What have you done Ray!

Miss Reynolds sighs and then says, "It will get better in a while," she then questions, "Everybody was called to the auditorium and no one was allowed to leave, so how did you end up in the washroom?"

The girl says, "I went to the washroom during the lunch break and fainted, I think, my memory is still a bit hazy."

The teacher looks at her for a while and then shakes her head. She then claps her hand and commands in a loud voice, "Okay form lines division-wise, height-wise! Girls and boys of same division side by side!"

After a while, all of them finish forming lines. Miss Reynolds then goes to a row and starts taking a head count. She then says, "Go to your class, collect your bags and then again return here!"

The row starts heading out. In one of the rows, Davide and Vista stand side by side. Davide asks Vista, "Oye, knucklehead, where is Ray?", Vista hisses, "HUH!? Who are you calling a knucklehead!", Davide asks again, "Let it be, Where is Ray!"

Vista puts her hand to her chin and thinks, she then says, "Don't know!" and then shrugs. Davide gets a little irritated and asks, "What!? What do you mean you don't know!" he then takes in a deep breath and then asks, "Where did you part ways?"

Vista again thinks for a while and then answers, "After you left with the girl." "That means you never went with him for the search even though I told you about his condition!", Davide says as flames emerge from his mouth.

Vista just shrugs with an oblivious look on her face. Davide head turns red hot trying to hold in all the anger, he then says, "Ray still hasn't come back, what if he is in a dire situation right now?! I told the both of you to go together because the odds of success are way better with two people than one!"

Hearing this Vista lowers her head in thought and confusion, Davide's words conflicting with something inside her.

The row that had gone returns with their bags. Miss Reynolds then again takes a head count and says, "Okay, all have returned with their bags." She then goes to the next row and takes a head count. "Now you all go to your classes and bring your bags here."

The row heads out. The same repeats over and over and it is Davide's row's turn. They head to their class, and as they reach it, Davide grabs Vista's arm and says, "I am going to search for Ray, if Miss Reynolds notices a person missing tell her that I have gone looking for Ray." he then jets off.

"Wait!...", before Vista's words could reach Davide he was out of sight. Davide thinks while running, "Ray where could you be, where could you be?! Where would of go if you were in trouble? Where would you hide if you did something bad?!... Ah! Yes! Our favorite spot! Of course!"

Davide arrives at the place where they had their delicious sandwich, he sees no sight of Ray. Davide again starts wracking his brain. He then runs off to the terrace and still finds no trace of Ray. Davide then visits the boy's locker room, his final hope giving out he grabs his head in frustration feeling hopeless, guilt consuming him.

He punches the wall hoping to clear his mind but the thought of losing his best friend is too great! He grabs his head with both of his hands and falls to his knees, just on the verge of crying.

Suddenly he hears a mysterious voice, "Nurse... nurse's office, quick... Ray." Davide eyes widen, and without even thinking of the owner and intent of the voice he rushes towards the nurse's office as quickly as he can.

Banging open the door, Davide sees Ray with an open bottle of medicine in his hands, tears rolling down his cheek. Ray glances at Davide and is taken aback, he asks, "What are you doing here?"

Davide replies huffing and panting, "I came *huff looking *huff for you." Ray's crying intensifies. Davide asks Ray, "What are *huff you *huff doing here?"

Ray just remains silent, crying. Davide again asks, this time, getting his breath in order, "What are you doing here Ray, if we don't go back soon Miss Reynolds is doing to beat us to oblivion."

Ray replies, "I can't! I have committed an unforgivable crime!" Davide says, "What do you mean? If we don't go to the auditorium right this instinct Miss Reynold will commit an unforgivable crime!"

Ray refutes, "No I cannot, I cannot face Miss Reynold... no I cannot face anyone after what I have just done!"

Davide rolls his eyes and then says, "Can you at least tell me what happened? I can help you and it'll all be over with."

Ray shakes his head and says, "No, if I tell you what I did, you will think of me as a monster! I don't want my childhood friend and my only true friend to think of me as a monster."

Davide urges, "No matter what you do, I know who you are, so I would never think of you as a monster! And you know how I am, so tell me! What did you do!"

Ray takes a gulp and raises a corner of his shirt, he then says, "This blood, it's not mine." Davide thinks for a second and then it dawns on him, his mind goes blank and his face turns solemn. He asks, "Did you kill somebody?" Ray just remains silent with his head hung low.

Davide takes in a deep breath and says, "I see so it is true, you did not kill anybody, it is me who's to be blamed!"

Ray's face turns to one of confusion, Davide continues, "Remember when you woke up in the auditorium, you felt a sharp pain in your cheek? It was because of me, you had turned into one of those creatures and I brought you back to life, by punching your soul out of you. So whoever is dead, died because of me!"

Davide suddenly rushes at Ray and punches him in the face. Ray's nose starts bleeding, Davide points at the foreign blood on Ray's shirt and continues, "Now that blood is your own blood and your sins are mine to bear, I brought you to life so whatever you do is my responsibility and it is your duty is to stay alive until I say otherwise. Got it!"

Ray nods, Davide then stretches his hand towards Ray, he grabs it and then stands up. In the next moment, a screen appears in front of Davide. Saying, "You have received an invitation, 'open'"