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[X] "What were those things? Those crochounds. Do you know where they came from, or what they wanted here?"
[X] "You mentioned something about a barrier?"
[X] Okay, deep breath. "I found a watch and a notebook with a vague and ominous warning written in it in the drawer of the nightstand in my room. Soon after I found my door had magically unlocked itself somehow, without anyone appearing to enter or exit the room. Was any of that you?"

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Grey decides to start with the immediate concern.

"What were those things - those crochounds? Do you know where they came from, or what they wanted here?"

Sakuya shakes her head.

"We aren't sure ourselves. For the past few weeks, there have been attacks around the area. At first, only humans from the Village were involved, so we didn't mind it. Then, some of the fairy staff were getting attacked; we got most of our information from those that reincarnated. Today was the first time the creatures actually broke in."

She pauses for a moment before continuing.

"Patchouli, myself, China, and even most of the fairy staff are strong enough to easily crush wild youkai, but those creatures are something else. They are physically tough, and seem to have some resistance to magical effects as well."

"You mentioned something about a barrier?" Grey asks.

Sakuya nods.

"Patchouli set up a magical barrier around the Mansion and the grounds. The barrier is strong enough to prevent the entry of humans and weaker youkai. Only powerful youkai and humans like the Black-White or the Red-White have the ability to break through at will. The main gate is the only point where the barrier can be opened to allow regular entry of guests, but we have China to handle that."

Sakuya closes her eyes, seemingly in deep thought.

"What worries me is how those things broke in. The youkai themselves didn't seem powerful enough to force their way on their own. It would take something extremely powerful to rip a hole in the barrier. Either that, or the barrier was somehow weakened from the inside."

"There's something I haven't mentioned," Grey says. He takes a deep breath.

"I found a watch and a notebook with a vague and ominous warning written in it in the drawer of the nightstand in my room. Soon after I found my door had magically unlocked itself somehow, without anyone appearing to enter or exit the room. Was any of that you?"