InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Midnight Blood ❯ Premonition ( Chapter 5 )

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Author's Notes:

Happy Holidays! Hope things are better for you in this festive season then they are for me right now. But I can't let life get to me, gotta keep writing while I still have the juice.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, nor do I take any credit for Romiko Takahashi's genius, but I thank her for making such enjoyable characters to write about.

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REVIEWERS! Thanks again to those that were nice enough to review. Even though it's not much, it means so much to me! SO thank you SO much for the wonderful feedback!

@ SPLENDID GODDESS: Okay, you're VERY funny! I just loved how you wrote that last review, “you know that part where the thing did the thing and that happened?” XD. And yes, I'm happy you caught onto the fear and dread and kidnapping. It's nice to have someone tell me about what they liked about the chapter. Thanks again, so much for the awesome review and keeping them consistently good.

@ SESSHOUMARU BOUND: You're user name is awesome! Thank you SO MUCH for the review and congrats! You snagged number 15, one of my favorites. I'm glad you enjoyed “Nightwalker” and I'm happy that I haven't lost my touch in terms of sequel writing. I'm also glad that you're enjoying the cliffhangers. I hope you're feeling better. This chapter is dedicated to you!

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Chapter Five: Premonition

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“Inuyasha!”

Rukiya's frantic voice woke him up from the daze that had suddenly befallen him. Something was wrong; something was coming. His instincts were telling him that he was in danger. But from what? They had barely been traveling for five hours. They weren't too far from the main house, and Kanna's family lived on the east coast, in Maine. If he kept going, he would be there in a day or so, but something told him that he didn't want to go there. He suddenly felt the urge to go home. No, he had to go back. Inuyasha turned, but then caught sight of the questioning look on Rukiya's face.

What was he thinking? He couldn't go back home; he had to do what he was sent to do. He had to warn Kanna's family. There was no telling what kind of danger they would be if he weren't there to tell them of the danger. If there were attacks near her family's residence, then he needed to know about it. The sooner he had access to that information, the closer they would be to figuring out if there was a pattern for these attacks. But…

Rukiya patted him on his back. “What's wrong? You've been gritting your teeth for the last hour.”

Inuyasha looked at Rukiya's nervous expression and suddenly felt a sting of anxiety in his heart. “Rukiya, do you think you can contact Sesshoumaru's thoughts from here?”

“This far?” Rukiya stared at him as though he'd asked her if she could see into the future.

“You can't?”

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. After a few moments, she shook her head. “I'm calling to him, but I'm not getting a response. I've never tried to contact someone with my thoughts this far away. I usually have to be within a few miles, not several hundred.”

Inuyasha put his hands on her shoulders urgently. She took a step back and stared at him with wide eyes. “Can you try reaching someone else in the family? Kagura, Christiano, anyone?”

Rukiya pressed her lips together and gave Inuyasha a questioning look. “What's wrong? Do you think something happened to the family?”

“I-I don't know. I just feel…I feel like I'm missing something, there's some threat I'm not seeing.”

Rukiya looked around her surroundings nervously. “Are we being followed? Ambushed?”

“No, that's not it!” Inuyasha waved his hands, trying to show her his frustration. “I just suddenly got the feeling that we should head back, that the family is in danger. That-” He stopped, unable to put the next part into words. His thoughts were ludicrous, and the rational part of his mind told him that there was no way he could know what he was sure he felt he knew. But then, what was to explain for this sudden, intense feeling of paranoia? Was this how Kagome felt? He shook his head. He wasn't feeling any black void. He didn't feel the endless despair and lonliness she had described, but he did feel as though something definitely was off. “We should go back! Rukiya, I just know there's something wrong!”

“Don't be ridiculous. We have a job to do. You can't just leave in the middle of it; Kanna and her family might know something and it's our duty to warn them. You can't just let your emotions deter you from your responsibilities. And, besides, the family is well protected and they are all capable fighters. I should think it's us that's in more danger then them.”

She was right. Yet, his mind wasn't put at ease. His stomach was knotting uncomfortably. “But what if the family really is in danger? Kanna and the others can wait; I can't keep going unless I check on them, unless I get out of-” He was still unable to say it.

“Unless you get out of what? Inuyasha?”

He slapped his cheek, as though trying to knock out those thoughts from his mind. “No, nothing.”

Rukiya groaned. “Be reasonable. How could you possibly know that something was up? You're being paranoid. If something really had happened, someone would have been sent to notify us as soon as it did. And if you're really worried, then you should be thinking about going straight to Kanna and her family and getting our business done with them as soon as possible so that you could go back home.”

Inuyasha put his tongue between his fangs. Logically, she was right. He should be focusing on the task at hand. This wasn't the first time he'd left the family and it wouldn't be the last. What was making him so convinced that they were in more danger now then they were in the past when he'd gone out to do an errand? “Yeah, you're right. Let's go.”

“Good.” Rukiya sighed and she began to run again. As he followed, he tried convincing himself that he was going the right then. Yet, in his heart, the anxious beating didn't stop, his stomach didn't stop churning, and he couldn't stop himself from feeling as though he were being watched. It was as though he almost knew, with a certainty he couldn't describe, that something had gone wrong. It was as though, he just knew, no matter how much he tried to convince himself otherwise, no matter how unable he was to say it out loud, that he was in the most danger.

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“…hit…her head…”

Mumbled voices in the distance told her she was close to waking up. And though she heard the words, they flew right through her head without coherence. No sensation, just the dissociative lull of oblivion hung in her mind. In the distance, slowly, the sensation of burning sizzled to life. Then sounds she didn't understand floated across what little consciousness she felt, making her mind pulsate with an intense pain, as though something were hammering on her skull. Floating there in the void, what she wanted more then anything was just to sink back into the blackness and not have to feel, hear, or know the cause of the agony she felt. The void was welcoming; it was as though it knew that once she was gone from that unearthly place, she'd never be able to return to the tranquility it offered.

“…bad…will…scar…”

Whatever was waiting for her on the other side wasn't letting her go. Slowly, the voices began to make sense, slowly she could hear more. Pain rolled over her in waves, crashing into her thoughts, making her wish she could descend back into the dark, away from it all. Something hot was sliding down her face, between her eyes. She began to feel her arms and legs, felt the sting of fire in her wounds. There was something on her face, something burning. It traced her forehead, the bridge of her nose, her cheekbones, her jaw…she managed to open an eye. Light blinded her, making her see only white, and then blurry images slowly became recognizable. She was in a room somewhere, two people were hovering over her; one of them had a brilliant, emerald-green eye.

A cascade of memories floating into her awareness: memories of what happened before she fainted blended with distant memories from the past. She closed her eyes, trying to sort jumbled thoughts together into something sensible, but basic cognition seemed to escape her. Distracted by the pain, the scent of her own blood and the sound of two other people moving around her, all she could do was try and hold still, try not to move her limbs so that she wouldn't feel anything.

“That is as much as I can do for now. The rest, she'll have to recover on her own.”

Something about that voice made her heart race. Her body shivered reflexively, her mind filled with fear, and she suddenly wanted to fight, run, anything to get away from the owner of that voice. The moment she willed herself to move, someone placed a hand on her chest. Something warm flooded her body, and a deep voice said, “Sleep.”

She wasn't sure how long she had slept afterward, but she later opened her eyes and slowly felt herself come awake. After several minutes of looking around the unfamiliar room she grumbled. Covering her face with her hands, it didn't take her long to realize that she wasn't home. A mix of annoyance and confusion surfaced when she thought about how she had come to that place. What had happened? She'd been on guard duty, Inuyasha and Rukiya had just left, then…then Toji and Natalia…

She recoiled as though she were slapped and then began to rub her arms, only to hiss at the pain she felt when she did. Looking down, Kagome gasped at the purple bruises and cuts on her arms and shoulders. Pushing the blanket away, she discovered small, red welts on her skin. Someone had dressed her in pajama bottoms and a white tank top, and beneath the thin fabric, she noticed bandages on her chest and thighs. Slowly, she brought her hands up to cover her face, only to stop when she felt the tender skin. She could feel ridges of skin on her forehead and cheeks. Suddenly feeling the need to see the damage, she stood and wobbled over to the mirror that hung on the wall.

When she looked at her reflection, she stepped back. Her skin was white, contrasting with the dark red and purple around her wounds. Three red cuts ran from the middle of her forehead to the side of her face. Her cheeks were purple and blue and part of her jaw was swollen.

She laughed nervously, as though trying to convince herself that her appearance didn't frighten her. “I look like I've been run over by a truck.” She placed a hand on the mirror, as though to make sure it was there, to make sure she wasn't still dreaming. “As if I needed something to make me look even uglier.” She sighed. Trying to distract herself, she looked around the room.

Wherever she was, it was a small room, with one bed, one mirror and one drawer. Kagome went toward the door but then paused. Suddenly, she remembered the last thing she saw before she passed out. Her kidnappers. “Under orders?” She hissed. There was only one person that Xander and Chase would take orders from. She had to be here. Kagome extended her senses. Four heartbeats, one was farther and…there were three headed her way.

Before Kagome could even react, the door was pulled open. The young man that stood in front of her struck Kagome with such an intense reaction, she stumbled backward as though she were pushed. It wasn't because he was strikingly handsome, tall, with smooth, tanned skin, black, curly hair, which was cut short on all sides, and one beautiful green eye. It wasn't because of the scar that ran from the middle of his forehead and through his left eye to his left temple, nor was it because of the brown, glass eye that had replaced the one he'd lost. It was because this man oozed with a cold, calculating air of power so much, that Kagome was frozen in fear where she stood.

Suddenly he moved, his hand stretching out toward her face and then part of her mind overcame her fear and she hissed at him. “You…” She aimed a punch at his face, but he easily dodged by stepping to the side and then grabbing her arm. Too weak to react quickly enough, she couldn't stop him from pulling her toward him, his hand reaching out toward her face. Before she could think, she grabbed his hand with her free one and concentrated on his memories, pulling out the most painful one she could think of. He grunted and let her go.

Kagome took her chance, running down the hallway behind without daring to look back. In her frantic attempt to get away, she hit something soft and bounced back, staring at the surprised, young man in front of her. “What the hell?” He said, looking from her face to the hallway behind her. Kagome didn't dare turn around to look as another man, much taller and brawnier, appeared behind the boy she'd run into.

“Retrain her will you?” Said a bored voice from behind her.

Before she could even protest, the two men had grabbed both her arms and turned her around to face him. He inched toward her and stretched out his hand again, aiming for her head. “No, let me go!” Her body protested the more she struggled, and the two men held on tighter without even moving an inch. He was coming closer and all she could do was squeeze her eyes closed as his hand touched her face.

She gritted her teeth, waiting for the pain, but it never came. Warmth covered her face for a moment, and she feared that he was going to burn her skin away. But then, the stinging pain she was feeling faded away and she slowly opened her eyes. The two men behind her suddenly dragged her back into the room she had woken up in and placed her in front of the mirror. They then let her go, and she would have yelled at them if she weren't fixated on her reflection. Her face no longer had the blue and purple bruises, and the three cuts that were on her forehead were now gone. The only indication that showed that she was once wounded was the one remaining red line by her temple, but it was hardly noticeable now that the ridge of skin was smoothened. She ran her hand over it, unable to believe that it was all that remained.

“It will scar.” Said the man that healed her. “The cut went too deep.”

She rounded on the three men, pointing at her healer first. “You! What are you playing at?”

“Easy Kagome.” Said the brawny looking one. He was massive, with wide shoulders, dark skin, deep, brown eyes, and black hair that was styled in the form of a buzz cut. “You've lost a lot of blood. Don't get upset and just relax and-”

“The hell is wrong with you! You kidnap me, hold me down, and scare the living daylights out of me and you expect me to relax!” Kagome panted, feeling her chest tightened every time she looked upon the three men, especially her healer.

“Dude, relax.” Said the other young man, bringing his hands up as a gesture of peace. Kagome knew him and she felt her anger spike again the moment he spoke. “RELAX? And you! I guess the infamous loner Xander decided to ally himself with these sons of bitches huh? You didn't even help Natalia! You just pick me up, tell me you're `under orders' and drag me here?”

Xander brought down his hands. “What? You wanted us NOT to save you and the blond? If we hadn't gotten there in time, you would be pushing up daisies right now.”

“Shut up! Where the hell is Lucy? When I get done with her-AH!”

Kagome's body suddenly moved without her command, and she found herself flopping down on her bed without the ability to move. The dangerous face of her healer appeared in the corner of her vision. “You are giving me a headache. Either you lie still, and rest, or I will force you to do so…and believe me, you do not want to test me right now.”

Kagome glared at him, hating herself for being afraid of him after all this time. “Don't touch me! If you're here, then Lucy can't be far behind. Bring her here, or I swear I'll-”

“You'll what?” He leaned toward her face, smirking as she gasped. “If it weren't for me, you would have either bled to death or succumbed to the void. You're much too weak to fight anyone right now and, even if you were at full strength, I could overpower you with ease.”

“Hey, Narek, come on. She's had a rough day. Just let her try and piece things together huh?”

Narek finally moved away from Kagome, she let out a breath, but her eyes followed his every move. He faced Xander and shook his head.

“You are too soft on her Alex. Let her get away with these petty moments of weakness and she'll be dead before she can even realize her importance in all this.” He walked past Xander, ignoring his retort as he walked out of the room.

“Hey, you're soft on women too, and it's `Xander.' Damn it! Come back here, I'm still talking to you!”

Once she couldn't hear Narek and Xander's voices anymore, Kagome turned toward the last man. She knew him too. Chase, another traitor that once belonged to Inuyasha's family. Kagome watched him as he slowly turned toward her and sighed. “You can move now.” He said.

Blinking, Kagome came to a sit, not taking her eyes of Chase. She glared at him when he gave her a tentative smile. “Natalia will be fine. She was just knocked out, and her injuries weren't nearly as bad as yours. You didn't realize it, but that creature really did a number on you.”

“I noticed.” Kagome huffed. “How long have I been here?”

“About a week now.”

“And when can I leave?”

“It depends on Lucy.”

“And when can I see her?”

Chase scratched the back of his head. “She's out right now, and we were told to keep an eye on you until she gets back?”

Kagome bared her fangs at him. “So I am your prisoner.”

Chase didn't shy away from her comment. He straightened his back and looked her straight in the eye. “I feel for you, I really do. I can understand that you don't like the situation, but it was necessary to-”

“Necessary?” Kagome felt her heart thud angrily again as her voice became louder. “So you saved me, fine. But it's okay to leave me in the dark? It's okay to kidnap me and keep me here? How the hell do I even know that I can trust you?”

“You trust Lucy don't you?”

Kagome turned her head away, glaring at her blankets. “That's debatable at this point.” She whispered.

“Well, you should be grateful to her either way. If she hadn't been watching out for you, that pump in your chest would have been eaten. Wait and rest for the time being. You're in no condition to travel, and if you want answers from Lucy, then you better stick around. Like it or not, girl, you're stuck here one way or another. Make the most of it.”

Kagome didn't know how to reply. She simply watched Chase walk toward her door. Before he could leave she said, “I don't want Narek coming anywhere near me, you understand? I don't care if he healed my wounds, I want nothing to do with that psycho.”

Chase shook his head. “Fine. You have to heal the rest on your own anyway. If you really need anything, holler for me then.”

“As if.” She pulled the blankets over her head and slumped back down into the bed. The door clicked closed and Kagome finally let out the tears she'd been holding back. Stupid, she thought to herself. She couldn't do anything to stop the attack, she couldn't do anything to stop the nightwalker from killing Toji, and she wasn't even able to save herself! And now, Kagome sobbed, now she was kidnapped by the one man she distrusted the most. And what about the family? Was Natalia all right? Did they know who had her and where? And what about Inuyasha? How much would be blame himself when he got the news?

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Several hours later, Kagome awoke to the soothing feeling of warmth on her back and underneath her knees. Opening her eyes, she saw Narek above her, and then felt sick when she realized that he was carrying her. “PUT ME DOWN!” She bellowed, kicking and sinking her claws into his neck. He barely budged and then glared at her, and Kagome felt her body go limp again.

“Damn you and you're ability to control bodies.” She hissed.

Narek looked down at her coldly. A second later, he dropped her down on a couch somewhere. Gathering her wits, Kagome looked around the room. It was a medium-sized living room, and she was sitting in a rather large, emerald green couch. The windows were decorated with dark-green drapes and there were tables made out of mahogany wood by the door and in-between the two couches. Sitting on the other side of her, with her legs crossed was none other then Lucy.

Kagome glared at her, but before she could speak, she heard Narek clear his throat. “There, I've brought her. Now will you kindly explain the situation?”

Kagome looked over her shoulder and found that Chase and Xander were there too, looking intently at Lucy. For some reason, she felt a twisted sense of satisfaction at the idea that not even Lucy's closest subordinates knew what was going on.

Lucy folded her hands in her lap and looked at her underlings one by one before settling her eyes on Kagome. “I see you're recovering nicely. It would have been a major inconvenience if you were killed.”

Kagome went rigid. “Excuse me? Inconvenience? Maybe if you hadn't left me in the dark about what you know about this goddamn mess, I could have been better prepared! And what's the deal, kidnapping me like this?”

“I couldn't just leave you out in the open where you're in more danger. As of right now, I can't trust your family to protect you. Don't speak!” She ordered Kagome when she opened her mouth. “None of you interrupt, understand?” Narek, Chase and Xander nodded slowly, but it was only Narek who narrowed his eyes.

“I am not able to answer all of your questions as of right now, until I have more evidence to prove my suspicions. I am, however, able to tell you the nature of these attackers.” Lucy took a deep breath. “What you saw, those things, they're not nightwalkers.”

“What?” Kagome leaned forward. “How could they not be? They had fangs, they were drinking blood.”

“You are well aware what happens when a nightwalker drinks human blood, correct? It's like drinking water; it's for the sake of nutrition. Nightwalker venom does not harm humans, it thickens their blood supply.”

“Yeah, so?”

“But what do you think happens when humans drink nightwalker blood?”

Kagome was taken aback. She pressed her hand over her eyes. “It's obvious. They become nightwalkers.”

“Wrong.” Lucy said darkly. Kagome felt the three men behind her stiffen. “You are well aware of the fact that humans only become nightwalkers when they are dying. The mixture of blood and venom from their creator that's injected, directly into their largest artery is what causes the change. Humans, who drink, who ingest, the blood of nightwalkers become something else.”

“So those things we killed when we went after Kagome…where human?” Xandir whispered.

“Not anymore. Nightwalkers can drink human blood, but it can't be done the other way around. Do you know what nightwalker blood is to humans? It's a stimulant drug. It makes them stronger, faster, gives them more stamina, but at a high cost. Their minds deteriorate; their bodies crave nothing but more and more blood and flesh to sustain themselves. Without a constant supply of nightwalker blood, their bodies break down; the blood is much too strong for them. It begins to break them down from the inside faster the more they ingest, leading them to be nothing but pain driven, flesh eating monsters that will do anything to relive the pain, by seeking out more of the very thing that's causing it.”

“That would explain why they quickly decompose when they die.” Narek said.

“Those things are human?” Kagome said slowly, suddenly wishing that she could go back to thinking they were nightwalkers. “Then…then we have to kill-”

“Killing them is a kindness at that point.” Lucy said harshly. “Don't ever hesitate. They can never go back to being who they were. The moment the blood goes down their throats, they're as good as dead. Best to slice off their heads and let them rest in peace.”

“But…”

“But what? Xander? There's no reversing what's been done. They will hunt and kill any nightwalker and try to eat their hearts without a single feeling of remorse. They don't remember being human, and you can't reason with them when you're fighting for your life.”

“So there's no hope for them at all then.” Chase said quietly, closing his eyes.

“You're not thinking hard enough.” Narek came forward and looked down at Lucy as he stood in front of her. “There's much more to it. If humans really are becoming monsters due to nightwalker blood, then someone must be supplying them with it, correct?”

Kagome felt her heart suddenly skip a beat and heard Chase and Xander gasp. She looked at Lucy, only to see the dark look in her eyes. “You are right. There is no way that a human would willingly drink from a nightwalker. Someone must be offering them the chance to drink it. Worse yet: the nightwalker that originally gave them the blood can control them. Those humans become monstrous slaves, who will do anything for their master as long as it means they can get blood.”

Kagome stood suddenly. “You can't be serious! What kind of psychopath would make those things?”

“Don't even try to pretend that you can't believe it. I'm willing to bet that you've experienced first hand proof that such a manipulator exists.”

Kagome sat back down again as suddenly a cold, evil voice rang in her head. “Kill him, take out his heart.” She suddenly began to understand why she was so frightened when the experienced the void. So there really was someone out there with the power to make her suffer.

“No…” She shook. “Then that means…”

“It means that the family has a much more dangerous adversary to fight then just these…slaves, as I'll call them. It doesn't matter how many of these things they destroy, or even if they detect a pattern. It will continue until the leader is killed.” Narek said.

“Correct. And whoever did this must have knowledge that was long lost to nightwalkers, otherwise someone would have identified these `slaves' as humans that have drank nightwalker blood. We're dealing with an old-blood, a nightwalker that must have lived at least a thousand years.”

Kagome got up and started to walk across the room. Her muscles ached, but her racing mind ignored all the pain. “Who would do such a thing? Why? What are they after? Do they want control or something?” She looked at Lucy.

“I can't answer that, not now. I need more information. If I'm right, and this runs deeper and my worst fears are true, then you Kagome, are one of the few that are in the most danger.”

“Is it because I'm fourth generation?”

“Yes.”

“What am I really then? How am I so special?”

Lucy shook her head. “I cannot-”

“No, you WILL tell me! I have the right to now.”

Lucy's eyes reddened in warning. “In due time, depending on the circumstances, you will know. But right now, our top priority is to keep you safe until we can identify the person in charge and find out more about his or her motives.”

Kagome glared long and hard at Lucy. “You can't keep me here! I have to get back to my family! They have to know the truth about this! They could be in danger!”

“All they need to know as of right now is that the only way to kill these slaves is to chop off their heads. If the family learns too much, then information could be leaked out and gotten to this `leader.' I can't afford that. This old-blood can be formidable in the worst way imaginable. The more they know about us, the more dangerous it becomes.” Lucy's face contorted into something vile, something Kagome had never seen before. Her eyes glowed, redder then normal, her fangs lengthened, her skin became almost transparent, revealing the veins and muscles underneath, and red gashes and burns, old wounds, appeared on her face. Kagome gasped, shivering, and took a step back, as did Chase and Xander.

“Look at me, Kagome. These are the scars I've taken for seeing horrors beyond your imagining thousands of years ago. I've lived this long with the sole purpose of making sure that nightmare does not repeat itself and trust me when I say that I am willing to do anything to stop that from happening. If that must include imprisoning you here and keeping the king and his family in the dark, then so be it.”

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Inuyasha stomped out of his family house with nothing but the ugly feeling of rage boiling up inside him. He ignored the angry calls from his brother, and the warnings from his other family members and ran out into the city. He should have listened to his instants; he should have come back!

After two days with Kanna and her family, not only did he and Rukiya find out that there had been no attacks in their vicinity, and that Kanna had no helpful information to provide, but he came home to find that Natalia had been attacked and that Kagome was missing. Neither Natalia, nor the family even knew if she were alive! And they had the gall to order him to stay and think rationally instead of going out to look for her? He was so furious that he couldn't even control himself when he grabbed Natalia by the shoulders and demanded she tell him just what happened. His blood surged just at the thought of that exchange.

“Have you lost your mind?” Christiano had said, pulling him off her. “She fainted okay? How could she know what happened to Kagome? We didn't find a body so she has to be alive. Calm down a minute!”

“Compose yourself brother and listen to what I have to say.”

Inuyasha had struggled out of Christiano's hold and snarled at Sesshoumaru. “We looked for her. No families in the area have seen her and no one has reported another attack, so we cannot say for certain that she's alive or dead.”

“She was injured!” He reached out for the first thing he could attack, the first thing he could direct his anger toward. He shattered a wooden table before returning to snarl at his brother. “I could smell her blood outside and on that thing! How can you be so calm? What if she is alive and injured out there?”

“Inuyasha please!” Lilliana sobbed. “We looked everywhere, we're still searching. Please just calm down and let's think this through.”

But he had stopped listening. He had ran out of the house, not caring in the slightest if he was putting himself in danger or being irrational. The only thought in his mind was finding her. The only feeling in his heart was despair. If she had died, if he wasn't there to protect her like he'd promised himself he would, if he wasn't there to make things better for them, like he told himself he would after she made him swear not to feel guilty for all the things he'd put her thought, he couldn't live with himself. He couldn't stand the guilt and the heartbreak he'd feel if he let one of his closest friends and family members down.

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Author's Notes:

Please excuse any grammatical errors that I may have missed. I shall fix them later. I hope you enjoyed this rather dark and heavy chapter. Reviews? Pwease?