LOOKING TO FIND THE OTHERS, Licht and I strolled around the pale red town. We blended into the suburb and the moonlight as it coloured everything the same. Eventually, I figured we should return to the park - seeing as the monster had appeared there, it was unlikely the guys would have stayed for long. Still, it was our only lead.

"We always end up starting where we last lost consciousness," I explained. Come to think of it... "Have you ever fallen asleep in here, Licht?" He said he was resting earlier, but he might not have been asleep.

"Hmmm... Maybe?" Licht looked like he was struggling with his words. "What's it like in your world? Is it different from here?"

Whether he didn't know what 'sleep' meant or whether he was hiding something, Licht had to be our key to discovering the truth about this world. It wouldn't hurt to ask, would it?

"Why did you change the subject?"

His expression turned sad. "Well... I don't really understand sleeping. But I lose consciousness sometimes, so I guess I do sleep?"

Damn, I'd definitely read too much into it. I instantly felt bad for asking - I didn't want him to think I didn't trust him now. After that, I didn't really know what to say; could I fix this? But since Licht had answered me, it was only fair that I did the same.

"My world is bright and full of sound," I offered him a smile. "I'd love to show you around if you can ever come. Hey - we should get ice-cream!"

"Ice-cream..? What does it taste like?" Licht stared at me innocently.

Confusion washed over me, but I tried not to let it show on my face. "Hmm. Well, it comes in a lot of flavours, but it's always cold and creamy."

"I see." Licht stared ahead, but I continued to look at him, puzzled. I have so many questions. "I wish I could have some ice-cream with you, Ziya."

It's such a simple wish, but it struck a chord in the deepest part of my heart. Why? Licht... who are you, really?

We crossed the gates to the park, and I still found myself thinking about Licht's situation. Could he have been the one controlling The Nightmare? Or maybe he was a part of the monster? But he'd saved my life - he wouldn't have done that if he was connected to it somehow. And Licht was a real person, my memories proved that. So, why couldn't we find him in the real world? What if... I stopped in my tracks. What if he's not in the real world because he's already dead..?

"Ziya?"

Memories of him as a smiling young boy rose up in my mind and faded away. I could feel my hope fading away along with them. "That's..." I wanted to say 'impossible'.

"What's the problem, Ziya? Why did you stop?" Licht tugged my hand, bringing me back to my senses.

Oh no. "Sorry. Let's go."

But Licht didn't move. "You seemed so out of it. Are you okay?"

I forced a smile, and he saw right through it. "Yes, I'm -" Licht held his index finger up to my lips.

"If there's something that's bothering you, I want to help."

I can't just ask, "Hey are you dead?" And even if I could, I'm not sure I want to know the answer. His eyes were so sincere I felt bad for thinking this negatively. Licht squeezed my hand, as if assuring me it's okay to open up. Maybe sharing my fears will make me feel better, but... I hesitated when he gave me a dejected smile.

"Even if you can't now, I'd really love for you to share your feelings with me in the future."

"Oh, it's nothing!" I couldn't do it. Licht was already stuck in this crappy nightmare world; all we had was the hope that we would find a way out of here. "We should really hurry up and regroup," I laughed nervously, and Licht let go of my hand.

"Look there." He pointed to our left where we saw Thoma waving.

He caught up to us, Ray and Subaru in his shadow. Thank goodness, they're alright.

"Hey! We're finally all here." Thoma put his hands over his hips, trying to catch his breath. "So, what do we do now?"

"We'll have to go back and check the orphanage." Ray stood beside him, smiling faintly. "There must be something there that could give us a clue."

"More walking?!" Thoma's relief turned to shock. He dropped to the ground, squatting, and then ruffled his hair in frustration. "Can we take a break? Please, Ray? Look at Licht. That wound looks pretty bad."

Licht walked up next to Ray and Thoma. "Oh, I can manage. I got plenty of rest."

"Duuude, you were supposed to be on my side!"

I couldn't help but giggle at the look of utter betrayal on Thoma's face, but it was true that everyone seemed exhausted. That included Ray, not that he would stop for a second.

"Start walking, or we're leaving you alone."

"You meanie!" pouted Thoma.

"I think we should stay." Subaru, who'd been quiet all this time, suddenly spoke.

"What do you -" I started to say as he pointed towards something. We all turned to see a young boy with golden hair standing quietly. A cold sensation ran through my body.

"That boy looks like Thoma," murmured Subaru.

"Oh-ho," Thoma smiled, standing up. He had been terrified of the visions before, but now he seemed almost excited. "I guess this means I'll regain my memories next."

Amidst Thoma's inexplicable delight, I found Ray clenching his fists. "Tch, the thought of him beating me out on this..." he mumbled through his teeth.

Huh? Is Ray upset? I knew that he was determined to get his memory back, but we all would in time. Thoma had actually been the most reluctant so far. When I thought about it, this was a cruel twist of fate. Was he even ready for this?

"Stay behind me to see where my younger self will take us, eh?" Thoma, now energetic, started approaching the apparition.

"Please be careful, Thoma," I implored. I really don't want you to push yourself...

Having experienced it myself, I knew for a fact that those apparitions gave you a different kind of fear. Not a fear of death, but a fear of the truth. And if what Thoma had told me at the library was true...

"I got this, Ziya. I can handle it." He gave me a wink.

Young Thoma led us outside of the park and into a different part of the neighbourhood. All the while, the child hadn't spoken.

"Hey, kid!"

Thoma had made several attempts to talk to the little boy, but he wouldn't respond. I thought back to the Thoma from my vision, the quiet, sullen child, unlike the Thoma I knew now. The endless possibilities of what terrors might reside in his past gave me goosebumps.

"Stop bugging him," muttered Ray.

"What?"

"What if he disappears because you're being too noisy?"

"Pffft. Are you really that salty 'cause I'm getting my past back before you?" asked Thoma teasingly, his cheeks red. "Ah, I get it. You're worried about me, aren't you?"

"The hell I'm salty."

Something's wrong with Ray. He was always salty when it came to Thoma, but something was off about the way he spoke to him now. There was more than just annoyance in his voice. Is that really why he's upset? Could there be a deeper reason? I watched Ray kick a pebble on the ground. The stone rolled down the street and hit the apparition, but instead of making contact, it passed through the child as if he were a ghost.

"He's stopping here?" said Thoma, as we looked up from the road. We had arrived in front of a large house, and though the lights were on, it was anything but welcoming. "Are we here already, little guy?"

The boy nodded at him and passed through the bars. Thoma and Subaru opened the gates and hurried inside, Licht followed them. But Ray just stood there, taking in the sight with an anxious expression.

"Ray, are you okay?"

He reminded me of a statue, and I thought: if he fell over now, he'd break.

"I'm scared." What? His eyebrows rose and his eyes widened gradually, before looking at me. "I'm scared, Ziya."

I'd never seen Ray like this before. Why is he so hung up on this? It's not like these are his memories. As if I could find the answer there, I reminisced that night we shared on the balcony. That time I felt like he would fly away if I didn't get a hold of him.

Sometimes, when I'm looking up at the stars like this... I feel like all my problems are tiny in the grand scale of things.

"If I go any further, I don't think I'll be able to turn back."

Ray embraced himself gently. His eyes were blank, smoothed over like stone, and I couldn't tell where he was looking, but I could tell that he was shaking ever so slightly. I was swiftly reminded of my lonely past and couldn't help but sympathise - I wanted to help him somehow. I took Ray's hand in mine, and he immediately gripped it back tighter. His knuckles are so white. It almost hurt, but I didn't pull away. Why..? I opened my mouth to speak, but my voice got stuck in my throat. I bit my lip instead. And now... Ray's eyes went narrow as he thought hard. I feel like the weight of his fears will pull him beneath the ground.

"Ziya, I..." he began to blush. "It's a bit silly, huh?" Ray let out a self-depreciating laugh, lowering his gaze to meet mine. There's nothing silly about being scared. "I've been rambling on about how we should solve this nightmare. Yet here I am, hesitating."

Still unable to speak, I shook my head. No, that's not a bad thing. I took Ray's free hand - both his hands were trembling, he was so distressed. What could I say to still him? Ray pulled me close in a tight hug. He held onto me for dear life, like a young child afraid of getting lost.

"But..."

The light from inside the house illuminated Ray's face, and his blushed cheeks looked so warm. The others probably needed us, too, but I couldn't leave Ray like this. He needed me now. My lips quivered in my attempts to speak - I wanted him to hear me.

"R-Ray." He responded to my voice by burying his head in the crook of my neck. There, there. You're safe. "I'm here for you."

I gently rubbed his back, trying to reassure him. He's stopped shaking. That's a relief. I knew we had to go in, but my feet were planted until I felt he would be okay. Was he afraid things would change - that we would change - if we went inside? Did Ray feel as connected to Thoma as Thoma did to him? So connected that there was something about Thoma's past that he couldn't let me see? What's going through your mind, Ray? He relaxed considerably, as if the anxiety he was feeling had started to melt away in my arms.

"No matter what..." He gently pulled away from me, but he didn't let go of my hand. "Whatever's happened in the past... I'll be able to see it through." Ray bit his lip. "Now that I have you with me."

"Do you remember what I told you before?" I asked, and Ray looked at me with a newfound smile. Maybe we all just need someone to accept us. Our pasts and all.

"Yeah. Thank you." His smile settled. "Thank you for being that one person for me." Oh, Ray... He looked at our hands, loosening his grip, yet he only made room for air, still keeping his slender fingers between mine. "Let's go."

I nodded, and we entered through the gates together, ready to face whatever awaited us. The door crooned as Ray opened it, and we found ourselves in a huge living room. It looked very normal, at least. Everything was arranged neatly - the plasma TV on its stand, the indoor ferns on either side of it, the beige ottomans, the coffee table with some books and a pot of tea - not a single thing seemed out of place. We passed through the hallway, and then Ray stopped.

"Do you hear that?"

There was a rattling sound coming from inside the room under the stairs.

"Ray -" Before I could continue, Ray held his index finger against his lips, signalling me into silence.

BANG! BANG!

The rattling stopped and was replaced by something slamming against the door from the inside.

"Please! Please, open the door!"

Ray and I looked at each other in shock. Who is that?

"Is someone there? Please!"

Ray reached for the door knob, but before he could get a hold of it, we heard footsteps from behind us. We turned around to see another boy running towards him. Thoma? Without much time to react, the young boy ran into Ray, passing through him like a mist.

"Whoa..." Ray's jaw dropped as Thoma's distorted image floated for a few seconds until he regained his usual form. But we didn't have time to comment on the phenomenon.

Young Thoma turned the knob and opened the door. "Don't worry! Your big brother's right here!"

"Big brother!" A young boy emerged from behind the door and rushed into the young Thoma's arms.

"Thoma has a brother?" I questioned below my breath, but I noticed that the littler brother seemed oddly familiar. Before I could figure out why, I caught a glimpse of Thoma standing across the hall.

"What's happening?" he asked, his eyes fixated on the apparitions. The vision of the two brothers unfolded in the space between us. They were a picture of love, the older comforting the younger.

"Big brother, why is Mommy so mean to me? I'm scared!"

Ray took a step closer, and so did Thoma, closing in from the other side.

"Ray..?" I stepped closer to him.

A bruised, frail looking child was holding onto Thoma with all his might. The child lifted his head.

"Is this..."

We all absorbed the younger brother's features - the familiarity took us by surprise. No, surprise was hardly the word. It was more like a punch to the gut.

"R-Ray?" Thoma shot Ray an inquisitive look, the vision of the two young brothers separating them like a thin cloud.

Ray stood still, the confusion clear on his face. I pulled him by the hand, but he didn't budge. Does this mean that Thoma and Ray are..?

"Thoma?" I beckoned expectantly from where I stood, and he gave me a look. He's just as clueless.

"Shh... Calm down," said the young Thoma, still tending to his brother. "Mom does it because she's worried about you. Unlike me..."

"Then why does Mom hurt me like this? She keeps locking me up and yelling at me when I make mistakes. Mom lets you do whatever you want. She loves you more!" sniffed young Ray. Thoma petted his brother, stroking the little boy's hair.

"Don't worry, Ray. I'll protect you."

The vision gradually disappeared until the scene that separated us was no more. Ray took a step forward, his gaze affixed on Thoma. He opened his mouth, his words raspy as his breath grew short.

"Big brother?"