Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Wind Knoll's Curse ❯ Chapter 19

Author's Notes: I might put this on slight hold until I finish my other story, Before I Die. I know I can wrap it up if I am given enough time to do so. Catch you guys later!

 

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Jin escorted Scarlet back to her bedroom, regardless of the young woman feeling nervous and shaking violently in fear next to the demon she used to tease and find merely as a nuisance. The wind demon could sense her fears and smell them all the same, but he said not a word to her knowing that it would take awhile for her anxiousness over the situation to settle.

 

Razz soon appeared from the hallway from Scarlet's bedroom. She saw something was wrong but could only wonder what as she jogged down towards the two. “Is everything okay?” Razz wondered, helping Scarlet from Jin's arms.

 

The wind demon shook his head slightly. “Do not worry about it, Rachel.” He saw the young priestess pause slightly at calling her by her first real name. She knew that whenever he called her that, that there was a problem. “Just make sure you get Scarlet ready for tomorrow night.”

 

“Tomorrow night?” Razz questioned as she gently nudged Scarlet towards the young woman's bedroom. “What is going on tomorrow night with her?”

 

“I am going to baptize her,” Jin announced, scratching the back of his head with a slight sigh. “Starting now, have her drink only water to purify her body.” He nodded over at the door leading to Scarlet's room. “Go help her spirit prepare. Touya will hopefully be attending tomorrow, so I will have some help. With all that is going on, I cannot have her unprepared.” Jin turned on his heels and headed down the hallway once more, a destination in mind. “Hell has broken lose. I cannot have my worshippers walking about as targets to these damned souls.”

 

Scarlet listened to Jin's words from where she was currently sitting upon her bed. Closing her eyes tightly, she fought back her fear and the images causing it. She embraced herself, lying down upon her bed. Mother…please help me…

 

The wind about the town began to rustle aggressively as Jin flew above the damned village towards Lavender Lane. The old home, worn in appearance soon came into view for the demon, he perching there upon the windowsill. He gripped onto the window to try and push it up out of his way. With the window soon up, Jin stepped inside to feel a slight sting against his skin as he made his way back into Scarlet's old bedroom.

 

“Hmm?” Jin hummed in thought as he looked at his right arm where most of the pain was coming from. He saw a crucifix situated next to the window. The item was giving off weak religious vibrations, paining the demon only slightly. “Humph, guess that bastard wanted to try and keep me away, eh?” Jin ripped the cross from where it was hanging to toss out the window regardless of the holy item burning his skin slightly once he touched it. “He needs to try harder.”

 

Ignoring the many holy items now within the home, Jin made his way out into the hallway and towards the abandoned bedroom belonging to the former Mrs. Baker. The room was the same as it had always been. The old bed was covered in a bit of dust still, making the white and flower embroider bedcovers still appear the shade of brown. Jin stood there near the doorway to look at the bedroom, closing his eyes for a moment to try and contact the spirits within the house.

 

When all they did was playfully chuckle and tease Jin about the events leading up to Scarlet's departure, he reopened his eyes to look over at the nightstand to see the statue of Touya in his `God' form. He headed over to the nightstand to pick up the statue before sitting upon the bedside, causing dust to scatter. His elfin ear catching one of the spirits whispering within it, he wiggled it slightly before turning to look over his right shoulder a bit. “Do you know her? Do you know Scarlet's mother?”

 

The spirits began to whisper and giggle about the room, prompting Jin to attempt to concentrate.

 

“Cynthia Baker, yes, that is her,” Jin said, keeping his eyes closed. “Where is she?”

 

Once again many whispers filled the room as they spoke quickly to the wind demon there before them.

 

“Yes, yes, where? Does Touya know?” Jin pried, his fingers digging into his thighs. “Yes? Do you know where she is?” He was silent once more, tilting his head a bit to the side. “Where?” His head started to pain him a bit from trying to listen to the spirits for so long. Jin began to message his head a bit. “At the Ice Temple? Thank you.”

 

Getting steadily to his feet, he regained his energy before placing the statue back where he found it. Jin pushed the door open slowly, shutting it behind him once he made it out into the hallway. He hurried towards the window where he took flight to head for Touya's Ice Temple.

 

Touya was resting upon the `throne' given to him by his worshippers in the main room. He had his cheek resting against his knuckles as he sat there in thought within the blue candlelight. Upon hearing the front doors open, the ice demon opened his eyes to gaze up through the moonlight pouring into his temple. He pulled his cheek from his relaxed hand, reading the energy level of the person at the door. “Jin, is that you?”

 

Jin made his way into the chilly temple, finding the reason soon enough why the temperature was so low—some of his worshippers were frozen into statues. “I see you decided to handle some of your rowdy worshippers. Very interesting.”

 

The ice demon situated himself upon the chair with a grunt. “It was the only way to keep peace in my temple. What do you want, Jin?”

 

“I came to ask the whereabouts of Scarlet's mother,” Jin said coming right to the point once he stood before his partner. “Those at her house said she would be here under your care.”

 

“Where else would she be?” Touya asked in a `duh' tone. The demon got up from his chair to stand before Jin with his hands buried in his pockets. “Did you expect Cynthia to be trailing around Scarlet?” He beckoned Jin to follow him as he headed for the door on the left. Touya pushed away the curtains flowing before the archway to make it into the hallway. “She stopped doing so when her daughter continued to fall down hill. It made her afterlife rather difficult instead of being peaceful.”

 

Jin followed behind his friend from the shinobi sect. “Hmm, I guess I can understand that one. She did appear quite hateful when I encountered her first. She has been acting better, and I am sure she could use her mother's help and guidance in a few things.”

 

“Do you think that wise?” Touya wondered as he gazed over his shoulder for a second, turning the corner at the end of the current hallway they were within to travel down another. “She could become less interested in her studies in this case and fall out of our grasp.”

 

Jin sighed, nodding in agreement. “I know that it is a possibility, but she saw me last night….eating one of my fallen worshippers, and Scarlet got upset and just wanted to quit as is. I am hoping that maybe her mother can keep her going from experiencing the afterlife and benefits of staying within the religious grounds.”

 

“Hmm, guess temptation got the better of you, eh?” Touya seemed to scold within his tone as he made it this double door made of soft blue marble with shards of ice hanging from the arched doorway. “This was her room when she gave birth and where she stayed when her husband was killed. Ever since she passed away she stayed here.” Touya's fingers worked away at the locks on the door, making the chains rattle as they hit the floor.

 

The wind demon cocked his brow in confusion at the locks. “Why do you have it locked? Is she dangerous?”

 

Touya shook his head, his bangs wavering a bit as well as some strands falling out of place. “Whenever I get new worshippers, some feel pulled to this room because of her presence, but I know she would rather have a place for privacy than have a couple of bunk buddies with her.” He pushed the doors open slowly. “So it is always better to lock it off and tell them that it is not safe and the presence they feel will visit them on her own time.” Standing aside, he outstretched his arm to show he was allowing Jin inside. “Go ahead. She won't mind.”

 

Jin stepped through the archway to make it into the bedroom before him. It was circular in size and had this amazing in appearance candle holder in the center of the room. It was made of finely polished glass and looked like an explosion of water causing many areas for candles to rest upon the dispersed waves, which seemed to rise upwards. Candles were still in place, but appeared brand new except for the one at the very center. It was very fat in size and was the mixed color of white and blue. It had a piece of the quilt Cynthia made for Scarlet near it. The wind demon noticed the fabric and was curious about it as he studied it quite hard by just leaning over it slightly.

 

Touya's footsteps could be heard behind the wind beast as he made it over to where Jin stood. “Ah, that ritual she would have me perform to protect her daughter from dying so young. I didn't have anything else of Scarlet's so this was all I could use. Now that she has the quilt, I am sure I can make the spell a bit stronger.”

 

“When she was here you could have just took a lock of her hair,” Jin pointed out. “I always do that to my worshippers when I baptize them.”

 

“It would seem rather weird for her, don't you think—me stealing a piece of her hair when we first met?” Touya chuckled lightly as he stuck his hands into his pockets. “I will get it at my own time.”

 

The wind and energy about the room began to change suddenly. The abrasive wind currents brushed against the doors, causing them to shut and for the light within the darkened room to go out for a moment. The two demons didn't budge as they didn't fear it. It wasn't an angry energy or did it appear threatening to them. Suddenly light began to come back into the room as the candles upon the center candleholder began to steadily relight by themselves one by one.

 

“Hmm, guess she knows we're here,” Touya said simply as he pocketed his hands. He watched as all of them were lit but the center one used for the protection ritual upon Scarlet. The flame dancing upon the two demon's features, Touya gazed up at the ceiling where he could feel her spirit emanating the most power. “Cynthia, Jin is here to see you about your daughter.”

 

“Where is she?” Jin asked, looking about the room confused.

 

Touya placed his finger upon his lips for a moment to shush the wind demon before pointing up above the candleholder. “She is trying to materialize right there.” He turned his attention back to Cynthia and her uneasy energy level. “Do you need help?” Touya asked the spirit. “Sometimes she has difficulty taking on her human spirit form. Give me a moment.” The ice demon outstretched his arm upwards as if to praise the sky, lowering his head with his eyes closed. He began to mumble something incoherently under his breath in attempts to give Cynthia the power she needed to materialize.

 

The spirit taking in the energy the demon was giving her, Cynthia managed to steadily come into solid form before descending to the ground. She looked through her stringy blond hair at the two demons, only recognizing one of them. “Who is he?” Cynthia asked.

 

The ice master looked over at Jin for a moment before turning back to face Cynthia. “This is Jin the wind master. Your daughter baptized herself under him when she was resistant to call upon me for answers of your death.”

 

Cynthia placed her full attention on the wind demon. She tilted her head slightly to gaze up at him through her weary eyes. Her spirit had become so restless over her daughter's actions that she looked as though she hadn't gotten a good night's rest in days. Her stature showed she was hesitant. A part of Cynthia didn't want to know what was doing on with Scarlet in fear of never being able to rest in peace even within the depths of hell.

 

“I've come to talk to you about your daughter,” Jin came right out to say, not being the subtle type.

 

The shock of his words made Cynthia drift back slightly within her vaporous form. From how she looked left and then right, she seemed like a cornered animal, unable to escape her terminative captor.

 

Touya saw it in the way she moved, making him grab onto Jin's arm to have the beast settle. “You have to be cautious with her,” he whispered to the wind demon. “Scarlet is a very sensitive topic for Cynthia. If you say the wrong thing, you may make her situation worse.” He pulled his hand from where it had resided temporarily. “Think before you speak for once in your life, Jin. That is all I ask.” Touya nodded as he gazed between the two with his piercing blue eyes. “I will leave you two alone for now.”

 

The spirit watched closely as Touya took his leave of the room. She sighed whilst embracing herself before turning back towards Jin. “What is it about my daughter you wish to say?”

 

Jin hummed in thought wondering what he should say first. “Well, your daughter baptized herself under me because of her want for answers in your death, but once she did so, she opened herself up completely to the hellish foundation Wind Knoll is built upon.” He blew his bangs out of his face before continuing. “She has been relocated to my temple to learn and to get better when it comes to her emotional problems. I plan on baptizing her tomorrow night when I can.”

 

“Has she stopped cutting and started eating again?” Cynthia asked curiously.

 

“She has stopped cutting to my knowledge,” said Jin as he looked off to the side wondering if he should tell her about the times Scarlet nearly successfully killed herself. He looked up at Cynthia once he lowered his head slightly as if begging her not to get upset over what he may say next. “However, before that, when she found out the truth about everything from a dying worshipper of mine, Scarlet nearly overdosed herself to death.” He saw Cynthia nearly panic causing Jin to raise his hands quickly. “She is fine; she is fine! I made sure I got to her in time.”

 

Cynthia tried to regain her composure. “How is she taking it all now? Is she still okay with everything?”

 

The wind demon sighed, scratching the side of his head. “She is taking it one step at a time. That is why I need you there to help her through this,” Jin practically pleaded. “Scarlet is struggling right now. She talks about you all the time and thinks about you whenever she takes a step forward. Will you not help me with her so she won't fall under?”

 

The wind demon's expression appeared painful as he thought about losing one of his children due to mental illness being the main cause. It was something he felt he could control, but not without help. Cynthia hummed in thought gazing in opposite directions once more before eyeing Jin again. “I cannot,” Cynthia said simply, turning her back to Jin as if to hide her emotions.

 

“Wh-Why!” Jin exclaimed in wonder. “She is your daughter, isn't she!”

 

“Of course she is!” Cynthia was quick to say though continuing to hide her face from Jin. “Butthe reason I cannot see her is because I love her too much…and she is the same about me.” Finally finding the courage to do so, regardless of the tears she was shedding, Cynthia turned back around to face Jin. “If I were to appear to her, Scarlet would be solely fixated upon me.She wouldn't want to listen, and she wouldn't want to learn anymore. She would be content to just lie there in that room you give her to speak to me and only me.” She brought her hand up to where her heart used to beat so vibrantly upon her chest looking off to the side as her eyes trembled with tears. “I love her with all my soul, but I cannot come to her every waking moment. I do not have the energy anymore…”

 

Jin was silent as he continued to gaze over at Cynthia, showing pity within his expression.

 

“I want her to grow and learn under you or Touya. I don't care which as you both appear to be the right path for her,” Cynthia continued. “Maybe…maybe once she's reached her growing potential, then I will come and see her. But I cannot. For many reasons, I cannot, but this is only one of the main ones.”

 

“Other reasons?” Jin wondered softly to himself as he pulled his head back as if shocked by her continued response. “What other reasons would you have not to see her now?”

 

“I cannot answer that. Please do not make me answer that,” Cynthia seemed to beg in horror at the very thought of being forced to do so by a high class demon. When Jin didn't interrogate her further on the subject, she was relieved. “My soul is weakening in this form. I have to go back soon.”

 

“Then I won't keep you,” said Jin with a bow to her. “Thank you for your time.”

 

The spirit watched as Jin headed for the door. “Before you go, I have something for you to give to Scarlet when you see her again.”

 

Jin stopped at the doorway, looking over at the spirit of Cynthia. “What is it?”

 

 

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The coming morning hours, Scarlet was asleep within her bedroom, too tired to care to read the material she was given. Razz had instructed her not to eat within the coming hours until the baptism. She had bottled water next to her bed in case her stomach started to bother her. During her slumber, Scarlet began to moan and shake under her covers. Her spirit had wandered once more out into the hell town causing more of the growls and hisses from the damned to plague her mind.

 

Her bare feet touching the cold, cracked pavement of Wind Knoll causing chills ran up her spine. She embraced herself while her teeth chattered as Scarlet slowly advanced within the thick fog. Every part of her body was racked with fear. The fog was so thick she couldn't make out what was before her. “I am back here again,” Scarlet murmured to herself knowing exactly where she was. “I need to wake up…!”

 

The disturbing sounds continuing to edge on her fears caused Scarlet to buckle where she stood. Leaning over, she covered her ears and began to breathe heavily as her heart quickened in speed. As she remained there, kneeling upon the pavement, she heard something calling out to her. Scarlet slowly pulled her hands away from her ears to listen to the distant voice she thought she recognized. “Who-who is there?” Scarlet asked remaining there within the middle of the town's decrepit road.

 

“Scarlet,” the voice beckoned once more, laughter seeming to bounce behind it wickedly. “Scarlet, it's me.”

 

She recalled the voice of being Jin's as she steadily got to her feet. “J-Jin…? Jin is that you?” Scarlet wondered as she started to head towards the fog.

 

“This way,” the voice appearing to belong to Jin beckoned. “You'll be safe here…”

 

The wicked clicking and growling from the dark alleyways, blanketed in fog caused Scarlet to hurry towards the voice calling to her. The eerie laughter and the squealing of what sounded like a wild pig could be heard almost closer than before, making Scarlet break down into tears as she ran blindly through the fog. “Jin, where are you! Jin!” She screamed, feeling something come up to tear down her right arm suddenly. The pain shooting through her body, Scarlet closed her eyes tightly in agony as she grabbed onto her right arm, screaming in pain.

 

Falling to the ground, Scarlet looked at her right arm to see it had three long scratch marks upon it both of which started bleeding heavily. Her hand tried to conceal the painful wound, but it did little good. The chilly air within the spirit realm was causing it to sting, and the blood continued to pour through her fingers. She could hear the creature responsible growling and squealing within the fog. In minute it felt as though it would come back out to attack once more until it had destroyed her spirit. Scarlet quickly got back to her feet and ran in the direction she thought she heard Jin's voice.

 

“Jin! Jin!” She screamed over and over again in tears. “Where are you!”

 

Eventually the fog began to part to reveal her old house on Lavender Lane. There within the center of the driveway stood a towering figure with wild hair. It was black at first until finally coming into view. It was Jin sure enough but something appeared different from before as Scarlet approached him. He was grinning, almost wickedly as the demon outstretched his hand to the injured woman. “There you are,” Jin muttered. “Come here.” He moved his open fingers back into his palm to beckon her forwards.

 

Scarlet hesitantly made her way towards the wind demon, still holding onto her bleeding arm. “I-I am injured,” she managed to say over the monsters growling in the background.

 

“Let me see.” The wind demon removed Scarlet's hand from her bleeding arm. He rolled his fingers over the wound, making Scarlet flinch in pain as he touched it carelessly. Jin removed his hand eventually with her blood upon his fingertips. Touching it to his mouth, he seemed to hum in delight. “You'll be just fine.” Here Jin pulled Scarlet closer to him, having their bodies touching one another. “You are still pure,” he whispered upon her face when he leaned over. “Let me fix that for you.”

 

Scarlet could see he was coming closer to her face, making her pull back hesitantly. “J-Jin, what are—!” Before she could bother to ask, the demon placed his mouth upon hers, almost forcibly. She struggled against him at first until she felt his grip upon her tighten. Her body going stiff from fear at what the demon was trying to do with her, and her eyes closing whilst she screamed against his kiss she found to be un-pleasurable as his breath smelt of death. Let me go! Somebody help me! Scarlet pleaded within her own mind.

 

Pulling from the kiss, Jin rolled his hand down her clothes to use just his nails to claw off her pajama pants. When Scarlet threatened to run, Jin grabbed back onto her arms once more. “Don't run. You'll regret it if you do,” he threatened.

 

Her breaths began to quicken as Scarlet shook her head at the wind demon's actions. “D-Don't! Please don't!” She pleaded, squeezing her legs together. As she fought with the demon when it came to her virginity, the same voice soon came from the left.

 

“Scarlet?”

 

Scarlet looked over her left to see another Jin the wind master. “J-Jin…! But—!” Once she looked back at the demon, who had her, Scarlet screamed to see that the beast's appearance had changed. He had a rotted complexion and had the face of an undead werewolf. His eyes were only black slits and his ratted hair rolled down the sides of his face as well as down his back to the point it connected to his back fur.

 

“A shape-shifter!” Jin panicked as he hurried over to Scarlet to pull her away from the beast's grasp. “Go back to whatever hellhole you crawled out of, demon!” When the demon refused and raised his claws to attack the intruding wind demon, Jin raised up his left arm in time to block the attack before coming from below with his right fist to uppercut the stomach of the beast with the strength required to punch a hole right through his body.

 

The blood of the demon splattering against Scarlet's house and raining down upon the bushes, the body of the beast fell emotionless upon the cement of the cracked driveway.

 

Having to see that beast lying there in his true form, Scarlet covered her mouth, whimpering and crying against her palms. The thing tried to rape her in the disguise of Jin. That was an awful thing for him to do to her! “What was that thing!” Scarlet wanted to know during her stage of hysteria.

 

“It is a shape-shifter,” Jin sighed as he made his way over to the traumatized Scarlet Baker. “They dig into your subconscious records of your mind and take on the opposite sex of the person you feel the safest around and or have deep feelings for.”His arms embraced Scarlet to let her know it was going to be okay. “You need to be careful when your soul travels. They can take on any appearance of anybody in your life.” Jin looked over at the dead demon not too far from them. “These types of demons are known as Virgin Hunters. They will do whatever they can to steal your purity as it entices them.”

 

In Jin's embrace, she covered her eyes wishing to hide her tears. “I cannot believe this is happening to me now…I don't know what's worse, being here or being at home with my dad.”

 

Jin said nothing to that as he looked about the spiritual plain she had managed to wander back within. “Come, Scarlet. Let's get you to wake up.” Keeping a hold of the frightened woman, Jin made his way towards the door he had entered through.

 

The warm light embracing her, Scarlet felt her soul return to her body as she began to move her fingers from where they were lying upon the bed. However from what she could feel, her other hand was being held by somebody else. Once she opened her gray-green eyes, Scarlet looked over her right to find Jin kneeling there with his hand about hers. His head was resting near her body peacefully. “Jin?” She whispered, gently placing her hand upon his red hair to move it out of his face.

 

Jin remained asleep for awhile until finally opening his eyes, gazing ahead wearily. “Scarlet?” He wondered with a yawn, rubbing his eyes once he released her hand.

 

“Ah, so you are finally awake,” Touya said from across the room. He slowly advanced towards her and Jin. “We thought you were just sleeping, not spirit traveling until we saw those scratches appear upon your arm.”

 

Scarlet looked at her arm to find the wound there upon her body. She panicked at the sight, seeing that it was still bleeding a bit. “How did that happen? I was asleep and my spirit was attacked, not my physical form!”

 

“Your spirit is a major component of your physical body,” Touya explained. “The two are linked, and regardless of which is hurt, the other will suffer. So if you were to die while your spirit wandered, you wouldn't be able to return to your body; leaving you for dead.”

 

Jin continued to rub his eyes for a bit more to get back to himself. “The problem is she cannot control her spirit travels. Also, that was a shape-shifter that attacked her.” Sitting upon the side of the bed, Jin grabbed gently onto Scarlet's injured arm to see the wound upon it. “It was also another of those Virgin Hunters.” He leaned over the side of the bed to grab the cleaned cloth Touya brought him for the sake of bandaging up Scarlet.

 

“Virgin Hunter? Are you sure that is what it was!” Touya exclaimed nervously from where he was standing.

 

“Aye, it was a Virgin Hunter,” Jin sighed as he dabbed away at Scarlet's nearly nine inch scratches parallel to one another. “He was shape-shifted into me and was trying to rape her.”

 

“A shape-shifting hunter,” Touya thought, resting his chin against his fingers. “Those are dangerous. You can never tell who it really is until it's too late!”

 

“What am I going to do then?” Scarlet wondered, hissing in pain as her injury was being treated. “If I go to sleep ever again, I might end up encountering another one! I don't want them to get me again.” At that moment, she began to tremble in fear at the thought of one getting to her. “I can't go back to sleep again…!”

Jin pulled out the bandages next to the bowl of warm water before using his teeth to rip the ones he needed for her cuts. He applied the medicine to the wraps, looking briefly over at Scarlet as he heard her fear as well as smell it accumulating in the room. “Well, Scarlet, this is one way to avoid that. However, keep in mind, some demons would still come at you out of spite.” When he saw she was slightly interested, he continued while bandaging her arm. “There is a ritual rarely done at the hands of demons, but it was obsessively used in the past selfishly when Wind Knoll was first created on the foundation of hell. While it has many names, the main title is Envelope Purity in Darkness. It's used to take the virginity away from humans. Normally the demons would do it for their worshippers with one on one sexual contact,” Jin hesitantly explained once he finished wrapping Scarlet's arm. “However, it's recently been rearranged to allow the male or female to pick his or her partner.”

 

“So you want me to have my virginity taken away by some guy I don't know?” Scarlet couldn't help but feel a bit disgusted at the thought.

 

“It's by whoever you feel most comfortable with,” Touya announced. “If you cannot find somebody, then your demonic `fathers' will be the one to do it—IF you agree to do it, that is.”

 

Scarlet merely fiddled with her fingers wondering what to say to that. It was either to endure an awkward sexual experience with the demons she was baptized under or do allow the Virgin Hunters to continue to come after her. “So if I wanted you to help me through it,” Scarlet began, looking at Jin, “would you go ahead and do so?”

 

“If you wanted me to, yes,” the wind demon answered. “And if I were to accept, we'd be breaking each other's virginity.” Jin couldn't help but chuckle slightly with a sidewise smile.

 

“I am guessing you've never done this before,” Scarlet said nervously.

 

“Spiritually I have, but not physically,” Jin clarified. “So don't worry, I have done this enough times and know enough not to hurt you.”

 

Scarlet gazed down at her hands resting within her lap. She sighed softly not sure what to do. “I will keep it in mind. I don't know what I want right now after such an attack. Right now my fear is riding me through it, and I don't want to listen to it.”

 

Jin looked over his shoulder and nodded at Touya, signaling for him to leave for the time being. The ice demon listened to his partner, disappearing out the door to leave the two alone. With Touya gone, Jin turned back to Scarlet with a soft smile. “I have something to give you from your mother, Cynthia.”

 

Hearing of her mother's name, Scarlet perked up slightly. “M-My mother? What does she want you to give me?”