Falling to Darkness

III

The sun shone down upon the usually-dreary Domino City that day, and the students of Domino High School were taking full advantage of its warm light. Several of the male students were playing basketball, or trying to flirt with the female students, who usually ended up laughing, and clustering in small groups around the lunch tables. Heba and his friends were no different.

There was Jounouchi Katsuya, the blonde with a Brooklyn accent and a big mouth. His honeybrown eyes glinted with mischief, and he was always pulling pranks with his right-hand man, Honda Hiroto.

Honda-kun was semi-tan in complexion, and rather boastful. His hair was a deep brown, cut and gelled to be short at the back, and point up at the front. His dark gaze was often seen as intimidating, but, if you knew him.. He was quite the opposite. A klutz, but he'd take a bullet for his friends without a second thought.

Then there was Sennen Atemu, a teen of Egyptian race, like Heba. He was the school's track star and very kind to those who were the same towards him, though he was definitely a force to be reckoned with when aggravated. His skin was tanned, but pale for the native Egyptian complexion. Like coffee with lots of cream. His eyes were a smouldering, exotic scarlet, like rubies. The teen's hair was spiked, black, and rimmed with bloody scarlet. Lightning-bolt banges framed his face, and stood erect to run through his ebony crown.

Then, sitting side-by-side, were Mana and Heba.

Both were of Egyptian decent, shown by their dark skin and hair. Both of them were also only thirteen, and incredibly smart. Smart enough to skip three grades over a seven-year period. They both currently held the best grades in all of Domino District, and were dating.

Mana was somewhat short, with caramel skin and dark brown hair. Her green eyes sparkled with mischief and a love for adventure. Heba looked like a shorter, darker-skinned copy of Atemu. The only difference was his hair held no golden streaks. They, instead, framed a well-built facial structure, and the spiked crown of hair upon his head was solid black. He also had his father's eyes- a deep, navy blue, flecked with black and azure. They shone with emprise, and love for his friends.

Heba gently held Mana's hand in his own as she leaned up against him, smiling with content. The dark-eyed teen was staring off into space, looking to be in deep thought.

"Hey, Hebs," Jounouchi-kun spoke up, waving a hand in front of his younger friend's face with a grin. "Earth to Heba! Come in, Heba!"

The boy blinked. "Oh, gomen, Jou," he murmured, smiling sheepishly. "What's up?"

Jounouchi leaned back on one hand, the other resting on a slightly-bent knee. "Man, yer out a' it today!" he chuckled. "I asked ya' if you were feelin' any better."

He nodded, "Hai. Much better," he said. "In fact, my doctor said I had a clean bill of health. He doesn't have any idea on why I passed out."

Yes, passed out. Just last Friday, Heba Mutou had suddenly fallen unconscious in the middle of class. Within the span of minutes, he complained of an extreme pain along his arms. From the bend of his elbow, all the way up to his lower wrist. One line of firey pain, on both arms. Then, he grew lightheaded and dizzy, as if he were severely fatigued.

As he stood to go to the nurse, the star student had suddenly keeled over in a dead faint. He was rushed to the hospital, only for nothing to be wrong with him. He half-thought it to just be stress or lack of sleep. But...

Jou perked a brow, looking confused but concerned. "Really?"

"Hai..."

Eyes turned to him.