The late morning light spilled through Halberd's stone corridors, dancing across marble tiles as Andrew made his way through the familiar path to Professor Langston's office. The last time he'd walked these halls, he had been burdened by questions he couldn't voice. Now, those questions still remained, but the weight on his shoulders felt more balanced shared, perhaps, with a part of himself he had come to understand, if not fully accept.
Langston's office was still the same: tall shelves crammed with first editions, overflowing stacks of journals, the lingering smell of roasted coffee and chalk dust. A dusty globe stood in the corner, forever tilted. The window, cracked open, let in a breeze that scattered pages across the professor's cluttered desk.
As Andrew knocked lightly and stepped in, Langston looked up from a stack of essays.
"Well, well. Look what the wind dragged back," he said, a slow smile spreading across his bearded face. "Andrew."
Andrew smiled. "Good to see you, Professor."
Langston stood, clasping Andrew's hand firmly. "I heard you'd taken a leave. Something about an academic exchange? Or was it self-imposed exile?"
"Bit of both," Andrew said, settling into the worn leather chair across from him. "I needed time. To figure things out."
Langston nodded, sitting as well. "You've always been the introspective type. Thoughtful. Sometimes to your own detriment."
Andrew chuckled. "Still am."
They talked for a while about poetry, about the state of Langston's latest manuscript, about the shifting culture at Halberd. But mostly, Langston just looked relieved.
"You're back," he said. "That's what matters."
"I hope to stay," Andrew replied. "For good."
---
Later that day, Andrew found himself in the school's ancient library. The air was still and cool, the scent of parchment strong. He sat at one of the long oak tables beneath the high arched ceilings, a stack of reference books at his elbow. Though he'd long since read most of them, there was a comfort in touching their pages again, grounding himself in something tactile and known.
He flipped a page when he heard footsteps approaching. Light, familiar.
Emma.
She stopped by the table, holding a thin book to her chest. Her hair was tucked behind one ear, and she wore a soft blue sweater that clung to her lightly.
"I figured I'd find you here," she said.
Andrew looked up, smiling. "And here I thought I was being elusive."
She sat opposite him, resting the book beside his. "I guess the ghosts of Halberd don't let us disappear that easily."
Andrew chuckled. "Guess not."
There was a pause.
"How have you been?" he asked.
Emma shrugged, tracing a finger down the spine of her book. "Busy. Classes, writing, the usual chaos. And you?"
"Recalibrating," Andrew replied. "And I missed this. Missed you guys."
Emma smiled softly, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Well, you were missed too."
Andrew leaned forward slightly. "It's strange. Being here again, seeing you—it's like nothing changed, and yet…"
Emma gave a small laugh. "Everything has."
She began talking more quickly then about Michael's new book deal, about their group's recent dinner, about her own writing deadlines. And inevitably, about Jason.
Andrew listened, his expression even, though a storm brewed quietly behind his eyes. He offered comments, little affirmations, but never too much. It was when she mentioned the glow in Jason's eyes that his body stiffened.
Emma noticed immediately.
"He was standing in the hallway last week," she said, "and the light caught his face just right. But Andrew it wasn't just light. His eyes… they glowed. I know it sounds crazy, but…it's not the first time "
Andrew's fingers froze on the page. For just a second, his dark eyes flashed not gold but something ancient.
Emma tilted her head. "Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Andrew opened his mouth, but before he could answer, Kate slid into the seat beside him, placing a thick folder between them.
"Interrupting something?" she asked, her tone light but her eyes sharp.
Emma blinked. "No. We were just talking."
Kate glanced at Andrew. "Really?"
Emma stood slowly, brushing invisible dust from her skirt. "I should go. Class starts soon."
She turned to Andrew, her voice quiet. "It was good seeing you again."
"You too," he replied.
Emma hesitated for a second, then left, heels echoing through the empty aisle.
Kate turned to him with an incredulous look.
"Really?"
Andrew sighed. "I was trying to understand her. That's all."
Kate raised a brow. "Trying to understand, or trying to relive something?"
Andrew didn't answer. He just looked down at his book.
Kate leaned back, crossing her legs. "You're lucky I like watching you squirm."
He glanced at her sideways. "Are you always this amused by my emotional dysfunction?"
She grinned. "Only when you make it so obvious."
And just like that, the tension began to fade like clouds slowly parting.
But the name Jason lingered in Andrew's mind like a knot refusing to untie.
The early evening air hung heavy with the smell of rain-soaked pavement and lavender from the Mercier hedges. Street Lamps blinked on one by one, casting a golden hue over the cobbled paths that led through the upper district. Jason walked with his hands in his pockets, his gait lazy and relaxed as if he didn't have a care in the world. But his eyes flicked sideways now and then, subtle and calculating.
Beside him walked Lisa.
She wore a crisp white blouse, tucked into high-waisted black pants, over which she draped a black overcoat that billowed slightly with the breeze. Her face was blank not in a passive way, but in a trained, composed sort of stillness. She didn't make small talk. She didn't laugh. She walked with the silence of someone who knew what it meant to listen more than she spoke.
Jason broke the silence, his smirk half-playful, half-genuine. "Alright, Lisa. You know you look terrifying, right? Maybe crack a smile so people don't cross the street when they see us."
Lisa's gaze didn't shift. "I'm a trained assassin. My face is supposed to look scary."
Jason chuckled, grabbing her hand and swinging it lightly between them. "Yeah? Well, I like it. Don't change it for anyone. But when you're walking with me, at least soften the death glare. People might think I'm being taken hostage."
Lisa rolled her eyes but didn't pull her hand away. "Don't try to charm me. It's not going to work."
"Wasn't trying," Jason replied with a grin. "But thanks for noticing."
They turned a corner, slowing near the open plaza at the edge of town. The stone bench near the old fountain had water running again, and the scent of wet stone filled the air. Lisa adjusted her coat, eyes flicking toward the fountain.
Then
"Sorry to interrupt."
The voice was casual, even friendly. But something about it made both Jason and Lisa stop in their tracks. It wasn't just the words it was the air around them. Like the temperature had shifted by a degree or two.
They turned.
Andrew stood there, a few paces away, wearing a white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled to his forearms, black slacks,his shoes were polished and his posture relaxed. He looked... familiar. But something was different.
Jason squinted. He didn't say anything. Neither did Lisa.
Andrew smiled. "Long time no see, Jason."
Jason blinked, processing.
"Andrew?"
"You look like you've seen a ghost," Andrew chuckled.
Lisa stepped slightly in front of Jason, protective by reflex. Her gaze sharpened. "Who are you?"
"Relax," Andrew said, holding up his hands. "I'm not a threat."
Jason didn't look entirely convinced. He slipped one hand beneath his coat where the butt of a concealed pistol sat holstered under his arm. Not drawing it. Just ready.
Andrew saw the movement and gave a wry smile. "Still jumpy, huh?"
"You weren't supposed to be back until the next term," Jason said flatly.
"Plans changed," Andrew replied. "Decided to take some time off. Reconnect. Breathe."
Lisa didn't move. Her eyes scanned Andrew from head to toe. Noting posture. Voice. Breathing.
Jason studied him too. Something was... off. Andrew looked the same, but carried himself with a new kind of quiet authority. Like someone who'd been through something and hadn't come out untouched.
"You've changed," Jason said finally.
Andrew raised an eyebrow. "In a good way or a bad way?"
Jason didn't answer.
Lisa dropped her arms, relaxing only slightly. "So you know each other."
"Yeah," Jason said, his voice distant now. "We used to."
Andrew stepped closer, hands still visible, posture still easy. "I'm not here to fight, Jason. Just figured I'd say hi. See how you were doing."
Jason tilted his head. "You could have texted."
"Would you have answered?"
Lisa glanced between the two of them. She was beginning to pick up on the unspoken tension. Something layered. Not quite resentment. Not quite camaraderie.
"What are you really doing here?" Jason asked, more guarded now.
Andrew paused. For the first time, his smile faded just a little.
"Looking for answers," he said quietly. "And maybe... checking in on the people I used to care about."
Jason blinked, just once. That answer landed deeper than he'd expected.
Lisa finally took a step back, letting the energy diffuse slightly. "Come on, Jason. Let's go."
Jason hesitated for half a breath before nodding. "Yeah."
Andrew offered a final nod. "Take care. Both of you."
They walked past him in silence. Jason didn't look back.
When they were a block away, Lisa finally asked, "What was that all about?"
Jason shook his head. "Ghosts. From school."
Lisa looked back once. Andrew was gone.
And the wind shifted again.
Meanwhile, Andrew walked the opposite way, stuffing his hands in his pockets. His grin faded completely now, and the gold flecks in his eyes dimmed back to their normal shade. No glowing. No flair.
Just Andrew.
He stopped at the edge of a narrow street and leaned against the post, exhaling slowly.
"I didn't say anything weird, did I?" he asked quietly.
No reply.
Whitmore was silent again.
Andrew chuckled to himself. "You're quiet now, huh? Must be watching."
He tapped the side of his head, then turned back toward the school. Enough visiting ghosts. He had a few more questions for the living.
And the past, after all, never stayed buried for long.