Five: Verrat:

-Ludwig-

That is not him. I don't know who he is. But that is not him.

Feliciano hasn't come by to see me in months. He hasn't called or written to me. No one wants to tell me what's going on with him. Even Lovino and Gilbert try to change the subject.

"Why won't anyone tell me what's going on?" I asked. Gilbert had a sheepish look on his face.

"Ludwig," he said.

"Please," I pleaded. I had to know the truth. I was determined not to back down this time. Gilbert apparently got the message. He sat down at the table.

"Ludwig," he said again.

"Gilbert…" I said.

"No, listen," my brother said. I closed my mouth and sat down. Gilbert rubbed his forehead.

"This is not going to be easy to say," he said. "Do you have anywhere to go today?"

"No," I said. My brother sighed.

"Feliciano isn't… well, he isn't exactly well," Gilbert said.

"What does that mean?" I asked. It took my all not to leap out of my chair. My brother turned his head away. He mumbled something under his breath.

"What did you say?" I asked. Gilbert turned and looked me in the eye.

"We believe that Feliciano sold his soul to the devil," he admitted. I stared at him at first. Did I just hear that right? I narrowed my eyes.

"What?" I asked.

"He did it to save you," Gilbert said. I didn't know what to say. Was I hearing any of this right?

"When was this?" I asked. My brother frowned.

"Oh that's right, you don't remember the time you were in the hospital, did you?" he asked. I shook my head.

"Oh," Gilbert said. His eyes shifted away from my face.

"What happened?" I asked. My brother looked down at the table.

"You really don't remember… everything?" he asked. I sat there looking so confused. I could see the worry filling Gilbert's eyes.

"What happened all of those months ago?" I asked. My brother didn't want to answer me.

"Answer me!" I shouted. "What happened to me months ago? What is wrong with Feliciano? Why won't anybody tell me anything?" Gilbert was trembling at this point.

I have lost those months. No one wants to tell me what happened. Feliciano didn't want to talk to me. I ran into him on the street on the last day of summer. Just by looking at him, something seemed off about him. I tried to call out to him. He didn't even look up at me. At first, I thought that Feliciano didn't see me. So, I followed him.

I don't know how long we walked. The whole time, he kept his back to me. I tried to reach out to him. Feliciano always seemed so far away.

"Hey!" I shouted. He didn't turn around.

"Hey!" shouted louder this time. Feliciano finally stopped in front of an alley. He didn't speak. I stood for a moment.

"Feliciano?" I asked. He didn't turn around.

"What?" he asked. I stood frozen. I had his attention now, but now I didn't know what to say. Feliciano just stared at me.

"Hey," I said at last.

"Yes?" Feliciano asked. I stood up straight.

"I haven't seen you lately," I said. "How have you been?" He huge into a huge smile.

"Fine," he said. "And you?"

"Fine…" I said. Something didn't feel right. His smile looked so fake, so forced. There was no emotion in his tone either. I took a step back.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked.

"Of course," Feliciano said. "Why wouldn't I be?" I shook my head.

"No reason," I said. "Listen, are you free today?"

"No," he said.

"Oh," I said. Feliciano turned and walked off. I held out my hand, but I didn't say anything. That man was not him. That man was pretending to be him.

My stomach dropped.

-Three Months Earlier-

Feliciano and Dr. Faust wound up at an abandoned church. The outside looked like it was crumbling. The walls looked so dark with time. The silence surrounding this church felt unholy. Feliciano trembled in the passenger seat. Dr. Faust got out of the car.

"Come along, Feliciano," he said. The Italian man didn't move at first. He stared at his new companion with big eyes. It had been three hours since he agreed to hear this man out. He could've asked to stop the car. He could've asked to turn around. He could've backed out of this.

"Come on now!" Dr. Faust said. "I don't have all day." The Italian man's stomach dropped as he unfastened his belt. He reluctantly climbed out of the car.

"Very good," the fake doctor said. Both men walked up the broken stone path. Feliciano walked like he was going to an execution. His eyes shifted back and forth at the dead gardens on either side. Neither man said a word. Feliciano shoved his hands in his pockets. They made it up to the door. Dr. Faust pushed it open.

"After you," he said. The Italian man walked in with his head down. His captor followed behind. Dr. Faust closed the door behind them. The only source of light came from cracks in the stained-glass windows high above. Dr. Faust walked ahead and held out his arms.

"Welcome to my kingdom!" he said. This would've been a perfect time to have organ music playing in the background. Feliciano took a step backward. The fake doctor smirked.

"Shall we begin?" he asked. The Italian man gulped. He couldn't turn back now. Feliciano trembled.

"What do I need to do?" he asked. Dr. Faust sat down at in a black pew. Feliciano slowly sat down next to the pew.

"You just have to fill out paperwork," he said. The Italian man looked confused.

"That's it?" he asked.

"Uh-huh," Dr. Faust said. He waved his hand in the air. Black flames appeared in the air. A contract floated in the air. The doctor pulled out a feather pen.

"Just sign here and here," he said. Dr. Faust pointed to the spots on the paper. Feliciano looked up at him with wide eyes.

"And Ludwig will be okay after this?" he asked.

"That's right," Dr. Faust said. Feliciano slowly reached for the pen. But then he froze. The doctor raised his eyebrow.

"Something wrong?" he asked. The Italian man trembled.

"Don't you want to save your precious friend?" Dr. Faust asked. "The doctors can't do anything for him. Only you can help him."

"Me?" Feliciano asked.

"Yes," the doctor said. "You don't want him to die, do you?"

"Die?" the Italian man asked.

"Yes," Dr. Faust said. Feliciano grabbed the feather pen. He started signing on the page. The Italian man did it really fast too. The doctor smirked the whole time. Feliciano handed him the pen.

"Good boy," Dr. Faust said.

"Now what?" Feliciano asked. The doctor gave him a creepy smile.

"You are free to go," he said. The Italian man gave him a confused look.

"I can?" he asked.

"Yes," Dr. Faust said, nodding. "You can go now. Do you need me to show you the way out?"

"No…" Feliciano said in a low voice. He slowly got up as if in a daze. Dr. Faust watched him walk away. He sat back, smirking.

The first seal broke in small cracks.

He's doing this for his beloved friend. That's what he told himself. Did he believe it anymore? He didn't know. He didn't really care either. But Ludwig wouldn't leave him alone.

It wasn't just him either.

Everyone was just so worried about Feliciano. He didn't understand why. Sabine could see it for herself too.

"They are really worried about you," she said aloud one evening.

"I don't know why," Feliciano said. He didn't even look up as he said that. Sabine frowned.

"They are your friends," she said. Feliciano stopped writing with his right hand.

"Friends?" he asked.

"That's right," Sabine said.

"Heh," was all Feliciano said. He went back to writing at his desk. The nightcomer raised her eyebrow.

"What are you writing?" she asked. Feliciano glanced up at her for a moment.

"Nothing," he said. The nightcomer tried to read over his shoulder. Feliciano didn't pay any attention to her. Sabine had a curious look on her face.

Hm? What was he writing? Her eyes caught the name "Ludwig" on the page. Sabine read the words around it. She couldn't read the whole time, but it didn't take her long to put it together. Her lips curved into a smile.

"Oh, I see," she said to herself. Sabine slowly backed away. She stood in the doorway and looked over her shoulder.

"I'll leave you to it then," Sabine whispered. The nightcomer disappeared into thin air.

Feliciano turned the page and started writing again.

-Ludwig-

That man is not him. It's an actor pretending to be him. That smile is always fake. He always avoids us. He won't even talk to me. He never tries to call me. When I call him, he always hangs up on me. He's cut himself off from us. Not even Lovino can reach him.

"How is he doing?" I asked.

"I don't know," was all he said. When he shut the door in my face, that was it. He wasn't being hostile towards me either. His eyes looked so sad. I don't think Lovino knows what to do. I don't think any of us knows what to do.

That man is not Feliciano. We have to get him back.

Chapter Text

Match Five: School Work, Potential War, and Lady Fan:

-Ju-

We tried to keep the Lady Fan situation a secret. The last thing we needed was the rest of the clan freaking out over something that could be possibly nothing. Fei and Hen-to have been keeping a lookout though. (I don't know how I'd survive without them.) Right now, I still have final exams coming up before graduation.

Balancing school, a clan, and motherhood take work. I have met classmates that have children of their own. I've even seen pictures of a couple of them. They look cute, I have to admit. Not as cute as my baby though. I giggled to myself at my computer.

Tina and Qun were already working on plans for their futures. I myself didn't have much. Just run the clan until I die.

I heard a knock on my door.

"Enter," I said. I looked up to see Yao standing in the doorway. He had an apron on over his clothes.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Dinner's ready," Yao said.

"Okay," I said, nodding. "I'll be down in a moment."

"Alright," he said. Yao backed away from the doorway. I turned back to my computer screen. I had to get this paper done for my psychology class. The professor was rather forgiving of me. I still had to do the work, of course. I did my best too. Sometimes, Yao would have to make take a break.

"Come on," he would tell me. "You shouldn't be overworking yourself. Come and eat dinner." I dropped my shoulders and sighed.

"Fine," I said. I got up and walked out of the room.

I just need to finish this last paragraph of this essay. I'm going to have to go through and edit this. I rolled my eyes. Good thing I have Bik and Cai on my side.

I didn't look up when my phone buzzed. Sorry, everyone. I have to finish this paper. I'm going to get this done, damn it. I clenched my teeth. It didn't help that I could smell dinner from across the hall. My mouth started to water. I shook my head.

No! I have to do this!

I paused and took a breath. Right. I stretched my neck from side to side and got back to work.

I had dinner at the table with Yao and Jing. I didn't care if I looked like a pig shoving food into my mouth. Yao was probably staring at me with an eyebrow raised.

"Is it that good?" he asked.

"Uh-huh," I said. I shoved more food into my mouth. The baby is probably staring at me too. Let my boys stare. I earned this. I'm hungry.

"How much do you have left for your school?" Yao asked. I glanced up at him.

"Just that essay and my exams," I said. "I already crushed the essay." I couldn't help but grin at that part. Jing cooed as if on cue.

"Thank you," I said. "Your mommy is awesome." I reached over and booped him on his little nose. Another thought crossed my mind.

"Hey, Yao," I said.

"Yeah?" he asked. I sat back in my chair.

"What do we do if… you know?" I asked. He looked confused at first.

"What do you mean?" Yao asked.

"You know… Lady Fan," I said. "What do we do?" He froze for a moment.

"Oh, that," he said. I frowned at him.

"Yao," I said. My husband put up his hands.

"I know, I know," he said. Yao picked up his chopsticks and took a bite. I shook my head. We still didn't know much about Lady Fan. Fei and Hen-to wouldn't tell me much about her. We don't even know what she wants.

"Hey Yao," I said.

"What?" he asked.

"Do you think there's going to be a war?" I asked. Yao lowered his chopsticks.

"Why would you think that?" he asked. I shrugged and shook my head.

"I don't know," I said. "I am just guessing here. Nobody is telling me anything. Even Fei and Hen-to doesn't know what's going on." I rubbed my forehead.

"We've already got a crazy cult of witches stalking us. Am I going to have more to worry about here? I mean, come on. What am I walking on here?" Yao patted me on the hand. I looked up at him. Yao gave me a calm smile.

"We are all doing what we can," he said. "Fei and Hen-to will let us know when something changes." I wanted to believe him. He really does mean what he says. But still…

"Is that enough though?" I asked. Yao frowned.

"Why are you doubting them?" he asked. I shook my head.

"Is something wrong?" he asked. I shrugged.

"Sweetheart," my love said.

"I know, I know," I said. I looked over at our son. He's so lucky that he has no idea what we're talking about. Oh to be a baby again. He just has to worry about food, sleeping, having his diaper changed, and sometimes playing. Jing has no clue about the other side of the clan or a bunch of crazy witches after him.

"It might just be school," I lied.

"Are you tired?" Yao asked. I lowered my head and nodded.

"Okay," he said. "You can go take a bath and go to bed after you finish your dinner, okay?" I nodded with my face down. Yao kissed me on the back of my head.

"Okay," he whispered. "I'll go run your bath."

"Thank you," I whispered. Yao gave me another kiss before he got up from the table. I lifted my head when I heard him leave the room. Somehow, I felt a little bit better. Jing wiggled around in his highchair. Okay, it's time to put him to bed then. I stood up and walked over to his bright yellow highchair.

The rest of the evening was rather peaceful. I took a bath and went to bed. Usually, I would stay up and study for my exams. But I just didn't feel like it tonight. I just wanted to go to sleep. I guess I could just study in the morning. I drew my eyes closed and went to sleep. I was convinced that everything was going to be fine.

In the morning, I woke up to the doorbell ringing. I looked over at the clock next to my bed. Five in the morning? Who the hell is at my door this early? The doorbell rang again. I looked over at my sleeping husband. Yao mumbled to himself before turning over in bed. I shook my head. That man could sleep through anything. The doorbell rang again. I clicked my tongue.

"Okay, I'm coming," I muttered to myself. "Damn it." I climbed out of bed and grabbed my robe from behind the door. The doorbell pushed me to keep going. I was almost tempted to wait until they gave and walked off.

"Who is it?" I asked as I looked out the peephole. A figure in black stood outside, looking in. But then, I noticed another figure standing next to that one. A confused look came over my face. Curious, I opened the door.

A woman with pale skin and long black-brown stood in front of me. I couldn't take my eyes off of the mole under her right eye. Despite it being so early in the morning, she looked like she was dressed to go to a fancy party in her black dress and black and silver earrings. Another woman, a black woman dressed in green and gold, stared at me. I blinked for a moment.

"Uh… can I help you?" I asked. The woman in black perked up at me. She clapped her hands together.

"Cousin!" she said. "So glad to finally meet you!" My stomach dropped.

Chapter Text

Match Six: Lady Fan:

Every rumor about my bloodline is true.

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Fan Qi. I am the daughter of Fan Lin. Yes, that Fan Lin. One of the most infamous women in eastern China. Most of the stories about her are true. But that is not why I am here.

"Cousin!" I said. "So glad to finally meet you!" Ju looked like she had seen a ghost. I don't blame her to be honest. I am not here to start a war. I just want to change the image of my name. She won't get what I am trying to do. I don't think anyone in her clan will believe me. I can't give up on my mission. I need this for my protection.

Please, allow me to plead my case.

I grew isolated in the mountains. It was just my mother and me. I never knew who my father was. She never told me either. I didn't think much about it. There wasn't time to do that. At the time, I didn't realize that my home was really a prison. I didn't have a normal childhood. There weren't many children around the house. But I wasn't really alone. On the surface, I had a normal childhood. I had no idea how rich I was. My house was nice and big. My mother prided herself on that her grandfather built that house with his own hands. I would inherit it one day. Thinking about it now makes me cringe.

The house itself is a story that would take days to explain. Picture your standard mansion and its secret rooms. Add more rooms onto that. Then add more rooms to that and you have my house. Growing up I didn't think much about it. My first few years of my life were just my mother and me. Then things changed when I was five years old.

I woke up to a small face staring at me. He was the same age as me at the time. The first time I noticed was how dark his skin was. He had on a trousers and clean-pressed shirt. Even his tie looked nice.

"Hello," this boy said. I sat up with a confused look on my face.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"My name is Isaac," he said. He didn't seem to be sure if he should be here or not. We turned when we heard footsteps walking to my doorway. I saw Isaac flinched for a second. My mother had an icy look on her face.

"Why are you still in bed?" she asked.

"Who is he?" I asked, pointing at Isaac. My mother walked up to him and placed her hand on his head.

"This will be your doll," she said. Isaac had no emotion on his face. I tilted my head.

"My doll?" I asked.

"Yes," my mother said. "Now get out of bed. You have a busy day." She turned and walked out of my room. I turned back to Isaac. He didn't say anything.

I had many dolls over the years. Isaac was my first one. He would talk to me, play with me, and sometimes he would eat at the table with me. My doll didn't talk much at first. I did see a little bit of sadness in his eyes.

"What's the matter?" I asked one day. Isaac shook his head. I scooted in closer.

"Why do you always look so sad?" I asked. I leaned in closer to see his face. I put my arm around his shoulders. He still wouldn't look at me. He did mumble something to me.

"Hm?" I asked.

"I'm scared," he whispered. A confused look washed over my face.

"Scared? Scared of what?" I asked. Isaac didn't answer. Instead, he turned his head. I looked up behind us. My mother stood in the doorway, watching us. She had that familiar cold look in her eyes.

I didn't know that something was really wrong until days before my sixth birthday. We were going out to a festival. I forgot which one it was. But I definitely know it was the summertime. My mother dressed Isaac and I up in traditional clothes. This would've been the first time that we've been outside of the house.

"You're old enough to see the world," she said. She knelt down to Isaac.

"You will behave yourself," my mother hissed. "Do you understand me?" My doll quickly nodded. She patted him on the head.

"Good," she said. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes!" I said. My mother bowed her head.

"I will be outside, waiting," she said. She turned and walked out the front door. I looked over at Isaac. I could see him trembling. I smiled and took him by the hands.

"It's okay," I whispered. Isaac stared at me with big eyes. Back then, I think he was trying to tell me something. My young mind couldn't grasp it at the time. I was just happy to have a friend. And that day, we were going to leave the house for once. Isaac squeezed my hands back.

"Let's go," I said. We walked out the door together.

That was one of the best days of my life. I didn't notice the people staring at us. I had only seen the outside in pictures. (She didn't allow me to have a TV.) At first, I didn't know how to take the lights and people. My mother nudged us out of the car.

"Go on," she said. "Go out and look." I slowly climbed out of the car. Isaac followed me. He stayed by my side. I wouldn't let him go. I didn't know where I wanted to start. My mother put her hands on our shoulders.

"Go play a game," she told us. She pointed us over to what I think was a goldfish tank. I didn't ask any questions as Isaac and I walked over. The vendor looked up and noticed us.

"Oh, hello!" he said.

"Hi…" I mumbled.

"Do you want to play?" the man asked. He handed us both nets. I remembered his teeth. They were crooked with gold in them. Part of me wanted to reach out and touch them. There were bits of food in his bread too. I don't remember what the rest of his face looked like. Just his teeth and his bread. I turned to my mother. She nodded as if to grant permission.

"Yes!" I said. The vendor handed Isaac and me the little nets. He had his eyes on Isaac. My doll and I were fishing in the murky tank. I caught two fish. Isaac caught about five of them. He looked so calm the whole time. Isaac was good at playing piano and fishing after all.

"You are so amazing," I said over the winter. Isaac just blushed as played his music. I watched his fingers dance on the keys.

"Can I play too?" I asked.

"Uh… okay," Isaac mumbled. I joined him on the piano. I could never play as well as he could.

Henry ended up winning the game. We ended up keeping the fish. Isaac and I were just about to leave him the vendor called out, "Hey!" Isaac and I turned around. That man with the weird teeth stood up with his eyes on Isaac.

"Is something wrong, little boy?" he asked. My doll froze. I could feel his hand trembling. His little brown eyes widened as he started to speak. My mother walked up and patted him on the hand.

"Nothing," she said. "Everything is fine." My mother walked us away before anyone could say another word. The rest of the day felt awkward. Sure, we ate and played games at the festival, but my mother had a cold look at Isaac the whole time. My doll looked so afraid. Almost like he knew that he messed up somehow. I squeezed his hand for the rest of the day. The car ride home was an uncomfortable one. Nobody said a single word. The silence became worse when we got home.

Days later, Isaac just disappeared.

I bowed my head to Ju.

"Allow me to introduce myself," I said. "My name is Fan Qi. I'm sure that you heard of me. You are half-right. I am Lady Fan, but more accurately, I am her daughter."

Chapter Text

Match Eight: Dokkaebi:

They hadn't seen Im Yong in months. He's not been in school, and he's not been talking to his friends or classmates. It's not like he's avoiding them on purpose. Im Yong wants to tell them. His sister and his new boss won't let him say a word.

"Why can't I tell them?" he asked one night. Mi-Soon put her arms around him from behind.

"Soon," his twin whispered. "I promise." She rested her cheek against his back. Im Yong reluctantly patted her on the head.

He had gotten used to daily life now. Im Yong still went to school, but it was mostly night classes at home. It wasn't the same, though. They didn't have any computer labs or clubs. He didn't have the time to do that anyway.

They drafted him into the army. He started off doing manual labor. But then he moved up to more of a technical job.

"It pays good money," Im Yong reasoned. "I get to work with computers. It's quiet and no one distracts me." His siblings aren't convinced. They talked about saving him. They tried to help, but he turns them down.

"I want to stay here," Im Yong said. They couldn't understand it. He had his reasons. This came after what he saw a few days ago.

Im Yong had to work the night shift again. Every member of the military had to do patrol duty at some point in their career. It was his turn tonight.

"What do I have to do?" Im Yong asked.

"You just patrol the area until morning," one of the soldiers said. "I will stay with you until you get the idea."

"Okay," the younger boy said. They would be covering the southern area of the base. Not much to look at out here. Just night and the woods. Im Yong shifted in his uniform. He could never get used to the material against his skin. What was this crap? Cheap cotton? They weren't allowed to complain.

They had to get going.

"We will circle around to the gate and come back," the mentor said. "I will be staying with you until halfway into our shift. If you see anything strange, call it in over the radio. And whatever you do, don't stray off of the path. You got it?"

"Yes," Im Yong said.

"Yes what?" the older soldier asked.

"Yes, sir!" the boy shouted.

"Very good," his mentor said. The soldiers headed out on their walk. The only comforting sound around was the crickets. Im Yong looked around at the sky. Not a single star in the sky. The soldiers had their flashlights in hand. There were streetlights along the path. His mentor led the way. Neither boy spoke.

Im Yong pressed his lips together. He had heard stories about nights like these. Would the mentor turn around and stab him? There would be plenty of places to hide a body out here. Sure there were cameras watching the base. But what about the blind spots? Would the footage be able to catch any clear footage? How many cameras were out here?

"You okay back there?" the mentor asked. Im Yong lifted his chin.

"Uh… yeah, yeah," he said. "How big is this base?"

"Huge," the older soldier said. "That's why there are many units that have to patrol the area at night."

"Of course, uh…" Im Yong said.

"Kyu," the other soldier said.

"Right…" the recruit said.

A little more of the patrol took place. So far, there was nothing out there. Im Yong looked around in the darkness. Maybe this first night on patrol might not be so bad. If it was going to be like this, then what did he have to lose?

That's when they came to the point where the paths diverge.

"Alright," Kyu said. "You will go to the right and I will go to the left. We will meet back here. Always keep your radio on you at all times. You got it?"

"Yes," Im Yong said.

"Good," his mentor said. "I will see you in a little while." He turned and walked down the path.

"Bye," the younger soldier said, waving. He turned and looked down the dark path. This should be no biggie, right? Im Yong began his walk. He kept his flashlight sweeping around. The Korean boy wished that he had some music playing. He would stop every few seconds, looking around. There wasn't supposed to be anyone out there. How long was he supposed to be out here?

This would be one of the times that he would hear a sound and turn to see a shadow running by. That's not what happened.

Im Yong froze. He trained his ear for a listen.

"Hello?" he asked. He narrowed his eyes. Was that… singing? Was somebody singing? Before he knew it, Im Yong found himself wandering off the dirt path. The singing sounded faint. It could just be the wind. He probably should turn around.

Im Yong looked up to see lights in the distance. Huh? No one else was supposed to be out here. The lights usually didn't go out there. What was that?

His footsteps started moving closer. The soles of his boots stomped on the grass. Im Yong's eyes shifted back and forth.

"Hello?" he asked. "You're not supposed to be out here! Please leave the base! If you don't, I will report you!" The singing led him further into the woods. It never got any louder. The melody always sounded like it was far away. Im Yong felt the frustration building up. He took in a deep breath and walked forward. The song might now have been getting louder, but the hazy green light slowly grew brighter. Im Yong slowly found himself walking faster towards the direction of the lights.

Pretty soon, he stopped in his tracks. Im Yong's jaw dropped. Was it possible for a massive Hanok to be hidden this far back? From the outside, it looked like it had seen better days. The walls crumbled and the windows looked like they were cracking. The hazy green lights came from said windows. Im Yong tilted his head.

"What the hell is this?" he asked. The soldier walked up the grassy path. He could hear the singing luring him closer. Im Yong pretty soon found himself standing in front of the door. He reached up and knocked. What was he doing? Part of him had a bad feeling about this. But isn't this part of the job to investigate anything suspicious on the base? This house was probably built illegally here. It wouldn't hurt to check things out.

No answer. Why would there be in a place like this? Oh well, Im Yong guessed that he could just report this and move on.

He was about to turn and leave when the door creaked out behind him. Im Yong turned his head. This looked like the set-up for a horror movie. He should just run. But it was his job to investigate.

"Hello?" Im Yong asked as he poked his head inside. He slipped his flashlight inside. Only a small amount of furniture in what looked like in the living room. A low sofa took up one side and corner of the room. The cushions and the coffee table looked newer than the room itself. Im Yong felt around for a light switch on the wall in vain. The soldier slowly walked further inside.

"Is anybody here? Hello?" he whispered. The sound of low chattering caught his ear.

"Hm?" he asked. Im Yong walked further across the room. He came across a large sliding door covered in paper. He pressed his ear to the surface. It sounded like a party in there. Strange, he hadn't heard anything from the living room. Why didn't anyone respond to him when he called? Im Yong stood up straight and counted down in his head. He took a breath and opened the door.

The chattering grew louder as he stepped inside. Im Yong had his hand to his radio. They didn't issue him a weapon. He slowed down his steps as he walked down the narrow hall. Gayageum music filled the air. Glasses clinked as chatter and laughter buzzed down the hall. How many people were in this ruined house?

Im Yong made his way to the sound of the source. He came up to another sliding door. The noise was loud enough to be heard from across the door. The Korean boy clutched his flashlight. Okay, here it was. Im Young walked up to the door and slid it open a crack. He looked inside. A more confusing sight greeted him.

They all sat at the table, motionless. No one said a word. They all looked like wax figures in a museum. The traditional fancy clothes didn't help much either. Their hair looked like stiff wigs on their heads. All of the food on the table looked rotten. The mold made Im Yong want to vomit.

"What are you doing here?!" a voice hissed. The soldier whipped his head around. A woman in a black maid outfit stood across from him, holding a tray of fly-covered drinks. Her face looked like a mannequin's with waxy, red-painted lips and glass eyes. Even her eyelashes looked fake. Im Yong wondered how she was able to talk like that.

"You can't stay here," the maid hissed.

"What?" the Korean boy asked.

"It's not safe here," the maid whispered to him. "You should leave before the house learns your name."

"What do you mean?" Im Yong asked.

"Please leave!" she pleaded. She started to pull him away down the hall. The soldier didn't have a chance to ask what was going on. He happened to take one look into the room. He noticed the little girl mannequin at the head of the table had her head turned to him. Her face was craved to have normal features, but they weren't painted in.

"Oh no! She's seen you!" the maid said. She pushed the Korean boy down the hall as fast as her stiff body would allow it. The girl mannequin started to "open" her non-existent mouth. But before she could speak, Im Yong was already out the door.

Im Yong ran all the way back through the woods. He didn't look back. Only the sound of crickets stayed with him. The Korean boy didn't stop running until he made it back to the path. Kyu greeted him with an angry on his face.

"I told you not to go off the path!" he snapped. Im Yong struggled to get his breath back.

"Where did you go, man?" Kyu asked. The younger soldier pointed off behind him towards the woods.

"There's a strange house in the woods!" he blurted out. His mentor's face went pale.

"What did you say?" he asked. Im Yong broke down and told him everything. Kyu didn't say anything as he pulled out his radio.

"Come in, commander! Come in, commander!" he shouted. "It's much worse than we predicted!"

Chapter Text

Nine: Cassia:

He's been here before. The cigarette smoke was a reminder of where he was. Alfred slowly opened his eyes. There was that room again. No windows. A giant fireplace on the other side. There isn't much furniture around. Only a chair and a large plush couch. No photographs on the walls. Alfred slowly backed up to the door.

I shouldn't be here.

The American man felt around for the door. He whipped his head around. There was no door anymore.

"Huh?" he asked. Where did it go?

"Calm down," a voice said. Alfred quickly looked up. There he was again. The jaded man with his face. He held a spiked bat by his side.

"Yo!" he said. Alfred started to back away.

"Who are you? What do you want from me?" he asked. The man stuck up his finger and waved it back and forth.

"Tsk-tsk," he said. "Why do you have to be scared of me?" Alfred blinked. He opened his mouth to speak.

"Don't worry, your baby is fine," he said. "She looks so cute." The color drained from Alfred's face.

"You were in her room?!" he asked.

"Relax, man," the other America said. "I just wanted to see your baby." Alfred stood, frowning.

"Why are you here?" he asked. The other America pouted at him.

"Aw, Alfred, buddy," he said. "You don't know?" Alfred slowly shook his head. His double sighed.

"Oh boy…" he said.

"What?" Alfred asked. The other America shook his head.

"Am I going to have to spell it out for you?" he asked. The first American man stood with a blank stare. His double threw up his hands.

"Fine," he said. "I'll spell it out for you." The man leaned back in the couch.

"I want to live in your world," he said. Alfred blinked for a moment.

"What?" he asked. The other man paused.

"Oh yeah, I haven't introduced myself," he said. He rose to his feet.

"My name is Allen," the man said. "And you are?" Alfred stood near the door, tongue-tied. Allen raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"A-A-Alfred," the American man finally said. Allen smiled.

"Well, nice to meet you, Alfred," he said. The other America's eyes shifted back and forth.

"What do you mean?" Alfred asked.

"What do you mean what do I mean?" Allen asked. "I just want to live in your world."

"But… why?"

"Why? Why?" Allen gave him a goofy smile. "Because it's so much fun!" He gave off goofy jazz hands.

"I am just going to live in your world," he said. Alfred looked confused.

"But why?" he asked. Allen frowned and pouted.

"Don't you get it?" he asked. "I want to live like you." The color drained from the other American man's face.

"But what about me?" he asked. Allen perked up.

"Oh, you'll still be around," he said. "Just less and less." Alfred went pale as he shook his head.

"No…" he said. "No. No. No. No. No. No!" Alfred frantically backed up feeling around for a door. Allen gave him sickly smile.

"It can't be helped," he said. "It's going to happen. There's nothing you can do about it." The American man shook his head.

"No! I won't let this happen! No! No! No!" he cried. His hand found a doorknob at last. With one turn, he disappeared out of the room.

Since then, Alfred had been on edge. He struggled to keep it together.

"What's wrong?" someone asked. The American man looked up.

"Huh?" he asked. Lydia stared at him with a concerned look on her face. He blinked for a moment.

"Oh," he said. She gave him an odd look.

"You sure you're okay?" she asked. The American man shook his head.

"No," Alfred said. He turned and walked back to his room.

"Alfred?" she asked.

"I am just going to bed," he said. Alfred waved her off as he disappeared down the hall. Lydia sat at the kitchen table, looking confused.

"But you just got up…" she said. The young woman turned to Baby Florence in her high chair. The baby just softly cooed.

Meanwhile, an old antique shop in downtown Washington DC had just opened for the door. The shopkeeper's daughter had just finished cleaning up for the morning. She went to the back to do one more check around the more fragile goods. Right away, something caught her eye. In the center of the room was an ornated tall black mirror. The craved designs of the frame had strange and beautiful air around them. She could've sworn she heard whispering from the glass. The twenty-something woman started to slowly walk towards the mirror.

Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks. She quickly shook her head. There was that mirror again. She could still hear the whispers from the mirror. Bad feelings came from this mirror. The young woman frowned.

"I don't know where you came from, but you're not staying here," she said. The young woman walked over and picked up the mirror by the frame. But the metal felt so cold that it burned her hands. The young woman screamed and dropped the mirror back down. Hazy screams came from the glass. She jerked her head up. A hand popped out of the black, glossy glass. The young woman backed as she let out a choked-up scream. The big, rough hand waved around as if it was stuck. And then another hand came through the glass. Then came the head with the rest of the body. The man groaned as he came out of the cursed mirror. The young woman wanted to run away, but her feet stayed frozen to the ground.

The man stood in front of the mirror and frowned for a moment.

"Hm…" he said. He looked like he was looking for something. The young woman tried to figure out what to do. She blinked many times. There was a muscular man with short brown hair standing in the back of her store. His leather jacket covered his white wife-beater shirt. The jeans and the army dog tags added to his bad boy look. Every inch of the young woman's being yelled at her to run. Her hand inched towards her right pocket. She just needed to dial 911.

Suddenly, this man froze.

"Ah," the man said. He reached into the mirror and pulled out his bat covered in nails. The young woman turned and ran towards the door. The man looked up and noticed her. He smirked and ran after her. He grabbed her by the neck. The young woman gagged as she was picked up off the ground. She didn't even get to look behind her. He pulled her towards him. The man only had one thing to say to her.

"Thanks for letting me, Baby Cakes," he said in a low growl. The young woman dropped straight to the ground. He walked past her and walked out of the shop. She sat on the floor panting for five minutes before she reached for her phone and called the police.

Chapter Text

Match Ten: Nekomata:

He won't leave. Kuro made himself at home. He sat at the table drinking tea. Sena and Kiku looked at each other.

"What should we do?" she asked. Her husband had no response. He started to tremble. Sena grabbed him on the arm.

"Stop," she whispered. Kuro looked over at the couple. Sena quickly went silent. He lowered his cup.

"Why you looking so scared?" he asked. "It's only me." The couple didn't answer. Their unwanted guest frowned.

"Come on," he said. "Work with me here."

"No," Sena said. Kuro clicked his tongue.

"Why not?" he asked. She couldn't answer. Kuro kind of smirked.

"I know, I know," he said. "You aren't used to it. This is all new to you. But you'll get used to it."

"What do you want from us?" Sena asked. Their uninvited guest raised his eyebrow.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"I mean, what's the end goal here?" she asked. "Why are you here?"

"My end goal?" Kuro asked.

"Yes," Sena said, nodding. He sat back with a little smile on his face.

"My end goal," he repeated. "Hm… My end goal. Well, I want to live here in your world." Sena had a confused look on her face.

"That's it?" she asked.

"Yes," Kuro said. "Is that too much to ask?" The couple looked at each other. The other man frowned. What was it going to take with these people?

"Look," he said. "Meet me halfway here."

"Why?" Sena asked.

"Because we're going to be living together now," Kuro said. Sena gave him a cold look.

"The devil you say," she said. He raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?" he asked. She wouldn't back down. This wasn't going to work, would it?

"You are not welcome here," Sena said. Of course she would say that. This was a stubborn woman after all. Not like his wife on the other side. No, his wife was more quiet, more obedient. Kuro stared her down. Kiku mumbled something next to her. His wife turned to her.

"Hm?" Sena asked. Kiku looked down at his hands.

"Please stop," he begged. The man started trembling again. Sena put her hand on his shoulder.

"Shhh, shhh, it's okay," she whispered. Kiku didn't respond. His wife turned to Kuro with an icy look on her face.

"Look what you've done!" she barked. The other Japan just shrugged.

"Not my problem," he said. Sena looked like she was ready to slap him. Kuro clicked his tongue. This really wasn't going to work, was it? He was going to have to change that.

-Kuro-

My wife didn't come with me. She couldn't. The portal was only strong enough for one. In fact, she was the one who opened that mirror for me. (Love you, honey.) Right now, she's resting in our wall. She will come when she has her strength back.

For now, I have work to do.

These two are not getting it. Don't they know that they have parts to play? They need to get with the script she wrote. Looks like they are going to need some direction.

Good thing I have some help.

Oliver and Allen are already here. We will the others get here? I made it back to that mirror. I took a breath and started drawing symbols on it. Six, child, fox, silver, four, four, four, four, four, nine, nine, nine, thirteen.

I backed up as the mirror started to hum. The glass turned midnight black. Waves began to ripple on the surface. I heard the static coming through.

"Hello?" I asked. Static came through at first. These things take time to warm up. I tapped my foot as I waited.

"Hello?" I asked again.

"Dear?" a woman's voice asked.

"Baby?" I asked. More static came through.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. I shifted in place.

"Well, sort of," I said. "I am in the right place, but the people here are not getting it. Could you help me out?" More static came through. I lifted my chin.

"Can you hear me?" I asked. The static got louder.

"Baby?" I asked. The connection went quiet for a moment. I frowned and threw my hands up in the air. Wonderful! It drops when I need it the most. A snap crackle filled the air. I whipped my head around.

"What?" I asked.

"How do you need me to help?" she asked. I broke into a huge cat-like smile.

"Now that's more like it," I said. I cleared my throat.

"I have a few ideas," I said. "Do you have long to stay on?"

"Yes," she said.

"Excellent," I said.

-Sena-

He is not staying here. Where the hell did he come from? He just shoved past me and walked into the house. Since then, he refuses to leave.

He acts like he owns the place. Kiku can't tell him no. This just makes me angry. I know that my husband doesn't like conflict, but this is our house! Who does he think he is coming in and taking over everything. I don't like it!

But I can't do this alone. Now, I am a tough bitch. I can take on almost anything. But this… Something isn't right about him. I can see it in his eyes. That smirk of his makes it worse. Kiku doesn't know what to do.

"You shouldn't have let him in. You shouldn't have let him in," he said over and over on that first night. I am starting to see why. People won't go near our house anymore. Crows are always perched on the roof. I keep hearing whispering around the house. Don't get me started on the sweet and rotting smell around the house.

I can't take this. I'm about to scream. He can't stay here. Something has to give. I picked up my phone and dialed his number.

"Yes, it's me," I said. "I am really going to need your help. He cannot stay here. He has got to go!"

Two wits at odds with each other. There could only be one. Who was going to be the one to say "uncle" first? There was only going to be one way to find out…

Chapter Text

Match Eleven: Tense Meeting:

Ju and Qi sat across from each other at the kitchen table.

"What are you doing here?" Ju asked.

"I came here to see you," the other woman said.

"What do you want with me?" the clan leader asked. Both sat, staring tensely at each other. One wore sweats and a baggie hoodie while the other wore a satin black dress. Ju had her eyes on a black woman standing behind Qi. This woman… What was with her? She looked like she was ready to kill someone. That spear by her side confirmed that.

"I want to form a treaty," Qi said. "Our branches should come together. I want to change my branch for the better." Ju gave her an odd look.

"Why would you come to me with this offer?" she asked. "What have I done to deserve such a proposition?" She glanced up at the woman behind Qi.

"I'm sorry, but does she have to be here?" Ju asked. "She gives me the creeps." The woman narrowed her eyes at her. Qi glanced behind her.

"It's fine," she said. "This is Noelle. She is my companion." Noelle had a hard look on her face after that last statement.

"Uh-huh," Ju said. "Right…" Qi took a sip of her tea.

"To answer your question," she said. "It is because you are my cousin." Ju sat back frowning.

"My uncle is an asshole, and I wouldn't trust him," she said. "What else do you have?" Qi shrugged.

"Fair enough," she said. "Give me a chance to prove my intentions to you." Ju folded her arms across her chest.

"What happened to your mother, if you don't mind me asking," she said.

"She's dead," Qi said.

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that," Ju said. She looked up to see Noelle glaring at her. Her hand inched towards the spear.

"Don't be," the other woman mumbled.

"Okay…" Ju said. The room felt cold for a moment. The clan leader cleared her throat.

"Anyway, why would I benefit from this alliance?" she asked. Qi leaned forward across the table.

"Are you familiar with the game to start the apocalypse?" she whispered. Ju froze. She wanted to say no, but something inside of her had heard this question before. She looked down at her hands.

"I think I have," she said. "What exactly is it?" Qi stared at her.

"You don't really know, do you?" she asked.

"Not all of the details, no," Ju said.

"Have you had strange visitors by your home recently?" her cousin asked. The clan leader paused. Her mind went back to those nightcomers who had been stalking her baby. Qi noticed the color draining from her face.

"I figured as much," she said. She sat back in her chair.

"This is going to be hard to explain," Qi said.

"Try me," Ju said. Noelle's hand reached for the spear.

"Stop," Qi said. The other woman lowered her spear. Ju blinked with a confused look on her face.

"Is she always like that?" she asked.

"Yes," her cousin said. "She is my protector." Noelle glared at Ju again. The clan leader rolled her eyes.

"Geez," she muttered. Ju should've thrown them both out them and there. Qi finished her tea.

"Anyway," she said. "There are three groups that are trying to start the apocalypse." Qi paused as if waiting for a response. Ju sat with her eyes on her, waiting.

"They are the Tandeki Group, Vozrozhdeniye, and Mam," her cousin said. The clan leader narrowed her eyes.

"Mam?" she asked. "Are those the crazy women stalking my baby?"

"Yes," Qi said. Ju narrowed her eyes.

"How do you know all of this?" she asked. Her cousin perked up.

"I had to do my research," she said. Ju stared at her with big eyes.

"You what?" she asked.

"I had to," Qi said. "I have to know who I am meeting in advance." Ju cut a look at her.

"Look, I am not going to bore you with the fine details about the game," she said. "You can look that up yourself. Instead, I am going to tell you about the two warriors." The clan leader gave her a strange look.

"The two warriors?" she asked.

"Do you have more tea?" Qi asked. "For the both of us." Her tone suggested that they were going to need this for the long story.

"Sure, sure," Ju said. She got up and walked over to the stove. Something seemed off about that woman. The clan leader couldn't quite put her finger on it. Still, she couldn't kick her out just yet.

"We can talk as the kettle is boiling," Ju spoke up. She returned to the table and sat back down.

"Fine," Qi said. "There is the legend of the two warriors that will bring ruin to us all. They will be destined to fight. The winner will determine the fate of man." Ju had a look of disbelief.

"What are you talking about?" she asked. "That doesn't make any sense."

"That's how they put it," the other woman said.

"What does this have to do with my son?" Ju asked. Qi looked at her with a hint of pity in her eyes. The clan leader shook her head.

"No…" she said.

"I'm so sorry," her cousin said. Ju shook her head.

"Hell no!" she shouted. "Not my son!"

"They have already chosen him," Qi said.

"He's only a baby!"

"That doesn't matter. They see him as the gold warrior."

Ju gritted her teeth. "No! I will not let them take him!" Qi reached for her hand.

"Then let me protect you," she said. The clan leader blinked for a moment.

"I don't understand," she said.

"Understand what?" Qi asked.

"Why are you doing all of this?" Ju asked. "Why do you care so much?" The other woman let go of her hand.

"Atonement," she said.

"Huh?" Ju asked. Qi had a somber and serious look on her face.

-Qi-

I've had five dolls in my life. Isaac, Lottie, Phillip, Ray, and Noelle. Noelle is the only one of my dolls to survive. The others disappeared and were never seen again.

It wouldn't be years that I learned the truth. The whole, ugly truth about my mother. She was a monster. Everyone knew it, but they didn't know how bad she was. I didn't understand it either at the time.

Noelle helped me to see the truth. She wouldn't be the only one either. It was her that compelled me to get away.

Now, I have to set things right. Not just for me. But for Isaac, Lottie, Phillip, and Ray. For the others as well. It's not just my mother's deeds I have to make up for. But for the rest of my branch. I know it sounds like too much. I shouldn't be carrying the sins of my ancestors and blah, blah, blah. But I have to be the one to break the cycle. This will all end with me. I have already decided that I will never have kids. That line will end with me. Noelle accepts my resolve. The only I can start is with Ju and her family.

The women looked up when they heard footsteps walking towards the kitchen. Yao stood in the doorway holding baby Jing in his arms.

"Oh, you're up," Ju said. Her husband had a confused look on his face at first.

"Uh… who is this?" he asked. Noelle held her spear by her side.

"Sweetheart, this is—" Ju said. Qi rose to her feet.

"My name is Fan Qi," she said, bowing. "And I here to keep your family safe." Yao's ears caught the name "Fan". He looked ready to attack. Noelle prepared to attack. Qi sat back down without a single word.

Chapter Text

Match Twelve: Vadleany:

The Koreas aren't the only place where strange places are appearing in the woods. Elizabeta and Roderich started to hear reports of people going missing in their respective countries. The couple had a good theory as to how and why.

Two weeks ago, Elizabeta was out in the park. It was a nice day and figured why not go outside for a while. It would be a nice break to get away from the crazy unfolding around her. So she got up and left Roderich a note in the living room.

The autumn sun felt good on her skin. When was the last time she felt so calm like this? Elizabeta sat on a bench, looking up at the sky. The park had a normal amount of people in it today. A mom brought her two small children with her. A woman was walking her dog on the path. Two men were having breakfast in the park. A teenage couple walked by. Elizabeta thought about picking up some lunch for her and Roderich later on.

But then, something else caught her attention. Two boys with their bikes stared off into the woods. They stared down a dirt path that seemed to lead nowhere. Elizabeta found herself standing up and walking over to them.

"Excuse me," she spoke up. The boys turned their heads. They had to be about twelve and nine years old.

"Something interesting out there?" Elizabeta asked. The boys had stoic looks on their faces. No, more like slightly uneasy was more like it. The Hungarian woman frowned.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. The older boy pointed down the path.

"We heard a baby crying in there," he said. Elizabeta furrowed her brow.

"Did you call the police?" she asked. The boys shook their heads. The woman sighed.

"Hang on," she said. Elizabeta pulled out her phone and dialed the police.

The police did a sweep around the woods but found nothing. They interviewed the boys about what they heard. The kids were straightforward with everything that they heard.

"Anything?" Elizabeta asked once she pulled the cop aside. He shook his head.

"We didn't find anything," the cop said.

"So… do you think were-?" she began to ask. He shook his head.

"No, I don't think they made it up," the cop said. "It could be a trap set to snatch them. They did the right thing by telling you."

"What happens now?" Elizabeta asked.

"We'll just keep looking in the woods," he said. "Not much we can do really." And that was it. Not really.

Two weeks later, Elizabeta went for a walk along the path. She wasn't an idiot. The Hungarian woman armed herself with a taser, pepper spray, and a knife. Roderich warned her to be careful.

"Don't worry, I will," she said. Elizabeta gave him a little salute before heading out the door.

The Hungarian woman had her earbuds in as she walked along the path. She kept her music down the whole time. Once again, she saw people on the trail.

"Good morning!" an old lady said.

"Hello," Elizabeta said. She walked further down the path. This was just supposed to be a short walk. Nothing more, nothing less.

Elizabeta looked up when she thought that she heard a soft cat meowing. She took out her left earbud and listened closely. There were only the sounds of nature. Birds, a soft breeze, and the movements of animals. Elizabeta couldn't relax.

"Hello?" she asked. No answer. The Hungarian woman slowed down her steps. Her hand moved to her phone.

A low whistle filled the air. Elizabeta turned her head. There was no in sight again. Maybe she should call the police?

Another whistle drew her attention forward. Elizabeta turned her head. A confused look washed over her face. Just a few feet away from her stood a flight of concrete stairs. The Hungarian woman blinked. No, the stairs were actually there. The stairs were really there. These looked like someone had taken a flight of stairs out of a house and placed them here in the middle of the woods. Elizabeta blinked again. She could've sworn that she was going crazy. A large black iron door stood at the top of the stairs. The Hungarian woman heard the stories about this. A sense of dread washed over her.

So why was she walking over to them?

She couldn't stop herself. Elizabeta found herself getting closer to the stairs. No! I do not want this!

The Hungarian woman grew closer to the stairs. She now stood at the bottom. Elizabeta was about to take a step up when she noticed the door opening at the top. She snapped out of it in time to see a figure stepping out into her world. Her eyes widened when she got a better look.

"She looks like me!" the Hungarian woman said. The other woman looked down and spotted Elizabeta. She started walking down towards her. Elizabeta moved her hand to her knife. The woman slowly came down the stairs. As she came closer, the other Hungary got a better look. The woman with her face and body had on a long pink flowing dress. She looked gentler around her angelic face. Her strawberry blonde hair gently bounced with each step. The crown of flowers added to her nymph-like appearance. That smile. Something about it made Elizabeta shiver. She whipped out her knife and held it out.

"Stop right there!" Elizabeta yelled. "Don't come any other!" The other woman stopped on the third step to the bottom. A confused look came onto her double's face. Was she… crying?

"Why are you being so mean to me?" the other woman asked.

"Huh?" Elizabeta said. The other woman wiped away her tears.

"Please don't hurt me," she whimpered. The Hungarian woman didn't know what to make of this. What the hell was this?

"Who are you?" she asked. The other woman sniffled.

"Julia," she said. "I am you."

"That doesn't make any sense," Elizabeta said. "You can't be me. I am me."

"But it's true," the other woman said. "I am you. I'm another version of you." Julia took another step down.

"Stay back!" Elizabeta shouted.

"Okay, okay!" Julia whimpered. "Just put the knife down."

"No!" the other woman shouted.

"Why?" her captive whined. Her eyes filled with tears again.

"Why are you being so mean?!" Julia whimpered.

"I don't trust you!" Elizabeta said. "What do you want? Why are you here?" The other woman started trembling.

"Please stop yelling at me," she whimpered. "You are scaring me." The first Hungarian woman gritted her teeth.

"Look, I don't know what you are playing at, but I don't like it one bit!" Elizabeta hissed. "You can't fool me with that sweet act! What are you trying to pull here?!" Tears rolled down Julia's cheeks. She trembled as she held her hand to her chest.

"I just want to live in this world," Julia admitted.

"What?" her double asked. The other Hungary stepped down to the last step. Elizabeta took a step back.

"What are you saying?" she asked. Julia gave her a sad, angelic look.

"I want to live in your world, in your life," she said. The color drained from Elizabeta's face.

"You aren't making any sense," she said. "What are you talking about?" Julia made it down to the last step. Elizabeta tightened her grip on the knife. That angelic smile made her stomach turn. Julia giggled.

"What else?" she asked. "I want to live in your world." Julia had a sad look on her face.

"My world is so cold and lonely," she said. "I hate it there. There's nothing pretty there. No flowers. No light. No love. The others scare me." Julia shivered after saying that.

"Wait… others?" Elizabeta asked. Julia perked up.

"Why yes!" she said. "Three of us are already here: Kuro, Oliver, and Allen. The others will be coming here soon too." The other woman felt her head swimming as she tried to process everything.

"Where does that leave us?" Elizabeta finally forced out of her mouth. The giggling made her stomach turn.

"You'll still be around," Julia said. "You'll just… be in the background. You know what I mean?" Julia had stepped off of the last step and was now standing in front of her. That smile. That damned smile. It took all of what was left of her sanity for Elizabeta not to scream. She quickly shook her head.

"No! I will not let that happen!" the Hungarian woman shouted. Her hand with the knife trembled. Julia gave her a look of pity.

"Aw, but it's too late," she said in a whisper. Elizabeta froze when she said that. The other her smile and giggled.

"See you when you get home," Julia said in a saccharine voice. That would be the last thing Elizabeta would hear before she fell to the ground.

When she came to, the sun was setting. It didn't take long for Elizabeta to remember what happened. A look of fear washed over her face.

"I have to get back home," she said aloud. Elizabeta pushed herself up to her feet and ran down the walking path.

She managed to make it back home in about a quarter of an hour. Elizabeta's hands shook as she took out her key. She was about to unlock the door when it opened wide. The keys dropped to the ground. Julia stood in the doorway, grinning.

"Welcome home, Sweet Pea!" she said.

Chapter Text

Match Thirteen: Liao-Wang Clan:

-Ju-

I didn't have time to wrap my head around what I just heard.

Witches were targeting my son to be some knight in some war? Like hell I'm going to let that happen. Before today, I would've thought that all of this was bullshit. Now, I don't know what to make of this anymore. On top of that, Qi wants to protect my family. I still don't know about her. What does she really want from me? She said something about atonement.

I rubbed my forehead. This is doing my head in.

Now, I had to keep my husband and this weird woman with her to keep from killing each other. The black woman had her spear up, poised to stab somebody. Yao used his eyes to look around for his wok. Both dared each other to move.

"Stop!" I shouted.

"Noelle, stand down!" Qi shouted. The woman lowered her spear and stepped back. She still glared at him. Yao glared at my cousin.

"And what is she doing here?" he asked.

"Your son is in danger," Qi said. "I can help him." Yao glared at her.

"Why should we believe you?" he asked.

"You've been stalked by witches lately, haven't you?" my cousin asked. My husband froze.

"I don't know what you are talking about," he lied. My heart sank.

"Why would you say that?" I asked. Yao must have seen my face because he sighed and dropped his shoulders.

"Fine, what do you want with us?" he asked.

"Atonement," Qi said. Yao looked confused.

"For what?" he asked in a cold tone.

"Yao!" I said. My cousin lowered her head. Some mumbled something under her breath.

"Excuse me?" he asked, wrinkling his nose.

"My companions," Qi repeated. Noelle's grip tightened on her spear.

"What is that supposed to mind?" Yao asked. Qi didn't answer. My husband looked up at me just as confused. I didn't have an answer to give him.

-Qi-

My mother was a monster. I don't think that I can stress this enough. I just didn't know how much of a monster she was. It would take Noelle to make me see it. Actually, there were two others to hint something at me.

Looking back, I did see some red flags. Outside of my dolls, I never interacted with other children. I barely got out of the house either. It was mostly just lessons and playing with my dolls. I never thought that was strange.

My mother never beat me or anything like that. She wasn't exactly a warm person either. She trained me into the vessel I am today. That's right. I am a vessel.

I can't exactly put it in words. I will have to show you.

I used to work on knives. She tied knives to my feet and shoes. Not tiny ones either. Big ones at first. Think of foot binding, but worse. It was to "improve my balance". I never understood what she meant by that. I went along with no question. For a four-year-old, my feet were always aching because of those knives. I wasn't allowed to complain. I was never allowed to show any weakness. Yes, she was that kind of mother.

I don't really have happy memories of my childhood. In fact, I don't have some memories at all. It's not amnesia. I just might be repressing some things and I just don't know it. In fact, I keep seeing some memories that aren't mine at all. I have a guess as to whose they are.

I bowed my head.

"I do apologize," I said. "I am here to help your family." Yao gave me an angry scowl. I'm clearly not going to convince him with words. He folded his arms across his chest.

"And why do you think you would be good enough," he said. I didn't flinch.

"Allow me the chance to show you with my actions," I said. "I don't think I can convince you with words." I looked out of the corner of my eye. Noelle was at ease now. At least I don't have to worry about her attacking. Suddenly, I heard a baby crying upstairs. I turned back to Ju. She rose to her feet.

"I hope you'll excuse me," Ju said. She got up and left the table. Yao and I watched her leave the room. My focus returned to Yao. His eyes looked so cold.

"I am not your enemy," I said. "Please trust me."

"Where is your mother?" he asked.

"Dead," I said. He didn't respond. I don't blame him. My legacy has followed me here. I shouldn't be surprised. I heard whispering in my ear. Yes, I understand. I noticed Yao giving me a hard stare.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked. What he said next threw me for a loop. I hadn't expected him to know. But there it was.

"You're a vessel, aren't you?" he asked. I raised my eyebrow.

"Whatever do you mean?" I asked. I had the feeling that Noelle was moving her hand to her spear. We waited for his response.

-Ju-

I picked up Jing from his crib.

"Shhh, shhh, shhh," I whispered. "It's okay. It's okay. I'm here." He started to quiet down as I bounced him in my arms. I quickly scanned the room. Good, no one around. I looked down at my son. Seeing his little face calmed me down. I kissed him on the forehead.

"I won't let you be used as some fighter," I whispered to him. "No, I won't. No, I won't. I'm not going to let that happen." I bounced around my little angel as I walked around in his room. I felt myself smiling. It wouldn't be too bad to at least hear Qi out on what she plans to do.

I looked over at the clock on the wall. It's nearly ten already? Where has the morning gone? Maybe I could invite Qi to have lunch with us. Yao might not agree with that. I will have to talk to him later. I gently set Jing back into his crib. I gave him one more kiss on the forehead.

"I'll be back later," I whispered. A little smile spread across my face before I turned and walked out of the room.

When I made it back to the dining room, everyone was sitting around silent. I looked around with a confused look on my face.

"Is something wrong? Did something happen?" I asked. Qi stood up.

"There's something else I have to tell you," she said.

"What?" I asked, blinking. She opened her mouth to speak.

Chapter Text

Match Fourteen: Leshy:

Ivan stood in Narita Airport. Well, here they were—again. Was this really going to work this time? The Russian man didn't know. He didn't care. To him, they might as well get this over with. How many times have they done this now?

Ivan pulled out his phone. 10:45. Lin Yi should be up and having lunch now. He left her enough money to go shopping. Katyusha was watching over her. Ivan planned to call his wife when he got to the hotel.

"Hey," Ivan heard next to him. "Hey. Hey!" The Russian man glanced next to him. Karp stared up at him.

"What?" Ivan asked.

"We're here," Karp said.

"Uh-huh," the other man said. It was then he glanced around them.

"Where is everyone?" he asked.

"Bathroom and snacks," the scientist said.

"Ah," Ivan said. He put his phone back into his pocket. They were going to start the experiment in a few hours.

"Are you excited?" Karp asked.

"No," Ivan muttered. He headed to the bathroom.

"Ivan?" the other man asked. The tall Russian man waved him off as he disappeared into the morning crowd.

The plane carrying Valya landed days earlier. They kept her in an underground lab that Vozrozhdeniye was renting. She had to be kept in the darkness. The siren wasn't allowed out of her cage until the group got there. Only paid help would go in and check on her.

While alone in the dark, she started to develop thoughts in her head.

-Valya-

I am me. I am aware of that. I am me and I exist. I have a body and a face. I don't know what I look like. But I do know that I have a body.

I have been sitting in the darkness for days. Yes, I know what that is. I'm not an idiot. Okay, that might be a strong word, but I'm not some dumb animal in the dark. I am just… me. I don't think I can get much clearer than that.

Ivan, Alisa, and Kenya sat in a coffee shop.

"What type is it now?" Alisa asked. Kenya looked at his phone.

"11:29," he said.

"I see," she said. She took a sip of her iced coffee.

"Where do we start?" Ivan asked. The other two looked up at him.

"Ikebukuro, of course," Alisa said. "That's where the tadpoles are." She didn't need to go over the plan. Valya would be the first to test out their counter pet. Alisa finished her coffee.

"1500 hours," she said. The men looked at each other.

"Why so long?" Kenya asked.

"Take a look around you," Alisa whispered. "Don't be obvious about it." The men took small glances around them.

"What do you see?" she asked.

"People in a café," Ivan said.

"And?" Alisa asked.

"Hm?" Kenya asked.

"Really look," she said. "Take a long look around you." The men took another look around. Kenya froze. Wispy shadows followed the people around. Some floated above their heads. The people they were attached to didn't seem to notice a thing. They were drinking their coffee, eating some of the treats on their table, or even looking at the screens on their phones. One girl had bright pink headphones on as a wispy black shadow floated over his head. There then were the whispers. Oh god, the whispers. The whispering was faint. Cold chills ran down Kenya's back. He turned back to his companions staring at him.

"Do you see it now?" Alisa asked. Her colleague nodded. She started to play with her straw.

"They have advanced since the last time we came here," the scientist said. "Something's changed this round."

"You feel it too?" Kenya whispered. Alisa nodded once.

"So you're trying to test the water first?" he asked.

"Affirmative," she said.

"What do we do until then?" Ivan asked.

"Observe everything around us and gather information," she said. "We might walk around the city to see how far they have gotten on this."

"What about Valya?" Kenya asked.

"She will stay where she is," Alisa said. "I have two men coming to feed and check on her."

"Where shall we hit first?" Ivan asked. The female scientist gave him a cold smirk.

"Why not take the challenge to the enemy's door?" she suggested. The men looked at each other as she snickered. Alisa put up her hand to fetch the waitress for the bill.

-Valya-

Something smells good. I closed my eyes and took a sniff. Blood. I had to swallow back my drool. I sat up straight. I haven't been able to ear since I left Russia. I don't know where I am now. This place just feels different.

I trained my ears in the darkness. At first, I heard nothing. Something inside of me told me to keep listening. There are others like me here. No. Not like me. But close enough. How many of them are there? They seem so far away. I reached out in the cold darkness. I have to find them. I want to know who they are.

I froze.

There's someone here. I trained my ears in the darkness. One, no two of them. They smell… They smell like… Like… They smell like meat. I swallowed back more drool. I feel hungry. Footsteps walked closer to the darkness. I could hear my heart pounding against my chest. Closer. Closer. Closer.

I heard a slot open wide. Oh, that smell. I heard the meat land on the ground with a wet plop. I ran forward on all-fours and started tearing into the meat. Oh, this is so good! The more I eat, the more I start to feel happy. The sensation danced on my tongue. My eyes started to wet. I couldn't stop eating. I had to have more. Oh. Oh!

I feel back and I could see nothing but darkness over my head. My eyes slowly slip closed. Those voices are back again. I couldn't help but smile as I sank back into a world of black.

Alisa looked at her phone outside of the café.

"Ready to go?" she asked.

"Yes," Kenya said. Ivan nodded once.

"Right," Alisa said, shoving her phone back into her jeans pocket. "We have plenty of time. Let's do a little sightseeing, shall we?" The men didn't argue as they followed behind. The whole time, Alisa smirked to herself. Maybe it was the festering vice flirting with her mind. Maybe it was the potential to get a leg up in this game. Either way, the scientist had a feeling that this was going to be a good expo.

Chapter Text

Match Fifteen: Season of the Witch:

It didn't take long for Mam to hear how far Tandeki has gotten in their game. They learned of this through the eyes of Hecate and the other nightcomers. This will not do.

"Is something the matter?" Oliver asked. Allison turned around as she forced herself to calm.

"We are falling behind," she growled. Oliver raised his eyebrow.

"And that's a bad thing?" he asked.

"Yes!" Allison said. She bit down on her thumb.

"This will not do," the nightcomer said. Oliver sat down at the table with a curious look on his face.

"What exactly are you trying to do?" he asked. Allison turned her head.

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"What exactly do you want? Like, do you want to be the one to start the apocalypse? Do you want to make a new world? What's the end goal here?" Allison sat down in front of him.

"Well, I want a new world," she said. "There has to be a new god. I have my plans laid out."

"You want those tadpoles as this god, don't you?" he asked.

"The offspring, yes," Allison said.

"Hm…" Oliver said. The nightcomer raised her eyebrow.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said, shrugging. "I'm just wondering how you are going to pull this off."

"We'll take them."

"But how?"

Allison narrowed her eyes. "What are you getting at?" Oliver gently took her by the hands.

"Allow me to help you," he said. "There is something that you have to see."

"And what would that be?" she asked.

"Come with me," Oliver said. He got up and walked away from the table. Allison watched him walk out of the kitchen. She got up and followed behind.

"What the hell is this?" Allison asked looking at Oliver's phone. She saw a pale woman in a black dress flying above the city. Her wings were made of crimson feathers. Her blonde hair rivaled the sun.

"The competition," Oliver said. Allison looked up.

"Huh?" she asked. "You're joking."

"No, my dear," he said. Allison made a face at the screen.

"What the hell is that?" she asked.

"I believe they call her a siren," Oliver said. "Her name is Valya and she's Vozrozhdeniye's answer to the beloved tadpoles that you sought." Allison looked up at him with a face of disgust.

"What a hideous creature," she said.

"Right?" the Englishman asked. "How could they think of something so frightening?" Allison turned off the screen and handed him back the phone.

"So what do you plan to do?" Oliver asked.

"We have to seize the tadpoles and begin our own work," Allison said. "For that to happen, I will have to send my daughters back to Japan."

"Well, okay," he said. "I will happily help you." Oliver had that twisted charming smile on his face as he said this.

"Good," Allison said. "I need loyal men like you."

"Glad to hear that," he said.

They aren't the only ones who have seen.

Hecate saw the footage herself and didn't like what she saw. This will not do. She exited out of the video and made a call.

"Hello?" Kitano's voice asked on the other line.

"It's me," Hecate said.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"Did you see the video that I sent you?" the nightcomer asked. "Looks like you have some competition now."

"So it would seem," the therapist said.

"What do you plan to do about it?" she asked. "I'm just curious to know."

"What do you plan to do?" he asked. Hecate snickered to herself.

"I have a few ideas," she said. The nightcomer looked around for a moment.

"Can we meet up soon?" she whispered.

"That will depend."

Hecate raised her eyebrow. "Oh, what?"

"Are you going to be alone?"

"Of course I am."

"The only time I will be off is next week. I might run into you then."

"Excellent. I will see you then." She smiled and hung up her phone. That's one part of the problem down.

-Arthur-

I can't feel anything. I don't even feel like I am here. I don't feel like I am me. He's standing in front of me.

"This is just sad."

He grabbed me by the hair.

"You let them break you like that." I can't see him, but I know he's there. He probably looks so disappointed in me. He clicked his tongue.

"I could take over your life right now." His voice sounded so smooth. I could picture him smirking at me.

"Just looking at your face fills me with disgust."

It's not my fault. It's not my fault.

"Heh."

He let go of my hair. I don't want to be here anymore. But I don't want to get out. Even Flying Mint Bunny wants to come near me. None of my friends want to come near me. They've been chased off by them.

Wait…

There's somebody here. Who… Who are you? What do you want from me? Something settled in my chest. A hand rested on my right shoulder. A chill ran down my spine.

What? You want to help me? You want to save me? But why? My heart rate slowed down to a crawl.

Okay then. I will trust you. I disappeared from my prison.

The next day, everything fell into place. Hecate, Sabine, and Tessa were heading to Japan. Oliver, Allison, and the rest of the nightcomers would be working from England. On the surface, everyone seemed to be working together. However, people always have their own agenda. Hecate smirked to herself in her seat on the plane. She had her own plans to survive the game.

It would only be a matter of time…

Chapter Text

Match Sixteen: Uncertain:

-Luciano-

I don't think I'm really needed here. The other guy seems a bit… off. I tilted my head as I watched him around Venice.

"Is he feeling okay?" I asked. "This is the same guy, right?"

"Why yes," that Red Witch said.

"Then why is he acting me like?" I asked. She rested her chin on my shoulder.

"He sold his soul for love," she purred. I whipped my head around.

"Are you serious?" I asked.

"Why yes," she said. I let out low whistle.

"Wow," I said. "He really went through with it." Another thought crossed my mind.

"Wait… Where does that leave me?" I asked. "Will I still exist? Will I turn into what he used to be?" She chuckled and patted me on the head.

"You will still be you," she said. "You two will just exist together." I turned my head.

"Is something like even possible?" I asked.

"You will have to see," she said. And just like that, she was gone. That last thing she said stuck with me. I could live together with my soulless double? Such a thing is unheard of. But I would be lying if I said that I wasn't interested. Looks like it's time to pay Feliciano a little visit.

-Feliciano-

I know he's been following me. He thinks that I don't see him. Let him follow me. What is he up to?

I began my walk out at night. I waited, anticipated him following me tonight. In fact, I glanced over my shoulder. I know you are here.

"Nice night out!" I said aloud. I glanced around and smirked.

"Come on," I said. "Why don't you come out and show yourself? I want to talk to you." I heard footsteps walking up behind me. I turned my head. And sure enough, there he was. He had my face. His clothes looked darker than mine. His deep red eyes seemed to glow in the dark. Even the curl on the side of his head looked just like mine. He twirled a knife in his hand.

"Chao!" he said.

"Heh," I said. This should be interesting.

-Luciano-

There's nothing inside of him. I could see it in his eyes. That smile mirrored mine. I felt a chill down my spine. Is that what I really look like? I pushed that thought out of my head.

"Where are you going tonight?" I asked.

"Who's asking?" he asked.

"Well, me of course," I said.

"And you are?"

"Heh." I stuffed my knife into my belt.

"Allow me to introduce myself," I said. "My name is Luciano. Learn it well."

"Okay." He had nothing in his eyes. Was this going to work? Did he know what I was planning to do? Would he even be interested in my little offer?

"Do you know who I am?" he asked. I smirked and took out my knife.

"Why yes I do," I said. I held out my hand.

"Care to talk with me a little more private?" I asked. He raised his eyebrow.

"Why would I want to do that?" he asked. I stepped forward with a smirk.

"Oh, you are going to want to hear what I have to say," I said. "But first, let's go somewhere a little more private. Interested?" Feliciano shrugged and shook his head.

"Not like I have anything better to do," he said.

"Right," I said. I lowered my hand and walked over to his side. I put my arm around his shoulders and walked down the direction he was originally going. Maybe the Red Witch was right. I was going to see where this was going.

Qi stood in the bathroom of her hotel room. Her body broke out in a cold sweat. It's getting worse lately.

"I know," she whispered. "I know. I know." Qi gripped the edges of the counter. Her vision blurred as she stared in the mirror. The voices in her ear reminded her that time was running out. She gulped in a mouthful of air.

"I know," she whispered. "I'm doing the best that I could." The memories started to skip around in her head. Only, they weren't hers.

Darkness. They never got to see the light of day. That devil woman would walk come down the steps and light the candles. There had to be hundreds of them in that cage. She looked inside through the bars. They don't make a sound. They know not to. They wouldn't be heard anyway. They were buried deep underground. Her devilish eyes seemed to glowed as she leaned into the cage. They could see the large black key in her right hand. It was time to make the selection again. The key slid into the lock. With one click, the carnage will start again.

Qi rubbed under her right eye. She felt their pain every day. That's part of the curse of being a vessel in her bloodline. She could feel everything that they went through before their deaths.

"I am working on it, I promise," she murmured to herself in the dark. The burning in her body subsided. Qi was able to catch her breath. She stood up and wiped the sweat from her forehead and neck. They've gone quieter again. She turned and walked out of the bathroom.

Noelle sat on the bed. She kept her staff by her side. She too can see what is going on. The doll swore to stay by her mistress' side until the end. Right now, that looked like that wasn't going to be so easy. Noelle watched as Qi stood in the doorway. They didn't speak at first.

"I'm okay," Qi said. "We'll go back to them tomorrow." The corner of Noelle's mouth turned slightly upwards.

"Let's just get some sleep, okay?" the mistress said. Qi walked over to the bed and climbed. Noelle watched as she lay down next to her. She whispered something over her head as she closed her eyes.

"You need to hold on a bit longer. She is trying to do the best that she can. Hang in there."

Chapter Text

Match Seventeen: Curiosity, Research, and Phone Call:

-Ju-

This week is going to be busy. My exams are coming up in a few days. I can't wait to get this over with. I buried my head in my hands. This is too much right now. I lowered my hands and looked towards the doorway. Yao stood with a tray in his hands.

"Is this a bad time?" he asked. I shook my head.

"No," I said. "It's fine."

"I made you some snacks," he said.

"Oh. Thank you," I said.

"Is it that bad?" Yao asked. I pressed my lips together and nodded. He walked into my office and sat down in the chair in front of my desk. I took my hand away from the mouse.

"Tell me something, Yao," I said.

"What?" he asked. I leaned forward on the desk.

"Did Qi seem a little… off to you?" I asked.

"How do you mean?" Yao asked. I shrugged and shook my head.

"I don't know how to put this," I admitted. "Call it a feeling." How could I put this? Hm…

"Although, I did hear a rumor a while back," Yao said.

"Hm?" I asked. He paused.

"Well… it's just a rumor," he said.

"What is it?" I asked. Yao looked like he was struggling to explain himself. I tilted my head.

"What is it?" I asked again.

"How you heard of the binding vessel ritual?" Yao asked. He wouldn't look into my eyes as he asked that.

"No…" I said. "What is it?" Yao held his fist to his mouth.

"Yao?" I asked.

"Look it up," he mumbled. I turned back to my computer with a dubious look on my face. I opened a new tab in my browser and typed up binding vessel ritual. I got no results. I tried again. I still got the same results after four more attempts. I turned to Yao. Alright, I knew what he was going to say.

"It's forbidden magic, right?" I asked.

"Yes," he admitted. I didn't like where this was heading.

"Let me guess, you're going to tell me to stop before I go too deep. Right?" I said. He didn't say anything. I rubbed my forehead.

"What a way to bury the lead," I muttered.

"So sorry," he said. I waved him off.

Of course I couldn't let it go. I just had to find out this binding vessel ritual. I was alone with this. Hen-to and Fei won't help me. Yao's not saying anymore. This country has a tight grip on the internet. Yep. I'm on my own here.

I have to go underground for this. There's only one place I can go.

My college has an underground library. (This is a rumor, of course. I didn't say anything. You can't prove that I did.) There has to be a certain pass to try and get in. You can't get this pass on your own. Oh no. I'm not telling you how I got my pass.

I made it down to the underground library by six in the evening next day. I made it up to the glass doors. I pulled out my card and put it in the slot. The door clicked open. I pushed on the glass as I walked inside.

"Hello?" I whispered. The lights are off inside. I stepped inside and looked around. No one really manages it after hours. People who go inside are responsible for everything that they read or use on the computers. Nothing is allowed to leave the building. You will have to make copies of the pages that you want to see.

I walked up to the desk and signed in. You can't use your real name. I gave myself the Kanji for "daisy" on the sheet. My time was about 6:45 p.m. Once I signed in, I made my way to the back. For this, I was going to need the forbidden database. This held the history that was banned from the public. No internet searches would yield this to the country. This would be the only way.

I looked around before I sat down in front of the computer. I typed in the password to unlock it. When the desktop appeared, I got to work. I clicked on the search bar. I typed in "binding vessel ritual". Low and behold, one file came up. It was a zipped PDF file. One little click and I wouldn't be able to turn back. I took a breath and clicked on the file.

What I read shook me to my core. Here are the basics of the ritual.

An adult takes a child, preferably their own offspring, and turns them into their vessel. The child has to be killed in order for it to work. This will force the soul out of the child's body. Then the adult will seriously injure themselves. Injured almost to the point of death. The adult will stick the hand into the wound and draw their name all over the child's body. Their soul will enter into the new vessel's body. This ritual could go on for generations.

I felt like I was watching snuff films with the videos attached to the file. All of those children were murdered by someone they trusted. I'm not a person who gets queasy easily, but I about threw up in my mouth by the time I reached the end of the document. I see why our government was buried from the public. I see why my side of the clan doesn't acknowledge that side of the family.

I closed out of everything and erased the history. I had enough of my wits to sign out before I left.

Sometime later, I pulled out my phone when I got home. There was one thing that I had to do with this.

"Qi? I'm ready to talk again," I said. "Tell me where and when we can meet." I listened as I flopped down onto my couch.

"I understand," I said. "I will see you then." I hung up the phone. I only had Yao and myself to blame for going down that violent and barbaric rabbit hole. I already accepted that I couldn't turn back after this.

Chapter Text

Match Eighteen: Two Tribes:

-Ju-

We met up at the China World Hotel where she was staying. I couldn't tell the rest of the clan where I was yet. There is something that I have to know. I sat in the café, looking around. There don't seem to be many people here at now.

I pulled out my phone. Hey, I got a text from Yao. I tapped the screen.

"Hey, baby, where are you now?" he wrote. I smiled and tapped the screen to reply.

"Secret meeting. Can't talk now. I will call you when it's over," I wrote. I stared at the screen before I hit send. I'm so sorry, dear. I can't tell you what I am planning to do right now.

I shoved my phone into my bag. A waitress walked up to my table.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" she asked.

"Just some coffee, please," I said. The waitress took down my order and walked away. I looked out the door.

-Qi-

"Ready to go?" I asked. Noelle nodded once.

"Okay," I said. I turned to the door.

"You sure about this?" I heard behind me. I glanced to see Noelle with her eyes narrowed. She held her spear by her side.

"Yes," I said. "The others want this. It's the only way to appease them." Noelle picked up her staff by her side.

"Very well," she said.

"Thank you," I said. I bowed my head and walked out the door. Noelle followed behind. She means well, but sometimes she can take her protection too far. I don't blame her given how mother brought her up. I don't think I've even seen her smile. I looked over my shoulder as we walked down to the elevator.

"How come I never see you smile?" I asked. Noelle didn't answer. I just shrugged to myself. We're going to have to work on that later once this is all over. I chased away another thought that kept running in my head. No, can't think about that now.

Two women meet up in the hotel café. Ju sat at her table when she heard the footsteps approach her table. She had her phone in her hand, about to make a text. The clan leader about smirked to herself.

"I was starting to think you weren't going to show," she said. Ju looked up to see Qi and Noelle standing over her booth. She shoved her phone back into her bag.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Qi said. "May I take a seat?"

"Sure," Ju said.

"Thank you," her cousin said, bowing her head. Qi slid into the booth and sat across from her. Ju turned to Noelle.

"You can sit down too, you know?" she asked. The black woman didn't respond. She seemed to be glaring at her. Ju just shrugged.

"Suit yourself," she said. The clan leader turned to her cousin. Both women sat silently at first.

"How many of them are there?" Ju asked.

"Six," Qi said.

"So you and who else?"

"My dolls."

"Your dolls?"

"Yes. They were my companions when I was growing up."

"Is Noelle-?"

"Yes."

"Thought so."

"What all do you want to know?"

"Everything."

"Are you sure you can handle that?"

"I'm being stalked by a coven of witches. I can take whatever can be thrown at me."

"Fair enough. How much do you know?"

"I've read the document and saw the videos."

"So the surface level."

"Surface level?"

Qi shook her head. "There is so much that you don't know."

"Then tell me."

"Heh."

-Qi-

Isaac was my first doll when I was five. Lottie was my doll when I was eight. Phillip was my doll with I was thirteen. Ray was my doll when I was sixteen. I had another one before Noelle, but I can't remember who they were. I just know their voice in my head. All of my dolls were the ones who saved me. If they hadn't come into my body, my mother would've taken over mine in that ritual. Noelle would be my last doll.

I remember the first one to come back. At first, I thought it was a dream. I was in my room alone when I heard the door closing. I looked up but saw no one in the room. Somehow, I wasn't afraid. A little smile came across my face.

"Isaac," I said. I couldn't see him, but I knew he was there. I ran over and hugged him.

"Where did you go?" I asked. I froze as I let go.

"Isaac? Where did you go? Isaac? Isaac?" I asked. Suddenly, I felt a strange sensation in my chest. I backed up to the place I was before. Everything was going to be fine. Everything was going to be fine.

From then on, it didn't really feel like I was living my life. I know that I am present for it, but I feel like I am not the one in control. I believe my dolls are the ones living the lives that they never had the chance to. Did my mother ever know? Did she ever suspect a thing? I don't know. She never said anything if she did.

It was because of my dolls that she is the one dead and not me. If they hadn't entered into my body, she would be the one living my life and not me. For that, I am grateful. Now, I have to make it up to them and stop another from going down a dark path similar to mine.

I finished my tea when I finished my story.

-Ju-

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I mean, I knew it was bad, but I never pictured it being this bad.

"Are you okay?" I asked. Qi glanced over at me. I don't think she's ever heard anyone ask her that before.

"I'm fine now, thank you," she said in a calm tone. I couldn't even reach over and pick up my coffee cup. There was only one thing that I could ask.

"What do we need to do next?" I asked. Qi already had her wallet in her hand.

"Let me meet with the rest of your clan first," she said. I didn't have to think about that, but I still had some conditions.

"How long are you in town for?" I asked.

"As long as we need to be," Qi said. I reached over and picked up my coffee cup.

"Give me three days," I said. "It won't be easy, but I can talk to everyone and work something out."

"Fair enough," my cousin said, shrugging. She paid her bill and walked out of the café. Noelle followed behind without saying a word. I sat back in the booth. Somehow, I didn't feel like I was going to regret this. But why did I still feel uneasy about this?

I finished my coffee, paid my bill, and walked out of the café. Yao and the guys aren't going to like this.

Chapter Text

Key Nine, Match Nineteen, and Halo Thirteen: Jaundiced/Men of Darkness/ Dreamscape:

Jaundiced: adjective: 1. Exhibiting prejudice from envy or resentment. 2. Having jaundice: a disease that makes the skin, white of the eyes, etc., to be yellow, caused by an increase of bile pigments in the blood.

-Allen-

I have become incomplete. I see fractions when I see myself in the morning. I look so broken. Her fingers ran down my spine. She breathed on my ear. My own breath quickened. I want this, but I don't. She grabbed me by the hair and forced me to look into the mirror. He's smiling like a deranged lunatic like me.

But that isn't me.

Yes, it was.

"Who's a good boy?" she asked. "Who's a good boy?"

"Me!" I said. Why did I sound so excited to say that? This isn't me. This isn't me at all.

But it is.

My body trembled at her caress. A thick black cloth went over my eyes. I heard her knotting it up tight. I drew in a heavy breath. At least, I didn't have to see him in the mirror this time.

"Let's take this further," she said. Her hands pushed me down on a sea of silk. They felt so cool against my back. A small gasp escaped from my lips at the sensation. When did my skin get so sensitive? Even her slightest touch sends me on edge.

"Arms up," she commanded. I have no choice, but to obey. My arms went up above my head.

Click. Click.

Cold metal locked around my wrists. My heart pounded against my chest. Her knees came on either side of my waist. Her finger ran down my chest.

"You will be my pet, now and forever," she said in a low voice. "I will never let you go. You will stay with me until eternity. Promise yourself back to me." I opened my mouth, but she pressed her finger to my lips.

"I want to hear you say it," she said. I gulped. I don't want to do it, but something deep inside compels me. I drew in a deep breath.

"I am your pet, mistress! All of me is yours! My soul, my body, my mind, my heart. You are free to use me in any way that you desire. Please use me! I am yours!"

"And?"

And? What more should I say? I can feel my lower lip trembling. Somehow, I know what comes next.

"I need you. I can't live my life without you. I want you so much!"

"How much do you love me? Go on. Say it." Her tone is so sharp that it could stab me through my body.

"So much that I could die! Please, mistress!"

"Please what?"

"I love you, mistress! Please… Please don't tease me like this!" I hear her snickering at me. She's just inches from my face now.

"Much better. Now you're getting it. Now, let's take this further. I miss pressing your lips against mine." She leaned down and kissed me. My body started trembling. I started to rub my legs together. Sweat broke out all over my body. Each kiss seemed to kill something inside of me. This doesn't feel right. But I want more. My cock starts to stand up at full mast. My body screamed for more. More of her abuse. More of her love.

My stomach turned. This isn't who I am.

But it is.

She forced her tongue into my mouth. I could feel myself choking. She pulled back enough for me to breathe. I could hear her chuckling at me. She bit down on my lower lip. I yelped in pain and pleasure. A small amount of blood trickled into my mouth. The taste made me gag. My mind ended up in a confusing place.

I couldn't disappear into that place. I am just trapped focusing on her. Her tongue slipped down further into my mouth. Her nails dug into my skin. Her mouth moved down to my neck. I let out a loud moan. This isn't right. This is not me!

But it is.

"W-W-What do you plan to do with me?" I asked. The backside of her hand caught my face. I sucked in a mouthful of air.

"You do not get to ask any questions," she said. I could feel her hot breath on my ear.

"You just lie there and give yourself over to me."

"Yes, mistress." My voice came out trembling. She chuckled at me.

"Much better." Her mouth settled on my neck again. I moaned. Fuck. I'm going under. A trail of kisses went down to my chest. Oh. Oh!

"You like that, huh?"

"Yes!"

Her chuckling made my stomach turn. I can't escape back into my space. I am just… here. She really does have me.

She drew her nails down my chest. I could feel the blood escaping from the wounds. She's going to drain me just like he is doing. It's amazing that I am still alive. Angels can't really die after all. The only thing that I could hope for is to mentally break down within myself.

No!

I can't do that yet. There's still something that I need to do. I can't remember what it is. She won't let me.

"You are mine! You will never forget that!" She makes me remember it. She's going to make me remember that again.

Her blades cut into my skin like ribbons. She cuts me up like I am a piece of meat. The sounds of the blading slicing across my skin sent tingles down my body. It feels like it burns. I can hear the screams from each cut. I sucked in a mouthful of air.

"Oh! Mistress!" My body ached to hold onto anything. These damned handcuffs held me fast in place. I could already picture the red splashing over my skin. And you know what? I wanted more.

"Please cut me again!"

The blade was pulled away from my chest. I trembled as I started whimpering.

"W-W-Why did you stop?"

She clicked her tongue at me. "No, no. You don't get to give orders. You aren't the one in control. I am the one who makes all of the calls. Not you."

Not being touched was the worst part. Why would she do this to me? Tears formed in my eyes.

"I'm so sorry!"

"You're sorry, what?"

I gulped loud enough to make my ears pop. She was going to make me do this. She really was going to make me do this. I didn't want this, but I missed the blades dancing on my skin. Oh, I just wanted her to fuck me so badly! This isn't me. This isn't me!

Oh, but it is.

"I'm so sorry, mistress!"

"Sorry for what?"

"I'm sorry for talking out of line, mistress!"

"Do you want my blade?"

"Yes, mistress!"

"How bad do you want it?"

"I will do anything for it!" These aren't my words. This isn't me.

But this was me. No matter how much I tried to fight against it, it all came back to the same realization. A tear ran down my cheek.

"Anything?"

"Yes, mistress! Anything!" I moaned aloud. That damned giggle killed me inside. She knew what I had become.

"Well, okay. How could I say no to my little pet?"

Another deep slash ran down my chest. I screamed aloud. The hurt made my eyes water, but it felt so good. The sheets were probably so red now. Just the thought of that filled with a twisted sense of excitement. I want this! I need this!

Yes, this is me! This is what I have become! This is who I have become. This is me!

She cut so deep into my abdomen. Her tongue danced along the cut. My blood's become an addictive drug to her. I am more than happy to give. I arched my body and moaned. She laughed against my skin. She could've eaten my body if she wanted and I would be happy with that.

Her mouth surrounded my cock. By now, I had abandoned all reason. I found myself in a surreal place. It wasn't the usual happy place. All I could focus on was her. The sensation of her mouth made my body jump. It's amazing that I can still feel anything after the blood loss. I'm still conscious as well. Being an angel does have its perks, I guess. My body could be ripped in half and I would still be alive.

I moaned as her tongue glided across the sensitive skin. When the teeth come in, it's when I melt. I can't focus on anything else. I sucked in a mouthful of air as she bit down on the skin before returning to sucking. I think I might have bruised my wrists. I don't know how much longer I can take this!

But then, she stopped.

I could hear myself whimpering.

"W-W-Why-?" was all I managed to get out before she pressed a finger to my trembling lips.

"We're not done, my pet."

"Huh?"

Her thighs come on either side of me. She doesn't even try to take it slow. However, she isn't done yet either. Hard rubber is pushed into my mouth. Little trails of drool ran down the corner of my mouth. The straps fasten behind my head.

"Perfect."

I could picture it now. Her riding me in a sea of bloody sheets. I felt like we were in a twisted version of Heaven. My moans came through the rubber ball in my mouth. More cuts into my skin followed. They didn't hurt as bad. Something in my brain blocked out that part. I had to have more. I wanted more. I needed more. I had to have more!

"Are you enjoying this?"

I could only moan through the gag. Her giggling made my ears burn.

"Good." Another stab went deep into my abdomen. Hot tears welled up in my eyes. It hurts, but it feels so good. Fuck. Fuck!

I… I can't hold it!

My body jumped before reaching my climax. More trails of drool ran down the corners of my mouth as I screamed out. My body collapsed onto the bed when the last drops came out. She howled as she reached her own climax. She collapsed next to me, panting. Sweat mixed in with the blood. The reality will be slowly coming back. It doesn't matter. I think I'm smiling behind the gag. She lays next to my cut-up and bloody body.

"Good night."

The last thing I remember is slipping deeper into endless darkness.

I noticed two dark red chairs in the distance.

-Feliciano-

Two dark red chairs sat facing each other in the dark. Feliciano walked in and sat down in one of them. Luciano walked into the room and sat down in the other chair. Feliciano smirked at him.

"So here we are," he said.

"Yes," Luciano said.

"What do you want from me?"

"I want to live in your world."

"Why would you do that?"

"Why do you want to live in this world?"

"Because I want to."

"Well, I want to too." Luciano flipped open his blade. He ran his tongue along the flat side of the blade. Feliciano didn't look impressed.

"And where would that leave me?" he asked.

"You will still exist."

"But?"

Luciano raised his eyebrow. "But?"

"There has to be a catch. Come on. What is it? What's the catch?"

"Heh. Aren't you a sharp one? Well, there is one."

"And what would that be?"

"You will just be disappearing more into the background."

"And why would I want that?"

"Why do you want to live here?"

"I don't know."

Luciano gave him a peculiar look. "You don't know?"

Feliciano shrugged. "There isn't much here anymore."

"What about parties, pasta, wine, gambling, money, and women?"

"They don't really matter. They just feel the same after a while."

Luciano frowned. "Wow. You really are dead inside."

"Am I?"

"Well, yeah."

"Heh. I guess I am."

"So… can I live in your world?"

Feliciano shrugged. "Sure."

Luciano raised his eyebrow. "Are you serious?"

The other man leaned back in his chair. "Sure. I mean, why not? It would make things more interesting."

The darker man smirked. "And how can I be sure that this isn't a trick of some sort?"

"You don't."

"Heh. You're an odd one now."

"I get that a lot."

Luciano took out a cigarette and lit up. "You know something? I think we're going to like this new world."

Feliciano raised his eyebrow. "We're?"

"Yeah. Interested?"

"Sure. I don't have anything else to do."

"I like your style." Luciano stuck out his hand. "I think I am going to like living in this world with you."

"Right…" The men shook hands.

"Nice having this chat with you."

"Uh-huh."

The men walked out of the empty room with only two chairs. They made it out onto the empty morning streets of Rome. As they walked down to parts unknown, Feliciano looked up to see a group of women dressed in black walking in the opposite direction on the other side of the street.

-Arthur-

The season of the witch is here. More of them are coming out in Europe. It started out just in England. However, they know that the end is coming. Now is the time to reclaim what is theirs. Mam was there to lead the way.

Arthur looked around to see a sea of shadows walking around him. Everywhere he looked there were black robes. They never made eye contact with him. They never spoke to him. But yet, he felt at peace with them. This was the first time in a long time that he felt at ease. He closed his eyes and smiled to himself. The Englishman could hear a faint voice of a woman singing.

Allison led the way. This was her movement after all. She already had two of the archangels already awake. However, it is not complete. There is still Gabriel missing. Her daughters can't find it. Allison gritted her teeth.

"Is something wrong, mother?" one of her daughters asked next to her. Allison recomposed herself before turning her head.

"Nothing," she lied. "Nothing at all. Let's just enjoy tonight." Hecate smirked to herself. She already knows this plan is going to fail. Right now, she's bidding her time. Everything has to be just right before she can act on her own plans.

"Is something funny?" Allison asked. Her daughter smiled and shook her head.

"No," she lied. Her mother clicked her tongue before she regained her composure. No daughter of hers was going to ruin this big night.

Arthur followed behind the crowd of witches. He followed them. Where once they were his tormentors, they now became his savors. The singing filled his chest. A drunk catlike smile came onto his face.

Across the street, Oliver watched him. So good to see his counterpart awake again. Maybe they can finally meet and talk properly. Oliver was going to miss tonight. This was important to his plans after all. He couldn't help but smirk.

"That's my boy," he said to himself. Oliver took out his pipe and lit it up. He too followed along in the crowd.

Allison led her family down to Bunhill Fields. She held out her hands. Everyone stopped behind her. The nightcomer pulled out a red book of matches. She drew out a match and struck it. The little light ignited on the tip. Allison closed her eyes and started chanting. The fire jumped at the tip. She smiled over a large circle of white stones and mushrooms. Allison tossed down the match. She held her hands up in the air. Small sparks exploded at her feet. The daughters joined hands. Across the way, Oliver flicked out his cigarette.

"And now comes the interesting part," he said. The man slowly walked over to the crowd of nightcomers. By now, the sparks danced around and connected with each other. A cold smile spread across Allison's smile.

"My lord of darkness, come to us!" she commanded. "Come to us! We beseech you! Come to us! We await your blessing!" The daughters howled in the night. Thick black smoke formed on the ground. It started to swirl around faster. There was no heat, however. No, in fact, the air got colder. Allison reached towards the smoke. Small crystals appeared on her fingers. Hecate kept her eyes focused on the display. Her mother was really going to do this. The nightcomer chuckled to herself.

"Well, well, well," she said under her breath. "This should be an interesting gambit to get ahead. Mother must be desperate." This type of ritual couldn't be executed so recklessly. It would take a witch with great power in order to pull it off. Allison would have the skills to match. Whoever summoned the great beast of the night would control hell. That was only half of the ritual. The question was who was he going to choose.

The smoke started to turn fiery red and swirled to the sky. Allison threw back her head and laughed.

"Come to us!" she shouted. The smoke and fire bellowed out. She held out her arms as if she was going to be martyred. Allison closed her eyes and howled. A veil of darkness covered everyone.

Arthur felt chills all over his body. He looked up as the world fell away around him. However, he knew that he wasn't alone.

A heavy breath panted on the back of his neck. The Englishman slowly glanced behind him. Somehow, Arthur wasn't afraid. A little smile spread across his face. The Englishman turned around. And there he was.

A giant black wolf towered over him. The deep red eyes glowed in the dark. The scar on its right eye glowed like fire. He held a lantern of fire between his teeth. Arthur could hear the beast's heart pounding in his ears.

"Soul of England," the canine beast's voice growled in his head. "What do you truly desire?" Arthur didn't have to think about how to answer.

"I want the pain to stop. Please… Set me free," he pleaded. He moved his hand to his chest. The beast bowed his head.

"Very well," he said. "Place your hand on my head." Arthur reached out and turned the beast on the head. A deep chill ran through his body. The Englishman heavily breathed out. Swirls of darkness filled his eyes. He started to see all inches of time and space. Stars and fire flew by him. A mix of noises filled his ears. His body started to shake violently. Arthur's eyes rolled back into his head. He let out a loud gasp. He felt his body grow stiff.

"You and I have made our pact," the beast said. "I am at your service. You are free to use me as you see fit." He vanished into thin air. The Englishman fell into a sea of nothingness.

Arthur's body hit the grass back in real life.

"Arthur!" one of the daughters screamed. The other nightcomers crowded around him. Allison stood back, not surprised.

"So he has made his decision," she said. "I will accept." Hecate stood behind her and smirked.

"Heh," was all she said.

"Look! Up there!" one of the other nightcomers shouted. "In the sky!" All of the women looked up to see a figure with bloody red wings flying in the sky.

-Ivan-

Today was the day of the launch. Ivan didn't look interested. This was going to work. He already knew that it would. Still, this didn't interest the Russian man. None of this game interested him. His boss pushed him into this game. However, there was something that caught his attention as of late.

Alisa ran a brush through her deep blonde hair. She looked so thin under the dim bathroom light. Something about her seemed off. Why was she the only one who got to talk to Fyodor directly? What made her so special? The others hadn't questioned it so far. Only Adrik had his concerns. He seemed to know something about the mysterious leader that the others didn't. Ivan saw the way he looked at Alisa when he thought that no one was looking. What did he know exactly?

Ivan resolved to corner Adrik when the time was right to get him alone. There was something in the other man that was itching to get out.

Valya's debut would be six hours from now. To Alisa, everything had to be perfect. Vozrozhdeniye had to send Tandeki a clear message. If they were not going to share their beloved tadpoles, then the Russian group would show them that they weren't the only ones to create godlike beings in this game. They would come to fear their siren. If everything went well, Valya wouldn't be the only one. She would have brothers and sisters to follow. This world would not be of tadpoles, but of sirens and tadpoles together!

Alisa held out her arms under the dim, cloudy sky.

"Gentlemen, this is our dawn of a new era!" she said. The men stared at her in silence. They were saving the celebration for when the launch happens. Ivan looked down at the crowded streets below. There were more than people below. The demons keep multiplying. Ivan couldn't ignore them anymore. How would Valya fair against them?

Five more hours until the debut. There wasn't much to do around the city. The group would definitely stand out. If they were going to go out, they would have to do it in pairs. Ivan found that the perfect opportunity to talk to Adrik. He found him in the hotel café. He walked up to his table. Adrik looked up.

"Is something on your mind, Ivan?" he asked.

"Take a with me," was all the tall Russian man said. Adrik stared at him for a moment. His eyes shifted away from him. Ivan waited silently.

"Fine," he said. He finished his coffee and followed Ivan out of the café. Adrik paid on his way out.

Four more hours until the debut. Ivan and Adrik didn't speak at first. The smaller man waited with bated breath. He looked at Ivan.

"What did you want to ask me?" he asked. Ivan didn't make eye contact with him.

"It's her, isn't it?" he asked. Adrik kept his eyes forward.

"I don't know what you are talking about," he said in a low voice. The men blended in with the crowd but stood out. Adrik shoved his hands into his pockets.

"You aren't allowed to say anything, are you?" Ivan asked. The other man turned his head away. That response was all that Ivan needed to know.

"How long have you known?" he asked.

"I am not allowed to say," Adrik said in a low voice. He turned to Ivan with a desperate look in his eyes.

"Please don't say anything," he said. Ivan didn't speak. Adrik tried to calm down. He might not know all of the details. Just don't push the subject further than it needs to go. Keep quiet and everything should be fine. How long were they going to be walking like this? Oh boy…

Three more hours until the debut. The city doesn't notice them. They had their own demons to contend with. Quite literally. Ivan could see them everywhere they went. Adrik could see them too. The men came to a stoplight. A crowd stood around them. They weren't exactly human, however.

"You see them too?" Adrik whispered.

"Yeah," Ivan said. To the other man's right was a woman. Her long red coat stood out in the crowd. She kept her hat lowered. Adrik couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"Ivan," he whispered. The other Russian man didn't look up. Adrik turned back to the woman next to him. She held out her hand to the night sky. The scientist couldn't take his eyes off of her. She mumbled something under her breath. Adrik frowned.

"What did you say?" he asked. The woman suddenly turned her head. Her lips slowly moved up and down.

Everything grew silent around them. It felt like time had stopped. The woman didn't make a sound, but Adrik could hear her loud and clear. His heart sank into his stomach.

"No…"

A hand grabbed him by the shoulder. Adrik turned his head.

"Huh?" he asked. Ivan stared at him with a cold, empty look.

"It's time to go," he said. Adrik blinked at him for a moment.

"Oh… Right, right," he said. The light changed to walk and the men crossed the street. Adrik took one look behind him. The woman was gone. The scientist couldn't help but feel that something really dark coming for them.

Ivan had to drag him back to the hotel.

Two more hours until the debut. Alisa smirked to herself. She had been waiting for this for so long. She squealed as she kicked her legs up and down on the bed. Katerina sat across the room, frowning. She took a smoke.

"I don't understand your enthusiasm," the woman muttered. Alisa looked up at her.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Katerina flicked out her cigarette.

"This better be worth my money," she said.

"It will be," the scientist said. Katerina sneered as she took another smoke. Alisa frowned as she narrowed her eyes.

"What?" she asked.

"Oh nothing, just…" the other woman said. The scientist raised her eyebrow.

"What?" she asked. Katerina crossed her legs in the red plush armchair.

"How long do you plan to keep up this rouse?" she asked. Alisa pretended to look confused.

"Why Katerina, I have no idea what you are talking about," she said. The other woman snorted.

"Cut the bullshit," she said. "You and I both know the truth." Alisa sat back and folded her arms across her chest.

"And how long have you known?" she asked.

"Heh," Katerina said. She flicked out her cigarette.

"It wasn't hard to figure out," the rich woman said. "Why were you the only one who got to talk to Fyodor? How come we've never seen him in person? Have you even seen what he looks like?" She looked Alisa in the eye. The scientist has a frosty look on her face. What was running in her head? Maybe she was thinking about how to kill Katerina and hide the body? The rich woman would've loved to see her try. She snubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray.

"I don't care, really," Katerina said. "Keep your secrets. Just don't waste my money." Alisa had a tight-lipped smile on her face.

"Of course," she said. Karp sure married a dangerous woman.

One more hour until the debut. Adrik and Ivan were in the lobby of the hotel now. The former seemed to be lost in thought.

"Hey Ivan," he spoke up. The other man pushed the up button. He glanced over his shoulder. Adrik hesitated with his train of thought. This was ridiculous. He was a scientist. He wasn't supposed to believe in ghosts. There had to be a logical explanation. Adrik lifted his chin.

"Do you believe in omens?" he asked.

"No," Ivan said. The doors slid open. He stepped inside. Adrik kind of frowned. That was it? No further questions? No debates? Nothing. The scientist folded his arms across his chest.

"Well that was disappointing," he muttered to himself.

"You coming?" Ivan asked. Adrik looked up.

"Oh, no," he said. "I'm just going to hang out here for a little while. Go on without me."

"Alright," the other Russian man said. Ivan released the open button. The doors slid closed. Adrik gave him a little wave goodbye.

For some reason, he remembered a village back in his childhood. His father took him here during the winter. From what he could remember, they were somewhere in Siberia. The scientist couldn't place the reason why they were at this village in the first place. Just by coming up to the entry, young Adrik could sense something wrong. His father nudged him along.

"Go on," he said. Young Adrik walked through the snow. An eerie howling filled the winter air. The lights were on in the cabin, but the whole village felt empty. Young Adrik shivered as he walked. They shouldn't be here. This was a village for the dead. His father leaned down to his ear.

"Look up," he whispered. Young Adrik looked up at the dark winter sky. The color drained from his face. Blackened shadows floated in the sky. They all had long limbs and no faces. He could hear them howling in pain. Young Adrik's heart pounded against his chest.

"Don't look away," his father said. "Look at them. Look at them!" The young boy had to stare up at the sky at the shadows. They slowly rotated in place as they floated.

"W-W-What are they?" the boy asked. His father rested his hand on his shoulder.

"They are trapped here," he whispered. "They died and can't move on." His son looked up at him.

"Why can't they move on?" he asked.

"It's the village," his father said. "Once the people die here, they cannot escape. They linger here as a warning to everyone who has the misfortune to come here."

"Can't they be freed in any way?" Young Adrik asked.

"I'm afraid not," his father said. "You can only watch them hoover in the sky." Father and son watched the shadows linger in the sky.

Adrik shook his head. Why would he be thinking about that now?

Suddenly, his phone rang. He reached into his pocket and pulled it out.

"Hello?" the scientist asked.

"You see them too? Ivan asked on the other line. Adrik froze.

"How did you know?" he asked. The scientist turned around. He was the only one left in the lobby. His heart sank to his stomach.

"Oh…" he mumbled to himself. Adrik hurried to the stairs with his phone in his hand.

The moment was here. All Vozrozhdeniye was on the hotel roof at three in the morning. The cage sat in the middle with the members crowded around it. Katerina took a drag of her cigarette.

"Get this over with," she said. "I want to go to bed." Karp rested his hand on her shoulder.

"Calm down, dear," he whispered. His wife side-eyed him. Alisa wanted up to the covered cage. She grinned as she held out her arms.

"Comrades!" she shouted. "Our time has come! We shall show Tandeki that we are just as capable of making our own creatures for the new world! Behold! This is the dawn of a new era!" Alisa turned and pulled back to the sheet. She reached into her pocket and drew out the key. The scientist smirked to herself as she unlocked the door. Alisa slid open the door. Valya lifted her head. The scientist grinned.

"Welcome to the new world," she said. "Go!" The siren had a wicked grin on her face. She crouched down into position. Alisa counted down in her head.

Five… Four… Three… Two…

"One," Alisa said. Valya took flying like a rocket. She floated above the group of scientists. The edges of her long black dress waved around her ankles. Her wings were redder than blood. They and her dress took out against her pale skin. Even Ivan whistled at her. Alisa walked forward.

"You are so beautiful," she said. Valya bowed her head. Katerina kind of smiled as she took another drag of her cigarette.

"Now what?" she asked. Alisa held up her hand.

"Behold," she said. Valya spread out her wings and took off towards the sky. The scientists ran forward, watching. Alisa waved like a proud mother.

"Now what?" Katerina asked, flicking out the ashes of her cigarette. The female scientist turned to her with a grin on her face.

"Now we wait and see the results in the coming days," she said. "For now, we hang around Ikebukuro and observe everything around us." The men all applauded. Even Ivan looked impressed. Katerina took another drag of her cigarette.

"Whatever," she muttered to herself. No one paid attention because of their clapping.

Adrik happened to turn his head and look in the distance. He could've sworn he saw a young woman in white pajamas wandering around in an empty room. But such a thing would've been silly, right?

-Noriko-

It felt too bright. I slowly opened my eyes. Oh no. Not this again. There's nothing in this room. It looked like some sort of an office. Only three pillars seemed to hold up the ceiling. The outlets were spaced out on the walls. The lights in the ceiling made my eyes and head hurt. I couldn't feel the tiled floor at my feet. Speaking of which, I looked down at my body. Pajamas again. I had no shoes on. That door was wide open, waiting for me to go through it.

"I don't want to be here!"

Then why don't you get out of here?

I turned around. There was that voice again. I feel like… I know that voice. But I can't remember who it is.

"Who are you?"

I just want to help you.

"But why?"

Do you trust me?

I stood silent. I… I turned around when I heard a silent howling in the distance. Oh no. Something is coming for me. But where? There's nobody in here. But yet…

Just go out the door. It will be okay.

"But where will I go?"

It doesn't matter. You can't stay here. You have to go! Hurry before it catches you!

"What do you mean? What is going to catch me?" I heard that low growl again. This time, it had gotten closer. I noticed that it started to get darker behind me. An icy feeling formed in my chest.

You don't have much time! Run!

I don't have a choice. I tightly shut my eyes. I took off running towards the door. Cold prickles ran down my back. I didn't bother to look back. I never heard my feet make a sound.

I opened my eyes again. Silence. I couldn't hear anything at all.

I made the mistake of opening my eyes and looking around. This didn't feel right either. I found myself in the hall of what looked like a hotel lobby. I felt like I was in The Shining. The zig-zagged brown and tan carpet made my eyes hurt. The dim lights didn't help either. Three elevators stood before me. One to the left, one to the right, and one in front of me.

"Which way do I go?"

Go straight!

It felt like a trap. Maybe I should go back.

You can't go back.

I looked above me at the endless ceiling. "Are you watching me?"

Yes.

My blood ran cold. I looked around wildly. I am alone. There is no one here. But how am I hearing their voice?

"Who are you? How are you talking to me like this?" No answer.

"Hello? Are you still there? Hello?" I felt my heart pounding against my chest. I gulped. "Y-Y-You want me to go into the elevator up ahead?" No answer. There it was again. That low howling made my stomach turn. Slowly, the darkness was coming towards me.

You don't have time to ask questions! Go!

I didn't have to argue back. I took off running towards the elevator. I pressed the up button. There was no time to think. My heart pounded against my chest as the numbers counted down (or was it up?). I didn't need to turn around to know that it was coming closer. I shut my eyes, praying that the doors would open. The doors finally slid open. I darted in as fast as I could.

No, this wasn't it either.

This time, I was outside. I'm standing on grass, but I can't feel it. Actually, I did feel something at my feet. It felt more like astroturf that I was standing on. I couldn't tell if it was day or night. A dense fog lingered around me. I could see my own breath, but I didn't feel cold. They became the least of my worries when I looked forward. A giant fancy-looking mansion stood in the distance. The best way to describe this house is that it looked like something out of Western design seen in the 1800s. I trembled as I looked at this house. My heart pounded against my chest as I panted heavily. I already knew what that voice would want. I shook my head as I took a step back.

You have to go up to the door and go inside.

"I don't want to!"

You have to. You can't stay out here.

I heard that howling sound again. Only, it had gotten closer. I whipped my head around. I thought I was going to choke.

You have to calm down. You will only draw it closer to you if you panic. Listen to my voice. Close your eyes.

I slowly drew my eyes closed.

Now breathe slowly.

I took in a slow, deep breath.

And breathe out slowly.

I slowly breathed out.

Do it again.

I did this about three more times. Strangely, I started to feel better.

Now walk up to the house and go inside.

Somehow, arguing wouldn't work. I winced as I walked up to the house. I felt my heart pounding against my chest. I didn't want to do this, but I felt like an invisible hand was pushing me forward. I wanted to get out of here. But who was to say that I actually would? I could end up in another strange place. How many times had I done this before? It doesn't matter anymore. I want to go home.

I will get you home. Just trust me.

I walked up the steps to the front door. Sure, it looked normal. I knew better. What was waiting for me on the other side? My hand trembled as I reached for the knob.

Do it!

I took in a breath and opened the door. I couldn't see anything inside. Without another thought, I walked into that creepy house.

This didn't feel right either. I didn't want to open my eyes, but I felt compelled to do so. This time, I was in the middle of a grocery store. One that hadn't been stocked in years. I had never seen so many empty shelves in my life. It was then I noticed that my feet weren't touching the ground. I gasped aloud.

"What the-?!"

Stay calm. Stay calm.

I whipped my head around. Why would I do that? It's not like I could see them. I started to notice how cold I felt.

Calm down. Don't forget to breathe.

I took in a large gulp of breath. My heart pounded against my chest. Wait… what is that? I turned and looked behind me. Nothing to my left. Nothing to my right. A shock of static skipped through my ear. I gasped as I rubbed on my right ear. No sound came out of my mouth.

You can't stay here. Get out of here now!

"And go where?"

It doesn't matter right now. They already know you are here.

My eyes grew so wide. "What are you talking about? Who already knows I'm here?"

There isn't any time. Just run!

I didn't argue. I took off running through the aisles. The static buzzing in my ears made my head feel like it was underwater. My jaw tightened as I seemed to be running aimlessly. My eyes began to water. Where was I going? It didn't help that I couldn't run properly on air. Where did this cold air come from on my skin? I could barely see where I was going. The shelves and aisles started to look the same.

Keeping run! You're just about to the exit.

I didn't have to turn around to know that something was getting closer. I held my hands closer to my ears. The static sound grew louder as I tried not to fall down on my face. At one point, I could've sworn that someone was pushing me along. I tried to turn my head, but I was forced to look forward again.

Don't look back! We're almost there! Keep running!

"I can't! My feet keep slipping!"

Don't worry! You can't give up! I will carry you along if I have to. You just have to keep running!

Tears ran down my cheeks. My legs felt so sore. I just wanted to collapse onto the ground and cry. But this… Being wouldn't let me stop running. An invisible hand was pushing on my back as hard as it could now. This wasn't me moving my body. Something was moving it for me. Even if I were to fall to pieces, they still wouldn't let me stop. My tears felt so hot against my cheeks.

There! Look! We're at the checkout lines!

"Huh?"

Though it hurt, I managed to open my eyes for one glimpse. The voice was right! I was running towards the checkout lines. Just beyond them were the doors. I can make it. I'm just about there. I pushed myself to move despite the invisible hand pushing. I made it through the checkout lines and out the glass doors. I didn't even hear them slide open.

No, this isn't right either. I am not awake. I'm still dreaming. I can't wake up. I can't wake up. This time, I found myself in the hallway of the hospital. It looked like it was the graveyard shift. There was no one in sight. I started to step backward as an overwhelming feeling of sadness washed over me. Strange memories filled my head. I was in a hospital bed after a baby's funeral. I moved my hand to my chest. It didn't make any sense. I never had a child. I'm only eighteen and I'm still single.

Then… why do these tears keep falling?

Okay, listen to me. You can't stay here. You have to keep moving. We managed to get ahead of them for the time being. I don't know how long that will last. Pull yourself together and walk down the hall.

"But why am I crying like this?"

You're just starting to remember who you used to be.

"What does that mean?"

Don't worry about that. Keep walking.

"But…"

Keep going. I will tell you everything you want to know. You have to get out of here. You don't have much time.

I wiped the tears from my eyes. "Okay." I began walking down the hall. With each step, my heart felt so heavy. I held my son after the doctor's cut his cord. My son. When I first saw him, my heart felt whole. He smelt like sunflowers. The first time I ended up in the hospital, I learned that I was pregnant.

Where was all of this coming from? Was this part of this dream? Did I actually experience being a first-time mother? Did I really hold a baby who smelt like sunflowers?

You can't focus on that right now!

I wiped away my tears. "You're right. You're right." I started walking forward. I wasn't aware that I had about stopped walking.

"Why does it hurt so much?"

I will tell you everything when we meet. I promise. But you have to get out of here and get back to your world.

I wiped away my tears again. "I hate this."

I know. But you can't stop. This place will drain you. I don't want you to be stuck here forever. You have to keep moving.

"Okay." I started walking again. Wait… when did this hallway get so dark? I started rubbing on my right arm.

"I don't like this."

I know. This is why you have to keep moving.

"I know, I know." The hall got darker the further I walked. The vague notion of cold started to plague my body. Still, that voice won't let me stop. I looked up at the blackening ceiling over my head.

"I don't understand you." The tears wouldn't stop filling my eyes.

Understand what?

"Why are you helping me so much?" My lips trembled as I said that. My voice was probably trembling too.

It's because I care about you.

"But why? I don't even know you."

Never mind that. You have to keep going. The door is just up ahead.

I lifted my head. Sure enough, there was a door leading out. I tried to walk faster, but my legs felt so sluggish. Through my tears, I started to panic.

"W-What's happening to me?"

This corner is trying to trap you.

"What?! I can't move!"

Here, let me help you.

I felt my body being pushed along down the darkened hall. I didn't get time to react fast this invisible hand was pushing me along. I was already out the door.

No, this wasn't right either. Cramped. It's too cramped in here. I took a look around me. I was in some sort of a kitchen. This looked like a kitchen that would be part of a starter home. I don't think I've seen so much wooden before in my life. The kitchen looked normal. Too normal. The shiny counter looked like it had been cleaned too much. Was the faucet even working? Even the microwave in the wall seemed too normal. Something about this place felt familiar, but couldn't explain why…

I reached up and touched my right cheek. Hey, I'm not crying anymore. How about that? But then I froze. My eyes shifted left and right.

"Who's there?"

It's only me.

I slowly shook my head. "No… There's someone else here." I jerked my head around. This place was quiet. Too quiet.

Your heart's beating so fast.

"Huh?" I could feel my heart pounding hard enough to make my ears right. I hadn't noticed it until just now. My head started pounding. I leaned against the sink and rubbed my forehead.

"I think I'm going to be sick."

Don't forget to breathe. Close your eyes and breathe in slowly.

I closed my eyes and took a slow breath in.

Breathe out slowly.

I slowly breathed out.

Breathe in.

I took another breath. We did this exercise about two more times. I felt myself calming down.

"Okay, where do we go now?"

Take a look around you.

I looked up in front of me. There was another door behind me. It didn't look so far away this time. I should be used to this by now, but I'm not.

Don't worry. I'm here with you.

An invisible pair of hands grabbed my arms. I felt a doll being walked towards the door. I was just glad to be out of there. The strong static shot through my right ear. I winced in pain.

Something wrong?

"My ear hurts." I winced again in pain.

Don't focus on that now. We're almost to the door. Keeping breathing.

I quickly nodded. That door was right there, but yet it felt so far away. The breathing did help me calm down long enough to get there.

We're just about there.

"Okay." I was pushed up to the door. The hand moved my arm towards the handle. It took me a few more times before I touched the handle. I pushed down on it and opened the door. I was practically flung through the other side.

This isn't right either. I opened my eyes and looked around. What is it now? I couldn't see anything around me. That claustrophobic feeling started to weigh down on me. I thought I was going to choke. I reached out in the darkness. My hand touched a wall. I would have to say that it was inches away from my face. On instinct, I reached up to touch the other side. How narrow was this hallway?

I froze as a realization came over me. No… I started shaking my head. No… No. No. No! My heart pounded against my chest. I swallowed hard.

Get a hold of yourself!

A pair of hands grabbed onto my shoulders.

We can't stay here. We have to go now. Look ahead of you.

I looked down the long, dark hall. I could see a light in the distance. I narrowed my eyes for a better look.

"What is that?" Was that a… chair? The hands started to pull me forward.

We can't stay here. We have to go!

I quickly shook my head.

No?

I shook my head. "No! Don't make go down there! I won't do it!"

You don't have a choice. We have to go, now!

"I won't do it!" I folded my arms across my chest and sat down on the ground. "No! I'm not going!" I paused when I heard a low growling behind me. I didn't turn my head. I wasn't going to move from this spot. I tried to ignore the static in my ear.

So you're just going to stay here forever?

"I don't want to."

Then you have to get up and get out of here.

I shook my head and drew my knees to my chest.

What's the matter?

I lowered my head. "I'm scared."

Don't worry about that. You have me.

"But I don't even know you."

That doesn't matter! You have to get out of here! Come on. Hands tried to pull me up, but I refused to budge.

You're being a baby. Get up.

I was about to speak when I heard a low growling noise behind me.

"What was that?" I started to turn my head, but the hand forced it forward.

Don't look! You have to get going now.

"What do you mean? Why?"

We don't have time! Get up and let's go!

"I don't want to!"

If they catch you, you'll be trapped here forever! Is that what you want? I can't bear to lose you again!

I lifted my head. "What do you say?" Suddenly, I was violently pulled to my feet. I found myself dragged down the hall before I could say anything.

Please don't argue with me. I am not going to do this with you again. I will have to drag you along if I have to. I refuse to let them trap you again. Got it? They didn't give me a chance to answer. I got pulled further down the hall. The walls were closing in tighter around me as the light up ahead grew brighter.

Hm? What did you say?

"Church in the west."

What about it?

I shook my head. Why was I thinking about a Western church? I think… I think this might be my penitence of some sort. I don't know for what or for who?

You're starting to remember, aren't you?

"Remember what?"

There is so much that I want to tell you. But let's focus on getting you back to reality. I can't tell you anything right now. Please… don't ask any more questions until then.

The light at the end of the hall grew even brighter. I got a better look at what was up ahead. A chair? Suddenly, I was flung straight into this simple wooden chair. I looked up at the ceiling. The bright light made my eyes hurt.

"Now what?" I turned when I heard whispering around me. That static came back in my ear. I gasped as I rubbed my ears. I think I was screaming at one point, but my voice couldn't be heard over the silence. I thought my head was going to split open. I prayed that the pain would be taken away. Tears ran down my cheeks. I thought my head was going to split open.

"I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"

Then suddenly, it stopped.

When I opened my eyes, I wasn't in the room or that chair anymore. Still, this didn't feel right. Now, I stood in front of two doors. They weren't in front of me. I was more of in a corner. Could something like this be possible? Both of them could lead to a trap. I could hear the whispers from the other side. No, they sounded more like demonic chanting. I slowly backed away. This isn't right. This isn't right! But I already know that I don't have a choice. My heart pounded against my chest. I looked at both doors.

"Which way do I go?"

Just pick a door.

This time, a loud howling filled the air. I think my left ear started bleeding. My jaw began to ache. I reached forward to open the door. My vision began to swim. The Western church kept jumping around in my head. Why would I be thinking about something like that? What are the Eastern and Western churches? What do they mean to me? My head felt like it was swimming.

That's when I noticed it. When did it get so quiet? I slowly turned my head. It started to get darker behind me.

Not good! Pick a door! Quick!

"Which one do I choose?"

It doesn't matter! You have to hurry! They all already know you are here. You don't have much time. I will cover you, but you have to hurry!

"Okay!" I took in a breath. I started to reach for one of the doors. Wait… I think last time I went to the door on the left and it didn't go well. Remembering this brought another thought to mind.

Why are you hesitating? You will be trapped here if they catch you. Pick one or I'll have to do it.

I lowered my hand.

What are you doing?

"Tell me something."

What?

I asked the question that I had been buried deep in my mind ever since this dream started. There was a pause. I didn't expect an answer. But then that voice whispered one thing that convinced me what I needed to do next.

"I understand."

I chose the door on the right.

No, this wasn't right either. I was in the hallway of my school. At least, it looked like my school. I backed up to my door.

"I don't feel so good."

Don't worry. You have me. Do you see a door anywhere?

I looked to my left and then I looked to my right. There was another door down the hall. I remembered everything this voice told me. Could I trust them? I don't know. All I know is that I can't stay here anymore. Though sometimes I wondered if that would be a bad thing.

Stay focused.  You can't get trapped here. We're almost out of there.

A spark of hope leaped in my chest. But it died instantly as I remembered how this maze went. Cautious optimism filled my being. The silence around me didn't help.

"We aren't alone, are we?"

No.

"Who's here with us?" The voice didn't answer.

"Who is here with us?"

My father. You don't have time. We have to move now.

I didn't need to ask. That static sound filled my ears. I thought my ears were going to bleed. My head hurt worse than it ever had.

"Help… me…"

Don't worry, I have you! The hand grabbed me by the arm and pulled me down the hall. I didn't fight back. The static in my ears made me feel drained. My limbs felt so limp. More memories came back to me. But are they really my memories? I don't know what to think anymore. I drew my eyes closed, resigned to my fate.

Stay with me! You're almost home! You can't give up on me now!

"What?" I ended up flung through the back doors.

No… Not this part again. When I opened my eyes, my fears were confirmed. I found myself standing in front of that damned pool. That darkened water looked so choppy. I started backing away.

"No… No! I don't want to do this!"

There came those voices again.

Dive in! Dive in! Dive in! Dive in! Dive in!

"No! Don't make me do this! I can't!"

Dive in! Dive in! Dive in! Dive in! Dive in!

"I can't. I can't." I sank down to my knees, crying. I didn't know why I was so scared of this damned pool. Something inside told me not to go in. It was almost like something dire could happen if I did. But I didn't want to be trapped in this endless dreamscape forever. I buried my head in my hands.

"What should I do?! I'm scared and I don't know what to do! Please… Help… Me…" I couldn't stop sobbing. The tears wouldn't stop flowing from my eyes. Suddenly, a hand rested on my back. I froze as that one voice whispered in my ear.

You can do this. I will be with you the whole way.

That was all I needed to hear for some reason. I rose to my feet as if in a trance. I crouched down into a runner's position. The voice counted down for me.

Three… Two… One!

I flew straight towards the edge. That nagging fear built up in my throat again, but I managed to push through. I shut my eyes and dove right in feet first.

I hit the water with a dull splash.

The water didn't feel cold. It didn't feel hot either. I couldn't feel anything on my skin and clothes. It didn't even feel like water around me. I seemed to have sunken into a jelly-like substance. My body was sinking down rapidly. The pressure started crushing down on me. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't scream. My body kept dropping faster than a rock. I know I have thought this many times before, but I thought that I was going to die. I started praying to myself. I didn't know why I did this. I couldn't even hear that voice who led me to my doom. The last thing I could remember before blacking up was seeing the blood from my ears floating upwards.

I woke up in my bed. At least I think it's my bed. I reached up and touched the sides of my ears. I moved my right foot under the sheets. I moved my left arm by my side. I looked down at my body. I'm back, somehow. I breathed out in relief. This is it. I'm back in reality.

But that relief is short-lived. Would I end up back in the dreamscape again? I didn't want to think about that. I got out of bed and walked over to the bathroom for the day.

Meanwhile, there was a new file uploaded in the Dollars chatroom.

Chapter Text

Match Twenty: Hazel:

Alfred stood over Baby Florence. How could someone so small sway a person? He had never had to care about anyone but himself. Then Florence and Lydia came along. He actually started to care more. Not just about his girls. He started to care more about his fellow allies. Now, he is taking care of a little baby.

He's going to have to care more than ever now.

Someone's been stalking them. Alfred didn't have any proof. Just a notion. Police can't do anything on a notion. Still, Alfred knew that he had to do something. Lydia ordered a security system for the houses.

"Is that really necessary, dude?" he asked. She looked over her shoulder with her phone to her ear.

"You can't be too careful," she said. He couldn't argue with her. She did have a point. A company came by on a Tuesday morning. They set up the alarm system and the cameras. Alfred couldn't help but wonder if this was going to be enough.

His finger caressed the baby's right cheek. So small. So vulnerable. Alfred wanted to keep his daughter by his side forever. The American man kissed her on the forehead. He looked up when heard a knock on the door. Lydia stood in the doorway.

"Oh, it's you," he said.

"Can't sleep either?" she asked.

"No," the American man said.

"Me neither," Lydia said. She walked over to his side. The young woman looked down at the baby in her crib.

"Do you watch her sleep every night?" she asked.

"Yeah," Alfred said. "Isn't she beautiful?"

"Yes," Lydia said with a nod.

"You know something?" he asked. "Watching her sleep does something to me. It kind of calms me down, you know?"

"I understand that," Lydia said. She held her hand to her belly. Alfred glanced over at her.

"Hey," he said.

"Hm?" Lydia asked.

"Are you going to keep the baby?" he asked. Lydia lowered her eyes.

"Yes," she mumbled. She held her hands to her stomach. He reached out and touched her arm.

"I'm here if you need support," the American man said. Lydia pressed her lips together. She slowly backed away.

"What?" he asked. "Did I do something wrong?" She shook her head.

"No," she said. Alfred frowned.

"Why do you hate me?" he asked.

"I don't," she muttered. "I'm just…" Lydia trailed off. He's proved himself worthy of trust. He was good with her sister and he was good with his daughter. So… What's the big problem? Lydia shook her head.

"Forget it," she said.

"Lydia," Alfred said.

"Forget it," she said again. She folded her arms across her chest. The American man sighed.

"Fine," he said. Lydia shook her head to herself.

"I don't hate you," she said again under her breath.

"Hm?" Alfred asked. Lydia turned and walked out of the nursery. The American man stared at she walked out of the darkened room. Lydia closed the door behind her. Alfred turned his attention back to the baby. Baby Florence was still sound asleep.

"I don't know what to do with her," he whispered to the child. The American man shook his head to himself.

Alfred had been kept out of the loop of what's been going on lately. He hadn't noticed it until Allen brought it to his attention.

He was back in the living room. This wasn't his living room. It wasn't the girls' living room either. Where was this place?

"You're in my house."

Alfred turned around. Allen sat on the couch, watching him. The dark counterpart smirked at him.

"Why am I here?" the American man asked. Allen snorted.

"You always ask me that question every time we meet," he said. "Why can't you remember what we were talking about?" The dark version of himself rubbed his forehead.

"Frankly, I'm getting tired of explaining it to you," he said.

"I have to get back to my baby," Alfred said.

"I know," Allen said. The light counterpart looked around the room.

"Where is the door?" he asked. "What did you do with the door?"

"Oh, that old thing? I took it out of here," the darker America said.

"What?"

Allen sighed and rolled his eyes. "You're always going on and on about that damned baby. I can barely keep your attention long enough to talk to. Now that I've trapped you here, we can talk properly. Isn't that great?"

"I have to get back to my daughter," Alfred said. Allen threw back his head and groaned.

"Again with that baby?!" he asked. "Forget about that little brat! Come! Sit down!" The American man's body went stiff.

"What… What's happening to me?" he asked. Alfred found himself walking over to the couch. He tried to stop himself but found it impossible. The American man took a seat next to his darkened double.

"Much better," Allen said. Alfred's eyes shifted back and forth. The darkened man gave him a cold smirk.

"Now we can really talk," he said. He was grinning now.

On the outside, Lydia walked up to Alfred's front door. This wasn't like him. The American man would've called if he was going to be running late. He wouldn't bail on his own daughter. Something had to be wrong.

Lydia knocked on the door.

"Alfred! Are you up? It's me!" she shouted. She knocked on the door again. No answer came. This was not good. Lydia searched around for the spare key that Alfred kept hidden in the box by the door. She dug around in the hole while trying to calm down.

Maybe he's just sick. That's right. He's just sick and I just yell at him for not calling. It will all be fine. It's going to be fine.

Lydia found the key and pulled it out. She stuck it into the lock.

Allen turned to the wall where the door should be.

"Ah," he said. "Looks like your sissy-pooh is here." Alfred lifted his head.

"What?" he asked. His darker counterpart smirked.

"I wonder what fun I could have with her when she comes into the house," he said. The color drained from Alfred's face.

"No…" he said. Allen broke down laughing.

Chapter Text

Match Twenty-One: Uninvited Dinner:

Elizabeta's nightmare was just getting started. It started when she made it home from work. She was walking up the driveway to the house. It was her turn to cook dinner. She didn't feel like doing a big meal. Maybe just something quick and small. Yeah, that will work. Elizabeta also had a book that she wanted to catch up on. She hadn't seen that weird woman around lately. That was probably for the best.

"Elizabeta?" an old lady's voice asked. The Hungarian woman paused and turned her head. Her elderly neighbor leaned over the fence. Elizabeta noticed the confused look on her face.

"Good evening, Mrs. Sima," she said.

"Did you already come home?" the old lady asked. Elizabeta blinked at first.

"Uh… what are you talking about?" I asked.

"I saw you coming home early," Mrs. Sima said. "I thought it was weird that you were home early. I tried to say hello, but you dashed up to your door in a hurry. I just thought that you were just too busy to look up." The color slowly drained from Elizabeta's face. No… Don't tell me…

"What did I look like?" the Hungarian woman asked.

"Pardon?" the old lady asked. Elizabeta pointed up and down her body.

"Was I wearing my uniform like this?" she asked. "Was it this color?"

"No," Mrs. Sima said. "You were wearing pink." Elizabeta felt like her soul left her body. The old lady tilted her head.

"Is something wrong, dear?" she asked. The Hungarian woman shook her head.

"No! Uh… Thank you for telling me," she said. Elizabeta turned and ran up to her house.

She went straight to the kitchen. Something told her to go there. Sure enough, Julia was standing in the kitchen, cutting up vegetables. A pot was boiling on the stove. She happily hummed to herself. Elizabeta glared at her double.

"You!" she growled. Julia froze with the cutting and looked up with a huge smile on her face.

"Hey, sugar!" she said in a perky tone. Elizabeta grinned her teeth.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Cooking dinner," Julia said with a smile on her face. The other Hungary looked around the kitchen. Carrots, potatoes, onions, cabbage, beef, turnips, fish, and tomatoes were on the counters. It looked like her double was making a sort of stew.

"This isn't your house," Elizabeta growled.

"Excuse me?" Julia asked.

"Get out of my house!" the other woman yelled. Her double raised her eyebrow.

"But I'm still cooking," she said.

"I was going to do that!" Elizabeta yelled. "Just get out of here!" She grabbed her by the arm. Julia resisted her. She flailed her arms everywhere with the knife in hand.

"Let me go!" she shouted. "I'm not done!"

"Yes, you are!" the other woman yelled. "Get out of my house!" Elizabeta just about got Julia to the kitchen doorway when she heard someone call her name. She froze.

Don't tell me…

The women turned to see Roderich standing inches away from them. The Austrian man looked confused for a moment.

"What's going on here?" he asked. "I thought you already came home."

"No!" Elizabeta shouted. "And what is she doing here?"

"I'm making dinner for the three of us!" Julia said. Elizabeta shot her a cold glance. Roderich perked up at that.

"Dinner? What are we having?" he asked. Elizabeta looked ready to scream.

"No, don't!" she shouted. Julia slipped from her grip.

"Oh, just a special little stew of mine," she said. "You're going to love it!" Her double shot her a cold look. Roderich swallowed back his drool.

"That sounds good," he said. However, the way he said sounded so off. Elizabeta looked between them. Something told her she wasn't going to like where this was heading.

The couple sat at the table. Elizabeta gave Roderich a cold look.

"What are you doing?" she mouthed at him. Her boyfriend had a small, dazed smile on his face.

"Hang on for a moment," Julia said from the kitchen. "Dinner will be ready soon!" Elizabeta gritted her teeth.

"Why did you let her in here?" she hissed. Roderich gave her a blank stare.

"Huh?" he asked. His girlfriend raised her eyebrow.

"What exactly happened?" she asked. The Austrian man rubbed his forehead.

"I don't know," he said. "One minute, I was playing my piano when I heard the front door opening. I thought it was you. And then, I came down and saw the two of together."

"And she's been here all of this time?" Elizabeta asked.

"I guess so…" Roderich said. His girlfriend stared at him. She turned her head towards the kitchen. Julia happily hummed to herself as she was happily at work cooking. She was probably tasting her stew. Elizabeta wasn't going to enjoy whatever dinner was. Was this how she was going to take over her life? What was in that stew? Did she poison it somehow?

"Dinner's just about ready!" Julia called. Roderich perked back up to life. Elizabeta rolled her eyes. She closed her hands around her fork and knife. She would have to strike quickly to fight back. Did that bitch have to hum to herself?

"It smells good," Roderich said. His girlfriend clicked her tongue.

"You're not helping," she hissed. Julia came out into the dining room with a huge pot.

"Dinner's ready!" she said. Julia set out three bowls on the table. She giggled as she served her stew to her dinner "guests".

"This is my personal recipe," she said. First, Julia served Roderich.

"You're going to love this," she whispered. "Eat it with the bread."

"Thank you, it smells really good," the Austrian man said. Julia smiled and walked over to Elizabeta. She started to serve her double.

"At least try it," she said. "I put my heart and soul into this." The other woman tightened her jaw into a forced smile. Julia filled her bowl before she walked over to her spot at the table. She filled up her own bowl and sat down.

"Let's eat!" Julia said. She picked up her spoon and dipped it into the stew.

"Oh, wait!" she said. The couple looked at the other Hungary.

"What?" Elizabeta asked.

"We have to say grace," Julia said. She put up her hands in prayer.

"Are you serious?" her double asked.

"Yes," Julia said. She drew her eyes closed. Roderich followed suit. Elizabeta frowned and got into prayer position.

"Dear Lord, please bless this food. Bless this new fellowship. Bless our new future together. Amen," Julia said. It took Elizabeta's all being not to gag.

"Amen," the couple said. Julia clapped her hands together.

"Let's eat!" she said. The other Hungarian woman picked up her spoon and started eating.

"Mmm! This is good," she said. Elizabeta wrinkled her nose. This had to be a trap. This had to be. She looked up to see Roderich dripping in his spoon and taking a bite. His girlfriend's eyes widened. You, don't! Julia kept her eyes on him.

"Well?" she asked. The Austrian man's face lit up.

"This is like heaven!" he shouted. "I can feel the taste dancing on my tongue!" Roderich started eating up. His girlfriend had a confused look on her face.

"You can't be serious," she said. Elizabeta picked up her spoon and took a taste. It felt like a bomb exploded in her mouth. She looked ready to fly out of her seat. Stars filled her eyes. No… This couldn't be. It didn't take long for Elizabeta to dig in.

Meanwhile, Julia sat smiling the whole time. This dinner was one the start.

"Wait until you see what I have you for dessert!" she said in a chipper tone.

Chapter Text

Match Twenty-Two: Fallen Church:

In the middle of October, a man in his late twenties, maybe it was his late twenties, wandered into Paris in the early morning hours. A fog had rolled in overnight. The remnants hung around. His face didn't show it, but a strange sense of joy filled his chest.

Fit the mood that is to come.

There was one place that he needed to go first.

He made it to Saint Serge. At night, this place looked creepy. There was only a quick smile before the man went inside. He didn't need to wash. Oh look, there was somebody already waiting for me. A nun held her hands to her chest. She had her eyes lowered. No, those weren't her eyes. He knew her true nature.

The man bowed his head as he walked by. The nun didn't acknowledge him. She mumbled something to herself, in fact. The man walked into the church.

The inside looked so different at night. There's no one here, obviously. Well, not physically anyway. He saw shadows in the pews. They all had their heads bowed. The man could almost reach out and touch them. But why would he? That would destroy the scenery.

The man walked down the aisle. He whistled to himself. He didn't remember what the tune was or where it came from. It might not even have existed on this side of the world. Tonight, he was here to see a certain lady.

He paused when he heard singing up ahead. So soft, so beautiful. The man already knew who it was. He walked down the aisle. That same nun from outside stood in front of the altar. This time, she was blindfolded. She sang like an angel, but darkness veiled her true nature. The man looked up and noticed thin red strings holding up her head. The nun moved her finger to her lips.

"Hello, my dear," the man greeted her in a deep, raspy French accent. The nun lowered her finger.

"Good evening," she said. Only, it didn't sound like her voice was coming from her mouth directly. More like, she moved her mouth and the voice was coming from a speaker behind her. The strings moved with her head. He didn't bother cleaning up his appearance for her. Why would he? She didn't care. He walked up to her and kissed her on the lips. She kissed him back.

"And have you been, dear François?" she asked. The man stretched the side of his neck.

"I've been better," he said. "I was getting tired of being on the other side. I can't remember the last time I was here." The shadows looked like they were praying behind them. This church was going to filled by daylight.

"Who else is going to be here tonight?" François asked.

"My master," she said.

"I see," he said. "Is he actually going to be here or is he sending another messenger?" The blind nun only put her finger to her lips.

"Heh," François said. The whispering behind him began to die down. Those shadows were the sins of the people in this city. They never go away. No, where would the fun be in that? The world needed the darkness to go around. Otherwise, true beauty would never see the living world. Everyone talked about the light. To him, the light was overrated. People just needed to embrace the darkness.

"I agree with you," a voice said behind him. François smirked.

"Heh," he said. "Who are you this time?" The gruff man turned around. A pale young woman walked down the aisle. Her long white robes flowed around her frail body. Her long black hair came down to waist.

"Well, hello," François said. "So this is the form that you chose this time?" The girl's feet didn't touch the ground. Her head came up to his chest. François stared into her eyes.

"I thought you couldn't come in here," he said.

"I can't," she said. (She? Was she a she? François could never tell.) The man got a better look at her face. On the surface, she looked like an angel. Her skin looked so pale. Her eyelashes were black and curly. Could eyes be this beautiful and dark blue? She had a small nose. Her lips were so red that it looked like she was wearing rouse.

"Kiss me," she said. He leaned in kissed her. She kissed him back. François could hear her voice in his head.

Your fellow countries are already here. When will you seek out the counterpart?

They pulled away from the kiss.

"I am working on it," François said. He looked over at the shadows in the pews. They don't move. He couldn't make out any features of their shapeless bodies. No one else can see them. They never leave either. They can't right now.

"They will leave here when the time is right," she said. "But right now, they are stuck here." François turned his head.

"What keeps them here?" he asked. The young woman held out her arms.

"Many things," she said. "Sins, lies, guilt, shame, secrets, darkest desires. The human race comes here and leaves them behind. But alas, they don't want to be trapped here. They too want to be free into the world." She held François' hand.

"They will be released soon, but not without your help," she added. "You and him." François bowed his head.

"Understood," he said. The young woman looked up at him with a smirk.

"Would you like to do it with me?" she asked. "You could help to free them faster." François gave her a small smile.

"Gladly," he said. He leaned in and kissed her on the neck. The young woman let off a little gasp. She turned around to face him. Her dress fell to the floor. François embraced her and kissed her on the lips again. He carried her to the back room of the church.

Behind them, the shadows whispered louder without even lifting what was supposed to be their heads. The nun herself smiled before she vanished into thin air.

Francis awoke at sunrise to someone pounding on the door.

"Coming!" the Frenchman shouted. He only had time to throw on a bathrobe. Francis ran down the stairs and made it to the front door. He looked out the peep hole. A wave of confusion washed over his face. What was… he doing on his doorstep. A sense of dread filled his gut. He should turn around and run. He should call the police.

Against his better judgment, Francis reached over and opened the door. François stood outside with a dull expression on his face. The other Frenchman backed away with a worried look on his face.

"Well hello, mon cher frere," he said in a low voice. Francis' breath caught in his throat. Icy chills ran down his body as the dirtier version of him smirked.

Chapter Text

Match Twenty-Three: Osan Gitsune:

Two sides of Japan. They are going in opposite directions. One struggles to get back the sanity he has lost. The other makes his mark in the world that will soon be his. Both desires cannot survive in the same world. Somebody has to lose. The question is which one?

-Kiku-

Nothing is right. Everything is going wrong with the world. They can't see it. They won't believe him. Even his wife is starting to lose hope. But it doesn't have to end like this. The problem is that he doesn't know what to do.

There was one constant, however.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Kiku's just numb to her by now. Tears rolled down her hollow cheeks.

"Aw, what's wrong?" she asked. He didn't speak. This couldn't keep going. Kiku didn't know how to break away from her. Because of her, they avoid him. Maybe they could smell death on his body. Did he really look like a walking corpse? Kiku never looked at mirrors anymore. She would be there, waiting for him. Plus, the mirror was how he got here in the living world. He doesn't know how to put him back. That's not stopping Sena from trying.

"He is not staying here with us!" she said. Sena has been going to shamans, priests, witches, and even the internet for help. She's not going to have any luck. Kiku knew that. He didn't have the heart to tell her. She was trying to save him after all.

"What if you can't save me?" he asked. Kiku turned to her from the futon. Sena wrinkled her nose.

"Don't say that," she said.

"But…" her husband said.

"Don't!" Sena shouted. Kiku stared at her with a desperate look in his eyes. She pressed her forehead against his.

"Listen to me," she said. "We will get through this. You can't quit on me! We are going to end this nightmare. I am doing everything that I can. You can't give up on me, got it?" Kiku looked so worn down.

"Got it?" Sena asked again. Kiku lowered his eyes.

"Yes," he said. His wife leaned in and kissed him.

"Very good," she said. Sena kissed him on the forehead. He wanted to believe her. He so desperately does. But they both know that time is running out. October was here. Soon, it would be winter. Sena pulled him into her arms.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Shhh," his wife whispered. "We're going to stay like this for a while." Kiku opened his mouth, but she shushed him again.

"Shhh. Shhh," she whispered. Her husband closed his mouth and his eyes.

"That's good," she whispered. Her comfort won't hold for long. Kiku gave up on believing in that. The question was did Sena know it herself. The Japanese man shut his eyes.

He didn't want to think about that.

-Kuro-

He's free to do what he wants. Kuro found himself getting stronger each day. Who knew that Japan had so much vice lurking under the surface? Kuro grinned to himself and rubbed his hands together.

"I came at the right time," he said. He knew just the place to start.

Ah, Kabukicho. So much that the people were swimming in without knowing. To Kuro, this felt like home. Perfect place to build a kingdom. But first, he was going to need a queen to rule with him.

Kuro made his way to Tantra Tokyo The man licked his lips. There was one woman that he had in mind.

Her name was Kuroki Pinkku. She was the top girl in the club. Easy to see why she was so popular. Pink streaks mixed in with her long black hair. Not too skinny and not too plump. Thick thighs, round tight ass, wide hips, perfect perky breasts, and a cute round face. Everything about her was sexy, but innocent at the same time. She would make a perfect queen in his kingdom.

Her shift was tonight.

Kuro walked inside like he owned the place. The bouncer acknowledged him with a nod.

"Good evening," the future king said. Then he went inside. Loud pop-dance music filled the air. Already, the party was lit. Glitter was raining down from the ceiling. The bright lights flashed around the club. Tonight's theme was schoolgirls in Wonderland. Pinkku was the centerpiece of the set. She was in the role of Alice. She danced around women in Playboy bunny suits. A sexy Mad Hatter came up behind her. Pinkku pretended to be shocked. Kuro smirked to himself at her.

Yes. She will do just fine.

He watched until her number was over. Kuro still had to get the timing right. His plans all relied on her answer.

"Would you like another drink?" a waitress asked. Kuro waved her off. He didn't look up as she walked away. Kuro timed himself before getting up and walking backstage towards his prize.

Meanwhile, Pinkku made it to her dressing room. Something told her that she was going to have a guest tonight. She sat down at her vanity. First, Pinkku took off her false eyelashes. She wiped off her make-up. Her hairpins went next. She looked in the mirror at her round face.

A knock came on the door. The stripper sat up straight.

"Come in," she said. She didn't turn around as the door opened. Kuro stood in the doorway.

"Good evening, my dear," he said. She saw him in the mirror. Kuro smirked at her.

"You wanted to see me?" she asked. He closed the door behind him. Pinkku turned around. She wasn't afraid of him.

"Why yes," Kuro said. Her eyes shifted away from him.

"What do you want from me?" she asked. He gracefully made his way over to her. She looked so small underneath him. Kuro gently took her by the hands.

"Be my queen," he said. "I will be your man." His words sounded so smooth. Pinkku had a dreamy look in her eyes.

"Yes," she said. Kuro smirked.

"Heh," he said. The Japanese man leaned down and kissed the stripper on the lips. She relaxed and kissed him back. They shared a few more kisses. He pressed his forehead against hers.

"I'll let you finish your shift," Kuro said in a whisper. "Meet me afterwards." Pinkku drew her mouth closed.

"Yes…" she mumbled. Kuro playfully tapped her on the cheek.

"See me afterwards," he said. The Japanese man turned and walked out of her dressing room. Pinkku sank to her knees with big eyes. She put her hand to her chest.

"Kuro… -sama…" she murmured. Her heart started racing against her chest.

The would-be king is almost ready to make his move. He rented the most expensive love hotel under Kiku's name. No one asked a question. Why would they? This was going to be his kingdom after all. Pinkku was going to have to know that she was going to be his queen. In order for that to happen, Kuro had everything ready.

Around three in the morning, there was a knock on his door. Kuro sat up on the bed.

"Come in," he said. He looked up to see the door opening. He smiled when he saw Pinkku standing in the doorway.

"Oh good," he said. "You got my text. Come closer." Pinkku closed the door behind her and walked over to the bed. Kuro smirked at her.

"Take off your clothes," he said. There was no easing her into this. It was all about his needs now. Pinkku didn't argue. She just took off her dress. Her gloves and stockings followed behind. Kuro took off his jacket and looked her up and down.

Yes. She was going to do perfectly.

"I have something for you," Kuro said. He reached over to the nightstand and pulled open the drawer. She watched him pull out a black spiked collar and leash. Kuro waved it out in front of her.

"Pretty, isn't it?" he asked. He stood and walked over to his would-be queen. Pinkku didn't say a word as he put a collar around her neck. Kuro caressed the leash.

"Looks great on you," he said. Her cheeks turned bright pink. The Japanese gave her a kiss on the lips. Pinkku felt compelled to kiss him back. She tasted like cherries. Kuro pushed his tongue into her mouth. She let off a small gasp before giving in. The Japanese man buried his right hand in her hair, pushing her closer to him. Now, she couldn't get away if she wanted. His would-be queen gave herself over in that moment. Kuro smirked to himself in that kiss. He broke off the last one and leaned in close to her ear.

"Lay down on the bed and spread your legs," he whispered. As if in a daze, Pinkku walked over to the bed and laid down. Kuro smirked as he took off his shirt. This was going to be easier than he thought. He moved her wrists to the headboard and tied them with the rope that he had hidden under the bed. Pinkku looked up at him with a dreamy look in her eyes. Kuro licked his lips.

"Beautiful," he said. "Just beautiful." Pinkku looked away, blushing. Kuro turned her face towards him.

"Look at me. Look at me!" he commanded. "I want to see your face through everything." Kuro leaned down and kissed his queen on the lips. She kissed him back. It didn't take long for his tongue to be pushed into her mouth. Almost reminded him of his own wife. And the Japanese man hated his wife. Still, she had to come here too. For now, Kuro would focus on making Pinkku his queen and building his kingdom in Kabukicho. His hand rested on her breasts as a tent formed in his pants.

It was time to build his kingdom with his queen.

Two sides of Japan part ways and go their own parts. Both want their way. Only one of them will get their wish. The question was, who was it going to be?

Chapter Text

Match Twenty-Four: Studying, Witches, and Insomnia:

-Ju-

My exams are coming up. I really need to put my focus on everything. That's not going to be easy when you have a cousin and witches stalking your baby. But life must go on. Otherwise, nothing will get done.

I don't think I will do more school after this. Everyone else is okay with this. The rest of my future has been decided for me. As far as I can see, I'm fine with that. I read over my notes. I thought that I might go blind. How much of this do people actually keep this in their heads? Does anyone actually use this? I frowned at the screen.

I looked up when I heard a knock on the office door.

"Enter!" I said. Yao poked his head inside.

"Everything okay in there?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said. "It's all starting to blend together at this point."

"Then why don't you take a break?" he asked. I sighed and buried my head in my hands.

"I just want to get this over with," I said. Yao walked over and took my hands in his.

"I know, I know," he said. "It not good to overwork yourself just the same." I frowned at him.

"When was the last time you've eaten?" Yao asked.

"I'm not hungry," I said.

"You still need to eat," he said. I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"Fine," I said. "What are you going to feed me?" Yao broke into a little smile.

"Care for some dumplings?" he asked. I put up my hands.

"Sure," I said. "Why not?"

"Come with me," he said. I followed my dear husband to our kitchen.

I sat at the table, waiting.

"We're just about finished," Yao said, over his shoulder. I pressed my lips together and nodded. I just wanted to eat and get back to my notes. I hoped this wouldn't take long. Yao turned around with his pot in hand.

"Here you are," he said. "Fresh steamed pork dumplings." He used the chopsticks to put them on my plate.

"Thank you," I said. I broke apart my chopsticks and popped a dumpling into my mouth. Yao watched me as I started chewing.

"Well?" he asked. I nodded as I finished chewing.

"Good," I said. I put another dumpling in my mouth. Yao perked up after I said that.

"I'm so glad you like it," he said.

"You are an amazing cook," I said. I ate another dumpling.

"You need to eat," my dear husband said.

"I'm not starving," I said.

"I don't want you to be," he said. I frowned and rolled my eyes. This man…

I lowered my chopsticks.

"Look, I'm fine," I said. "You don't have to worry about me." Yao looked like a hurt little puppy. I set down my chopsticks.

"You don't have to worry," I said again. "I just need to get through my exams and then we can work through everything else." Yao looked up at me but said nothing.

"It's going to be fine," I said. "I promise." He gave me a little pout before smiling. I shook my head. I patted him on the hand.

"What am I going to do with you?" I asked.

"I don't know," Yao said. I pulled back my hand and picked up my chopsticks. The dumplings he steamed were really good.

I stayed up studying until about ten. Yao wouldn't let me go any further.

"You need to sleep," he said. He tried to pull me out of the office. I didn't try to fight him this time.

"Fine," I said. "Is Jing down for the night?"

"Of course," Yao said. I kissed him on the nose.

"Okay," I said. I slipped out of his grasp and walked across the hall to our bedroom. My husband followed behind me. We got dressed for bed. I brushed my teeth and climbed into bed.

"How long until your exams?" he asked.

"One more week," I said. He kissed me on the forehead.

"Good night," my husband said.

"Good night," I said back. I reached over and turned off the light. It didn't take us long to fall asleep.

For some reason, I woke up around three in the morning. I couldn't explain it at the time. I looked over at Yao in the dark.

"Yao. Yao. Yao," I whispered as I tried to shake him awake. He mumbled something to himself before turning over. I frowned at him. I moved my hand forward to try and wake him up again. But then I froze.

I have to go check on my son.

I jumped out of bed and raced down the hall. My house was quiet—too quiet. I tried not to think the worst. I took in a breath. Right. I walked up to my son's door. I froze in my tracks.

A woman in black stood over his crib. At first, I felt fear in my chest. But then it boiled over into anger. I gritted my teeth.

"What are you doing in my home?!" I growled. The woman paused.

"Oh, you're awake," she said.

"How did you get in here?" I asked. "Get out of my house." She didn't turn around. Instead, she started chuckling to herself.

"Quiet," she said. "We don't want to wake up your husband, now do we?" I found down the urge to scream. I wanted to turn around and call the police. But what if she took my baby and ran off. I wished that I had a weapon with me.

"Oh come now, Ju," she said. "I'm not here to fight. I just want to talk."

"I don't want to talk to you," I hissed. "Get out of my house." She finally turned around. Of course, it would be Allison Mayfair.

"How did you even get in here?" I asked. Allison chuckled.

"Did you think some basic charms were going to keep me out, love?" she asked. She winked at me. I desperately wanted to stab her.

"You're not going to call the police," she said. I raised an eyebrow.

"And why is that?" I asked. She disappeared for a second only to appear right in front of me. I nearly stumbled backward.

"Because," Allison said. "You are going to want to hear what I have to say." I wasn't going to humor her.

"You need to leave," I said.

"Aw," she said. "Why are you being so cold? I am just here to talk."

"Well, I don't want to talk," I said. "Get out of my house!" By now, I was right by the door. I was ready to turn and run back to my room to call the police. I pressed my lips together to keep from screaming. The nerve of this bitch! I refuse to have her and her daughters stalking my family anymore!

Allison put up her hands.

"Fine," she said. "We will talk later, though." She started to walk past me. But then, Allison paused. She only said one more thing to me. I whipped my head around. She was already gone. I sank to my knees, trembling. I could feel my heart pounding against my chest. I got up and ran over to my son. I breathed when I found Jing sound asleep in his crib. I reached up and picked him up. I sat down in the chair next to his crib.

I wasn't going to let him go.

"Ju? Ju?" I heard. "Where did you go?" I lifted my head.

"I'm in here," I said, my voice coming out in a croak. I didn't move as I heard footsteps walking towards the door. Yao poked his head into the room.

"What are you doing in here?" he asked. Yao noticed the look on my face.

"Sweetheart?" he asked.

"How did she get in here?" I asked through gritted teeth. My husband froze. I was so mad. I probably looked like I wanted to kill someone.

"What happened?" he asked.

"That bitch broke into our house," I said. Yao didn't need to ask any more questions. I held Jing tighter to my chest. It took my all not to scream.

"This should not have happened," I said. He didn't say anything. Instead, he bowed his head.

"I understand," he said. I just glared at him. Yao didn't speak at that moment. The whole time, Jing slept peacefully. He's so lucky that he doesn't have to deal with this garbage surrounding him. He shouldn't have to. I won't let that happen.

I rose to my feet.

"Ju?" Yao asked. I walked over to the door. I looked over my shoulder.

"We're calling a clan meeting," I said. "Now." I walked out of my son's room before Yao could say another word.

I was so done with this shit.

Chapter Text

Match Twenty-Five: Deodar:

The two American men sat on the couch. Alfred had a nervous look on his face.

"I really need to get back to my daughter," he said. Allen rolled his eyes.

"Always about that damn baby!" he shouted. "This is why I hate babies! So damn needy! They just cry and cry! So annoying."

"But…" his counterpart said. Allen smacked himself on the forehead.

"Even when I pull you away from the brat, you can't focus," he said. "Forget about the little brat and pay attention to me!" The American man frowned.

"What do you want from me?" he asked. Allen looked up and smiled.

"What do you think? I want your life," he said. Alfred stared at him.

"Huh?" he asked.

"Do I have to spell it out for you?" his darker self asked. "I want your life. I want to live as you." The American man blinked.

"You want my life?" he asked.

"Yes," Allen said.

"But why?" the other man asked. The darker American threw back his head and groaned.

"Why do you think?" he asked. The other American man sat quiet.

"Alfred?" he heard on the outside. Alfred turned to the wall.

"That's Lydia!" he said. The American man tried to get up, but Allen grabbed him by the wrist. Alfred tried to fight him off.

"Let me go, man!" he shouted.

"No!" Allen snapped. "You will listen to me!"

"My family is worried about me! Stop!" the other American man yelled. Allen wouldn't let go.

"How are you going to get out of here, huh?" he asked. "There is no door!" The American man wouldn't give up.

"I will find a way out!" he shouted. Alfred managed to pull out of his double's grasp. He started to feel along the wall.

"Yeah, good luck with that," the other America said. Alfred just ignored him.

Lydia looked around the house.

"Alfred?" she asked. "Are you here? Hello? Hello?" There was no one in sight so far. Lydia put her hands on her hips.

"Where could he have gone?" she asked. She looked up when she heard the phone ring. Lydia trailed the sound to the kitchen.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Uh… who is this?" a woman asked on the other line. Lydia raised her eyebrow.

"Mrs. Lopez?" she asked.

"Lydia? Is that you?" the old lady asked.

"Yeah," Lydia said. She looked around the kitchen.

"Listen, I'm trying to look for Alfred," she said. "Have you seen him today?"

"No," she said. Lydia was about to speak when she heard the baby crying down the hall. Her stomach turned.

"Um… Can you hold on for a moment?" she asked. "I have to go see my niece."

"Sure, dear," the old lady said. Lydia set down the phone and walked down the hall. What was Alfred thinking leaving Baby Florence all alone in the house? Something had to be wrong.

Alfred looked up.

"I have to go to my daughter," he said. The American man felt around for the door. Allen threw back his head and groaned.

"Give up already!" he shouted. "I'm not going to let you out of here." Alfred turned his head.

"But little Florence needs me," he said. "I have to go to her."

"Forget about that damn baby!" his other self shouted. "What is it going to take to get you to pay attention to me?" Alfred spun around on his heel.

"What do you want from me?!" he shouted. Allen groaned and threw back his head. Why did his other self have to be so stupid?

"I already told you," he said. "I want your life."

"What about my daughter?" Alfred asked. Allen put up his hands in a shrug.

"I don't care about that little brat," he said.

That was all Alfred needed to hear.

"Then no," he said. Allen raised his eyebrow.

"No what?" he asked.

"I won't let you take over my life," the American man said. "I don't even want to think about what you would do to Baby Florence." Allen gave him a cold smile.

"So is that a no?" he asked. Alfred folded his arms across his chest.

"Yes," he said. His other self smirked.

"You'll be back," he said.

"No," Alfred said, shaking his head. He turned back to the wall and felt around for a door. The American man kept knocking. Finally, he paused when he heard something hollow.

"Here!" Alfred shouted. Something in him told him to close his eyes and think up a door. (It seemed childish to him. But his daughter needed to him.) He reached out his right hand. Cold metal touched his fingers. Alfred opened his eyes.

There it was.

He opened the door and walked out of the room. Allen waved at his back.

"Bye," he said. The American man didn't look back. He just went out the door and closed it behind him.

Lydia looked up when she heard the door close. Alfred stood in front of the living room wall. The American man froze.

"Oh, it's you," he said. Lydia folded her arms across her chest.

"And where have you been?" she asked. Alfred rubbed the back of his head as he nervously laughed.

"I don't think you would believe me," he said. "How's Baby Florence?"

"Fine," Lydia said. "I changed her diaper and gave her a bottle."

"Oh," Alfred said. The American man turned and walked down the hall.

"Alfred?" Lydia asked after him. Alfred didn't respond as he sped up with his walking towards his daughter. He opened the nursery door. To his relief, Baby Florence was still in her crib. She was awake and reached up to the bright pink mobile over her little head. Alfred about fell to his knees. His daughter was going to be okay. He walked up and picked up the little baby girl. She cooed against his chest. The American man stared down at her tiny face staring back at him. Alfred wouldn't let her go.

He didn't notice Allen watching him from outside the nursery window.

Chapter Text

Match Twenty-Six: Nikusui:

This was his kingdom now.

Kuro stood by his queen. He grabbed her by the hips. He had his queen. Now, the king needed his subjects. But first, he had to deal with his other self. Such a pain really.

A pair of graceful hands rested on his shoulders. Kuro didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

"When will I get to really see you?" he asked. "I mean. Physically see you."

"Heh," she said. The corrupt Japan turned his head.

"There's something different about you," he said. She raised her eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Kuro shrugged and shook his head. He touched her on the right shoulder.

"Solid," he said. "You're more solid."

"Yes," she said. "It's almost time."

"Oh? Who is it this time you made the bargain with?" Kuro asked. She whispered the answer in his ear. A catlike smile spread across his face.

"Oh!" he said. "That should be interesting." Kuro turned to that Woman in Red.

"When should we the end to be coming?" he asked. She leaned in close to his ear.

"Winter," she said with a purr. Kuro couldn't help but smirk.

"That actually sounds like a plan to me," he said.

"How is your kingdom coming along?" she asked. Japan's dark counterpart snickered to himself.

"Very well," he said. "I can't wait to see the end result."

"I can't wait to see it either," she said. She playfully nipped him on the ear before she vanished. Kuro turned and looked behind him with a smirk on his face. No time to enjoy the beauty around him. He had work to do.

Kuro had a strange, seductive charm surrounding him. Ladies loved him. Guys questioned their sexuality around him. Sure, Kiku had admirers, but he never had it in him to pursue them. That wasn't going to be Kuro. Kabukicho was going to become his kingdom.

It didn't take long for his campaign of vice to come to fruition. His queen was the one who managed the girls.

"You can be the one in charge," Kuro told her one night bed.

"I could?" she asked. He pushed her hair behind her ear.

"Of course," he said. "You are a smart and beautiful woman after all." Pinkku blushed. She was going to be the centerpiece of his kingdom. Kuro sat up in bed.

"In fact, I have a little present for you," he said.

"A present for me?" she asked. Kuro held out his hand.

"Come with me," he said. His voice was all it took to command her. She took him by the hand. They climbed out of bed and walked out of the room.

Kuro led her into the elevator. This abandoned hotel was perfect for his "castle". No one seemed to care about it. There were rumors about it being torn down. Perfect place to form a kingdom. Within days, Kuro had the hotel renovated in secret. Good thing he still had the magic from the other world with him. When that would fade remained to be seen. He pressed the down button. This place was going to be filled with his harem once the queen understood her role. Right now, Pinkku watched as the doors slid closed and the cab started riding downwards. Words wouldn't do this surprise any good.

She would have to see it for herself.

They made it down to the basement. Kuro turned to his queen as the doors slid open.

"Close your eyes," he commanded. Pinkku complied without question.

"Good," he said. Kuro took her by the hand and led her out of the elevator. They didn't need to turn on the lights yet. She didn't ask questions as they walked down the narrow hall. Kuro took in the spicy cinnamon perfume around them. The man couldn't help but smirk to himself. They came up to a sliding screen door. Kuro reached forward and pushed it open.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now," he said. He moved aside just in time for her to open her eyes. Pinkku's eyes widened as her jaw dropped.

"You made this for me?" she asked. She stood before a sex dungeon. This wasn't a typical sex dungeon either. The walls were a blood red. Chains hung from the ceiling. Whips decorated one wall. A bed in a cage sat off to one side. Another bed was off to another side. Pinkku didn't think that there could be that many sex toys and furniture could fit down here.

"Do you like it?" Kuro asked.

"Yes!" she said with a gasp. "I love it!"

"I knew you would," he said. The man came up behind her and draped his arms around her shoulders.

"You will be training the other girls here," he whispered in her ear. Pinkku glanced behind her.

"Other girls?" she asked.

"Yes," Kuro said. He kissed her on the neck. Pinkku closed her eyes and took in a breath.

"Oh yes," she said, breathing out. "I will do my best."

"Very good," Kuro said in a whisper. He kissed her on the neck again. His right hand slid into the sheets and between her legs. Pinkku moaned aloud as his fingers got to work.

He shoved her into the room. She would be the first to test the dungeon.

However, there is going to be a little problem to his plan. In Aoyama, a high-end antique shop was about to open for the day. A man in his fifties was taking one more look at the merchandise around the store. At first, everything looked like they were in place.

That's when he spotted it.

"Huh?" the man asked.

There was a tall black ornate mirror in the middle of the room. The frame looked like it was hand-carved and painted. It was hard to tell how old the mirror was. He had never seen this mirror before. Had it always been here? The man shook his head. That couldn't be.

He reached over to touch the glass. A hand smacked the other side of the surface. The man fell back with a fright. The hand drew back. Two hands and arms came out through the glass. The man crawled backward as a woman in a black kimono crawled out of the mirror. Her black geta touched the floor. She looked around as she stretched her neck.

"Oh my," she said, worried. "This isn't the right place at all." The pale woman turned to the man cowering on the floor.

"Excuse me," she said. "Where exactly am I?"

"M-M-My shop. In Aoyama," the poor shop owner said. The woman pursed her lips as she blinked at him.

"Aoyama?" she asked. The man nodded, shaking.

"Oh," the woman said. "This isn't right. This isn't right at all." She wandered over to the door. However, the woman paused at the glass before looking over her shoulder.

"Thank you for freeing me, sir," she said. "Goodbye." And just like that, the pale woman in her black kimono walked out the door. The man was left sitting on the floor, looking pale. When he managed to get up and run to the door, he looked outside. The woman was already gone. The man now had a confused look on his face. Who was that?

Chapter Text

Match Twenty-Seven: Witch Party:

Hecate already knew how this was going to end. She suspected that her sisters were starting to see it too. The question was whether they going to stay with Allison or move out on their own. Hecate chose to win. If her sisters were smart, they would choose to do the same thing. Sabine and Tessa already had the same idea.

Hecate was brushing her hair when she heard a knock on her bedroom door.

"Yes?" she asked. She looked in the mirror as her door opened. Oliver poked his head into the room.

"You busy right now?" he asked. Hecate rolled her eyes.

"What do you want?" she asked. She turned around to the brightly-colored English man. Oliver smiled and shrugged.

"Aw, why do you have to be so cold towards me?" he asked.

"What do you want?" Hecate asked again. He leaned against her door frame.

"Not much," he said. "Just wondering what you are up."

"Why?" she asked. Oliver looked her up and down. Hecate had on a long dark green dress. She had her long black hair pinned back in a top ponytail. Her lips looked dark red. They stood out against her pale face. Oliver stared at her black pearl necklace and diamond earrings.

"You look so fancy tonight," he said. "You going somewhere?" Hecate frowned and shook her head.

"I'm going out," she said.

"Oooo! Where?" he asked. Hecate frowned as she stood up.

"To a party," she said. Oliver tilted his head. Hecate narrowed her eyes at him.

"No, I am not telling you where this is," she said. "Excuse me." The nightcomer walked to her door and pushed the Englishman out of the way. Oliver looked at her as she disappeared down the hall. He shrugged to himself.

"Why does she have to be so cold?" he asked to himself. "Whatever." The man walked back to his room.

The party was at this posh flat in East London. Hecate could blend into the crowd on the streets. There were many people in cloaks and masks. Some of them held orange paper lanterns. Hecate kept her head down with a smirk on her face. She was the only one who got an invitation to this party. Tonight was going to be a special night. Nothing was going to ruin it. Not even Oliver following behind. She shook her head to herself. He was going to get himself caught.

"At least wear a mask, you idiot," she muttered to herself. That will be all him. She wasn't responsible for what would happen to him next.

The group made it up to the front door of the fancy flat. Hecate hung near the back. Best to observe things for the time being. One of the people in a cloak walked up to the door and knocked. They stepped back as it flung open. A woman in a long gold dress greeted them. Her black feathers added to her height. She held up a black mask to her face.

"Welcome!" the woman said. "Welcome to our lovely party. Please, come inside." She moved into the flat to let them inside. Hecate watched as the cloaked people moved towards the door. She tightened her grip on a small silver pendant in her hand. She could still feel Oliver's eyes on her back. This would be his last chance to turn back.

"You are going to want to go home," Hecate muttered under her breath. She knew that he wasn't going to. The nightcomer shook her head to herself. She wasn't going to be responsible for what would happen to him next. Hecate made it to the front door. The woman looked her up and down.

"Your coven?" she asked. Hecate lifted her chin.

"I am here for myself," she said. They stood silent for a moment. The woman in gold moved out of the way.

"Thank you," Hecate said. She bowed her head and walked into the apartment.

The sounds of violins were the first that Hecate noticed. Heavy red curtains covered the windows. Peacock feathers covered the deep black walls. The Parisian carpets covered the floors. A black grand piano sat off to a corner of the living room. A giant fireplace was lit across the room. The giant painting of The Birth of Venus completed the atmosphere of the party. She smiled at the scent of wine and jasmine perfume in the air. The people stood in their cloaks with glasses of wine in their hands, talking to each other. Hecate wasn't staying long for the party. She was looking for someone through her mask. She knew they would be here tonight. Oliver trailing her didn't make anything easier. Still, Hecate was going to have to do the best that she could. After all, she chose to win. The nightcomer walked over to the bartender across the room.

"Good evening," the man said as he looked up. Hecate smiled as she took a seat on the stool.

"Hello," she said. "Is Patty here tonight?" The bartender raised his eyebrow.

"May I ask why you want to know?" he asked.

"Serve me a drink and I will tell you why," Hecate said. The young man narrowed his eyes.

"What can I get you?" he asked.

"You have any brandy?" she asked.

"Going classic, huh?" the bartender asked. "Hang on." The nightcomer watched as he got to work. She smirked like she was keeping a secret to herself.

"Here you go," the bartender said, handing her the glass of brandy.

"Thank you," she said. Hecate picked up the glass and took a drink. She turned her attention to the bartender.

"Let's just say that I have something interesting that your mistress will want to hear," Hecate said. The bartender had no emotion on his face.

"I will go get her," he said. "Wait here." The bartender turned and walked into the kitchen. Hecate leaned over the bar for a better look. She fought to keep down her smile. This was going to be worth the gamble.

Meanwhile, Oliver looked around at the party. He frowned at what he saw.

"What a dreadful place," he muttered to himself. Everyone was wearing black cloaks. Why did they have to wear black? What was wrong with a little color here and there? Oliver rubbed his forehead. Instinct told him to follow Hecate tonight. He didn't understand why she never liked him.

"I just want to be friends with all of them," Oliver reasoned.

So far, he walked into the party with no questions. In fact, the guests didn't even look at him. They just ignored him. Oliver frowned.

"Well, this just boring," he said to himself. The man was about to turn around and leave when he happened to look over at the bar. Hecate sat on a stool, looking over the edge. Oliver raised his eyebrow.

"Hm?" he asked. Oliver broke through the crowd to get over to her. As he got closer, the woman in the gold dress walked over to Hecate. The nightcomer stood up and started talking to the woman. The conversation didn't last long before they walked over to the stairs. Oliver let off a low whistle.

"Oh? What do we have here?" he asked. Of course, he was going to follow the ladies and see what they were up to. After all, he started to become more interested in what dear old Hecate Mayfair was plotting against her mother.

The women disappeared up the stairs.

Chapter Text

Match Twenty-Eight: Siming:

-Qi-

My mother was a monster. I see that now. No, I've seen that for quite some time now. I grew up isolated as I said before. It was all part of her plan. You see, I was going to be nothing more than a vessel for her to live another life. Or rather an ancient spirit that's part in my family for decades, maybe even longer. She didn't want to die. Actually, he started out as a man. The story is going to be more complicated than it sounds. You are going to have to stay with me.

There were once two brothers. Both were part of the strongest clan in East China. However, they knew that the age of clans was going to die out. Their father didn't want that to happen. He tasked his sons to prevent that from happening. One wanted to move towards the future. The other, my ancestor, turned to darker magic.

You already know about the vessel bidding spell. It's a horrible practice. The child is sacrificed so that the adults can keep living. That would've been me. But my dolls saved me.

My mother raised me to be her little vessel. I was never physically abused. Still, she was rather…

How do I put this? I think the others and I will tell you everything. I will go first. My mother barely paid much attention to me. For the most part, I was never allowed out of that big house in the mountains. When I was younger, I didn't know that was a prison that held dark secrets within. My mother kept me distracted with fancy dolls and books during the day. I never knew where she went during the day. I was mostly alone. Sure, there were other people in the house, but I never saw them.

Through her coldness, my mother did teach me some things. She was my tutor after all. I learned how to read and write because of her. I learned how to do business and make connections with really important people because of my mother. There were other things that I learned because of her. She taught me to walk on knives. My mother would tie sharp knives to my feet and make me walk towards her across the room. Not just the flat, straight blades of butcher knives. My mother would make me walk on the blades on them, on my tiptoes. Think of all this like foot binding in ancient China. She would wake me up in the early hours of the morning and drag me down to the kitchen. At first, she was the one to strap the knives to my feet. As I got older, I had to do it myself. For this to work, the blades would have to be tightly secured to my feet. If it weren't done right, I would have to do it all over again. I would have to try and walk many times. Sometimes, it would be for hours. My little ankles and legs ached when the lessons were over. This went on for years. She was it was to make me strong.

"A woman has to be strong in a man's world," my mother told me. "No daughter of mine will submit to any man!" That may sound noble, but she had her own agenda the whole time.

I wouldn't learn the full extent until I saw their memories.

-Isaac-

I don't remember who my parents were. I never got to meet them. Instead, I was taken to this house when I was a baby. I think was I sold to her. They never told me. Never had the chance to ask. My time at the house wasn't as bad as the others.

I was kept on the opposite end of the house. You already heard about my story about my short time with Qi. I was just raised to be her living doll. Because I was young, I didn't understand the gravity of the situation.

That lady scared me. She always looked so mean. I don't know what I did wrong. Not once did I ever see her smile. For the first four years of my life, I was locked in my room. There was nothing inside. All I had was a bed and a window. My food came through the doorway. Someone always bathed me and took me to the toilet. I never got to see their face. There wasn't much for me to do in that room. I had my books, but that was it. I didn't even know what time was.

Then one day, the door opened. That mean lady stood with a stone look on her face. She didn't say anything to me as she held out her hand. I stood up and took it. I didn't know where she was taking me. They dressed me up in a suit and tie. Then they walked me down this long hall. That mean lady opened the door and walked me inside.

There was Qi sitting on her bed. She was actually nice. She was the only friend that I would ever have. The only thing I was allowed to do was be her friend and stay by her side. I was okay with that. Just as long as I kept the mean lady happy.

Qi and I did everything together. We played together. We ate together in the big dining room. We took baths together. We even slept in the same bed together. It was all how that mean lady wanted. We could never leave the house. All I had to do was be a good little dol to Qi. Still, something went wrong.

It was the day we went to the festival. That would be the first and last time I would leave that house. That mean lady had us dressed up and drove us into town. Qi and I were excited. We had never been out of that house before. That mean lady drove us into town for the festival. It was supposed to be a fun day. It started out that way. But I messed up in that mean lady's eyes. It was the man at the goldfish booth. You already know the story. Even Qi didn't know how the end really went.

That mean lady killed me. She led me out into the rose garden behind the house. I was already afraid of her at that time. Even though she never talked to me, her cold looks told me I was in trouble. I was woken up in the middle of the night. She was standing over me. She grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me out of bed. That mean lady wouldn't let me ask any questions. Even then, I knew something bad was going to happen.

It was in the early hours of the morning. It was still dark outside. I couldn't see where we were. I tried to look around in the dark.

"Where are we?" I asked. That would be the last thing I would ever say alive. She never said a word. The last thing I remember was something hard hitting me in the back of the head. I fell to the ground as it grew darker.

When I opened my eyes, I was floating in the sky. I looked down to see that mean lady burying me in the ground. She dug a deep hole and threw my body in it. She covered it up, packing the dirt. Then she went back into that house.

I never got to grow up. I am going to be six years old forever. I didn't go to Heaven or Hell either. Instead, I am part of Qi's soul, living her body. I have to stay with her. Something inside of me won't let me do it. I don't know if it was because of my duty in life, but I have to stay.

I am not the only one here.

Oh, there's one more thing about me. I loved to play the piano. I was really good at it too. Sometimes when we were alone, Qi and I would be in the parlor and play piano together. She could never keep up with me. No one taught me how to play either. I just started playing one day. Now, Qi plays the piano beautifully because of me. When this is all over, I want to play the piano one more time before I have to go.

-Lottie-

I never cried. I had to be tough. Isaac was luckier than us. The rest of us were trapped under the house. There had to be about a hundred at a time. She kept us all in cages. I suspect that she got us from the black market. I wouldn't put it past her. That bitch made our lives hell.

You don't know what it's like. Isaac didn't understand how she truly was. But I saw it. I saw it for three full years. The cages were just the start of it. Most of us were just crammed in there. We barely ate. They only gave us meals once a day. What they gave us wouldn't be fit for animals. Sometimes, we fought for scraps. I had the scars on my body as proof.

I got to live a little bit longer than Isaac did. I stayed with Qi for three years. I'm surprised that I even lasted that long. Isaac was sweeter and more submissive. I could never be that. I was never really girly either. I hated the dress that bitch put me in.

She took me out of the cage to by Qi's little doll. To be fair, Qi is cool. We got along rather well. In fact, she was the only good thing in my miserable life. I remember when we first met. That bitch came down to the basement and picked me out of the cage. I thought I was going to be forced to fight this time. Instead, I was taken upstairs and washed off in a bathroom. A hand even went in my mouth and brushed my teeth. They dressed me up in this ugly pink and white dress. They put my hair up into two braids. I looked like a baby doll at age eight.

They walked me down another hall. Nobody said a word the whole time. Of course, I wondered where we were going. Wouldn't you if you were trapped in a cage for most of your life? Anyway, they walked me up to a door at the end of the hall and knocked on it. When I turned around, they had left me. I stood in front of that door alone.

"Who is it?" a small voice asked. I didn't respond before I opened the door.

Qi sat on her bed. She was wearing a black dress that was similar to mine. My first thought was that she looked so lonely. It was then I realized that she was like me in a way.

"Who are you?" she asked me. I froze. Who was I? They never gave us names. We were just stuffed into cages and left in the dark. You would only get a name once you were chosen.

"Lottie," I said. "My name is Lottie." It didn't feel right coming out of my mouth. That bitch was the one who picked that name for me. Qi bowed her head.

"Nice to meet you," she said. "My name is Qi." Something told me that this girl my age wasn't like that bitch at all. I walked over and sat down on her bed. I was supposed to be her doll. That's all that we were raised for. That bitch didn't really care about us at all.

The last three years of my life had its ups and downs. I didn't know how bad Qi had it with that bitch. I didn't find this out until one night when we were ten years old. I couldn't sleep that night. When I turned over, she wasn't in bed. Curious, I got up and wandered out of our room. (It felt weird to call it "our" room back then. It still is now.) Somehow, I knew to go to the kitchen. I found Qi lying on the floor, cuddled up into a ball.

"Qi?" I asked. She didn't move. I ran over to her as fast as I could. Qi lifted her head when I got closer.

"Oh my god, what happened to you?" I asked. I pulled her up to sitting on the floor.

"Hurt," she whimpered.

"What?" I asked.

"My leg," Qi whispered. "I think I overdid it." I looked down to see what she was talking about. Her left leg lay limp below her. I couldn't see how bad it was in the dim kitchen light.

"Can you move at all?" I asked.

"No," she said.

"Here," I said. I managed to scoop up Qi in my arms and carry her to bed. I was pretty strong for my age back then. She hopped on her good leg as we made it back to our room. I helped her onto the bed.

"What happened?" I asked. Qi broke down the "training" that bitch made her do every day and night. I felt like I was going to be sick when I got a better look at her leg. She had a deep gash from her knee to her ankle from where she felt and the blade cut into it. That achilleas' heel had some cuts to it too.

"I fell again," Qi said in a whisper. I pulled her into my arms for a hug. I vowed to protect her with my life from then on.

I did my best to protect her from that bitch. It cost me my life, but I didn't care. She was just as much as prisoner to her as we were. That bitch didn't like having anyone challenging her rule. I was a "bad doll" in her eyes. Because of that, I had to go.

I remember the final straw.

We were twelve years old at the time. That bitch had Qi doing more knife training in the kitchen. Qi was at her breaking point. So many cuts all over her legs. Her heels and ankles were getting sore. If this kept up, Qi was going to cause permanent damage to her legs. Still, that bitch wanted her to keep going.

"Get up!" she commanded. Qi was trying not to cry, but tears were running down her cheeks. I wanted to pull her out of that kitchen, but she insisted that I don't interfere.

"I don't want you to disappear," she said. I didn't understand what she said at the time. That bitch frowned at her.

"I don't have all night," she growled. "Get up and try it again!" Qi looked like she had been shot as she tried to stand up. She tried not to show it, but I could tell that she was in pain. Qi just wanted to lay down and go to bed. I couldn't speak up. I started to. I was even standing up from the kitchen floor. Qi shook her head at me. The sudden movement about made her stumble.

"Don't get distracted," that bitch hissed. "Walk!" Qi drew in a pain-filled breath and started to step forward again. She looked she was about to fall. Pain started to show through the crack of her brave face. If she fell again, I would have to step and help her.

"Come on. Start again," that bitch growled. "Don't make me wait." I hated that cold look in her eyes. She was going to make Qi do this all night. I wanted to tell her that she didn't have to do this. Qi would've told me that it was fine. But no, it wasn't. I could see it in her eyes.

Qi started to take the next step again. She wobbled through the pain. Usually, she was more stable on these knives. But over the past couple of days, her legs hadn't healed properly. I was worried that if she fell again, she's twist her ankle or worse. Still, that bitch wouldn't let her rest. She started to clap her hands together.

"Come on!" she shouted. "I haven't got all night. You're done this before. Pick up the pace!" Qi shut her eyes and started to try and walk faster.

"She's had enough!" I shouted. Qi turned her head with fear in her eyes. That bitch held out her hand.

"Shut it!" she snapped at me. She turned back to Qi.

"Don't get distracted!" that bitch said. "Walk towards me!" Qi tried to toughen up and walk again. She only made it about halfway before she started to wobble over. That bitch clenched her teeth.

"You better not fall over," she hissed. Qi's legs started to shake. I jumped up to my feet. I already knew how this was going to end. It was my job to protect her after all. I was her doll.

Sure enough, Qi started to fall over. On instinct, I ran over and grabbed her before she fell to the floor again. She whipped her head around to me.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yes…" Qi said in a small voice. I couldn't ignore the fear in her eyes.

"You!" we heard screaming at us. Qi and I looked up to see that bitch glaring at us. I pushed Qi behind me and held out my arms. We dared each other to move. I was ready to fight this bitch if it came down to it. I would've tackled her then and there if I had to. Instead, that bitch turned and stormed out of the kitchen. I should've known that was a set-up for her to kill me later. In that moment, I thought about Qi. I helped her to bed for what would be the last time.

In the early hours of the morning, I felt someone grab me by the shoulder. I didn't get a chance to fight them off as I was dragged out of the room. I kicked and flailed my arms to break away, but it was no use. That grip was so tight that I could feel fingernails digging into my skin.

I was dragged outside into that damn rose garden. I didn't even get a chance to turn around before I took an axe to the back of the head. I fell face down to the wet ground and everything went black.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself floating in the sky. I looked down and saw that bitch burying my body in the ground. It didn't take me long to figure out what she had done. I wanted to charge down and tackle her. But before I could try, I was snatched away through the sky. The next thing I knew, I was surrounded by pink nothing.

Where was I?

"Did she kill you too?" a little boy's voice asked. I turned around to see a little boy in a black suit. Something inside of me told me that he was once in the same position as me.

"Yeah…" I said. "Where are we?"

"Inside Qi," he said. I blinked.

"Huh?" I asked.

"Well, we're in her soul to be exact," the little boy said. I just stood staring at him. This kid held out his hand.

"My name is Isaac," he said.

"Lottie," I said. We shook hands. Since then, we have been Qi's soul. I don't know why we can't move on even now. I guess duty to stay by her side remains. Something like that. The other two seem to think that.

-Phillip-

I too have suffered like the others. I never was a fighter. I tried to stay quiet in my corner of the cage and hoped that I wouldn't be noticed. We barely ate. We were hot during the summer and cold during the winter. Most of them got used to the wails of hunger and pain. I didn't. I never could. If one of them got sick, everyone else got sick. They didn't really do anything to help us there either. Night after night, I wished that death or something would take me away.

When I was fifteen, I got my wish of the latter. The cage door was opened and I pulled out. I didn't know where I was going. I didn't know whether to feel dread or be happy. They dragged me into a bathroom and washed me off. The hot water nearly burned my skin. I still have the scars on my back. After my bath, they dressed me up in a suit and walked me down the hall. Where were they taking me?

I was led up to a door. One of the people with me knocked before they backed away with the other person. I didn't dare to move.

"Who is it?" a small voice asked. I froze. There was somebody in there. It was a girl. Now, I just had to see. And there was Qi. She sat on her bed in a long black dress. Her eyes looked tired. She's done this before.

"Uh… hi," I said.

"Who are you?" she asked. I cleared my throat.

"I'm Phillip," he said.

"Oh," she said. We stood silent for what felt like hours. It wasn't the best first impression that morning.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Qi," she said. I walked over and sat down next to her on her bed.

It didn't take much for us to get close. I mean, it's not hard to see why. She was lonely in that house. I did all that I could to keep to myself. There was someone I talked to in the dark, but I never saw their face. In the beginning, Qi seemed so uneasy.

"What's the matter?" I asked her at last. We were sitting alone in the garden together. Qi looked around for a moment. She lowered her head.

"I'm afraid," she admitted.

"Of her?" I asked. She shook her head. I tilted my head.

"Then… what is it?" I asked. She kept her eyes on her lap.

"I'm scared that you will disappear," she said.

"What do you mean?" I asked. Qi grabbed me by the hand.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Please don't leave me," she pleaded. Her voice trembled as she spoke. When she looked up she had tears in her eyes.

"Qi…" I said. My heart ached for her. I don't know how this happened. I just leaned in and kissed her on the lips. There were many things that could have led to that one moment. Loneliness, hormones, comfort, and maybe a shared fear of her. I don't know how long that kiss lasted. All I know was that we pulled away. Her face was so red. We had never done something like that before. We couldn't speak at first. We couldn't even look at each other. I cleared my throat.

"Uh… Well… Uh…" was all that I could say. We just stood there, feeling so awkward.

I had no idea in that moment that I had signed my own death warrant.

Qi and I got really close after that kiss. I mean, really close. We would steal glances at each other, hold hands, and steal a couple of kisses here and there. This had to be all in secret. She had her people watching us. Naturally, I was just supposed to be a doll. Dolls can't have romantic feelings for their owners. We kept our relationship a secret for about a year. I don't know how she found out about us. When she did, it was over for me.

I was asleep in my room on the night was murdered. A hand yanked me out of my bed. I didn't get a chance to ask questions. As they walked me down the hall, I had a sinking feeling that I wouldn't be able to keep my promise to Qi.

They marched me out to the rose garden. The last thing I saw was the bushes before I took an axe to the back of the head. I took two more blows before I fell to the ground. And just like that, I was dead.

I too saw my body being buried in the rose garden when I opened my eyes. So this was what happened to the others. I wanted to warn Qi, but I wouldn't get the chance just yet. I got snatched away from that space that I was floating in. The next thing I knew was that I was in Qi's soul. Already, there was a boy and a girl waiting for me.

"That bitch killed you too?" the girl asked. I looked around at the pink walls surrounding us.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"Inside Qi's soul," the little boy said in a calm tone.

"I'm Lottie," the girl said. "This is Isaac."

"Hello," the little boy said.

"I'm Phillip," I said.

"We know," Lottie said. She and Isaac held out their hands to me. Somehow, I felt comfortable with taking them. I wouldn't be the last one that she would kill.

I really did love Qi. I think Isaac loves her too.

-Ray-

I am the last doll that Qi's mother would kill. I was eighteen when I died. I never got to be an adult. I don't exactly remember why I was killed by her mother. It just happened, really. I probably should back up with my story though.

Just like the others, I was in the cage. We all stayed in the basement and never saw daylight. We didn't even know what day or year it was. Unlike the others, I didn't know what I was. I didn't feel like a boy or a girl. I had to fight to survive. I think being small played to my advantage. Qi's mother made us fight to the death. Yes, that was right. Once a month we would fight a death match to prove ourselves worthy to be Qi's doll. The dead ones would end up buried in the rose garden behind the house. We didn't want to do this. But what choice did we have? We all came from poor countries and had no families. Some of us were sold to her from the black market. My family sold me to Qi's mother for a better life. If they had only known…

I think it was my seventeenth birthday when I was pulled from the cage. They pulled me along down the hall without saying a word. They cleaned me up and put me in a cotton black and white dress. I had to admit that it felt weird to wear a dress. I never could get used to dressing up in dresses and skirts. Still, that was what they made me first on my first day out of the cage. They cut my hair and braided it up. When I was all cleaned up and dressed, they walked me down the hall again. I heard the rumors. Go down the hall and meet the daughter. If you are a "bad" doll, it's off to the rose garden with you. I was determined to be a good doll for her daughter.

They knocked on the door and left me standing there alone. I took in a breath and waited.

"Who is it?" a girl's voice asked. My heart jumped in my chest as I reached for the door. I was determined to make a good first impression. I opened the door and went inside. The first thing I noticed was the sad look on her face. Those eyes. Those were the eyes of someone who had seen so much disappointment in her life. I bet she expected me to leave her too. I bowed my head.

"My name is Ray," I said. "It's nice to meet you."

"I'm Qi," she said in a low voice. She bowed her head as she spoke. My heart ached for her. She was a prisoner just like the rest of us. Her prison may have looked different, but she was still in a prison, nevertheless.

"How many others have there been before me?" I asked.

"Three," she said. I don't know why, but I just walked over and hugged her. We didn't need to say anything. I just held her. I could feel her trembling. I didn't need to ask her what was wrong.

Now that I think of it, I have an idea why her mother killed me. I didn't confront to her idea of a perfect doll for her daughter. First of all, I didn't see myself as a girl or a boy. I had the body of a girl, but I never thought that I fit the part. I felt awkward in dresses. Qi dressed me up in pants. I remember the first time I put on a suit. I don't know how she pulled it off, but she did.

"Are you sure this is okay?" I asked.

"Yes," Qi said. "I know how much you don't like dresses. So, I figured that you could try this on." I didn't know what to think at first. Qi held out the suit to me.

"Go on," she said. "Try it on." I hesitantly took the suit and disappeared across the room. Moments later, I came out dressed up in dark grey pants and a white shirt.

"How do I look?" I asked. Qi stood there, thinking for a moment. I frowned.

"It looks bad, doesn't it?" I asked.

"No, you're just missing something," she said. "Hang on." Qi walked over to her bed and reached underneath. She pulled out small, flat black box. She walked up to me and removed the lid. Qi pulled out a black necktie.

"Here," she said. "This used to be Phillip's."

"Qi…" I said.

"No, it's fine. Here," Qi said. She walked up and put the tie on me. She wasn't going to let me argue with her. We looked in the mirror together when she was finished.

"There," she said. I saw tears welling up in her eyes.

"Are you okay?" I asked. Qi shook her head.

"No, I'm going to be fine," she said. "It's fine. He'd like you to wear." She forced herself to smile as she wiped away her tears. I looked at the tie against my shirt. Somehow, it didn't feel right to have it on. But Qi insisted that I wear, so I do.

Her mother got this idea in her head that I was seducing Qi or something. It wasn't like that. Sure, I might have had some feelings for Qi, but it was more platonic than anything. Nevertheless, that was reason enough in her mother's eyes to warrant my death.

You can already see where this is going to go. I was dragged out of bed in the middle of the night and marched down to the rose garden. Qi's mother stuck me in the back of the head with an ax and buried me right there in the garden along with the other bodies. I should've known. Why would I think that I would be any different? I did my best to be a good doll too. In the end, it wasn't enough.

I wasn't going to be alone for long.

When I opened my eyes, I saw bright pink walls around me. I looked around with a confused look on my face.

"Where am I?" I asked.

"We're inside Qi's soul," a voice said behind me. I turned to see two boys and girl standing behind me. Somehow, I knew who they were.

"Isaac, Phillip, and Lottie?" I said, pointing at each one of them. They looked at each other before they turned back to me.

"So you do know who are," the girl, Lottie, said. "Well, you're one of us now." They all linked hands together. I walked forward and took the boys' hands.

Thinking back, they did try to give me hints through Qi to save me. At the time, I chalked it up to her being strange at times. But now, I know. I know because I would do the same with Noelle. She was one of the lucky ones because she's still alive to this day.

-Stranger-

I know how this will all end. They don't even know that I exist. They are all killing her. Do they know if they are doing that? I don't think so. They got their revenge, but they haven't let go yet. I think it's all because of her.

I have been watching all of them for years. I don't have a name or a motive to intervene. I know who they are and I know what they have done. Why didn't I stop them? It's like I said before. I have no motive to intervene. I don't have to tell you who I am. However, Qi is starting to sense that I am here. She doesn't know who I am, but I know all of them.

If Qi can feel my presence, things have gotten worse than originally believed. Looks like I am going to have to reach out to her. It's not my job to do that. But the others wouldn't be able to tell her. Looks like I am going to have to do it.

I closed my eyes and parted my lips.

Can you hear me, Qi? Speak to me.

-Qi-

I killed my mother. It wasn't any of them. They didn't make me do anything. It was all me. They showed me everything. I never knew how bad they had it in that basement. Trapped in those cages. Practically starved and left down there in the darkness. Being forced to fight to the death. Her burying an axe in the back of their heads. Them being buried in that damned rose garden. I used to play around there when I was younger. I should've known the moment that Isaac looked afraid. I should've known when Lottie glared at my mother. I never thought about it.

I should've known. Because she tried to kill me too. She tried to kill me and take over my body. She would've been successful if it wasn't for my dolls. They shoved my soul back into my body after my mother stabbed me in the chest.

She called me out to the sun room in the early hours of the morning. Someone woke me up. They pulled me out of bed and walked me down the hall. I was half-asleep the whole time.

"Where are we going?" I mumbled out. I didn't get an answer. They just took me downstairs and slid open the door. They shoved me into the room and closed the door behind me.

"Welcome, my child," I heard my mother say in the darkness. I turned to see a circle of black candles lit on the floor. My mother walked forward in flowing white robes with a large knife in her hand. Her eyes looked so empty in the candlelight. When she spoke, her voice was deeper, almost growling like an old man's. It took me a while to grasp the gravity of the situation.

"Mama?" I asked.

"Come closer," she commanded. Despite my dolls yelling in my ears to not do it, I walked closer to her. She had no emotion on her face as I stepped into the circle.

"Good," she said. She raised her knife. I don't know why I didn't jump out of the way as she stabbed me in the chest. Phillip told me it was because I was under a spell, but I have to wonder. In that moment, I didn't realize what happened until after the knife went into my chest. She said nothing as she stabbed me four more times. Blood soaked my nightgown as I fell to the floor.

From above, I saw my mother backing away from my body. She was about to stab herself in the chest when she paused. Suddenly, my body got off the floor. At first, my mother looked stunned.

"Impossible!" she said. "How are you…?" It didn't take her long to figure it out.

"Oh! Which one are you?" my mother asked. I lifted my head on the ground.

"Lottie," my voice said. It was then I felt a strong pair of hands on my shoulders in the air. I turned and looked behind me. Phillip had a calm smile on his face.

"It's okay," he said. "Just let her do it." Something inside of me told me that he was right. I looked down on the ground with him. Lottie had always been a fighter. She and Noelle could go hand-to-hand in a fight. My mother smirked at her.

"Bad doll!" she shouted. "Bad dolls should never come back!" My mother charged at my body with the knife. Lottie dodged out of the way. She went straight for my mother in the stomach with a head butt. My mother fell backward in the circle. She sat up with rage in her eyes.

"You!" she shouted. Lottie stretched my neck from side to side.

"Anyone else want to take a crack at her?" she asked. "Come and get her!" I had no idea that all of the ghosts in the house wanted a piece of her. Something inside of me compelled me to make a bid for freedom.

"Let me do it!" I shouted. My body looked up at me.

"You sure?" Phillip asked behind me.

"Yes!" I said. "I want this." Lottie bowed my head.

"Well okay," she said. "I will let you take over." Phillip took my left arm and Ray took my right. I turned with a stunned look on my face.

"Ray!" I said. They bowed their head at me. Phillip and Ray helped me back down into my body. It felt strange to be back, to be honest with you. My mother smirked at me.

"Oh you want to kill me, huh?" she asked. My mother tossed the knife at me.

"Do it!" she shouted. I didn't hesitate to pick up the knife. She jumped to her feet and opened up her robe.

"Do it! Here's my chest! Do it!" she yelled. I let out a scream and ran towards her with the knife. I can't tell what was she thinking. Why didn't she fight back? Why didn't she try to kill me again? I don't know. I can't speak for her. All I know was that I stabbed her so many times in the chest that I lost count. She didn't make a sound the whole time. I still can't get her eyes out of my head. She just stared up at me with blank eyes. My stabbing grew faster. Noelle had to stop me. I whipped around to see her with her usual stoic face.

"Noelle?" I asked. "When did you get up?"

"You've done enough," she said. I looked at the body of my mother. No emotion in her eyes. There was nothing. She just laid there in a pool of her blood. I did it. I finally killed the monster. Strangely, I felt nothing from it. I just stood there as the knife dropped to the floor.

"I'm free," I said. I turned to Noelle. I struggled to say something, but nothing came out of my mouth. Noelle understood me.

We decided to burn down that awful house. I came up with that too. Noelle helped me with no question. I think she was just as happy as she was to do so.

"What about the others in the basement?" I asked.

"We can't help them," she said.

"But-" I said.

"We can't help them!" Noelle said again. I drew my mouth closed. She sighed.

"The police will take it from here," she said. "I don't like it either, but we don't have a choice in the matter. We have to go now!" I nodded once.

"Right," I said. We set fire to the house. Noelle and I left with a small amount of things packed in bags. We left that awful prison for the last time. We didn't even look back.

The firefighters were able to put the fire out. Soon, the police came to investigate my mother's murder. I'm sure they found all of the children and adults in cages in the basement. I don't know what became of them or that case. The house fire didn't even make the front page. It was mentioned for a few days and then faded away from the public's minds.

That's fine by me. I have other things to worry about right now. I feel that I don't have much time anymore. I'm sure that Noelle and the others have picked up on it. I have to make sure that Jing is going to be safe. After that, I don't know. I'll just let fate deal with what she will.

But yet not. I don't think my dolls will be happy if I tapped out before then. So, I'm going to hang on as long as I can.

Chapter Text

Match Twenty-Nine: Church Bells:

The bells haven't rung in years at that old church. Ludwig hadn't seen Feliciano since summer. No one wanted to tell him what was going on. Still, the German man wouldn't give up. Gilbert had an uneasy look on his face.

"You don't want to see him," he said. "He isn't the same." The German looked at him uneasily.

"What do you mean?" he asked. Gilbert looked pale as he sat down. He didn't want to come to this. But now things were different. The Prussia man lifted his chin.

"Sit down," he said.

"What?" Ludwig asked.

"Please," his brother said. The German man dropped his shoulders and sat down on the couch.

"What is it?" he asked. Gilbert balled up his hands into fists.

"Feliciano… Well…" he said. Ludwig narrowed his eyes.

"What?" he asked. His brother breathed out.

"He's not the same as he used to be," Gilbert said. "Do you remember when you came back in the hospital?"

"Yeah," Ludwig said. "What about it?" His brother didn't want to tell him the truth, but it had to come out.

"He sold his soul to save you," Gilbert said. The German man looked shocked.

"What?!" he asked. "Why would he do that?!"

"Because he loves you," the Prussian man said. Ludwig struggled to speak at first. He slowly covered his mouth.

"What was he thinking?! How could he be so stupid?!" he shouted.

"He loves you," Gilbert said. Ludwig dropped his hands.

"Where is he now?" the German man asked. His brother hesitated at first.

"I don't think you want to—" he began to say.

"Please!" Ludwig pleaded. Gilbert's eyes shifted back and forth.

"I don't know," he said. The German man started to look desperate.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"No one has seen him in days," Gilbert said. "We've all been to his house, but he's not been there since summer ended." Ludwig took a moment to think. If Feliciano wasn't home, where else would he be? He tried to think about all of the places that the Italian man would be.

"I have to find him," he said. The German man rose to his feet and walked out the door.

"Ludwig?" Gilbert asked behind him. His brother already closed the door behind him.

The church bells won't ring. It's been silent on Sunday mornings. The townspeople haven't noticed. If they did, no one said a thing. Ludwig walked up to the Italian brothers' house and knocked on the door. So far, there was no answer. Ludwig knocked again. Still no answer. He pulled out his phone. The other line rang.

"Hey, it's Feliciano," the voice mail said. "I can't come to the phone. Please leave a message. Love you, ciao!" Ludwig sighed.

"Hey, Feliciano, how have you been?" he asked. "I'm in front of your door. Please pick up. I'm really worried about you." Ludwig pressed the pound key. He sent the message after pressing one. The German man looked up at the door. Maybe he try and one more time.

Ludwig reached forward and knocked on the door. Once again, there was no response. This time, he heard someone shuffling around inside. The German man looked up. So someone was here. He pressed his ear to the door.

"Is anybody there?" Ludwig asked. "Hello?" Suddenly, the shuffling inside stopped.

"I know you are in there!" the German man shouted. "Why don't you come out already?" The other side was silent. Ludwig tried to jiggle the doorknob. To his surprise, the door was unlocked.

"Huh?" Ludwig asked. Right then, he knew that something wasn't right. Should he call the police? The German man shook his head. Maybe it was nothing serious. But still…

He held his phone by his side and nudged open the door.

Feliciano sat alone in the dark. This house felt dead. It didn't matter to him. He heard Ludwig outside. It wouldn't be long before he came here. Feliciano looked up in the dark room when he heard the footsteps getting closer. Ludwig stood in the doorway.

"Oh, you're here," the Italian man said. The German man fought down his worry.

"Why is it so dark in here?" he asked. He tried to reach around for a light switch.

"Don't," Feliciano said. The German man paused and turned his head. He could barely see his dear old friend in the darkness. He could've sworn that the Italian was smirking at him.

"I like the darkness," Feliciano said. He had no emotion in his voice. He just said it as a matter of fact. Ludwig lowered his hand.

"I haven't heard from you in a while," the German man said. "How have you been?" Feliciano didn't answer. He just stared at Ludwig.

"Everyone is worried about you," the German man added. He slowly walked forward. Something seemed off about the Italian man. Gilbert wasn't kidding, was he?

"Are you feeling okay?" Ludwig asked.

"Of course," Feliciano said. "Why wouldn't I be?" By now, Ludwig got a better look at his dear friend. When did he get so pale? Something about his smile made him shiver. Even his uniform looked worn and had seen better days.

"What happened to you?" Ludwig asked.

"Nothing," the Italian man said. "My eyes are opened to the new world."

"What are you talking about?" the German man asked. "You're not making any sense." Feliciano rose to his feet.

"Such a shame," he said. "I had hoped that you would understand, but I was wrong."

"I want to understand," Ludwig said. "Please talk to me." The Italian man shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but I can't," he said. Feliciano walked past him. The German man whipped around, reaching out to him.

"Feliciano, wait!" Ludwig shouted. The Italian man stopped at the doorway and looked over his shoulder. The German man lowered his hand.

"I didn't get to thank you for saving me," he said. A small light seemed to spark in Feliciano's eyes before it died out. He didn't say anything at first.

"Ciao," was all the Italian man said. Then he was gone. Ludwig's heart sank. Gilbert was right. Still, the German man couldn't let this stand.

"I have to save him," he said to himself. Ludwig didn't know how he was going to go about doing that, but he had an idea of where to start. Don't worry, Feliciano, I will get you back. The German man stiffened up his shoulders and marched out the door after his dear friend.

The church bells stopped ringing in Italy. Even the Vatican was silent. The people were starting to talk. What was going on? Why did the church bells stop ringing? Only Feliciano knew the real reason. He smirked to himself as he walked down the street.

It would be only a matter of time…

Chapter Text

Match Thirty: Xiezhi:

Ju and Qi sat across from each other at Ju's kitchen table. Noelle stood in the doorway staring at them. Qi glanced up at Ju.

"I haven't been fully honest with you," she said. Ju raised her eyebrow.

"About which part?" she asked.

"Most of it," Qi said. She shifted in her seat as the clock ticked in the background. She looked her cousin in the eye.

"How much have you looked up about me?" Qi asked.

"Tell, are you a vessel?" Ju asked.

"Yes," her cousin said. "But I am me."

"Are you alone?"

"No."

"How many of you are there?"

"Six. My dolls, myself, and then there's someone else."

"Someone else?"

"I don't know who they are."

"How long has it been like this?"

"Since I was a kid."

Ju slid a news article across the table. "Did you do this?"

Qi looked down at the article. The story talked about her childhood prison. It didn't even merit a full page. Just a side note as she predicted.

"Yes," Qi said. "Noelle and I burned the house down together."

"I see." Ju pulled back the article. "I don't blame you."

"You and I are alike in a way."

"No, we aren't."

"You and I are alike on the surface. Only, you have experienced what love is. I only got to see glimpses of it."

"But how are we the same?"

"We can't escape our heritage."

Ju sat back, frowning. She didn't want to comment.

"What happened to you?" she asked instead. Qi gave off a dry laugh.

"Where do I begin with that one?" she asked. The woman lowered her head.

"Show her your legs."

"Excuse me?" Ju asked. Qi rolled up her skirt and showed off her legs. Her cousin covered her mouth, gasping.

"What happened to your legs?" she asked. Qi let go of her skirt.

"My mother trained me to walk on knives," she said.

"What the hell?" Ju asked.

"It was her version of foot binding. She would strap knives to my feet and make me walk to her."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes." Qi lowered her head.

"She was a monster."

"Excuse me?" Ju asked. The other woman lifted her head. Something seemed different in her demeanor. The woman sat up straighter. The clan leader caught onto to the change.

"Are you still Qi?" she asked.

"No," the other woman said.

"Then… who are you?"

"Call me Lottie." Qi put her hands on her hips.

"Okay… Nice to meet you. My name is Wang Ju." The clan leader bowed her head.

"I know," Lottie said.

"So… You are one of the spirits who died?"

"Yes."

"How did you die?"

Qi folded her arms across her chest. "That bitch killed me. She killed all of us."

"Including Qi?"

"Yes."

Ju sat back as she tried to piece together what she was hearing. More questions formed in her mouth. Qi/Lottie stared at her.

"Go on, spit it out. I know you have many questions."

"Okay, okay. You don't mess around, do you?" She glanced up at Qi/Lottie.

"How many of you did she kill?"

"More than we both can count. She buried all of us in the rose garden." Qi lowered her head.

"Why did she kill you?" Ju asked. The other woman lifted her head. Her eyes became softer. It wasn't Qi, however. The clan leader raised her eyebrow.

"Who am I talking to?" she asked. Qi looked at her.

"Phillip," she said.

"Nice to meet you," Ju said. "My name is Wang Ju." She bowed her head.

"Nice to mee you too," Qi/Phillip said. He bowed his head likewise.

"Why did she kill all of you?" Ju asked.

"Various reasons. She killed Lottie for standing up to her. She killed me because I was falling in love with Qi."

Ju screwed up her face with disgust. Maybe they were alike in a way. Qi/Phillip shook his head.

"No," he said. "She's way worse." Qi lowered her head. Ju tilted her head. Who was coming out now?

"Hello?" she asked. The other woman lifted her head.

"Who are you now?" Ju asked. Qi turned her head.

"It's me," she said.

"Do they come out often?" the clan leader asked.

"Not often. I mostly keep myself in check." Then she lowered her head again.

"Hello?" the clan leader asked. "Are you still there? Hello? Hello?"

"They are all killing her."

"Excuse me?" Ju asked. Qi didn't lift her head.

"Qi? Qi?" the clan leader asked.

"They are all killing her." She lifted her head again. This time, something wasn't right. Qi's eyes looked so blank. Ju sat back in her chair.

"Who are you now?" she asked.

"I have no name," Qi said.

"Okay…" Ju said. "Shall I give you one?"

"No." Qi glared at her.

The clan leader put up her hands. "Okay, okay." She lowered her hands.

"Tell me about yourself."

"What is there to say?"

"Who are you?"

"I am just me."

"Who is me? Tell me your story."

Qi sat back in her chair. "Fine. I have been watching Qi for a long time. It started when her mother killed Isaac."

"Isaac is another doll?"

"Yes. Qi is a special case here."

Ju was about to ask when the other woman put up her hand. The clan leader drew her mouth closed. Qi bowed his head.

"Thank you," she said. "Now, I am still trying to determine what it is. However, I am running out of time with my investigation." Ju narrowed her eyes.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"It's the others," Qi said. "The longer they live in her souls, the more they are draining her life away."

"Do they know they are doing this?"

"Yes."

"So…"

"Why do they stay?"

"Yeah." Ju nodded as she said that.

Qi chuckled to herself. "Heh. Love."

"Huh?"

"They all love her. That love will not let them go. Ironically, they will kill her with their love."

"Is there any way to fix it?"

"They have to move on."

Ju leaned back in her chair. "And why do you stay?"

"I don't remember." She fought to keep her head up. This spirit was trying not to go away.

"Damn it. Not now."

Ju stared quietly. There was still one thing she had to know. "Why come to me? What makes me so special?"

Qi strained to stare at her before the stranger slipped away. "Because you are all she knows." Her finally dropped down. When she lifted it back, Qi came back. Ju raised her eyebrow.

"Who are you now?" she asked.

"I am me," Qi said. "I am me."

"I don't understand what you are asking me to do," Ju said. Quickly grabbed her by the hands.

"Please… help me," she pleaded. The clan leader didn't know how to respond.

Chapter Text

Match Thirty-One: Night Shift:

Im Yong has plenty of stories to share about his night shift patrol job. There are always going to be weird shit to be seen on these types of jobs. But something seems a bit… off. He was supposed to log everything that he sees. The following is everything he has seen in the last month.

This is part one of three.

1.

A girl was walking along the dirt path. Long black hair, long white dress, and no shoes. She didn't look dressed for the weather. He did she even get out here alone?

"Hey!" Ryu shouted at her. "Hey! You aren't supposed to be here!" The girl didn't respond. She didn't turn around. Ryu and I were with two more soldiers. We tried to get her attention.

"What's with her?" one of them asked. We didn't have an answer.

"Oi!" Ryu shouted again. The girl kept walking. Our other companion ran up to her and touched her arm. He started to talk to her, but then he turned and ran.

"Run!" he shouted.

"What's the matter?" Ryu asked.

"Just go!" our comrade shouted. "Run!" I only caught a glance. The girl had what looked like a pig mask on. I was dragged away.

2.

There is a reason why we don't go into the woods. There's the house of mannequins. However, there are other things too. Like the creepy-looking deer. Oh yes they are real. I have heard the stories. I got to see one tonight.

Another night on patrol. Things have gotten busy lately. Something isn't right. They won't let us patrol alone. We have to go in a pair or a group. I was with Kyu again tonight. It started out as a slow night. (That's how they all started out.) I happened to look up when something was wrong around in the bushes.

"Hey, what was that?" I asked.

"Hm?" Kyu asked.

"I thought I saw something out there," I said. I turned my flashlight in the bushes.

"You didn't hear that?" I asked.

"No," he said. I frowned.

"Heh," I said. We kept walking again. Something caught my ear. I looked up again.

"What is it?" Kyu asked.

"Shhh!" I whispered. I waved the flashlight around. I narrowed my eyes as I tried to look around. I froze.

"There!" I shouted. I ran forward.

"Im Yong!" Kyu yelled after me. I ran off the dirt path again. Something jumped out of the way as I got closer. I stopped in front of the brush and looked around. Damn it, it's gone.

"I told you not to run off the path!" Ryu yelled behind me. I turned to see him running up to me.

"I thought I saw something out there," I said. He patted me on the shoulder.

"Stay on the path," he said.

"But…" I said. He dragged me back to the path. I didn't see that deer again.

3.

The military doesn't talk about the woods. There is a good reason too. Lately, it's gotten worse. In the early hours of the morning, I saw another strange creature.

I was just coming off my shift then. I just wanted to go to sleep. All that was left was to check out and get back to the barracks.

I made it back to the main office.

"Hello?" I asked as I knocked on the door. "I'm here to do my check-in." I poked my head inside. There was no one in sight. Hm… Did they leave already? That can't be right. I would've heard it over the radio. Maybe they just went to the bathroom. I slipped inside and sat down in front of the desk. I guessed I would just wait there for a while.

I don't know how long I had been waiting. But I thought I heard a crunching noise. I whipped my head around.

"Hello?" I asked. My eyes shifted back and forth. There are not many people that are supposed to be here. I moved my hand to my gun. Maybe I was being pranked. I leaped to my feet.

"Who's there?" I asked. I heard a low groaning noise. I turned towards the door. A muscled creature with dark blue skin stood in the doorway. This creature… The eyes were so white and empty. Only a crown of thorns was that article of clothing it had on. Was it… crying blood? I tilted my head.

"Who are you?" I asked. Blood dribbled from the creature's mouth as it opened. I covered my mouth at what I saw. A giant brown eye stared back at me in this creature's mouth. I turned and ran back further into the office.

I don't remember what happened from there. They said they found me babbling to myself in the corner while biting on my thumb. By sunrise, I woke up in my bed.

4.

Last night, we got a distress call from the woods. Ryu and I had to go out to investigate.

"Probably just a prank," he said. Though, I doubted that even he believed that. I was prepared to attack anything or anyone.

"Let's just get this over with," I said. This time, I was determined to stay on the path. Ryu and I search the woods with flashlights.

"Hello?" he asked. I stayed close behind. We came to an opening near the woods. So we were really going to do this? I crossed myself in my head.

"Ready to do this?" he asked. I nodded once. We started our walk into the woods. Everything was going fine at first. I kept my ears and eyes open. It should just be a quick search really quick.

It started with a doll.

"Look at this," Ryu said, nudging me on the arm. I looked up at where he was pointing. A small plastic baby doll was nailed down to the tree. Not placed up there, someone nailed a giant nail through the chest. I did not like this. Ryu already started looking along the trees for more.

Sure enough, we found several of them nailed to the trees.

"What the hell is this?" Ryu asked. I was about to answer when I heard someone…

"Shhh. Do you hear that?" I asked. Ryu took a listen.

"I don't hear—," he was about to say. He paused when heard the screaming. Ryu and I looked at each other before we radioed for help. Of course, they didn't find anything.

5.

I got called down to the basement to do a maintenance check on the radios on the base. From everything I've seen, it would be a nice break from the weird shit. It only I would be so lucky.

I just had to make sure that the radios worked in case of emergency. I would have to do this seventeen times. I only made it to radio number fourteen. So far, there was nothing special. Just static and different frequencies. I would take down the notes. If they worked, they would stay. If not, they would either need to be repaired or destroyed. The first thirteen were going well.

I sat down in front of the fourteenth radio and slid on my headphones. At first, all I got was static. I toned the knobs and took a listen. Suddenly, I caught the sound of loud sirens. It reminded me of the air siren raids from Nagasaki during World War II. At first, it started out soft. I was confused. There weren't supposed to be any recordings on them. Where did this even come from?

Now, I swear that I didn't touch anything. The volume just got louder on its own. I tried to turn down the volume and turn off the radio, but it didn't work. I had to yank off my headphones and run out of the room. The sirens didn't stop until I made it outside of the building.

6.

Tonight, Ryu, Kim, and I were on patrol tonight. This time, we were looking at the buildings on base. I flashed my light into one of the windows of what was supposed to be an abandoned building.

"Who is that up there?" I asked. My comrades flashed their light into the building. A tall black shadow stood looking down at us.

"They aren't supposed to be up there," Ryu said. The three of us ran into that building. By the time we made it up the stairs, there was no one there. That was going to be another call to the higher-ups over the radio.

7.

It was my day off. Not much happened. But I still had questions. I reached over and picked up my phone. Called up Mi-Soon. Couldn't reach her. I decided to try again later. Did nothing for the rest of the day.

However, I can't help but get the feeling that I am being watched.

8.

I had to work late today. I was going to be in the computer lab by myself. I'm used to it by now. I bid my mentor good night. I still had questions. No one has been giving me any straight answers. I don't think it's because they are hiding anything from me. More like they don't know themselves.

This would be a chance to look up something.

Once I was sure that I was alone, I opened up the hidden database. There was only one thing that I had to go on. I typed in "Woman in Red". I was just going on instinct here. When I clicked send, a chill ran down my spine. I quickly turned my head.

"Hello?" I asked. The silence made it worse. I shouldn't be doing this, but I just had to know. I pushed the unsettling feeling down as I kept looking.

I didn't find much on that first search.

9.

Sometimes, we have to chase out people who wander the woods for kicks. There is a reason why. Three tourists had wandered into the woods in the middle of the night near the base. Time to round them up and kick them off. So annoying.

Ryu, Kim, another comrade, and I were on the job. Two guys and a girl this time. Should be simple, right? It never was.

We headed back into the woods. I just hoped that we could reach them in time.

"Hello?" Kim asked. "Is anyone out here?" We strained to listen. I swallowed down my worry.

"Shhh! Do you hear that?" Kim asked. We all stopped to listen. One… Two… Three pairs of footsteps. I pointed out to the woods. We all nodded to each other and started walking. Our lights guided the way.

"Hello?" Ryu asked. "No one is supposed to be out here! We're coming to help guide you out!" I hated when the night was quiet. It's too quiet. I had my hand to my gun. I turned my head when I heard a low whistle.

"Did you hear that?" I asked. My comrades listened in the darkness. It didn't take long for us to know that we weren't all. It was Kim to notice the sounds of footsteps behind us.

"Stop!" he shouted. We spun around to see three cloaked figures standing a few inches away. Their white eyes glowed in the dark. They had antlers on their heads. One of them started to float up towards the sky. One recognized the creature. Or at least I thought I did.

I didn't get to look or interact with these creatures for long. Someone grabbed me by the shoulder and pulled me along.

"Let's get out of here!" Ryu shouted.

"But what about the-?" our comrade asked.

"Forget it!" our mentor shouted. "We'll just report them as missing!" We made it back to the base just a little after midnight. Once again, we radioed the higher-ups. I couldn't imagine what the paperwork was going to look like again.

10.

It's starting to make sense to me. This government is keeping secrets because they won't believe everything that we are seeing. I learned this while I was doing more information about the Woman in Red. There is so much more surrounding her. I… I don't even know where to begin. The more I look, the more I feel like I keep dropping down an endless rabbit hole. I don't want to do this, but I have to know.

I was about to go to bed when the phone rang. Mi-Soon finally returned my calls.

Chapter Text

Match Thirty-Two: Night Shift II:

Im Yong has plenty of stories to share about his night shift patrol job. There are always going to be weird shit to be seen on these types of jobs. But something seems a bit… off. He was supposed to log everything that he sees. The following is everything he has seen in the last month.

This is part two of three.

11.

Aside from the woods, no one is allowed on the back roads. Guess what? We have to patrol there too. I was with Ryu at the time. He looked over his shoulder.

"Oh, that's right. This is your first night out here, isn't it?" he asked. I nodded once.

"Well, same rules apply. Just stay in the car," Ryu said. "Got it?" I nodded.

"Good, let's go," Ryu said. We took off in a jeep to patrol the back roads. He didn't tell me what we were looking for. We didn't talk as we looked out the window. I kept my gun by my side. (I don't know why I still keep it. I haven't had to use it so far. Still, this is what the boss wants.)

I don't know how long we had been driving. It gets really dark on these back roads. I mean really dark. So dark that only the headlights of the jeep were our only source of light. So imagine my surprise when I looked further down the road.

"Hey," I said, shaking on Ryu's arm. "Hey, look!"

"What?" he asked as he looked up. We looked out through the headlights. At first, we didn't know what we were looking at. A sea of pale women were floating in the air. We couldn't get a good look at them. There had to be about eight or nine of them.

"What the hell?!" Ryu asked. I tried to get a better look at them. All of their clothes looked soaked and torn. They didn't say a word.

"Yeah, we're going to get out of here right now," Ryu said. He put the jeep in reverse. Before he could pull away, a giant hand smacked the window. We jumped at the sound. Against my better judgment, I turned my head. One of the women hovered next to me outside the car. She opened and closed her mouth rapidly. What was that on her skin? I narrowed my eyes for a look. Wait… is that a flower on the side of her head? Fleshy flowers were growing out of the side of her face and neck. The biggest one took over most of the left side of her face. Blood started leaking out from her pale skin. Her eyes looked so dull.

Ryu stepped on the gas as fast as he could. We peeled out of there as fast we could.

12.

We went back to the back roads again. We were coming off of the shift this time. I still haven't gotten used to this. Around this time, I would be getting up and going to school. Right now, I just wanted to go to sleep.

I bid the other guys goodbye.

"You going back through the woods alone?" one of them asked. I waved him off.

"It should be fine," I said. "It's board daylight after all." They didn't say anything. I didn't need to guess what they were thinking. I didn't care at that point. I just wanted to sleep.

The path back to the bus station wasn't a long one. It's even shorter when you cut through the woods. I shoved my hands into my pockets. Don't try to think about too much. I just needed to go back to the barracks and go to bed.

I happened to look up at the trees above. They seemed to form a tunnel around them. Geez, this looked creepy. I shook my head and forced myself to keep walking. When did it get so quiet around here? Something told me that I could stay longer. I crouched down into a running place.

Three… Two… One!

I took off running the rest of the way. I didn't look back. I didn't stop running until I made it to the barracks.

13.

There's an old man hanging around the entrance of the barracks. He doesn't seem to want anything. We can't figure out who he is or why he's here. We don't even know how he got on base in the first place. He only says one thing.

"I'm looking for my cat."

We don't know how to react to this. Should we call the police? He's trespassing. But he hasn't done anything illegal. Still, something isn't right. It's been three hours now. He's still out there. Some of the cadets have been debating about what they were going to do. I took a look out the window again. Yep, he's still there.

"I'm looking for my cat."

He's trying to look inside now.

"We haven't seen your cat!" one of the other cadets called. "Could you please go away?" The old man stood there for a moment.

"I'm looking for my cat."

"The cat isn't here!" I shouted. The man didn't say anything. He just stared at us at the door. We were ready to call the higher-ups. I had my hand to my gun.

Suddenly, the old man turned and walked away. He said nothing and was gone. Everyone held their breath until he was gone. We didn't breathe until we were sure that he was gone. Still, something seemed off about the old man.

I waited until everyone else was too busy talking. I opened the door a crack. When I looked down, my jaw dropped. There were no footsteps on the ground.

14.

There's just something creepy about playgrounds at night. Well, I going to watch one on a steak out with Ryu. We sat across from an abandoned playground in his jeep. I turned to my mentor.

"What exactly are we looking for?" I asked.

"Shadow people," he said. I wrinkled my nose.

"You're joking, right?" I asked. Ryu didn't say anything. I tried to laugh at first, but I went quiet.

"Oh," he said. Ryu gave me a cold look.

"Are you done?" he asked.

"Sorry," I muttered. We just sat in the car for most of the night. I wanted to turn on the radio, but Ryu wouldn't let me.

"This isn't a picnic," he said. "We're working."

"Okay, okay," I muttered. "Geez." I looked out the windshield. I froze.

"Hey," I said, nudging him Ryu.

"What?" he asked.

"I thought I saw something," I said. Ryu pulled out his flashlight and looked around.

"Where?" he asked. I looked with his light.

"There… I think…" I said. Ryu's light moved to the left. Something or someone tried to duck down out of view.

"Did you see that?" I asked.

"Yeah," Ryu said. His light trained on the bush. I put my hand to my gun, ready to get out of the car.

"Wait," my mentor said, putting his hand on my shoulder. I turned my head.

"Why?" I asked. Ryu pointed out the windshield. I turned my head. Two more figures with white eyes stared at us. They ducked down as soon as the light shone on them. I reached for my radio to call it in. Ryu kept his eyes out on the playground. So he wasn't lying. There were shadow figures on this playground. Something tells me that wasn't the only thing out there.

"Hey," I said.

"What is it now?" Ryu asked. I pointed outside of the windshield.

"What is that out there?" I asked.

"Huh?" he asked as looked up. His jaw dropped as the radio fell in his lap. There was a giant blackened figure with red eyes staring at us. I put my hand to my gun. I was just about to get out when Ryu grabbed me by the shoulder.

"Wait!" he said.

"What?" I asked. The creature turned and ran towards the woods. And that was it.

15.

My work is following me back to my dorm. I was sound asleep when I heard heavy breathing standing over me. At first, I thought I was dreaming. I squinted and turned over. I had no idea what I was looking at when I opened my eyes.

A pale woman floated over me. She always looked so sad. Her long white hair floated around her. Tears welled up in her eyes. My eyes grew wide. I wanted to scream out, but I found that I couldn't move or scream. Only her freckles and faint blush stood out on her face. Her silver ankh earrings dangled from her ears. I tried not to focus on her pale third eye.

She tried to reach out to me, but her hand couldn't reach me. It was like there was a line of thin air between us.

Who was she? I don't know of anyone who would be haunting me. A barrier seemed to protect her from me. Even her teardrops can't even reach me as they fell. But why? I've never seen this woman before in my life.

Suddenly, the woman disappeared. I found that I could move again. I panted as my body was covered in sweat. This wasn't the first night this has happened. I should report this, but I don't know how to put it into works. Maybe this report will help.

16.

I was going to stay in for the night, but I got another call. Oh boy. What is it now? To my surprise, it's Mi-Soon.

"Sis?" I asked. "What is the problem?"

"Listen to me," she said in a whisper. "Do not go out to the border tomorrow. It's too dangerous."

"What do you mean?" I asked. There was a pause on the other line.

"Hello? Are you still there? Hello? Hello?" I asked.

"They found something out there," Mi-Soon said.

"What did they find?" I asked.

"You'll find out," she said in a low voice.

"What is going on here? Why won't you tell me anything?" I asked. There was another pause over the phone. I started to see why our other siblings were worried about me going back to my sister.

"Meet me down at the mess hall," she said.

"Sis?" I asked.

"I will tell you everything you need to know," Mi-Soon said. "But you can't report this to the authorities." It was my turn to pause over the phone.

"Uh… yeah, yeah," I said. "Sure. Can we meet today?"

"Sure," she said. "I love you, brother."

"I love you too," I said. I hung up and let the phone rest in my lap. I didn't know what to make of this.

17.

Not much happened today. I still had to make a report to the authorities. I waited in the hallway with my reports. I walked up and knocked on the door.

"Enter," the commander said.

"I'm coming in," I said. I opened the door and walked inside. The commander sat at his desk, signing paperwork. He looked up at me.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" I asked.

"Ah, yes," the commander said. "Do you have a report about last night for me?"

"Yes sir," I said. I reached into my bag and pulled out the folder.

"Thank you," the commander said. He took the folder and looked through it. I didn't dare to move just yet. It's too risky to be insubordinate in this military. The commander looked up at me with his eyebrow raised.

"Yesterday's report isn't complete," he said. "Why is that?" I remembered what Mi-Soon told me to say.

"There wasn't much to report, sir," I said. "It's been quiet yesterday."

"Is that so?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," I said. The commander didn't speak at first. He put the folder into his filing cabinet.

"Thank you, that is all," the commander said.

"Thank you, sir," I said. I bowed and walked out of his office. Did he really believe me? I do not know.

18.

I have more work in the lab to do. I'm going to be the only one in the building tonight. I started typing away code. I can't tell you exactly what I do. That is classified. I can tell you about all of the signals I got together. I'm not talking about the air raid signals I heard a couple of weeks ago.

It started with whispering. I can never make out what they are saying. It came across like hissing. The commander was interested in the air raid sirens I heard from that particular radio.

"Tell me what else you can pick up," he said.

So far, it's just been the whispers. Honestly, it's annoying. Part of me wished that I could be pranked by my comrades just to make something happen. I was just about to fall asleep…

Huh?!

I jumped up awake. There it was. I heard two words so clearly. They sounded so faint, but I know what I heard. I went back over the coding on the screen. Come on… Where is it? I slowed down when I caught the exact timing. Fifty-seven minutes and twenty-eight seconds. I clicked on the lines to play it again. I narrowed my eyes and listened closely. Come on… Where are you? I know I heard you. Then there it was again. Those two words.

"Help… me…"

A little bit louder this time. I could definitely make out the words. I quickly wrote down what I heard. Am I being pranked? Maybe. At least it's not whispering anymore.

But now I am wondering what else am I going to hear tonight?

19.

We're back on patrol again. Not near the border though. You guessed it. We went back to the woods. Only, Ryu's not going out with us. He's been called away to another duty for the time being. It's just going to be us rookies on our own. One of them turned to me.

"What do you think we'll see out here?" he asked. I shrugged my shoulders.

"I don't know," I said.

"Don't say things like that," the other cadet said. I used to it by now. What can they throw at me now?

The first cadet froze in place.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Did you hear that?" he asked.

"Hear what?" the other cadet asked.

"Shhh," the first one whispered. We all stopped and took a listen. It sounded like footsteps walking towards us. Which direction was it coming from now? Left… Right… No, left… And they are behind us?

One of the cadets and I whipped around when we heard a choked-up scream. The other cadet's body went stiff as he levitated off the ground. His mouth was wide open as his eyes were empty.

"Cadet Jeong!" I shouted.

"What should we do?!" the other cadet asked. I didn't have an answer. I had never seen anything like this before. Ryu didn't tell me what to do if one of us got possessed. Suddenly Jeong dropped to the ground with a hard thud. The other cadet panicked as I radioed for help.

20.

Mi-Soon and I have been put on an assignment together. I kind of don't understand why they called me to do this. I don't have much experience in the field. All I know is how to do patrols during the night shift. But apparently, Mi-Soon was the one who requested that I pair up with her.

"You and I would work better," she explained to me in the mess hall. Okay… My best bet would be just to trust her. It's managed to keep me afloat so far.

"When do we leave?" I asked.

"At 0300 hours," Mi-Soon in a serious tone, leaning back in her chair.

"Okay," I said. I picked up my juice and took another drink.

Chapter Text

Match Thirty-Three: Night Shift III:

Im Yong has plenty of stories to share about his night shift patrol job. There are always going to be weird shit to be seen on these types of jobs. But something seems a bit… off. He was supposed to log everything that he sees. The following is everything he has seen in the last month.

This is part three of three.

21.

Mi-Soon and I are going to explore where the border between our houses used to be. There have been reports of activity lately. Mi-Soon isn't too comfortable with me going with her.

"Stay by me, okay?" she told me. I didn't argue. So far, listening to her has helped me to keep it together. But even she's worried about this mission.

We left about 0300 hours. Mi-Soon sat by me in the jeep. Ryu was driving. There were two more officers with us. We didn't speak the whole drive there. I kept my gun by my side.

We would be at the border by seven in the morning. We weren't given many details. Just that we were investigating strange activity near the former border. Mi-Soon held my hand.

"Are you okay?" I whispered. Mi-Soon made herself nod as she nodded.

"Yeah," she said.

"Everything okay back there?" Ryu asked over his shoulder.

"Yes," I said. "We're fine." He just turned back to the dark road.

22.

We set up camp. The checkpoint looked empty. I couldn't remember who was supposed to be here. Ryu filled in the details once reached our destination.

"We lost contact with Lieutenant Park," he said. "He and his men had vanished into thin air."

"So we are finding out what happened?" one of our comrades asked.

"Yes," Ryu said. We all looked at each other. So this was a search and rescue along with an investigation.

"How do we know they are alive?" one of our comrades asked.

"We don't," Ryu said. He opened the door and got out. We all followed behind. Mi-Soon squeezed my hand.

"Stay by me, okay?" she whispered. I nodded.

So began our mission.

23.

What exactly happened? I am still trying to figure that one out. Mi-Soon doesn't have an answer either. I will try my best to tell you what happened.

We went into the forest. He had to find the checkpoint, look at what was going on, report back, and get out. We didn't believe it was going to be simple. We just didn't know how bad it was going to be.

"Stay on the trail," Ryu told us.

"Yes!" we all say. And off we went. Everything started out fine at first. Not much was going on. To be honest, I don't know if the woods are creepier during the day or night. Mi-Soon wouldn't let go of my hand. We all split off into pairs. Of course, Mi-Soon stayed with me. This was the time for me to ask questions.

"Mi-Soon," I said.

"Hm?" she asked. My eyes shifted back and forth.

"What is really going on here?" I asked in a whisper. She glanced over at me.

"What do you mean?" she asked. I dropped my shoulders and sighed. How do I put this?

"What are we really looking for?" I asked. Her grip tightened around my hand.

"A dragon," she said in a low voice. I narrowed my eyes as I gave her a strange look.

"What?" I asked. I hoped that she was joking. The look on her face told me otherwise. I frowned as I noticed how she was looking at me.

"Oh…" I whispered. I looked down at my feet. Still, I had a feeling there was something else that she wasn't telling me.

"Mi-Soon," I said again.

"Please don't ask me any more questions," she said in a trembling voice. "I don't think I can explain it to you in words. You are just going to have to see it for yourself."

"Mi-Soon…"

"Please!" She took a breath. "Just trust me on this."

I closed my mouth. I squeezed her hand back. We walked further down the path.

24.

We weren't given much to work with. The higher-ups never told us specifically what we were looking for. We were just looking around blindly. Mi-Soon and I haven't been talking since I tried to find out the truth. She wouldn't even look at me. I didn't know what to say. I probably shouldn't question her. I need to trust her.

As we walked along, I noticed something off about the woods. At first, my eyes shifted back and forth.

"Why is it so quiet here?" I asked. Mi-Soon turned and looked at me. She took a listen for herself.

"You're right," she said. I put my hand to my gun. I looked around behind me. I don't like this.

"Stay by me," she said.

"Yes," I said, nodding. We walked further down the path. I kept looking behind me the whole time.

25.

I think around 0900 hours, our radios crackling on.

"Hello?" Mi-Soon asked. I leaned in for a listen. At first, all we heard was static.

"Hello?" she asked again. "Is there anybody there? Hello? Hello?" My radio crackled one too.

"Hello?" I asked. Through the static, a voice struggled to come through. My sister and I looked at each other.

"What the hell?" I mouthed. She shook her head. Then the radios went silent.

"What was that?" I asked. Mi-Soon couldn't give me an answer. I looked up when I thought I heard something.

"Can we just get going?" I asked.

"Right," she said. We started walking on the path again.

26.

I don't like this. It keeps getting worse with each step.

"Mi-Soon," I said.

"What is it?" she asked, not turning around.

"We haven't heard from anybody for a while," I said.

"Yes?" she asked.

"You think they are okay?"

"Yeah." She didn't show so convinced with her own words. I pressed my lips together as I nodded. I kept my hand by my gun.

"Do you think we should go back?" I asked. Mi-Soon glanced over her shoulder. I went quiet. Probably shouldn't have asked. I was in the military now. I wasn't supposed to be afraid.

"How are you doing?" Mi-Soon asked.

"Huh?" I asked. She looked over her shoulder at me.

"I'm a bit scared," she said. I had a puzzled look on my face.

"What?" I asked.

"I don't want to lose you again," I said. She grabbed me by the hands. I noticed the look of desperation in her eyes.

"Mi-Soon…" I said. She shook her head. I pulled her into a hug.

"It's okay," I whispered. "I won't leave you." My sister looked up at me.

"You promise?" I asked.

"Yes," I said, dropping my shoulders. She buried her face in my chest.

"Thank you, brother," she whispered. I was about to speak when I heard something rustling in the bushes.

"What was that?" I asked. Mi-Soon shook her head as she looked at me. We held our guns to our sides.

"Let's go," she whispered. I held my breath as I followed behind.

27.

When did it get so dark out here? I tried to look around when I thought I hard footsteps behind us.

"Have you had any contact with the others yet?" I asked.

"Uh-uh," Mi-Soon said. Only her hand was keeping me close by. If we got lost, that would make things worse. The sounds around us became dull. I slowly drew in a breath. Did we even know where we were going now?

"Mi-Soon," I said.

"Uh-huh?" she asked.

"Where exactly are we going?" I asked. She didn't answer.

"We haven't heard from our comrades either," I said. Still no answer. My stomach turned. Oh boy…

Mi-Soon turned on her flashlight. I did so as well. We got a better look at the path. There was nothing but trees ahead. I held my breath.

"Do you think we should go back?" I asked. "I think we've strayed off the path. Maybe we should try and radio the others."

"We can't," she said.

"What do you mean?" I asked. Mi-Soon stopped in her tracks. She didn't turn around.

"The radio can't pick up a signal," she said.

"What?" I asked.

"I'm so sorry," Mi-Soon said.

"Well… do you know how to get back to the meeting spot?" I asked.

"I'm so sorry," she said again. I didn't believe what I was hearing. I struggled to say something at first.

"How long have we been lost?" I asked.

"I don't know," she said. I slammed my hand against my forehead.

"I don't believe this!" I shouted.

"I'm so sorry," Mi-Soon said again.

"Stop saying that," I said. I was about to say something else, but I had the following that we weren't alone anymore.

28.

"Hello?" I asked, looking around.

"What is it?" Mi-Soon asked.

"Shhh," I whispered. I had my hand to my gun.

"We know you're here!" I said. "Come out and show yourself!" I heard Mi-Soon whip out her own gun. Up until now, there has been no sounds or movement around us. I clicked my tongue.

"Im Yong…" Mi-Soon said.

"Shhh!" I said again. I took a step back. I clenched my teeth. I didn't like this.

"Where are you?!" I shouted. "Come out and show yourself!"

"Im Yong!" my sister yelled.

"What?!" I asked. I barely got the word out of my mouth.

Wham!

29.

It felt like everything around me was on fire.

I drew open my eyes. All I could see were walls of fire. I would be lying if I said that I didn't panic at first. But then I noticed that there was no heat to this fire. I looked around, confused. The fire didn't even touch my body. I looked down at my hands. I could see through my body.

I noticed that I wasn't alone.

"Hello?" I asked. I couldn't hear my voice. The sounds of the fire drowned it out. A pair of hands started to caress my body. I froze as sweat covered my body. I couldn't move. I glanced over my shoulder.

Those eyes.

The deep red made me think that I was staring into the pits of hell. Several more eyes opened up around us on the ceiling. I could hear my heart pounding to my ears. Her clutch around me grew tighter. (I don't know how I could tell it was a woman. I just knew.) I felt like I was choking. I thought my body was sinking into her. Was she going to suck me into her body?

Then she started speaking to me.

My body felt cold as I went stiff. Her words came through so clearly in my brain. I still remember everything that she said.

"You will all burn as you become a part of me. Each night as you sleep, I destroy the world."

My eyes widened. I wanted to scream out, but my throat was sinking into her open mouth. I shut my eyes as I thought that I was getting sucked in.

Suddenly, a hand reached down and pulled me upwards. It all happened so fast. I landed on the ground with a thud. When I looked up, Mi-Soon was looking down at me.

"Are you alright?" she asked. I lay on the ground panting and I nodded.

"Yeah," I said. She pulled me to my feet and had to walk me back to the meeting place. Only one of the other comrades was leaned up against the jeep with a giant stab wound in his abdomen. He tried to stop the bleeding. Mi-Soon treated his wounds as I radioed for help. Ryu and the rest of them have been missing since.

30.

It's worse than we thought. There is something in the country that is reacting to whatever is happening in Japan. From what I hear, things are getting worse over there. I can't get the words that woman said out of my head.

You will all burn as you become a part of me. Each night as you sleep, I destroy the world.

That has me really worried. I fear for the world. If anyone else reads this, I wish you nothing but luck with your survival.

Chapter Text

Match Thirty-Four: Unknowing:

What about the ones not in the know? How are they fairing through this? Do they even know what's going on?

Seychelles looked up at the sky. She might have imagined it, but the sun seemed to be getting darker. The girl shook her head. That couldn't be right. That only happens in the movies if something bad is about to happen. It was probably an eclipse or something. Yeah, that had to be it.

"Hey!" someone yelled. Seychelles turned to see a little boy running towards her on the beach. The girl perked up.

"Hello, Marco," she said. The boy about twelve ran up to her.

"How are you?" Seychelles asked.

"Great!" Marco said. "Want to see something cool?" She raised her eyebrow.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Ta-da!" he said, reaching from behind his back. He held out a brown cloth wrapped up in hand. Marco pulled back to the cloth to reveal a wriggling pile of white fleshy mass. There were faint traces of symbols on the back… maybe?

"What is that?" Seychelles asked.

"I don't know," Marco said. "I found it this morning when it washed up on shore." He poked the creature in the middle. It wiggled around on the cloth.

"Don't touch that!" she said. "You don't know where it's been!" The mass looked like it was pulsing. Seychelles and Marco looked at each other.

"What are you going to do with it?" she asked.

"I don't know," the boy said. "Maybe I can give it to a lab. Or keep it." Seychelles looked up at him.

"Don't keep it," she said. Marco looked at her, pouting.

"Aw, why not?" he asked.

"You don't know what it is," she said. "It could be poisonous or something. Throw it away!"

"Aw, why?!" Marco said.

"Don't ask questions!" Seychelles shouted. "Just throw it away!" The boy frowned at her.

"You can't be serious," he said. She put her hands on her hips.

"I am!" she said. "Throw it away now!" Marco stuck out his tongue.

"Well, I won't do it!" he said. The boy turned and ran off.

"Hey!" Seychelles yelled. She ran after the bratty child.

"Come back here!" she shouted. The mass wriggled around on the cloth as Marco ran away laughing.

She wasn't the only one on the outside experiencing odd-happening around the world. The micronations started to see weird fleshy white masses washing up or raining down on their lands.

-Peter-

It started with the visions for Peter Kirkland. He didn't know why he would see bright pink, warm walls around him. Everything sounded so muffled. He couldn't tell if it was night or day. He couldn't move his body. He didn't even have a body. Had he even been born?

No, as he found out.

He hadn't been born yet. His body slowly took shape over the passing time. He thought he was going to be born. But just before the fourth month, that hopeful life was cut off. His mother didn't want him. She finally went through with it.

Peter couldn't make sense of this. He was alive. There was no way that he could be aborted, right?

He shook his head. What was all of this? Peter could take comfort in knowing that he wasn't the only one experiencing these strange visions. The older countries were seeing the same things. They two didn't have any answers for what was happening to them either.

As much as Peter wanted to believe that he was losing his mind, something inside wouldn't let him. Plus, he had something else to worry about.

Early one morning, he awoke to something hitting the roof of his house. The boy thought he was dreaming at first. So he rolled over and went back to sleep. When he did get up, Peter went outside for a look. A blocked number texted him saying to look on the roof. The boy stared at his phone.

"Huh?" he asked. Peter went outside and got a ladder. He climbed up and looked on the roof. A puzzled look came over his face.

"What is that?" he asked. Another wriggling pile of white fleshy mass sat inches away from him. Peter didn't dare to touch it.

-Wy-

She too saw strange things falling from the sky. Wy was about to head out to the beach when something fell in front of her with a loud splat. She squealed in disgust before looking down. Another wriggling pile of white fleshy mass lay on the ground. Wy wrinkled her nose.

"What is that?" she asked. The girl didn't dare to go near it. What if it tried to jump out at her? Only one way to fix this. Wy pulled out her phone.

Moments later, hazmat came along and scooped up the creature. Wy shivered as she watched. There was no way that she was going to touch that thing.

"Thank you so much," she said.

"No, thank you," the man in a gas mask said. He bid her farewell and walked back to the van. Wy watched them drive away. She huffed and turned back to her house.

Looked like she wasn't going out today after all.

-Hutt River-

He too had the same problem. Hutt River saw another wriggling pile of white fleshy mass on the beach. He didn't know what to make of it at first. The boy picked up a stick and poked at it. The mass wiggled and huddled up.

"Hm?" the Hutt River asked. He poked the creature with the stick again. It wriggled at the sensation. This time, it made a low meowing noise. The boy raised his eyebrow. He poked at it again with the stick. It made a louder meowing sound. Hutt River kept poking until it jumped up in midair. Hutt River jumped back himself.

"Whoa!" he shouted. The boy looked around for a moment. What the hell was this thing? Hutt River just had to take it home and find out. He ran straight home. When he came back, he had a jar and a cloth in his hands. The creature was still laying on the ground. Hutt River took slow steps to the white mass.

"Come on," he whispered. "Get inside." He used the cloth to pick up the mass. To his surprise, the creature didn't resist.

"Heh, that was easier than I thought," Hutt River said. He turned and walked home.

-Seborga-

Seborga was out on a date with a young lady on the beach. They were just walking along the shore. Nothing special, really. Everything was going great. The couple had a nice lunch in a café near the beach. He wouldn't let her pay.

"No," the boy said. "Allow me."

"Oh," she said in a flirty tone. Now, they were walking on the beach. Seborga put his arm around the young woman's waist. He nuzzled her on the neck.

"Stop," she said, playfully pushing him off. The girl giggled. He gave her a little pout.

"Aw, why are you being like that?" he asked. His date gently put her finger to his lips.

"Later," she whispered. Seborga smiled. But then he happened to look over her shoulder and frown.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"What is that?" her date asked, pointing to the beach behind them.

"Huh?" his date asked, turning around. She narrowed her eyes for a better look.

"What is that?" she asked. The girl walked down to the beach.

"Bella?" Seborga asked, running after to her. They were now inches away from the waves. The girl covered her mouth as she gasped.

"Ew!" she screamed.

"What?" her date asked. He turned and looked.

"Oh…" he said. They were staring at another wriggling pile of white fleshy mass that had washed up on the beach.

-Kugelmugel-

He has his own opinion on the wriggling pile of white fleshy mass in front of him. Kugelmugel wonders if it can be turned into art or not. He picked it up by the head. (At least he thought it was the head.) It looked like it was trying to escape in his hand.

"Easy," he whispered. "It's okay. It's okay." There were no facial features or holes. There were no limbs either. I was just a mass.

"I can see it pulsing," he said. It tried to reach up to his hand. The creature only got halfway before it gave up. A little smile came across Kugelmugel's face.

"Shhh, easy there," he said. "Easy." Suddenly, the mass slowed down to being still. The wheels in Kugelmugel's head started turning.

"Yes, you're going to make a good art project," he said. Kugelmugel turned and walked back to his house. That little smile came back on his face.

-Niko Niko Republic-

Niko-Niko noticed that Kiku hasn't been himself for quite some time now. He walked up to Sena and Kiku's front door and knocked. The boy paced around, looking up. He held something wrapped up behind his back. Niko-Niko turned his head when the door opened. Sena blinked at him.

"Niko?" she asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey," he said. "How is Kiku-san?" Sena lowered her gaze.

"Not so good, huh?" he asked. She shook her head.

"It's getting worse," she said. Niko-Niko's eyes shifted back and forth. Maybe this wasn't a good time to do this.

"Did you want something?" Sena asked. Niko-Niko lifted his chin.

"There's something I wanted to show you and him," he said. The boy reached from behind his back. He showed her something wrapped up in a black cloth.

"I found this in my backyard this morning," Niko-Niko said. "I don't know what it is. I wondering if Kiku-san knew what it was." He drew back the cloth. Sena gasped and jumped back as she saw the wriggling pile of white fleshy mass in Niko-Niko's hand.

"Ew! What is that?!" she shouted.

"I don't know," Niko-Niko said. Sena stepped back as the color drained from her face.

"Get out of here with that!" she screamed.

"But…" he said. Sena already slammed the door in his face. The boy was just left standing there with the mass wiggling around in his hand.

"Now what?" he asked himself.

-Ladonia-

Ladonia stared at the wriggling pile of white fleshy mass on his table. What the hell was this thing? It fell from the sky when he was about to leave his house.

"What the hell?!" he shouted. The boy couldn't take his eyes off of it. Before he knew it, Ladonia had picked up the mass and took it inside with him. What the hell was he thinking? The boy sneered at the creature. What the hell was it? There was nothing but faint markings on its body. What was Ladonia supposed to do with this? It didn't look like he could eat it. He doubted that he could make any money off it. Ladonia didn't even think it would make a good pet. The boy sneered and clicked his tongue.

"What good are you?" he asked. Ladonia picked up the creature and tossed it across the room. It landed on the wall with a splat before sliding down to the floor. Ladonia sneered and shook his head.

"So lame," he said as he got up from his chair and walked out of the room. The creature lay wriggling on the wooden floor, abandoned.

-Molossia-

He was the last one to see it. Molossia took his dog out for a walk in the desert. Suddenly, his pet stopped and looked up.

"What is it, boy?" Molossia asked. He looked up in time to see something falling from the sky. A confused look came over his face.

"What… is that?" he asked. Something landed in front of him and his pet with a splat. Molossia looked down to see another wriggling pile of white fleshy mass lying on the sand. The boy looked even more confused.

"What is that?" he asked. His dog started to walk towards it, but then froze. He turned and ran behind his master.

"What is it, boy?" Molossia asked, looking down at him. His pet started whimpering behind his leg. The boy turned to the mass wiggling around on the ground. Something inside of him wanted to go up and touch it. The boy found himself slowly walking closer.

He turned around when he heard his pet whimpering louder. The pet looked like he wanted to run away. His master dropped his shoulders.

"I'm so sorry, boy," he said. Molossia walked over to his dog and patted him as if in a daze.

So many wriggling piles of white fleshy mass around the little guys. And this is only the beginning of the end.

Chapter Text

Match Thirty-Five: Request, Exorcism, and Freedom:

-Ju-

Qi came to me with one request.

"I have a way to save your son," she said. I lifted my head from my pillow. First of all, I don't know she got in my room. Why didn't the alarm go off? At first, I thought I was dreaming.

"Qi? Is that you? What are you doing here?" I asked. I couldn't see too well in the dark. There she was. She looked more tired than the last time I saw her. Her hair hung around her shoulders. All Qi had on was a long black shapeless dress.

"I have a way to save your son," she said. "I want you to kill me."

She sounded so serious too.

"What?" I asked. By now, I was fully awake. Qi stood over my bed with dead eyes. I didn't understand what I was looking at.

"What the hell?" I mumbled. "How did you get in here?" She didn't answer me. Qi pressed her hands together.

"Kill me," she said again. "It's the only way."

"No. Why would I do that?" I asked.

"Please! You must!" she said. There was no emotion in her voice. I pinched myself in the cheek again. She was still there. I could've sworn that I saw her floating off of the floor.

"Can you please leave?" I asked. "How did you get in my house?" I climbed out of bed and start to push her out. Qi said nothing as I kept pushing her out. I had to drag her through the house and down the stairs by the arm. She never explained how she got in my house and past the security system.

I shoved her out the door.

"Don't come back this early in the morning again," I said. I slammed the door in her face. I thought that was the end of that.

One week later, there was a knock on my door.

"Who is that?" Yao asked. I shrugged and shook my head. This time, the doorbell rang.

"Let me go see who that is," I said. I got up from the table and walked to the front door. I looked out the peephole. A tall black woman in a green dress stood outside. I didn't have to ask who it was.

I opened the door.

"Noelle? What are you doing here?" I asked.

"It's my mistress," she said. I about stumbled backward. That was the first time I heard her speak. Usually, she stood off to one side and said nothing.

"What about her?" I asked.

"She tried to kill herself," Noelle said. "Last night." I about jumped back for a moment.

"What? What happened?" I asked.

Noelle ended up leading Yao, Jing, and me to the hospital.

"She just jumped from the balcony of the room," Noelle explained on the way there. "I just turned my eyes off of her for one moment. She didn't even make a sound."

"Did she want to die that badly?" I asked.

"I don't think it's that," Noelle said. I gave her back a strange look.

"What do you mean?" I asked. She stopped in her tracks.

"Noelle?" I asked.

"It's gotten worse," she said.

"What?" I asked. Noelle didn't turn around.

"She told you about her condition, right?" she asked.

"Yeah," I said. Yao turned his head.

"What's going on here?" he asked.

"I don't know how to explain it myself," I answered. Noelle cleared her throat. Yao and I looked up in time to see her turning to us.

"I think she's figured out that they are killing her," she said. The look on her face told me all I needed to know about the theory she came up with.

"Was this the first time that you know of?" I asked.

"I don't know," she said.

Yao and I sat in the waiting room.

"Why didn't you say anything?" he asked. I shrugged and shook my head.

"How could I?" I asked. "My cousin suffered from abuse. Her mom murdered her playmates who she also abused. Then she actually murdered my cousin to take over her body. So she killed her and burned down the house with Noelle."

"Wow," Yao said.

"Yeah," I said, nodding.

"So… what are you going to do with her?" he asked. I shrugged and shook my head.

"I don't know," I said.

"Oh," Yao said. We looked up when we heard footsteps walking towards us. A doctor in his fifties straightened up his glasses.

"How is she?" I asked.

"She's going to pull through," he said. "The surgery was successful. It's just a matter of when she'll wake up."

"When?" Yao asked.

"Yes," the doctor said. Yao and I looked at each other. I gently bounced Jing in my arms.

We didn't make it back home until morning. We found Hen-to and Bik waiting in the living room for us.

"Bik, Hen-to," I said. "What are you doing here?"

"We heard what happened on the news," Hen-to said.

"How is she?" Bik asked.

"The worst is over," I said. "They don't know when she'll wake up."

"Ah," Hen-to said. I looked around for a bit.

"Um… Hen-to, can I talk to you in private?" I asked.

"Sure," he said. I turned to Yao and Bik.

"Can you excuse us for a moment?" I asked. "There is something that I have to know."

"Alright," Bik said. Yao bowed his head. Hen-to stood up and followed me into the kitchen.

I told him everything about Qi. Hen-to had a stunned look on his face when I was done.

"Wow," was all he said.

"Yeah," I said, nodding. I paced myself before I started to speak.

"She wanted me to kill her the last time I saw her," I said with a whisper.

"What?" he asked.

"I don't even know how she got in my house around two in the morning," I said. I looked down at my hands as I spoke.

"So what do you want to do?" Hen-to asked. I looked up at him.

"I would like an exorcism performed on Qi," I said. Hen-to looked like he wanted to argue with me.

"This is the best that I could think of," I said. "She's already tried to free them from her body and we see how that turned out." Hen-to nodded.

"Right," he said. "We'll do it."

"Thank you," I said, bowing my head. I wasn't sure how this was going to work. But I at least had to try.

We had to turn to a fangxiangshi for help. At first, I was confused.

"They still exist?" I asked.

"Yes," Fei said. "I have a friend that has known one for years. I spoke with him on the phone this morning. My friend is happy to help us out."

"Good," I said. Fei put me in touch with the fangxiangshi. He said that he would be on the way in a couple of days. I was okay with this. It would give Qi enough time to recover. However, there was still one more issue that I had to deal with.

I called to meet up with Noelle at my house. We sat down at the kitchen table.

"Are you sure you are okay with this?" I asked.

"Yes," Noelle said.

"This could kill her," I said. "Are you prepared for that?"

"Yes," she said again.

"But what about you?" I asked. Noelle had no emotion on her face as she stared at me.

"What about me?" she asked.

"Well… Do you have anywhere to go? Any family you want to contact?" I asked.

"No," Noelle said. I stared at her.

"I have no one," she said before I could speak. "I don't even remember if I had a family or not."

"Surely there must be someone," I said.

"Just stop," Noelle said. "I don't want your pity. It's insulting to everything I had to survive through."

"Okay, okay," I said, putting up my hands. "I wasn't trying to do that. I just figured…" I saw Noelle raising her eyebrow at me as she frowned.

"You know what? Forget it," I said. "Sorry I asked." Noelle said nothing. Something about her crept me out.

"At least stay for lunch," I said. "I can make us something really quick. It won't be as good as my husband's, but it will still be edible." Noelle nodded once.

"Right," I said. I got up and walked over to the stove. I still couldn't leave Noelle alone. I resolved that I would help to do something for her some other time.

It would take a few days for Qi to wake up.

"We have to do this now," Hen-to said. I didn't argue.

"Does the fangxiangshi know where to meet us?" I asked.

"Fei texted him the directions," he said.

"Is the car ready?" I asked.

"Yes," Hen-to said. I got up from my desk and walked out of the office. I heard him follow behind.

The drive to the hospital took about an hour and a half. The fangxiangshi wouldn't be here for a couple of hours.

"We'll meet you there," Fei said over the phone.

"Okay," I said. Yao held my hand during the car ride there. Noelle was already waiting for us outside. She held her spear by her side.

"How is she?" I asked.

"Still asleep," Noelle said. I still don't know how to help her. We looked up when heard honking. Fei flagged us down in the parking lot.

"He's here," I said. He came up to us with a man in black and blue robes.

"You must be the fangxiangshi," I said. "Nice to meet you." I bowed. That man didn't speak as he bowed. There was no emotion on his face either. I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"We'll take you to her room right now," Hen-to said. He motioned his hand towards the glass doors. The fangxiangshi bowed and walked towards the doors. Noelle held her spear by her side and followed behind. Fei and Hen-to said nothing as they followed behind. I looked at Yao before we followed him.

The doctors and nurses had Qi in room 829. Noelle opened the door. The fangxiangshi walked through. We started to follow behind.

"Stop!" the fangxiangshi commanded. I about stumbled backward when I first heard him speak. He kept his back to us. The fangxiangshi held up his hand.

"I can't have all of you coming in after me," he said. "There will be too much energy in the room. It will distract me." I wanted to speak, but Yao put his hand on my shoulder. I looked up at him with my mouth open. He shook his head. I closed my mouth.

"I have to be in there with her alone," the fangxiangshi said. I saw Noelle lifting her chin as she held her spear by her side. (I have no idea how she managed to carry that thing into the hospital with her.) The fangxiangshi turned his attention to her. The look in her eyes said everything I needed to know. I just hoped that he would take the hint. They didn't talk for what felt like an hour. Finally, the fangxiangshi bowed his head and let her follow behind. I looked up at Yao.

"Think this is okay?" I whispered.

"You have to believe in him," my husband said. The room door closed behind the fangxiangshi and Noelle. I pushed my boys aside as I walked forward.

"Miss?" Fei asked. I pressed my ear to the door.

At first, I couldn't hear anything. The fangxiangshi was talking so softly while Noelle said nothing at all.

"What's happening?" Fei whispered.

"Shhh!" I hissed. I tried to focus on what was going on in the room. From what I could gather, it sounded like the fangxiangshi was chanting. Maybe there was walking around the bed. Qi started moaning in pain in her bed. I think it was pain; I wasn't sure. Suddenly, the chanting grew faster and louder. The fangxiangshi spoke in a language I didn't recognize. I could feel my boys breathing down my back as they too moved in closer for a listen. I was too focused on the chanting and Qi's painful moans. There was pause and then the sound came back. This would happen about four more times.

I wished that the door wasn't closed. I wished that I could see what was going on. I couldn't hold back anymore. My hand reached for the doorknob.

I jerked my head upwards when a hand seized my wrist. Hen-to looked down at me. He shook his head before I could speak. I remained frozen before closing my mouth. I drew back my hand. Hen-to gently let go of my hand. My ear settled back onto the door.

I don't know how long we stayed out there in that hallway. I refused to leave that door. My boys took turns getting something to eat or going to the bathroom. They each brought me back something to eat.

"You can come away from there if you want," Yao whispered. I shushed him and waved him off. I couldn't leave. I had to know how this was going to end. I had to know that Qi was going to come out okay.

Around three in the morning on the next day, I was woken up to the sound of the door opening. I landed on the floor with a dull thud.

"Ow," I whispered to myself. I looked up to see the fangxiangshi standing over me.

"Oh," I said. I stood up as Yao, Fei, and Hen-to gathered around behind me. The fangxiangshi had no emotion on his face.

"How did it go?" I asked. "Is she okay?" The fangxiangshi lifted his chin.

"It's done," he said.

"How is Qi? Did she make it?" I asked.

"No," the fangxiangshi said. "She has passed on. She will be at peace now." I pushed past him as I ran into the room.

"Ju!" Yao shouted after me. I didn't turn around.

Noelle was sitting in the corner of the room, eyeing Qi in her bed. I walked over to the bed. Qi looked more asleep than dead. The sheets were covered up to her chin. I clapped my hands and said a little prayer for her and the souls of the dolls. When I was done, I turned and walked out of the room. I apologized to the fangxiangshi before I left with my boys.

At least, Qi was going to be in peace now.

-Qi-

I don't know how long I was dead for. But all I knew was that I woke up in the morgue. I let out a loud gasp before looking around. At my feet stood a pale man in a long black coat, eyeing me. He drummed his fingers along his chin and cheek.

"Well hello, my dear," he said. I sat up, blinking.

"Didn't I die? How am I still alive?" I asked. The man in black leaned in closer with a cold smile on his face.

"My, my, my," he said. "There is so much that we have to talk about."