Reluctantly, he handed over the key to Kana, who put it inside the lock and melted it, so it fit perfectly. The door creaked loudly as it opened, and Kazuki couldn't help but think that if someone was in the house, they would've heard them by now. He twisted his cursed ring cautiously, and kept a wary hand on the hilt of his sword. He could tell Kana had a similar idea; she was looking in all directions and moving slightly slower than her usual pace, fumbling with the necklace which she drew her magic from. Kazuki had gifted her that on her birthday. On her hand, he noticed a ring similar to his own.
A screeching noise interrupted his thoughts, but he could not, for the life of him, figure out its source. However, Kana pulled him aside before he could react. She held his hand, the cold metal of their matching rings, bringing little comfort to the heat invading his being and then – nothing. He was standing a good thirteen miles away from the house Kana was alone in, and he knew she had sent him away. The question was, why? Had she done it just to spite him? To show him that no matter what he did, she would push him away like she did today, and a year ago? Or did she have a death wish? He'd read the documents in her office, he knew that she knew, anyone going on this mission alone would lose their sanity or their life for sure. Kana wasn't just anyone, but she might not be an exception to such danger. Sighing, he sat down on the ground and waited.
Inside the house, Kana suddenly realized she might be alone for the rest of her surprisingly short life. She'd teleported Kazuki as soon as she'd heard the familiar sound of a Moroi killing a rodent or insect in the house. The sound seemed to have come from everywhere and nowhere, that was always the case with these dangerously mysterious ghosts. Now, she probably only had a few minutes to live, and she'd sent the only help she had away. She was absolutely disgusted with herself, two is always better than one, especially when faced with an angry ghost. Love had gotten her mother exiled, and now Kana was going to continue the family legacy.
She was hidden in a closet, which smelled disgusting and Kana decided that she really did not want to know what caused it. Something brushed past her feet and Kana almost had a panic attack, thinking it was a rat. Kana had experience with ghostbusting, but Moroi's were the worst. All other ghosts were predictable, reasonable, even their unpredictable and rash actions made perfect sense later. But Moroi? They were bastards ruled by chance and animalistic instincts to hunt and play, which was Kazuki's field of expertise – that was why she'd brought him along in the first place.
Bracing herself for whatever may come, she stealthily moved out of the closet. She hoped the ring would keep her safe. It was cursed, and most Morois hated cursed energy that originated from the living. She tried to stop thinking about Kazuki, not as if that would magically get him back. She looked around drawers and was going to open a huge cupboard, where she swore she saw a cockroach, when something tugged at her gut. It was cursed energy, devoid of life but not quite dead. Too strong to be from a mere Moroi, but too weak to be what she was looking for.
As such, Kana wanted to ignore it, but as always, her curiosity got the best of her. It was somehow familiar, but she couldn't quite place where she'd last felt something like it. She tried her best to keep control of her emotions, in case there was someone other than the Moroi in the house. She headed to the next room, feeling the energy get stronger as she stepped closer. The room looked bigger than the house itself. She recognized the energy then; a curse cast by a sorcerer like herself. It took a very strong sorcerery to fashion a spell that not only attracted people, but also lasted long. She could tell by the smell that the room was old. Whoever was responsible for it was either dead or dying…and very close.
One thing was for certain now: someone or something was keeping the spell alive. She observed the room silently, it was too grandiose for her taste and it did not match the exterior of the house. There was a fireplace, which was thankfully not lit. One of the walls was lined with shelves of books, and her grandfather's paintings were hung on another, a grand piano below it. There were a number of old chests arranged in a row, and a table at the center, which held various miscellaneous items. She searched the room for the curse's source, when she finally came to a spot in the room where the magic was so strong, it filled every pore of her body, and she felt faint. The dreadful realization that she really could not do this without Kazuki, overtook her. Kana had known that when she had picked him to be her partner, but she had not exactly come to terms with the fact before now.
So, she reluctantly sneaked out of the house, to Kazuki. It was almost painful to part with the uniquely familiar magic without investigating further, but she needed to get the job done. He was lazing around and when she arrived, he looked at her expectantly, grey eyes contrasting the darkness of the night. The right thing to do in this situation, would be to explain why she'd come to him, and what had happened before. But that was humiliating. And talking to him so openly brought back some lovely memories of a past she'd thrown away for someone who abandoned her the first chance they'd gotten. As Kazuki showed no signs of moving, she crouched down to hold his hand and teleport him back. Kazuki snatched it away. He put on gloves, and folded his arms. Kana realized that this act of defiance was well overdue. She sighed, and sat next to him.
"There is a spell cast on the house. The room you saw? It's the only part that's not an enchantment." She strained to keep the embarrassment out of her voice, but it was hard to do when she remembered how gently Kazuki used to handle her every time she felt like she hit a dead end.
"And you're telling me you can't deal with it alone?" He remarked sharply. Things had definitely changed between them, and Kana had no-one to blame but herself.
"No, I can't", she admitted quietly. Her eyes and face were warm with embarrassment despite the cold wind, and she scratched at her arms and palm.
"The magic is too strong, I'd probably lose my consciousness while I'm deactivating the spell."
"I see." That was all he said as he went on to remove his gloves. Kana remembered the way they felt when he was running them through her hair when they kissed. "Why'd you send me away just now?"
The ghost was a Moroi, and they're deadly because no-one knows much about them and I was scared something would happen to you so I panicked, she thought to herself. "I didn't think I'd need you later," was what she told him.