It's Your Fault

After Morris' show, the students all rushed to contact with their Reverences, remembering that this was a competition.

Team Lea, however, was calm through Kagura's leadership and Sofia's Sanctity.

"I've been trying to learn Bring Out and you don't need to rush it," Kagura said.

She instructed her teammates to sit and find a position they were comfortable in. Talking to their Reverences needs a lot of focus. Panicking wouldn't let anyone focus, so she told them to calm down and breathe properly.

Devin was focusing all he could to contact his Reverence. He felt like he was being pulled in all sides before he opened his eyes.

He found himself floating in a vast room of only darkness. The cold was similar to when he was in the Purgatory.

"Where am I?" he asked out loud but heard nothing.

He floated and explored the area but there was only darkness. Everything was void of light.

Form afar, a light was battling with the dark. Devin floated towards its direction when a voice spoke.

"Hello, Devin."

"Who are you?"

"I am your Reverence. But I cannot awaken."

"Why is that?"

"I am trapped between a decision."

"A decision?"

"You will know soon, but for now. I must bid farewell."

Devin felt like he was getting pulled back. As his eyes opened, he saw that he was inside the gymnasium again.

Kagura was standing, a katana was on her hand. The others' were glowing and they were talking to their own Reverence.

"What happened?" she asked.

Devin shook his head as tears formed from his eyes, "I'm sorry. I can't."

After Sofia opened her eyes, with a whip on her hand, she used her Sanctity to calm the crying boy down.

"I can't believe you use your Sanctity so much."

Sofia hissed at Kagura's remark. You could say that their team was made up of emotionally unstable students. That must be why the Institute decided to group them together and put Sofia with them to calm them down.

The others had already Brought Out their Reverence. Devin was the only one who couldn't.

"We're done!" Morris' voice rang throughout the gymnasium. A grin was plastered on his face as he and his teammates walked towards their professor.

"Well done, Morris!" Professor Maltoise said. "And for the others, you can continue your process of Bring Out. Some takes time but don't rush. Although this time, Morris' team, Team Luna, has won the first challenge, you can still win the next ones."

Devin saw the disappointment in his teammates' eyes. He couldn't help but feel guilty. If he could only use Bring Out, they would've won the challenge.

He stood up and excused himself. Rodney was about to follow him, but someone held his wrist to stop him. It was Morris.

"I'll talk to him," Morris said.

"Yeah, and what? Brag that you were the first one to Bring Out?" Rodney asked with anger in his eyes.

"I would never do that," Morris said and shook his head. "Look, I think it's better for me to talk to him. He'll feel guiltier if he sees you."

"And he'll feel more defeated when he see you," Kagura said and pulled Rodney away. "Come on guys, we have a friend to talk to."

Morris was left standing in the middle of the gymnasium. A scowl was formed in his face as he glared at the retreating group.

"Hey," Rodney called out and held Devin's wrist. "Let's talk."

Devin's eyes were red and his tears wet his face. "I'm sorry."

"If you're really sorry then you should apologize and not run like a coward," Kagura said and earned a pinch from Sofie.

"Kagura," she warned and narrowed her eyes.

Kagura rolled her eyes and looked away.

"What she meant, Devin, is that it's okay," Adonis said. "It's still the first challenge. Besides, Bring Out isn't something that's a race."

Yuri nodded, "We also understand because you weren't raised in an Exorcist household like we did."

Devin smiled and hugged his friends. "Thank you."

The afternoon came and the group went to their own rooms. The cold was still new to Devin since the twins were still gone.

Revelation, however, was getting clingier. "You must be happy that you can have all my attention, huh?"

The cat meowed and rubbed his head on Devin's cheek.

"Thank you, Revelation," he said and closed his eyes to feel his friend's warmth.

A ring came that interrupted Devin. It was from Morris.

"Hello," Devin greeted.

"Meet me at the forest. Now. Bring your sword."

Morris hung the phone up after that. Devin was confused but brought his unnamed Reverence with him. He didn't know what Morris was up to but he sees the boy as a friend.

After entering the forest, the tall boy was waiting for him, with Afterlife in his hands.

"Let's battle," Morris said.

"But I still haven't Brought Out my Reverence," Devin said. "I don't even know its name."

A slash was hit against him that Devin barely missed.

"Are you crazy?" he asked Morris.

Morris returned it with a shrug, "Your first mistake. You should've known the gender of your Reverence before even talking to them."

"What I don't get–"

Morris swung his sword again, making Devin duck. Even when Morris was the first student who awoken his Reverence, he was still getting used to using it.

"Afterlife is a boy," Morris said. "He told me."

"You can talk to them?!"

When Morris was about to slash his extensive sword to him again, Devin unsheathed his sword and clashed it to the approaching one. The impact made him step a few feet backwards but he regained his composure instantly.

"It's your fault Team Lea lost," Morris said. His face throughout the conversation was the same, it was serious. "A teammate of mine was also weak but she awoken her Reverence."

"What do you know?!" Devin couldn't suppress his emotions anymore.

He fell to his knees and dropped his sword. He was shaking his head in guilt and shame.

"I don't even know where I came from!" Devin yelled. "I'm not tall, I don't have a high nose, my body's a limp, what more shame would you make me feel?"

Seeing the crying boy, Morris couldn't stop his emotions passing through.

"Stephanie Velasco," he said.

"What about Professor Stephanie?" Devin asked, slowing his sobs down and wiping his tears with the sleeves of his uniform.

"At the age of 9, she raised her younger brother because her parents abandoned her," Morris started. This time, he controlled his feelings enough and his face became stoic again. "She trained herself and an Exorcist family acknowledged her strength and adopted them."

Devin stopped crying and looked at Morris. "A-Are you–"

"She was nobody when she came to this Institute, but she trained herself as hard as she could," Morris said and sighed. "She became stronger that the family that adopted her opted to give her their heirloom as their Heiress even when she was only adopted."

Devin stood up as his sobs died down. Morris rolled his eyes and gave him a handkerchief.

"The Velasco family was an old Philippine family that bears one of the Apostles," Morris replied. "And Stephanie, a nobody, was their successor even when she wasn't part of their family."

"Y-You mean Professor Stephanie is a Bearer?"

Morris nodded. "Yes. Now, what's your excuse?"

Devin looked down in shame. The professor he looked up to for her kindness and patience was also powerful. Now he gained another reason to become stronger.

"Thank you, Morris," he said and smiled. "I owe you one."

Morris rolled his eyes but smiled, "Isn't that what friends do?"

"You're right. Thank you, friend."

When Devin left Morris alone, Maxime walked up to Morris from behind a tree.

"That was something," Maxime said. He was clapping and smiling. "Isn't that what friends do?"

"Shut up," Morris rolled his eyes and returned Afterlife's form. "You know I had to act."

Maxime grinned and looked at Devin who was walking out of the forest.

"That boy," Maxime said. "Do you think he–"

"No," Morris cut his older brother off. "I don't think so."

"But his aura… I could say it was something," Maxime's smile fell, and he got serious. "Be careful around him little brother. He's dangerous."

"I will," was all Morris said before following Devin out of the forest. "I won't let him."