The Ghost

The halls of Genesis College bustled with activity, the ambient noise of shuffling feet and animated chatter filling the air. Maya moved through the crowd like a shadow, her presence unnoticed and unseen. Invisibility.

She didn’t care for the people she passed—students glued to their holowatches, professors rushing to their next classes—but her sharp eyes scanned every corner with precision. Her steps were light, deliberate, as she navigated the familiar corridors. Genesis College was sleek, pristine, and buzzing with energy, a world away from the suffocating darkness she operated in now. Yet, she couldn’t ignore the tug of nostalgia that clawed at her whenever she visited.

In the courtyard, a familiar group caught her attention. She froze mid-step, her focus narrowing on Shinichi, Raina, and Tadashi’s gang gathered near a vending machine. Their voices rose above the chatter, drawing her like a moth to a flame. Maya slipped closer, careful to keep her steps silent as she positioned herself nearby.

“Can you believe it?” Raina’s voice rang out, tinged with disbelief. “Yuki’s actually gone? Just like that?”

Tadashi leaned casually against the vending machine, his smirk brimming with confidence. “What’s there to believe? Did you see him at the party? Total mess. He couldn’t handle the pressure, so he bailed.”

Raina crossed her arms, her brows furrowing. “Still, it feels… off. There has to be a reason.”

Tadashi’s smirk deepened, and he tilted his head mockingly. “Reason? Please. He got exposed for what he really is—a failure. His mods didn’t work, and now he’s hiding because he knows everyone saw. So much for having big-shot researcher parents.”

Shinichi chuckled, leaning in. “They announced it this morning, didn’t they? Personal leave. Sounds like code for ‘he’s too embarrassed to show his face.’”

“Powerless,” Tadashi added with a snicker.

Maya’s jaw tightened, her fists clenching at her sides. These guys were full of arrogance. They knew nothing. If anything, Yuki was more powerful than all of them combined—

“Well-” Raina muttered, her voice soft but edged with unease.

“Well what?” Tadashi asked sharply. “Don’t tell me you’re defending him after what happened.”

Raina hesitated, her gaze dropping to the ground. “I’m just saying… maybe there’s more to it. He always kept to himself, and—”

Tadashi interrupted, his voice rising. “He’s weak, Raina. Stop wasting your time trying to justify it.”

Maya’s lips curled into a sneer as she watched the scene unfold. Raina’s faint protests, Tadashi and Shinichi’s relentless mockery—it was almost too predictable.

Shinichi turned back to the group, a wicked grin spreading across his face. “Honestly, good riddance. This school doesn’t need dead weight dragging the rest of us down.”

Maya slipped away before the conversation could sink any deeper into her nerves. She didn’t need to hear more. Their words were poison, and she wanted to laugh right in their faces.

The city outside Genesis College was alive with its usual chaos. Neon lights flickered in the fading daylight, casting vibrant reflections on the rain-dampened streets. The hum of hovercars and distant chatter filled the air, blending into a symphony of urban life.

Maya moved through the crowd with practiced ease, weaving between pedestrians without so much as a glance in her direction. The invisibility mod, one of many, made her untouchable, a ghost in the living world.

Her destination loomed ahead: Yuki’s apartment building, a sleek high-rise that stood out even among Neo-Tokyo’s towering structures. The familiarity of the place sent an unwelcome pang through her chest, but she ignored it, stepping inside without hesitation.

The elevator ride was uneventful, the hum of the machinery a dull backdrop to her racing thoughts. When the doors slid open, she stepped into the dimly lit hallway, her gaze locked on the door at the end.

As if on cue, the door creaked open, and Yuki’s mother stepped out. Maya froze, pressing herself against the wall.

The woman paused, her sharp eyes scanning the hallway. Maya held her breath, and after a moment, Yuki’s mother turned and walked away, her heels clicking against the tiled floor.

Maya exhaled slowly, slipping through the door just as it began to close.

The apartment was exactly as she remembered: minimalist, immaculate, and almost unnervingly sterile. Maya’s eyes flickered across the room, noting the faint hum of tech embedded in the walls and the quiet sound of the air purifier.

She moved carefully, her steps soundless as she navigated the familiar space.

Yuki’s father passed by in the living room, engrossed in his tablet, his face illuminated by its faint glow. He didn’t look up, didn’t notice the shift in the air as Maya slipped past him.

Yuki’s room was at the end of the hallway, the door slightly ajar. Maya peered inside, her gaze locking onto the figure on the bed.

He was asleep, his breathing slow and steady. His face was pale, almost ghostly in the dim light of the room. His hair was tousled, dark strands falling across his forehead in a way that made him look younger, softer.

Maya’s chest tightened as she stared at him. He looked so… fragile. Vulnerable. She almost felt bad for him. For his future. Or lack thereof.

Shaking off the thought, she turned away, her movements brisk as she headed to the office.

The office was exactly as she’d remembered: cold, precise, and meticulously organized. The shelves were lined with neatly labeled files, and the desk was immaculate. But Maya wasn’t here to admire the decor.

She went straight to the desk, her fingers moving deftly as she searched. The drawers were locked, but the security measures were laughable compared to what she’d dealt with in the past.

When she found the USB, a small smirk tugged at the corners of her lips. She held it up, turning it over in her hands, the faint glow of the device reflecting in her eyes.

“That bastard,” she muttered under her breath.

Jun had lied. He’d found the USB and kept it from her. Maya’s grip tightened around the device, her anger simmering beneath the surface.

She slipped the USB into her pocket and straightened, her gaze flickering toward the hallway. For a brief moment, she considered going back to Yuki’s room. It would be so easy to take him now.

But something stopped her.

Her hand hovered over the door handle as she weighed her options. Taking him now would complicate things. The counselor had said they weren’t ready—not yet.

With a sigh, she turned back to the door.

As she reached for the handle, a voice broke the silence.

“Maya?”

Her body went rigid, her hand hovering over the door. Slowly, she turned to face him.

Yuki was awake, his expression a mix of confusion and recognition. His hair was disheveled, and his eyes were heavy with sleep, but there was a sharpness in his gaze that hadn’t been there before.