While everyone was enjoying a sound sleep, Ray was wide awake. His mind was not allowing him to rest. There was something which had been bothering him ever since he met Kayla.

Ray was confused inside his own mind. She looked familiar to him. Like he had seen her somewhere before. Perhaps a dream? Perhaps he was getting a vision? Perhaps he had known her from another life? It all seemed certain.

The dark red hair on her head. Her physique. Her face. It was all familiar.

A little too familiar. Ray was getting uneasy. A chill of horror was overcoming him. "It can't be her. There's no chance" was all Ray thought. This matter was keeping him up. In fact his plan to spend the night was just a ruse so he could confirm his suspicions.

There was a darker force at play behind the scenes. When enough time had passed after everyone went to sleep, Ray arose from his bed and set out from his room. He tiptoed his way towards the end of the hallway, where Kayla's room was. The small sliver of moonlight coming from the skylight above was his only guide.

Ray was careful as to not wake anyone up. His mission was covert. He felt as if he was a silent assassin sneaking through the night. Her door was right in front of him. He was ready. Ready for what lies ahead.

The door slowly opened from the outside. There she was, sleeping in her bed, snoring and the like. Ray was careful in his approach as the room was strewn with clothes, shoes, wrappers, magazines, books and posters. Just what you'd expect to see in a teenager's bedroom.

She was on her back at first but soon she shifted to her side, Ray was spooked. He slowly crept forward and was now at her bedside. For some reason she looked even more cute and innocent whilst she slept. Her face was away from him so there was no chance she could see him. Ray stopped briefly. "What am I doing?" he thought "Is it really necessary? She's living so peacefully here. Why should I inflict this onto her?" After a pause, "It has to be done. There's no other choice"

He had made up his mind about what his next actions were gonna be. There's no going back at this point.

Silently he lifted her hair from behind her neck. He went with the mindset that even the slightest sensation could wake her up and that was the last thing he wanted. He held her hair in his hand and examined her neck. Nothing. He was relieved. Until he saw something on her shoulder hidden under her shirt. Ray lifted up the edge of her shirt and saw it. It was right there. It really was real. Ray was beyond horrified. The Noroi Mark. It was present on her body too.

Ray wanted to go away. Far, far away from her. He put her hair down on her neck and slowly backed away from her bed. However, his step on a creaky wooden floor board shattered his mind. It was just the right amount of noise.

He was pretty sure that Kayla would have woken up by now. He looked back expecting the worst. Except that the worst didn't happen. Kayla was still sound asleep with a few light snores here and there.

Luck was on his side today, it would seem. He slowly went back the way he came and closed the door on the way out. By the time he reached the hallway, he was drenched. He leaned towards the wall for support and made his way back to his bed.

The mark on her body had put him in such a powerless state that he couldn't even think properly. There was no way any of it it was real.

As soon as he left Kayla's room, she opened her eyes. Kayla was awake the whole time. Just pretending to be asleep. She was surprised to see him behave like that. The cold sensation of his fingers on her neck were something she could not forget.

Ray had never been so scared. He kept turning in his bed. His mind was being filled by the horrific memories of his past. He was in cold sweat. His heartbeat was off the charts. He could feel the walls closing in all around him. He found no refuge anywhere. There was nothing that could help him. Nothing.