"You'd do anything for any of your friends? Wow."

  "Got any mistletoe for me? Just kidding."

  "You should spend the day with me instead."

  "I wish I had him all to myself."

  "Her name was definitely Yaoyorozu."

  "I-Ishi..."

  "Who are you?"

  Those eyes... Those eyes have always been watching me, haven't they?

  The Christmas party... the stadium... school...

  Everywhere I thought Yui was. It was her all along?

  The droning was unbearable. I felt like I could vomit at any moment. My whole body shook as I stared into Kaori's eyes. Her demented smile and jagged breath hung in the air filling the little space left between us.

  "I didn't think it would work that day," she muttered. "I had never tried anything that widespread before, but this gift of mine, this miracle..." She reached up and caressed my face. "I've never been more thankful for it than I am right now."

  All too late, the last piece of the puzzle finally fell into place. My mind was like a jumbled mess, a train wreck. Kaori was a meta; SHE was the creeping danger.

  "W-what have you —"

  "Isn't it obvious, my love? I made it so we could be together." Her smile buried itself into my memory.

  "Kaori, what the hell have you —"

  Before another word escaped my mouth, hers crashed into it. She was like an animal, grabbing my face and almost digging her nails into my skin.

  "Shhhhh," she whispered. "It's okay now."

  I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

  Why can't I say anything?!

  Come on! I've got to get out of here! I've got to jump back! COME ON!!

  The droning and ear-splitting ringing kept me from activating my ability. I grabbed my face in pain and staggered back, falling into my seat. She slowly walked up and sat on my lap, straddling me. She pulled back my hand and stole another animalistic kiss. As she pulled back, a string of saliva hung between the two of us. Her eyes were filled with a lust that made even Yui's seem like a pure and innocent gaze.

  "I've been holding back for so long," she sighed. "Do you remember when you saved me from those thugs?"

  I was completely frozen, and my eyes were trembling as they locked with hers.

  "I was so scared," she continued. "I thought they were going to rob me or have their way with me or worse. Then you appeared, like an angel of vengeance. My guardian angel. You took out all of them in the blink of an eye, and then, with a smile like heaven itself, helped me up and got me to safety. At that moment, I fell completely."

  My heart felt like it was going to break out of my chest from the violent pounding. My mouth still forbade me from speaking. The realization of her powers sank further into my mind.

  "At first, I thought that I could get to know you, to understand my guardian angel. Like the sister she has always been, Ino brought me in, and I'll never be able to thank her enough. The water park Christmas, New Year’s, no matter how much time I got, it was never enough. Getting close to you became my only goal. I made up my mind. My grandparents changed their minds and let me go to Toriyama High thanks to my gift.”

  I felt my heart in my throat as my stomach continued to churn and my head continued to pound.

  “That day at the water park – you remember it, don’t you? – that idiot Denki stole our first indirect kiss, and I'll never forgive him. Then Chi-Chi got you all to herself for the rest of the day. Even Nini started seeing you the way that I do that day. I knew something had to be done.

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  "You made me fall even harder when Kawasaki came after us, and you killed him without hesitation! I wanted that mistletoe kiss so badly at Christmas, but the time wasn't right. The New Year's party, when you came back all roughed up, sports competition, when you saved that Makarov girl, you thought I didn't notice? My curiosity burned, and my heart couldn't take it anymore! Then Ai – my poor, sweet little Ai – she gave me a way to do it all at once: the pageant. It was a long shot, I knew that, but maybe…"

  She leaned forward and loomed over my face as her hair fell forward and covered the sides of hers.

  She's... she's a Mind Jacker.

  "I could never be just like Chi-Chi; I know that, but I tried so hard to make you fall for me. I'm sorry that I used my gift on you. I told myself that I would never do it because of what it could do to you. Besides, how could I ever be sure that you loved me back if I forced you to love me? This was the only option left, Kazuma. Now, you can come live with me, and we can spend every moment together."

  The sunlight died, and shadows filled the room. Her yellow eyes glowed as shadow overtook her face, and her smile became like a white hole.

  "When I discovered my gift, I knew there was a divine reason. I've already helped other people with it, you know. Ino never would have been confident enough to tell Rito how she felt; Yamada never would have let them be together, so I made her go away. I even helped my mom stop drinking even though she fought it the whole time. She’s better now, you know? Now, this gift, this wonderful miracle, has given me the greatest prize of all, you, my love. After all, we’re all that each other needs."

  She made her go away? Did she do the same thing she did to me? What actually happened to Yamada?

  How can I get out? I've got to escape! COME ON! WORK!!

  The droning grew to a scream as Kaori began giggling and laughing. Her laugh became maniacal. Everything started to go hazy, and I faintly heard drops of rain begin falling on the window. All at once, her laughing stopped with a sudden gasp. My eyes flew open.

  Her head was thrown back, and her face was frozen in a fearful pain. A trickle of blood flowed from her mouth, and my eyes traced down and saw the dark blade shoved through her chest. More than that, the blade was almost touching my own chest, but it stayed perfectly still. Outside, the rain was frozen in the air.

  What the hell?! How?!

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her. Komamura Aiko was in the same gear that I had donned on my first mission. The dark blade slithered behind Kaori and traced itself back to her own shadow. Over her shoulder stood a demon in a white mask.

  "D-Damien!! You fucking bastard! What have you done?!"

  "That's hardly a way to thank someone for saving your life, my stubborn child."

  I forced myself out from under Kaori who remained suspended in air held up by the blade. I stumbled and got up to run at him, but as I took a single step, everything once again went hazy. I remember hitting the ground and opening my eyes for a brief moment to see him walking up to me. Then, everything went dark.

  *  *  *  *  *

  I jolted awake in an unfamiliar room. The sun had long since gone down, and a single street light shone through the small window to my left. My eyes adjusted to the darkness, and I looked around frantically. Below me was a futon bed with the blanket thrown off. Off to my right was a small kitchenette and a single desk and cushion. The rain had picked up and was coming down in force outside. Beside me, I found a note written in elegant penmanship.

  "Lay low for a bit. I'll be in touch."

  Fuck that.

  I walked into the kitchen, glanced over at the small bathroom tucked away in the corner, and cracked open the door and peeked outside. I could only infer that Damien had carried me out of the school as he did the day of The Swell. I looked out to see the top floor of an old apartment complex. Over the rail, I could see a mostly empty parking lot; I was on the upper floor of the building.

  Where the hell am I?

  All around the building were others just as old if not older. A dim light rose over the skyline of the taller buildings, and car horns sporadically rang through the night. I looked down to see that I was still in my school uniform. I slowly inhaled and calmed my mind as best as I could. When I opened my eyes, the rain had halted. My ability had returned.

  I slowly walked to and fro trying to figure out where I was. The buildings almost reminded me of the Lower Circle in Daīn City; however, there were no fire barrels as before. After a few minutes of walking, I stumbled upon a metro station. As I walked in, I finally saw the name of the district I had ended up in. Cirsam District, one of the most crime-riddled districts in Hoenn City.

  I walked back out and looked around before taking an oversized jacket off of a passerby and replacing it with an umbrella from a nearby store.

  What is it they say? When in Rome?

  I rummaged for enough money to catch a train back to my home. When time resumed, I quickly bought a ticket and boarded the train. The city passed by in a dark blue blur. Chills went down my spine as my mind raced. I had no idea what had become of Kaori, although she was almost certainly dead.

  What happens now? Does her ability get undone? I guess there's only one way to find out.

  My home station finally came around, and I left the train like a phantom. The rain had continued, and I put the jacket hood over my head. Outside of my home I saw a single light on in the living room. Yui sat on the couch watching TV. Her eyes shifted over to me, and confusion began to come over her face. Before it could fully be replaced by fear, I froze time again. As tears began filling my eyes, I unlocked my front door and sneaked in for the first and last time.

  Upstairs, I grabbed the bag that I had previously used to run away with Chika. It would be used for the same thing once again, but without her this time. I filled it with a few outfits as well as the scarf that Mother had knitted for me and the runners that Father had bought me. With the bag slung over my shoulder, I returned to the door. Yui's terrified face still looked to the street.

  Goodbye, sis. I hope university is ready for your genius. I'll always be cheering for you.