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Yoh will be Shaman King.

That was a fact, not a hope. Kyouyama Anna never, ever had any doubt at all that Asakura Yoh would be the Shaman King. None at all. It was a fact in itself.

However…

When it came to Yoh's feelings for her…

She looked at him, her eyes softening. He looked up, caught her stare, and smiled.

"Yes, Anna?"

That easygoing expression on his face was something she liked about him, though she often blamed it for revealing to the world just how lazy her fiancé was.

"…Nothing. I'm going to bed."

"Good night, Anna."

"Good night."

CAPTURE

Anna woke up. She had been dreaming, she was sure of it. But what had she been dreaming ab—

She stopped dead. This is not my room. This… where am I?

Unsettled, she looked around. The room was lavishly decorated. In fact, the bed she was on was a big fancy one, with four posters and everything. But there was something odd about this room…

In a minute, it hit her. There wasn't any door. No windows, either. The only light in the room came from a small chandelier-type hanging lamp.

What on earth—?

"Ah, you're awake," a voice said. Anna winced. She knew that voice. She tried not to wince again as the owner of that voice materialized in front of her, sitting calmly on the bed.

"Hao," she spat out. "You've gone too far this time."

"Who, me?" he laughed. It was an innocent little laugh. "Dear little Anna-chan."

"Don't call me that!" she clenched her fists. "What's your game? Why am I here?"

Hao smiled again. "You know, Anna-chan, you're a very pretty girl. But you're strong and smart. And like I've said before, I'm interested in you."

She refused to be flattered. Coming from somebody like Hao, no freaking way would she accept it.

"If you think you can control Yoh by kidnapping me—"

"Anna," he said seriously, standing up. "I've just said. I am interested in you. Not my Otouto. Him I can deal with later."

Anna's mouth turned a little dry. "…What?"

"You see, Anna," Hao sat down on the bed again, this time much closer to her. "I often told myself that you were a prize that I could take once I became Shaman King. But somehow, I can't wait anymore." He smiled once more, his charming smile. Yes, charming, damn it all.

"Let me go." Her voice was cold. "Release me. I am not some kind of object—"

"You're a prize," Hao said seriously now, the enchanting smile fading a bit. He looked at her intently. He reached out and touched her golden hair.

She moved to slap him. Really, she did. But Hao anticipated it, and he managed to pull her close.

"I'm not letting you go back to him."

She struggled, she really did. Hao was simply stronger. Anna hated it. She felt weak.

"How…dare…you…"

"Do you know, Anna," he said quietly, finally letting her go. She got out of the bed, and looked at him with hatred in her eyes. "That Yoh will never appreciate you like I could?"

"Yoh will be Shaman King," she said, anger evident in her eyes. "I will be his wife. That's all there is to it. That's all you need to know."

"No, Anna," he said, and he let his smile return to his handsome face. "There is quite a lot more. For instance—" he stood up and faced her. She refused to back away. Stubborn, stubborn pride. "For instance, there is this whole matter of your claim to love him. Do you?"

"Yes." No hesitation. Hao smirked. He took a step closer.

"And does he love you?"

"Y-yes…"

A pained look came to her face. They both knew that she had faltered. Hao came even closer.

"So why be with him?" Hao questioned. He was very close to her now.

"He will be Shaman King," Anna repeated. "I will become his wife. We're already engaged. No problem there." Her voice was quite devoid of emotion. "And I will have an easy life as Shaman Queen."

"No, no, Anna," Hao said gently. He was mocking her now. Her hand longed to slap him. "I am powerful. You know that. I know that. Even Yoh is aware of my strength, though not fully." He chuckled. "My dense little brother. My power is far beyond anything he could dream to achieve."

"No…"

She trembled a bit. She didn't mean to, really, she didn't, but….

"You will be mine. You are mine. Remember that, Anna."

Well, Hao definitely has effects on certain people.

He seized her. His arms were around her in a sort of warm embrace. But Anna didn't feel warm. She felt a sinking chill when he touched her.

"Get…off!" she cried out. She finally pushed him, hard. He stumbled backward a bit. She moved backwards herself, and then sank to her knees, breathing hard. "Don't touch me!" she snarled.

Hao merely looked amused.

"You're strong in both spirit and mind, Anna," he said. "Don't prove me wrong by continuing to believe in my little brother."

"Yoh isn't weak! I'm not weak!"

But Hao was already gone.

Anna sank into her knees. She refused to let her tears fall, lest Hao manage to taunt her about it. But she sat there, very white in the face. Her hands clenched and unclenched.

How dare he… When the time comes… I will… I hate you, Hao… Don't touch me…

She shuddered.

Don't touch me.

Yoh frowned. Tamao was beside him, as well as Manta. Manta came over for his usual visit, quite expecting to see Yoh diligently training under Anna's iron slap. Instead, they were by her futon with increasing worry.

"What's going on?" Tamao asked, scared. "Yoh-sama?"

"I don't know," he said softly. "But it's been almost two days. And she hasn't woken up…"

"Did she take anything?" Manta asked, peering at Anna's sleeping form. "Sleeping pills…?"

"None that I know of."

"It's so odd," Manta said, facing Yoh. "Apart from the fact that she hasn't waken up, she just looks asleep to me."

"That's the thing," Yoh said, standing up. "Any other time I would have left her alone. But something doesn't feel right…"