You asked the man before you as he changed the bloodied bandages on your hand.

The two of you had ventured into a colorful bedroom that resides inside one of the doors in the hallway. You were sitting on the bed, looking around the weird patterned walls, while Aku sat on the floor in front of you. Aku was silent as per usual, focusing on the gashes on your fingers. You felt the intense glare he was giving your wounds, and you turned to look at him. "I accidentally cut myself while peeling vegebles, nothing to worry about."

He gave you a small nod and took out a cotton pad from the med kit beside him, and took out saline solution as well. You looked away from him and up at the ceiling.

'This is weird,' you thought.

Feeling something cold on your cuts, you winced in pain, breath hitching in the back of your throat. Aku began to wipe your cuts clean, finishing off with wrapping your hand with clean bandages. He looked up at you from the floor, staring at you with his emerald-green eyes. You gulped and gave him a small smile, your face heating up as an awkward tension entered the room - but Aku didn't seem to notice it.

"Um..." you coughed, feeling even more awkward than ever. The raven-nette just continued to stare into your eyes until your e/c eyes darted towards the pink and yellow wall behind him. You could tell he was growing slightly frustrated when he stood up. He took a step to the side standing in front of your field of vision, looking down at you, seeking eye contact. You gave a quick glance at his face before you turned your head to your left, finding the triangle-shaped bookshelf interesting.

You felt a rough hand take a tight hold on your chin and turned it so you were facing him. Having no other option, you stared into his eyes. It was as if he was seeking something, traveling into your mind and soul through your eyes. You felt a zap of electricity jolt through your body and you flinched.

"Pretty..." a breathy, slightly wobbly, high pitched voice spoke out. You assumed that it came from Aku, which was slightly weird. His voice was like a child's, small and fragile - nothing like his appearance.

"Um, thank you, Mister," you said. "Could you please let go of my face now? My cheeks are starting to numb."

His eyes lingered on yours for a second longer, before he let go of your face. He took a step back and nodded, before he took out his notepad. Writing something down, he gave it to you.

was all that was written down on the page.

Your eyebrows knitted together once you read it. "But I'm not–"

"Sleep," he said, his voice still wobbly and high-pitched.

"But–"

He gave you a glare that shutted you up almost instantly.

"Fine," you gave in. Aku's eyes lit up and you assumed that he was smiling from behind the mask. "But, you need to answer some things first."

His happy demeanor didn't falter and he gave you a happy nod, gently taking his notepad out of your hands.

"Why me? What makes me so special? And– and why did you... why did you kill her?" You were talking about Betty. "Why... What's this ceremony? What happens during it?"

Aku's eyes dulled and he began to write in his black notepad, before holding it in front of your face.

"Home..." you muttered, and continued to read.

"Hoshi," you muttered. "Number seven..."

"My soul is yours?" You glared up at him, letting out a scoff and crossed your arms over your chest, leaning back a bit. Aku let his arm fall to his side and nodded. "Bullshit. How could my soul be yours?"

He began to write again and held the notepad in front of your face. And what you read made your heart sink, and a feeling of a lump stuck in your throat appeared.

"Hanako-kun!" Yashiro hurried to his side. He was standing beside a window, looking over the outside world. Yashiro looked around, but she didn't see you anywhere. "Where's Y/N?"

He didn't answer her and continued to stare out the window. Kou came rushing towards them, and stopped beside Yashiro.

"Hanako-kun... where's Y/N?" Yahsiro asked again, becoming nervous from the lack of response from the ghost.

Kou looked down at Yashiro before his eyes traveled towards Hanako. Kou was confused, so, so confused. He furrowed his eyebrows at the ghost. Something was wrong, he could feel it.

"Gone."

It felt like reality came crashing down on Kou's shoulders, and his stomach turned painfully. Yashiro smiled nervously as a sweat drop traveled down her cheek.

"What– what do you mean 'gone'?" She chuckled, her heart beginning to sink into the pit of her stomach.

Hanako finally turned to face his two friends. Once he faced them, they could see the redness in his eyes, his cheeks stained with dried tears.

"I let them fall," he said, looking down at his feet. "I've searched everywhere. Nothing, absolutely nothing... I'm sorry."

Yashiro felt her world fall apart once he heard that. She felt weak in the knees and she fell to the floor, tears welling up in her eyes. Kou froze.

"What do you mean?" The exorcist asked, his pain turning into anger. He took Hanako by his shirt. "What do you mean?!"