Mika shifted uncomfortably. Why did her wrists and shoulders hurt so much? Her nose was burning and her mouth felt like cotton. She groaned and tried to roll over. When that movement brought more pain to her wrists and shoulders, her eyes flickered open.

A room foreign to her slowly came into focus. It was devoid of furniture except for the couch she was laying on. One closed door stood in front of her. “Where?” Her voice cracked as she tried to utter the word. What had happened? Her brain was so foggy that she couldn’t remember much of the details. She’d been out of food, and had gone to the convenience store for some. And then?

That’s right. I met Kaito there and we walked home together. But what happened after that?

The door creaked as it slowly swung inward. “Ah, you’re awake are you? That didn’t take long.”

Mika blinked slowly as she tried to focus on the individual’s face. When she recognized it as Hattori, the remaining event previously missing from her memory came back in a rush, leaving her breathless. She tried to sit up, but once again her arms screamed in protest.

“We took the liberty of tying you up in case you tried to run,” Hattori said as he crossed the room. He leaned over her, and brushed a bit of hair from her face.

Mika felt her stomach roll in disgust. His hand wandered down from her face to her neck, to her collarbone. “Stop!” she squirmed viciously, using the only weapon she had at her disposal, her teeth, in an attempt to drive away that wandering hand.

Hattori straightened. “I suppose you are here for the boss’s enjoyment and not mine. He’d be furious if he thought I’d stolen his prize. I should probably tell him you’re awake.” He turned back toward the entrance.

“Wait!” Mika called after Hattori, voice slightly hoarse. When he turned, she continued. “What is this group of yours and why do you want me of all people?”

Hattori tilted his head in contemplation before he elaborated. “We were just a gang of friends. Life is rough at home for us; everyone has their own reasons. But a couple of months ago the boss came and saw potential in us. He organized everyone and taught us to protect ourselves.”

“But what does that have to do with me?” Mika asked. “I haven’t done anything to any of you.”

Hattori shrugged and with that, he exited the door.

Alone once more, Mika’s mind went into overdrive. The boss of a gang of rowdy teens wanted her for who knew what reason. She still didn’t know anything about the boss himself, but whatever he was like, she had a feeling that it wasn’t going to be good for her.

She struggled to sit up again, and this time succeeded, though her shoulders were still throbbing in protest. Mika’s eyes scanned around the room desperately once more. The room was windowless and the door was locked. There wasn’t much chance of escape even if she did manage to cut the rope binding her wrists. What should I do? What can I do?

There was absolutely nothing here. Nothing except the couch, Mika thought as she looked down at it. The door swung inward so I could use the couch to block it off. It would only slow them down, not keep them out. Still…

Mika stood slowly, crossed around to the back of the small couch, and shoved it as best she could with her shoulder. It let out a wretched squeak as it moved just a couple of centimeters. The door was easily two meters away. Was it going to be possible to even move it that far?

“Just what are you trying to do?”

Mika’s head shot up and she looked at Hattori who had reappeared at the doorway. She hadn’t even heard him come in. So much for trying to buy time…

Hattori crossed over to her in a couple of long strides, and grabbing hold of Mika’s upper arm, he hauled her out of the door. The hallways were dimly lit by a few intermittent lights, which cast large shadows over the rows of doors on each side and the plaques beside them. 203, 205, 207… Mika read the plaques as they moved. This looks like a hotel… The faded red paint on the doors and smell of mold told her it had been abandoned for some time though.

They rounded a corner which put them in front of rusty elevator doors. “Is it safe?” Mika couldn’t help but ask as the screech of metal on metal sounded somewhere from inside the elevator shaft.

“Safe enough.” Hattori muttered. “Go on.” As the doors opened, he shoved her inside. Mika stumbled ungracefully and would have fallen flat on her face had she not crashed into the back wall of the elevator first. They were already ascending by the time Mika recovered her balance enough to turn around and look back at Hattori. The button for the top floor – the sixth – was glowing a pale yellow.

As if sensing Mika’s eyes on him, Hattori turned his head to face her. “You’re lucky the boss went out of his way to invite you specifically.”

“I – I don’t think that makes me lucky,” Mika managed to stammer. Fear was getting the best of her, and the closer the shuddering elevator got to the top, the more her heart thrashed about in her chest.

Long before Mika was prepared, the doors slid open once more, revealing a short corridor which led to an open penthouse room. Unlike the room she’d been locked in, it was decorated in furniture – two long leather couches, a couple of recliners, a flat screen TV, and a few bookshelves. A massive window stretched from the floor to the ceiling across the back wall.

“I brought her, boss.”

Mika’s attention snapped to the back corner where a man sat on the other side of an antique desk.

“You may leave Hattori.” The boss’s deep voice was soft, but despite the low volume, it easily carried across the large room.

A chill traveled up Mika’s spine, though she was unsure if it was caused by his eerie voice or from the fear of the situation in general.

“Yes sir.” Hattori bowed and then disappeared, leaving Mika alone to face the man. He appeared to be in his mid-thirties, perhaps early forties at most, and had slicked back brown hair that reached past his shoulders.

“Sit,” he gestured with one ring-laden hand toward the end of the couch closest to him, but Mika didn’t move. Even if she’d wanted to, she wasn’t positive that her legs would obey her.

His eyes narrowed on her. “It’s your choice to do this the easy way or the hard way. Come.” Once again he gestured to the end of the couch, and this time, Mika used the entirety of her willpower to take a step. She wanted to put as much distance between her and him as possible, but the fear of what would happen if she disobeyed the man drove her forward.

It seemed to take ages to reach the spot he had indicated.

“That’s a good girl,” the man said as Mika reached him.

She stood rigidly, rooted to the location, as the boss stepped within touching distance. The smell of him alone was enough to make her want to recoil – like something rotting had been covered up with a bottle of cologne.

The boss grasped her chin in his hand and raised her head to examine her face more closely.

Mika jerked backward but only managed to tighten his grip, which made the rings on his fingers dig into the soft skin under her throat.

“Don’t be like that,” he cooed, raising her face up further and forcing her to meet his eyes. “I won’t hurt you unless you give me a reason to.” The tip of his long and crooked nose met her throat and he inhaled deeply.

Again Mika jerked backward, and this time he let go. Unfortunately, the momentum carried Mika backward and she fell flat onto the couch. The man was on top, hovering over her, before Mika could righten herself. He placed his left arm at her shoulder while his right moved to stroke her cheek before continuing down further.

“No - !” Her cry was cut short as he cupped his hand over her mouth.

Mika’s fearful eyes met his, full of lust. She couldn’t help but notice as she stared into them that the whites of his eyes were red around the edges, as if he’d popped a blood vessel. He smiled crookedly, revealing canines that seemed too sharp.

Mika squeezed her eyes shut. Please. Someone help! Anyone! Around his fingers, a scream tore itself from her throat. And then, the room plunged into sudden darkness.

She heard the boss shift and opened one eye first, then the other. The man stood, silhouetted by the lights that blazed through the open window, facing the door.

There was a soft ting, announcing the arrival of the elevator at the floor. The metal doors screeched open, and Mika heard the muffled sounds of footsteps on the carpet. She peered up hesitantly over the side of the couch. In the dim light, she couldn’t recognize the person based on sight, but there was no mistaking his voice.

“That’s enough.”

Kaito!

An inhuman growl came from the boss. “This is my territory and my hunting grounds. You’ve no right to interfere. I don’t care how powerful –”

“No,” Kaito refuted, in a smooth voice. “You see that tall building there?” He gestured toward the window with a lazy wave of his hand.

The boss turned, and Mika couldn’t help but focus her attention out of the window as well. There was only one taller building in sight, an apartment complex, easily fifteen or twenty stories.

“Everything within sight of that building is under my protection.”

“You clan demons. Always taking over without a care,” the venom in his tone was enough to make another chill ripple up Mika’s spine.

“Only because you do foolish things like kidnap high school girls. You’ve got two choices now: I can send you back in one piece, or, end you where you stand.”

“Like hell you will!” The boss charged him, raising his fists to strike…

And then the lights suddenly came back on, blinding Mika. She threw her forearm over her eyes to block out the light. It took only a couple of seconds for her eyes to adjust, but when she looked around the room, the boss was nowhere to be found.

“W-where –”

“Don’t worry about it.” Kaito turned to face her, meeting her eyes with a stare that still hadn’t lost its coolness. “Are you alright?”

Mika nodded.

“Can you stand?”

“I d-don’t know.” Her whole body was still pumped full of adrenaline and fear, making her shake ever so slightly. She shifted on the couch, placing her feet firmly on the floor and then tried to put weight on her wobbly knees. Her balance lasted a full second before her legs gave way.

“I guess it’s understandable for you to be shaken up,” Kaito said as he crossed the room and sat down next to her on the couch.

The two stared out of the window for an endless moment. A movement from Mika’s peripheral vision drew her attention back to Kaito, and when Mika turned, she found his hand, half outstretched toward her head. Mika jumped, with enough force to send herself off the end of the couch and onto the floor.

Kaito tilted his head as he studied her shaking body and fearful eyes. “I wasn’t going to hurt you.”

“I…” Mika’s eyes were glued on his. His demeanor was the opposite of what she had come to expect. Instead of softened eyes and a slight smile, his body was still rigid, and the chill of his blue irises sent her heart back into overdrive. “I don’t believe you,” she whispered.

Kaito sighed, covered his face with his hand and leaned back against the couch. When he looked back at her a minute later, his eyes had softened, but Mika could see something like confliction flickering across his features.

“Alright, fine.” With those words uttered to himself, Mika watched the tension leave his face. “Can you stand now? We need to leave before his lackeys wake up. I’d rather not have to deal with the lot of them a second time.”

Mika picked herself off of the floor carefully, and this time found her legs successful at holding her weight, even if her knees were still a bit wobbly.

“Let’s go.” He turned back toward the elevator, which opened the moment he pressed the down button. Once inside, Kaito hit the B1 floor. The journey downward seemed faster than the journey up, making Mika feel like gravity would snap the elevator off of its wires at any point. Luckily, they reached the bottom floor safely.

The elevator doors opened straight into the parking garage under the stairs, and as she stepped out, Mika had to suppress a gasp. There were at least twenty guys, all sporting bruises and cuts across their face and arms, sprawled on the concrete ground. Are they… Did he… Her eyes flickered fearfully to the back of Kaito’s head.

“They’re fine,” Kaito said, as if reading her thoughts. He didn’t turn around to address her as he continued, “I was in a hurry, so I might’ve hit a few of them a bit harder than was necessary, but they’re only knocked out.”

It was unnerving to weave through their fallen bodies on their way to the exit. If she couldn’t see the rise and fall of their chests, she would’ve been absolutely certain they were dead. “That’s a lot of people to knock out at once…” Mika said slowly. “You don’t look hurt though.”

Kaito’s shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. “I have a good bit of fighting experience.”

The exit that Kaito brought her to was what used to be a side door. The metal door, however, had been blown completely off its hinges. Mika froze on this spot and once again her eyes met the back of his head. How am I even supposed to respond to this? This guy… Like Ayako said, he’s in no way normal at all. This level of strength is insane!

A long sigh escaped Kaito’s lips. He turned to lean against the now-bent door frame and then slowly focused his eyes on Mika’s. “Look, I know you have questions, but is there any chance you can simply swallow them and forget this happened?”

“I don’t think this is something anyone could forget,” she replied, voice barely above a whisper.

Kaito exhaled again. “I guess not, but it puts me in a bit of a tough spot.”

“Because I know that there’s no way you could be normal? Just what are–”

“Don’t,” Kaito’s sharp voice cut through her exclamation. “This isn’t the place for that discussion.”

“Then where is?”

Kaito ran his hand through his hair several times, which prevented Mika from trying to read the expression on his face. “I really hoped that this could slide, but I should’ve expected it to come to this.” His eyes bore into Mika’s until she dropped her gaze back down to the broken door.

“If you want answers, then you can follow me back to my apartment, but I can’t guarantee that I’ll tell you everything you want to know. I’m not going to broach this subject again so know is your only chance.” With that, Kaito pushed himself off of the door frame and headed down the street.

Mika remained still for a moment longer weighing the choices. Could she forget this? No, she definitely couldn’t, but would she be able to pretend that she’d forgotten? There were so many unexplainable things that had happened tonight, and if she understood them all, she had a feeling that the world as she knew it might be forever altered. A part - a large part - of her didn’t want that change, but the flame of curiosity was also burning strongly. Could she ever snuff out such a flame?

A low groan sounded as one of the many men began to wake up. Without glancing back, Mika rushed through the door.