"So you're saying you don't have a sister? Just a high perception technique that lets you detect abnormalities in souls?"
Cora kept her voice low. They were walking across the campus green. The sun was low. Shadows stretched long.
"Yes," Lucian said. "And you having a system was pure coincidence. If you grow up on a farm, you pick up hobbies. Reading light novels was one of mine."
Cora nodded slowly.
"But that doesn't explain your stats. I can see everyone's stats. Humans. Non-humans. Everyone. Except the freakishly strong ones."
She looked at him with a frown.
Lucian kept his face neutral.
"Having high perception comes with perks. Like hiding everything about yourself."
Cora considered that.
"That's... actually a reasonable explanation." She paused. "But it doesn't explain your fighting ability. Don't tell me it's because you're the hidden son of Margaret Vale or because you're a Prime Human. The way you fought was like a veteran hunter. Decades of experience."
Lucian shrugged.
"I have high comprehension. I picked up fighting easily."
Cora opened her mouth. Closed it. Opened it again.
Then she shut up.
She didn't believe him. That much was obvious. But she stopped asking questions. For now.
They walked in silence.
The campus changed as they moved east. Older buildings. Fewer students. The grass was less maintained. The windows were darker.
Lucian followed Cora's lead. She seemed to know where she was going.
They passed a clock tower. Then a statue of some old scholar. Then a building with boarded-up windows.
Cora stopped in front of a door. It looked like a maintenance closet. Faded paint. No handle. Just a keypad.
She typed a code. The door clicked.
She pulled it open. Inside was a small room with another door at the far end.
They stepped in. The door closed behind them. The second door opened automatically.
A hallway. Concrete walls. Bright lights. No windows.
They walked for about two minutes. The hallway sloped downward. Then it opened into a large foyer.
The Ashford Keep.
A man stood near the far wall. Mid-forties. Short gray hair. Sharp eyes. He wore a hunter's uniform. No patches. No rank insignia. Just dark fabric and sturdy boots.
A man leaned against the wall next to her. Tall. Broad shoulders. Clean-shaven. He looked tired. Not sleepy tired. World-weary tired.
A girl sat on a bench. Blonde hair. Pink streaks. She was scrolling through her phone. She didn't look up when they entered.
A guy stood near the center of the room. He was fidgeting. Adjusting his collar. Shifting his weight from foot to foot. He looked nervous.
Lucian recognized all of them from the files.
The man was Alistair Thorne. Their mentor.
The tired man was Mason Cross.
The girl on the phone was Sera Whitmore.
The nervous guy was Derek Holt.
Alistair pushed off the wall.
"You're late."
Cora glanced at her watch.
"By two minutes."
"Two minutes is late."
Cora didn't argue.
Alistair looked at Lucian.
"You must be the Vale kid."
Lucian nodded.
"I'm Alistair. I'll be the reason you don't die in your first year." He looked around the room. "Everyone's here. Good."
Derek was still fidgeting. His eyes kept darting to empty spaces. Like he was listening to something no one else could hear.
Lucian looked at him.
Then he saw it.
A figure. Translucent. Faint. Hovering near Derek's shoulder. An old man. Victorian clothes. Top hat. Beard. Eyes that held a century of cynicism.
Dr. Blackwood.
The ghost turned his head. Looked directly at Lucian.
His eyebrows went up.
Lucian looked back at Derek.
"Is he also one of the team?"
The room went quiet.
Derek's head snapped up. His eyes went wide.
"You can see him?"
The ghost spoke. His voice was thin. Distant. Like wind through a cracked window.
"Interesting."
Derek jumped to his feet.
"You can see him! You can actually see him!" He pointed at the empty air next to him. "He's right there! Dr. Blackwood! And you're looking right at him!"
Lucian tilted his head.
"Was I not supposed to see him?"
Derek looked like he might cry. Or laugh. Or both.
"No one can see him! I mean, no one! Not even senior hunters! They can sense something's there, but they can't see him! Not his face! Not his clothes! Nothing!"
Dr. Blackwood tipped his hat.
"Charmed."
Lucian nodded at the ghost.
"Nice to meet you too."
Alistair raised an eyebrow.
"You can see the entity attached to Holt?"
Lucian turned to him.
"Clearly."
Alistair studied him for a moment.
"That's... unusual."
Lucian didn't answer.
Derek was still staring at him.
"What does he look like? I mean, right now? What is he wearing? What's his expression?"
Lucian glanced at the ghost.
"Old. Victorian. Top hat. Beard. He looks amused."
Derek's face went pale.
"That's exactly right. That's exactly how I see him."
Dr. Blackwood chuckled. The sound was like dry leaves.
"I like this one."
Derek shook his head.
"You have no idea how strange this is. Most people just feel cold when he's near. A few can hear whispers. But see him? Actually see him?" He grabbed Lucian's hand and shook it vigorously. "You're my new best friend."
Lucian pulled his hand back.
"I'm flattered."
Sera looked up from her phone for the first time.
"So the new guy is weird too. Great. Another weirdo."
Mason didn't say anything. He just watched Lucian with tired, assessing eyes.
Alistair clapped his hands once.
"Enough. We have orientation to get through. Save the bonding for later."
She walked toward a set of double doors at the back of the foyer.
The team followed.
Derek stayed close to Lucian.
"So can you see other ghosts too? Or just him? How does your ability work?"
Lucian didn't answer.
Dr. Blackwood floated alongside them.
"He's not going to tell you, boy. He has secrets. Good ones."
Derek sighed.
"He says you have secrets."
Lucian glanced at the ghost.
"I can hear him just fine."
Dr. Blackwood smiled.
"Oh, I like him very much."