Chapter Twenty-Nine: Running Animal:

How long had it been? It was Muraki’s turn to walk around in the darkness. He didn’t enjoy her using his own trap against him. He didn’t expect her to get the upper hand so quickly. The doctor didn’t expect any of this. He couldn’t sense her anywhere at all.

Where did Muraki go wrong? He had Tsuzuki in his clutches. Hisoka was bad enough, but Anna made things worse. Tsuzuki was much happier. He developed a spine. Tsuzuki actually turned him down? His beloved shinigami turned him down? Her words to him added more of sting to it all.

“You will never have him.”

Why did she wake up this rage inside of him he thought he had buried long ago? Muraki did not enjoy any of it. Who was she to come along and steal his beloved shinigami? Thieves had no right to be happy. That bitch had to be punished.

Muraki paused when he heard a shuffling noise behind him. Okay, that was different. There were footsteps and silence until to this point. Something wasn’t right.

“I know you are here,” Muraki said. “Aren’t you tired of our game? You and I can’t keep this up forever. You know that, right?” She won’t answer him. The shuffling didn’t stop. Muraki wasn’t armed and couldn’t use his powers. Neither could she, but that wasn’t the point. The shuffling noise stopped at his feet. Muraki slowly looked down.

Nothing.

But, Muraki knew better. He prepared to attack. A pair of eyes opened, looking up at him.

“Hello,” they said. The doctor clicked his tongue.

“Uh-oh!” the eyes said. “Doctor’s mad!” The baby voice made it so much more annoying. He would not play along.

“You won’t win this,” the eyes said. Muraki struggled with his calm demeanor.

“And why is that?” he asked. More eyes opened up on the ground. The doctor looked around. All of them focused on him. The eyes only said one thing.

“You will never have him,” they said. The baby voices turned into a deep, husky tone. Muraki finally snapped.

“Never,” he hissed. “Never. Never!” The eyes started laughing.

“But it’s true. It’s true. It’s true!” they shouted. “It’s true! It’s true! It’s true! It’s true! It’s true!” The doctor gritted his teeth.

“Enough!” he shouted. Muraki started swinging at the eyes. Their laughter mocked him. More and more eyes opened as he kept swinging. Some of them he missed. Others he hit with his fists. Blood started flying everywhere. Muraki gritted his teeth. The eyes wouldn’t stop coming. She was watching through. The doctor took a deep breath.

“I know you’re here,” he said. “Come out and face me!” The eyes giggled as they started to close. The darkness started grow around him. But then, a hole opened in the black veil. Muraki smirked.

“Well, well, well,” he said. “You must be bored of this game too. Let’s just end this now.” Muraki turned and walked through the bright hole.

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Meanwhile, Anna sat in the dark and waited

“How much time is left?” she asked. A soft breeze filled her ears. Anna slowly nodded.

“I understand,” she said. Anna held out her knife and took a breath. Only fifty minutes left before this game ends.