By the time we reached the university, the exhaustion didn't even try to hide anymore.
It settled deep into my bones, dragging every movement just a little slower than it should've been. The moment I dropped into my seat beside Gino, I already knew how this was going to play out.
The lecture had already started, the professor's voice steady as he explained something on the board, chalk scratching in long strokes that were supposed to make sense. If I had the energy to process any of it.
I tried to stay awake. I really did.
I sat up properly, forced my eyes to follow the board, even rubbed my face at one point just to keep myself from slipping. But the words blurred together, the sound of the lecture fading into something distant, like it was happening somewhere far away instead of right in front of me.
Beside me, Gino had already surrendered completely. His arms were crossed, head slightly tilted, breathing even, like he had every right to sleep through the entire class without a care.
That was probably the part that annoyed me the most.
Because I was still trying.
At least… until I wasn't.
A hand nudged my shoulder, light at first, then more insistent the second time.
"Anthony… wake up."
My eyes opened slowly, mind still lagging behind, and the moment I lifted my head, I already knew I was too late.
"Mr. Magsaysay."
That tone alone was enough to snap everything back into place.
I straightened immediately, pushing myself up to stand, only to find the professor already right in front of my desk, arms crossed and expression tight.
"Sleeping in class is prohibited."
I nodded once, muttering a quick apology, but even as I did, my gaze shifted to the side out of instinct.
Gino hadn't moved.
Not even a little.
Still asleep. Still undisturbed. Still completely ignored.
I frowned, something in me already irritated at how unfair that looked, but I didn't have time to dwell on it.
"Since you seem comfortable enough to rest," the professor continued, turning toward the board, "you can solve this instead."
My eyes followed his hand.
And that's when my brain just… stopped.
The equation written across the board wasn't something we'd even fully covered yet. Even if we had, I slept through whatever explanation came with it. The symbols might as well have been written in another language for all I could process in that moment.
I was about to admit I didn't know.
There was no point pretending.
But just as I opened my mouth, something cold brushed past my ear, subtle but unmistakable, like someone leaning in just close enough to be heard.
"Go ahead."
My body tensed instantly.
"I'll help," the voice continued, calm, almost casual. "I know you can see me."
A chill crawled down my spine, slow and deliberate, and I didn't need to turn my head to know who it was. Still, I shifted my gaze slightly, just enough to catch him at the edge of my vision.
The same ghost.
The one I'd been ignoring.
Standing there like he'd been waiting for this exact moment.
His eyes flicked briefly to Millien on my shoulder before returning to me, a faint smirk forming like he already knew I wouldn't refuse.
I exhaled quietly, more out of resignation than anything else, then stepped forward.
The chalk felt light in my hand.
Too light.
And when I started writing, it didn't feel like I was the one solving it anymore. My hand moved smoothly, confidently, forming each line without hesitation, like the answer had always been there and I was just tracing it out. Behind me, I could feel the room slowly quieting down, the attention shifting fully onto what I was doing.
The ghost stayed close, guiding just enough, adjusting when needed, but never fully taking over. It was strange. Natural in a way that didn't make sense.
When I finished, I stepped back, letting the chalk fall to the tray.
The professor moved forward, frowning slightly as he looked over the solution, checking it against his notes, then looking back at the board again like he expected something to be wrong.
But nothing was.
"…Correct," he muttered eventually, almost reluctantly.
I didn't wait for anything else. I turned and walked back to my seat, sitting down quietly, my mind still catching up with what just happened.
When I glanced to the side, the ghost was already gone.
Like he never stood there at all.
I leaned forward slightly and kicked Gino's leg under the desk, harder than necessary.
He stirred, groaning faintly before sitting up, blinking like he had no idea what was going on.
"What?" he mumbled.
"Nothing," I replied flatly. "Enjoy your privileges."
He just frowned at me, confused, then shrugged it off like it didn't matter.
Of course he would.
•••••••
Lunch felt like the first real break we had since morning, but the moment we all sat down together, the complaints started spilling out naturally.
Sarah was the first to speak, clearly still annoyed. She rested her chin on her hand, letting out a long sigh as she talked about getting called out twice in class, even when she wasn't fully asleep the second time. Cynthia followed, equally frustrated, explaining how she got asked a question she didn't even hear because she had dozed off at the wrong moment.
I listened, nodding slightly, then glanced at Gino.
He leaned back in his chair, stretching like he just woke up from a refreshing nap instead of skipping through class.
"I slept through mine," he said casually.
The three of us just stared at him.
He didn't even try to hide it.
When I muttered something about how convenient that was, he just grinned and shrugged, saying it came with the perks of status like it was the most normal thing in the world.
And honestly… it probably was.
••••••
By the time we reached the club room, whatever energy we had left from lunch didn't last long.
No one even suggested doing anything.
We just… collapsed.
I didn't even remember lying down properly. One moment I was sitting, the next I was already half-asleep, the weight of someone resting against me barely registering before everything faded again.
Voices pulled me back.
Faint at first, like they didn't belong in the room, overlapping just enough to sound like a conversation happening somewhere close.
I opened my eyes slowly, the first thing I saw being Cynthia shifting slightly as she woke up. Her head had been resting against my chest, and when she realized it, she didn't make a big deal out of it. She just sat up, stretching lightly before her attention drifted toward the other side of the room.
I followed her gaze.
Millien was talking.
Not alone.
There was someone else there.
A figure standing across from him, faint but clear enough to recognize.
The same ghost.
Cynthia stood and walked toward them, curious, but the moment she got close enough...
He disappeared.
Just like that.
No hesitation.
No delay.
Gone.
She stopped where she was, her lips forming a small pout as she crossed her arms.
"It left," she said, glancing back at me.
I pushed myself up, rubbing the back of my neck as I tried to shake off the remaining sleep.
"There was a ghost," she continued, a little more animated now. "It was talking to Millien. But when I got closer, it disappeared."
Millien turned to me, his expression calm, like he already expected this.
"It's the same one earlier," he said. "The one who helped you."
I frowned slightly, thinking back to the classroom, to the way he stepped in without hesitation, only to vanish immediately after.
Didn't want to be seen.
Didn't want to stay.
But still chose to help.
Weird.
Before I could dwell on it longer, the system screen appeared.
Clear as ever.
[TEAM TASK ACQUIRED: HELP THE NEW ACQUAINTED GHOST CROSS OVER.]
I stared at it for a second, then leaned back slightly, a small smirk forming despite the lingering exhaustion.
"…Looks like we've got work again."
The others were still waking up, still catching up, but I already knew where this was going.
That ghost didn't come to me by accident.
And whatever was keeping him here...
We were going to deal with it.