I was now used to my daily routine. I woke up, ate some soup accompanied by birdseed, played piano, practiced singing, stared out the window, and then slept again. I can't open the door, can't break the windows, can't do anything. The routine was just so that I didn't go crazy in this completely white and empty room. It seems that the only result from their stupid freaking experiment is that my singing has significantly improved. What the hell is the point of this?? You gave me a bird to befriend, and then you murder it so that I can become a good singer? Was that worth it??

I sat at the piano, shoulders hunched over as I stared at the keys blankly. According to the routine, I should be playing right now. But I didn't have the willpower. The juxtaposition of the bright natural light reflecting brilliantly off the white interior, compared to the immense weight of depression holding me down like heavy chains around my neck... I couldn't bring myself to do anything anymore. Tears dripped onto some of the keys. There's no hope of escape.

The sound of the door creaking open brought me back to reality. I wasn't sure I could trust my hearing, or anything at this point. I rested my head on the top of the piano, sighing deeply and trying to calm myself down.

The pitter patter of feet rushed from the opposite side of the room towards me. I swear if it's another scientist with syringes or a rolling bed with cuffs, I'm going to kill something. Whether it be me or him, I don't know yet.

The feet stopped close to me beside the piano and I felt a light hand touch my shoulder. I remembered my bird friend, who I'd only known for a short while, and anger suddenly boiled to the surface. With whatever strength I had left, I stood up fast from the piano bench and swung my arm at the figure as hard as possible. "Argh!" I grunted when my fist hit flesh and bone. Immediately afterwards my rage and adrenaline burned out and I failed to catch my balance. I landed on my side on the marble floor and tried to catch my breath. My knuckles ached, but it felt good. I was feeling something other than just exhausted and sad.

The figure also fell to the ground beside me, letting out a groan. I closed my eyes shut, feeling the strength leaving me. My diet of soup and bird food didn't support this much physical activity. I heard the figure shift around on the floor until he knelt next to me. A cool hand reached under my neck and another wiped the hair from my forehead. "It's me," a whisper brushed over my face reassuringly. "Don't worry, it's me."

My eyes fluttered open and I was greeted by an angel. It had to be an angel- the palest face so porcelain white, with clear ocean-blue eyes and the fairest golden hair framing his beautifully chiseled jaw. His brow furrowed and his thin eyelids narrowed in concern as he looked over my face. Hopefully this angel is here to take me to Heaven.

"Am I dying?" My voice was clear from my singing practice, but muffled and weary.

He shook his head, but at the sound of my voice he heaved a sigh of relief. "No," he smiled. "No, I don't think so. Can you walk?"

He helped me into a standing position and held me steady as I gained my balance. My head spun while he wrapped one of my arms around his shoulder and guided us to the open door. I recognized the long white corridors from when I'd been rolled out for testing. A science-wizard stood at the door and I felt my heart race. But the angel whispered in my ear, "It's alright. He's under a spell. It won't last long, though." He spoke something in Latin and the white-robed wizard began walking hastily down the corridor.

This angel's voice is so familiar. Soft and deep and soothing. But I didn't recognize his appearance.

We arrived at a small room in which there was nothing other than a few tables and some electrical work on the wall. Of course everything was still that nauseating white. He set me down in the middle of the room and knelt next to me with a hand on my arm. More Latin mumbling, and the wizard pressed some buttons on the machinery. A hand held over my eyes to block my vision and I felt a cool breeze waft around us only for a few moments. I felt the hand leave my face, but our black surroundings didn't change at all. The angel's hair glowed a little bit in the dark as he moved around the room. The dark dissipated as he opened the curtains and I realized we were in the Black Magic club room in Ouran.

The angel returned to my side, hovering over me as he helped me up again and led me to the bed in the corner of the room. I remembered what happened the last time I was in this room. My heart raced. "Where is Nekozawa?" I asked, struggling to get out of the angel's hold and back on my feet. "He's still stuck there, isn't he?"

The angel looked confused while he tried (without much effort) to push me back onto the bed. "What...?"

My energy completely spent, I had no ability to resist anymore and just lay back into the mattress. My eyes watered as I thought about what Nekozawa might be enduring right now back at that crazy completely white wizard facility. I remember the bird I'd become friends with before... "...He was with me," I mumbled sadly, turning on my side and groaning at the pain in my muscles. "I don't want him to be there alone. I have to go get him back..."

The angel had frozen in place by the bed, staring down at me in what appeared to be shock. He sat beside me and put a hand on my side. "...It's me," he said slowly, making sure to keep eye contact to see my reaction. Or checking to see if I'm losing it, I guess. "I'm Nekozawa."

...No way.

I didn't have the energy to even combat the idea in my mind. A few moments of studying him later, I noticed the eye color, the cheekbones, the height, the mannerisms... Those lithe and thin fingers as they settled over my forehead. "They dyed your hair?" I asked in confusion. "It's blinding."

He seemed to remember that his hair was not a near platinum blond instead of its normal black, touching a few of the bright yellow strands. "Long story," he answered tiredly, turning to a nearby table covered in various papers and candles and herbs. He threw some things into the small hand-sized cauldron at the corner of the table and muttered some quick Latin under his breath. I watched him work, admiring his features and angelic appearance even though he seemed exhausted. So beautiful. He took a shot of whatever he'd just made and he visibly relaxed as a sigh of relief escaped him. He brought over a small glass of it and held my head up to help me drink. I was surprised how immediate the effects were- my hunger was sated, my headache pacified, my aches significantly decreased. He set aside the glass and watches my face closely. "You feel better, yes?"

I nodded and even smiled, I was feeling so good. "Holy cow." I lifted a hand wrapped my arm around his shoulder to guide him closer into a hug. "Are you ok? I missed you so much. I didn't know what happened to you, and all the thoughts of what could be wrong..." My throat constricted with the tears that I couldn't hold back anymore as all the possibilities I'd thought of came to mind again.

He hugged me tightly and lay beside me on the bed, smiling sadly. "We're fine now. Let's just sleep for a bit, and go over everything later." My eyes already closed as we hugged under the blankets. I listened to his heartbeat through his chest- a drumming march proving that this wasn't just a hopeful dream I would wake up from back in that white jail cell.

Ten days we'd been stuck on that weird magic island. It felt like so much longer. Nekozawa informed me that he'd been given a fox to befriend and then get sad about once it was murdered in order to merge with him. His sense of smell increased and his decreased light sensitivity, but other than he said he didn't notice much of a difference.

"I was put in a similar room," he said as we sat on two piano benches in the music studio. He wore a regular school uniform without his usual black cloak- still a sight to get used to, especially with his new hair. He played with one of my hands almost subconsciously as he spoke, his eyes clouded as he recalled his experience. "All white, with magic-reinforced glass windows, several targets, and a gun on a table. The gun changed each day. I assumed this was a reference to my family's history in gun sales." Wow. A gun every day... If his mental struggle was anything like mine had been, I couldn't imagine the strength needed to keep from using the gun one day. "The second evening, the fox and I were merged. The eighth evening, I began my preparations for a spell over the next person I encountered." His deep blue eyes looked at me from behind his golden bangs and he smiled as if to cheer us both up and make us forget the last week. "I located you in the facility and as soon as I could, I cursed a guard and went to get you to escape."

I watched his fingers fiddle with mine, enjoying their cool touch against my skin. The sunlight streamed through the windows and created a warm environment with the pink walls of Ouran. Previously I'd considered this colour odd for a high school, especially a very high-class and well-respected high school. But now I appreciated it wholeheartedly.

We'd met with Kyoya Ootori, a member of the Host Club that Nekozawa trusted with the information of our captivity. He apparently would "take care of it", as he said himself with the glare of his glasses covering his eyes. But by the menacing tone of his voice and his creepily calm smile, I could only imagine the sinister stare behind those glasses. Fine by me, I thought. Good riddance.

I sighed heavily and rolled my eyes. "My sponsor's kinda freaked out about me being M.I.A. the past ten days. He's 'asked', which means pretty much demanded, that I return to Russia for two weeks for a full report and assessment."

He smiled for real this time, with the same devilish glint in his eyes that I was accustomed to. "Perfect!" he exclaimed happily. "I'll travel with you using the excuse that I'm visiting family. Hopefully we will be able to spend some time together."

I thought about the last time I had to visit my sponsor. It was very... taxing. "I mean... the whole time I'm there I'll be proving to him that I'm worth paying for." Every day, multiple instruments, music theory tests, probably several professional performances which I won't be informed of ahead of time. "But we can probably eat our meals together. Maybe an afternoon we can sightsee?" I shrugged apologetically. "It all depends on how demanding he feels like being on any given day."

"That's alright." He shrugged too and sighed. "We both just need a break from... this."

I glanced up at him and was met with his ocean blue eyes and a toothy smile accompanied by his new golden hair. I laughed at his enthusiasm and felt my own spirits lift. "I completely agree."