Midterms and Breaks

Ray received a text from Sophia, just the alert of the message, put him on high alert, ready to go when needed. Instead,she told him that the team was working on figuring out the whereabouts of the remaining 12 souls that had escaped from the ritual game, and that she wanted him to rest and not go out hunting for them.

Ray knew she was right, he had been pushing himself too hard lately, and he needed to rest. But as he lay in bed, his mind couldn't help but race with thoughts of his friends and family, and how he needed to protect them from the dangerous souls that were still out there.

He glanced over at his desk, where a photo of his mother sat. He may not have known her well, but he couldn't help but look at the photo whenever his mind was occupied. He remembered all the stories his grandma told him about his mother and how much she loved him. She was the reason why he became a soul hunter, to protect and make her proud.

The mid-term exams had finally arrived, and Ray could feel the weight of the material he had studied on his shoulders as he sat in the classroom. He knew he had worked hard and put in a lot of effort to prepare for this moment, but the nerves were still there.

As the teacher distributed the exam papers, Ray could feel his heart racing. He looked at the first question, "What is the equation for photosynthesis?" He breathed a sigh of relief, he knew the answer and jotted it down confidently.

But as he moved on to the next question, his confidence wavered. "What is the process of mitosis in eukaryotic cells?" He tried to remember the steps, but the information seemed to slip through his fingers. He could feel a sense of panic rising within him, he had no idea how to answer the question.

The next few questions were no different, some he knew the answers and some he had no clue. He couldn't help but feel disappointed in himself, all the studying and effort he put in yet, he felt like he was failing.

Ray had never felt more relieved than when he was handed his math exam. Math had always been his strong suit and he was confident that he would be able to do well.

He started to read through the questions and as he did, he found that he was able to answer them with ease. From geometry to algebra to calculus, he was able to solve the problems with confidence. He could feel the weight of the other exams lifting off his shoulders as he answered each question.

Time flew by as he worked on the exam, and before he knew it, he had completed it. He double-checked his work, making sure that he had not missed anything, and then he handed the exam to the teacher with a sense of satisfaction.

Aftermath of taking the math exam, he felt a renewed sense of hope, maybe all the studying and hard work had paid off after all.

As the last exam ended, a sense of relief washed over the classroom. Students packed up their bags and left the room, chatting excitedly about how they thought they did on the exams.

Ray met up with Don, Fatima, and Xie yi outside the classroom, they all looked exhausted but also excited to have finished all the exams. They chatted about the exams, comparing notes and discussing the questions they found difficult and easy.

After a while, the conversation turned to plans for their break. They decided to meet up the following weekend and finalize their plans. Don and Xie yi excitedly suggested a movie they've been wanting to watch. Fatima was excited to invite them all to her family's cafe to try out delicious meal.

Ray couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt, he knew that he still had to focus on sealing the remaining souls, but he was also excited to spend some quality time with his friends. He knew that he would have to balance his responsibilities as a soul hunter and his friendship.

"Alright, let's all meet up on Friday and plan everything out," Fatima said, bringing the conversation to a close.

"Sounds good, can't wait," Ray said, smiling. He knew that it would be a balancing act, but he was determined to make it work. He was looking forward to some downtime and spending time with his friends.

The weekend had finally arrived, and Ray was on his way to Desert Cafe, a cafe owned by Fatima's family. He arrived before his friends, and as he walked in he saw Fatima helping her parents out in the cafe. She was moving around gracefully, taking orders and making sure the customers were happy.

Ray greeted her parents "Salam uncle and aunty," smiling at them as they replied back and asked how he was doing. Fatima approached him and guided him to their table, where they sat down and talked.

"So how's your grandma doing? It's been awhile since I've seen her," Fatima asked with concern, noticing that Ray seemed a bit preoccupied.

"She's good, thanks for asking. She's been busy with her gardening and keeping an eye on me," Ray replied with a chuckle.

"And how about you? Is there anyone special in your life? You seem a bit distracted lately, maybe you're in love?" Fatima said with a smirk, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

Ray felt his cheeks turn red, "No, no one special. I've just been busy with school and everything," he replied, shaking his head.

"Okay, just checking. I want to make sure you're happy," Fatima said, still studying him intently.

"I am, don't worry. I have you and the rest of the group, that's all I need," Ray said with a genuine smile, feeling grateful for Fatima's concern.

while they waited for their friends to arrive. Fatima suddenly turned serious.

"Ray, have you heard about the strange things happening in my neighborhood?" She asked, with a hint of worry in her voice.

"No, I haven't. What's been happening?" Ray asked, leaning in closer.

"Apparently, there's been this weird women's laughter coming from a certain building. At first, I thought it was just kids playing, but it's been happening every night for the past week and it's creeping people out. And now, rumors are starting to spread about it being haunted or something like that," Fatima said, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"Wow, that's definitely strange. Have you talked to anyone in the building or your parents?" Ray inquired.

"I haven't, but my parents and some of our regular customers who lives nearby have reported hearing it too. They said it's coming from the old abandoned building on the corner. To be honest I'm a little scared of hauntings and ghosts, I just wanted to tell you about it" Fatima admitted with a nervous laugh.

Ray understood Fatima's fear and knew that whatever was happening could be dangerous. He felt a sense of obligation to check it out.

As Ray and Fatima were talking, Don and Xie Yi arrived at the cafe. Ray couldn't help but stare at Xie Yi, who was dressed up in biker gear, complete with a leather jacket and boots.

"Did you ride a motorbike? What's with the get-up?" Ray asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

Xie Yi grinned, "Pffff, you're just jealous because I look way too cool," She replied with a smirk.

Don chimed in, "I bet I could look better than you in that outfit," with a playful tone.

Fatima jokingly added, "In a girl's biker outfit? Yeah, more like looking pretty" and they all laughed.

Ray couldn't help but smile, he loved spending time with his friends, they always knew how to cheer him up no matter what. They spent the day hanging out, trying new food and drinks, and just enjoying each other's company. With the strange things happening in Fatima's neighborhood and the possibility of hunting souls at night, it was nice to have a chance to relax and forget about it for a little while.