"Ah it is finally Monday," said Ray having his morning coffee and looking out through the kitchen's window.
Finishing his coffee, Ray went to have his bath and prepare for school. Dressed up, Ray walks to the bus stop which is 10 minutes walk from his house.
Arriving at the bus stop, Ray saw a lot of people waiting for the bus so he stood among them pressing his phone to avoid any disturbance.
"Wow, he is quite handsome, do you think he has a girlfriend," said a girl who was standing behind Ray to her friend.
"I don't know, I have never seen him," said her friend as she size Ray up.
"Do you think he goes to our school or is he a transfer student who just arrived today," said the first girl.
"Only one way to find out," said the second girl.
The bus arrived and Ray went to the back seat and sat down by the window looking outside.
45 minutes later, The bus arrived at the school bus stop, Ray dropped off from and walked to his faculty. Arriving at his faculty, he saw a bus waiting outside the faculty and a lot of students waiting beside the bus.
"Oh my God, that is him," said one of the female students who saw Ray.
"So he really is a student of our school and our department too, but I don't feel I have seen him before still his face looks familiar," said another female student.
"That is the guy from the basketball game," said one of Luis follower who is the same department as Ray.
"Quickly, go and tell Luis that we found the guy," said the guy to his partner who went to look for Luis instead of calling him on the phone.
Many people looked at Ray like he was some kind of alien or something as they thought that maybe he was some transfer student who just arrived in the school and was checking around the weekend.
Some students still find him familiar, although he has changed, he had some similar as before his transformation.
Ray ignored the onlookers and went straight to his classroom to wait for the lecturer to come around.
Everyone started murmuring as the video of Ray's final pass to Luis went viral on the school platform.
"Doesn't he look like Ray but a minor difference," murmured one of the students.
"Do we even have a Ray in this class?" said another student confused.
"What do you mean 'do we have a Ray in this class'. Yes we do and he always sits at the back, what do you usually do in class," said the first student.
"I don't care about anyone else just except Luis," said the second student with hearts in her eyes.
"Ugh, a Luis fanatic," said the first student before walking away from her.
"I don't care what you say, I only came to school for Luis," said the second student without noticing her surroundings.
30 minutes later, the head of department came to announce the start of the trip and their destination as the students were not told of where they were going before.
"Settle down everyone, we will start our trip and our destination will be the city of Athens in Greece," said the head of department.
The students started murmuring among themselves as they were surprised at their destination.
"Don't worry everyone, the school committee has funded the everything for the trip, accommodation, food, so you all don't have worry anything," said the head of department calming everyone down.
Ray listens quietly, his fingers laced together on the desk like he was holding a small storm in place. Greece. Athens. A place of ruins, marble, and forgotten legends. It sounded less like a school trip and more like a chapter from a myth that had slipped into reality. 'Maybe I found out about my ancestors from there, or an clue about the journey I am about to embark on,' thought Ray.
Around him, the classroom had become a marketplace of voices.
"Athens? As in real Athens?"
"Like where Zeus and all those gods were from?"
"We're going to die there, I swear."
Ray only lifted his eyes when he heard his own name.
"Wait… Ray?" someone whispered. "That Ray?"
He didn't answer. He had learned that silence could be louder than denial.
The head of department continued, tapping the microphone. "We leave in two hours. Please return to your hostels and pack only the essentials. Buses will take you to the airport."
A wave of excitement and panic swept the room. Chairs scraped back. Students rushed for the doors, already talking about selfies, Greek food, and what kind of clothes to bring.
Ray stood up calmly, sliding his phone into his pocket.
That was when the door swung open.
Luis walked in.
The air shifted.
Luis was tall, confident, the kind of guy who made people straighten their backs without realizing it. Behind him were two of his followers, the same ones from the basketball court. Their eyes locked onto Ray instantly, like hunters spotting a rare animal.
"There," one of them muttered. "That's him."
Luis's gaze met Ray's.
For a heartbeat, neither of them moved.
The memory between them hovered like a ghost. The final pass. The stunned crowd. The moment when Ray, the invisible one, became unforgettable.
"So you really are here," Luis said, his voice smooth but edged with curiosity. "I was wondering if my eyes were lying to me."
Ray tilted his head slightly. "They usually don't."
A few students slowed down, pretending not to stare while staring very hard.
Luis smiled, but it wasn't the kind that meant friendliness. It was the kind that meant interest. Dangerous interest.
"You changed," Luis said. "On the court… and now."
"People do that sometimes," Ray replied.
Luis took a step closer. "That pass you made. It wasn't luck. I want to know who you really are."
Ray met his gaze without flinching. "Just a student going on a school trip to Athens."
Luis laughed softly. "Funny. Because it feels like we're about to walk into something much bigger than that."
Somewhere outside, a bus honked.
Ray picked up his bag and turned toward the door. "Then enjoy the trip."
Athens was waiting.
The buses to the airport were lined up like silver beasts outside the campus gates, their engines humming with impatience. Students poured out of hostels and faculty buildings dragging suitcases, laughing, shouting, taking pictures as if they were already tourists instead of students.
Ray walked alone, his small carry-on bag rolling behind him.
Everywhere he went, eyes followed.
Some were curious.
Some were suspicious.
Some were full of admiration.
The video of his final pass to Luis had not stopped circulating. It replayed endlessly on phones, the slow motion capture of his foot slicing through the air, the ball curving perfectly into Luis's path like it had been guided by invisible hands.
To most people, it was just a beautiful assist.
To Ray, it was the moment everything cracked open.
"Ray!"
He turned to see a girl jogging toward him.
She had braided hair and a nervous smile, clutching her phone in both hands like a shield.
"You… you're Ray, right?" she asked.
"Yes."
Her eyes lit up. "I knew it! I sit two rows behind you in class. You never talk to anyone, so I wasn't sure, but… wow. That pass. It was insane."
"Thanks," Ray said politely.
She hesitated. "Are you… are you really new? People keep saying you're a transfer student."
Ray shook his head. "I've always been here. Just not noticed."
She laughed awkwardly. "Well, that's going to change."
Before she could say more, a group of students rushed past, nearly knocking her over as they chased after Luis, who was walking ahead like a celebrity heading toward a red carpet.
Ray watched him disappear into the first bus.
Something about Luis was different now.
Before, he had been just another talented player. Loud. Confident. Admired.
Now he was watching Ray.
And being watched back.
Ray boarded the second bus and took a window seat again. As the doors closed and the bus pulled away, the school slowly shrank behind them, replaced by highways, trees, and finally the wide gray stretch of the airport.
The flight to Greece was long.
Too long for most students to stay awake.
Some slept with their heads against windows.
Others watched movies. A few whispered excitedly about what they would do in Athens.
Ray didn't sleep.
He stared at the cloudscape below, thick and endless like a white ocean. Every now and then, a memory would drift into his mind.
The strange heat that had rushed through his veins afterward, rewriting something deep inside him.
He clenched his hands.
He still hasn't fully understand what had happened to him.
But he knew it wasn't normal.
When the plane finally descended, the sky had turned gold, and the sun cast a soft glow over the ancient city of Athens. From above, it looked like a puzzle of old stone and modern buildings, history layered upon history.
The moment Ray stepped off the plane, he felt it.
A pull.
Like the city was breathing him in.
His chest tightened slightly, not in pain but in recognition.
This place knew something about him.
Or maybe… something about what he was becoming.
The students loaded into tour buses that took them toward their hotel. As they passed by crumbling columns and massive statues, gasps and exclamations filled the air.
"Is that the Acropolis?"
"That's so old!"
"We're really here!"
Ray pressed his forehead lightly to the glass.
The Parthenon stood in the distance, proud and silent, like it had been waiting for centuries.
For someone.
"Enjoying the view?"
Ray turned. Luis was sitting across the aisle, one arm resting casually on the seat.
"It's impressive," Ray replied.
Luis studied him. "You didn't look surprised when they said Athens."
"Should I have?"
Luis smiled faintly. "Most people were screaming. You looked like you were remembering something."
Ray didn't answer.
The bus rolled on.
That night, the hotel buzzed with energy. Students rushed to their rooms, dropping bags, arguing over who would shower first, planning where to go in the morning.
Ray stood by the balcony of his room, staring at the glowing city below.
The air was different here.
Older.
He closed his eyes.
Somewhere, far beneath the streets, something stirred.
And it knew he had arrived.