Chapter 9 – A Fragile Normal
The university campus looked almost too normal the next morning. Students filled the walkways, carrying books, sipping coffee, talking about assignments. Sunlight filtered through the trees, casting golden shadows on the ground.
Kael walked among them, clutching his backpack, trying to remind himself that he was just another student. Just another twenty-year-old with deadlines and lectures. Not someone tangled in memories of another life. Not someone haunted by a man like Lucian Draegor.
Riven walked beside him, though he looked a little out of place. His calm, sharp presence didn't match the easy chatter of the other students. A few girls turned to glance at him, whispering to each other, but he ignored them completely.
Kael forced a smile. "You're going to make people stare if you keep looking like you're about to fight someone."
Riven gave him a faint glance. "Old habits."
Kael sighed. "Well, try looking like a normal student for once. Maybe… pretend to be stressed about exams."
Riven almost smirked. "I don't need to pretend."
Kael rolled his eyes, but the small joke made his chest feel lighter.
Their first lecture of the day was in the main hall. Kael sat in his usual seat, pulling out his notebook. Riven sat beside him, silent but attentive.
Professor Malik strode to the front, adjusting his glasses. "Good morning, everyone. Today we'll be covering case studies in abnormal psychology."
Kael opened his notes, trying to focus. But the moment the professor said memory disturbances, his hand froze.
The words on the screen blurred: Flashbacks. Dissociation. False memories.
Kael's heart thudded. False memories. Or real ones?
He tried to write, but the pen shook in his hand. Riven leaned closer, voice low so only Kael could hear.
"Breathe. Focus."
Kael inhaled slowly, exhaled. His chest loosened a little.
He whispered back, "Thanks."
The rest of the lecture passed in a blur. Kael barely heard the professor's words. He kept doodling small shapes in the margins of his notebook—circles, overlapping, like fragments of something incomplete.
By lunch break, Kael was exhausted. He and Riven sat under a tree in the courtyard, eating from the cafeteria trays. Around them, groups of students laughed, argued, and complained about assignments.
Kael poked at his food. "It's strange, isn't it? Everyone else is worried about grades, or their weekend plans… and here we are, talking about past lives and secret projects."
Riven's gaze flicked toward the crowd. "Normal is fragile. Most people never see what's beneath it."
Kael gave a tired laugh. "Sometimes I wish I hadn't seen it either."
For a while they just sat there in silence. The breeze stirred the leaves above, sunlight dappling across Riven's sharp features. Kael caught himself staring too long, and quickly looked away.
The afternoon was quieter. Kael went to the library to work on his assignments. Riven followed, choosing a seat near the window.
Kael spread out his notes, determined to act like a regular student for once. He lost himself in textbooks, scribbling answers, the normal rhythm of study almost comforting.
Occasionally, his eyes drifted toward Riven. He sat with a book in hand—not a textbook, but something older, bound in dark leather. Kael wondered if it was connected to Project Lazarus.
"Do you ever get bored?" Kael asked finally.
Riven looked up. "Of what?"
"Of sitting around watching me study."
There was the faintest glimmer of amusement in Riven's eyes. "Not really. You frown when you concentrate. It's… distracting."
Kael blinked, heat rushing to his cheeks. "You—you're distracting!"
Riven didn't reply, just returned to his book, though Kael thought he saw the corner of his mouth curve slightly.
Kael buried himself back in his notes, heart racing.
Later in the evening, Kael attended a study group with two classmates, Mira and Jonah. They gathered in one of the small seminar rooms.
Mira grinned when she saw Kael. "Finally! You've been skipping too many group sessions. Where have you been hiding?"
Kael hesitated. "Just… busy."
Jonah smirked. "Busy with the mysterious new guy?" He tilted his head toward Riven, who was sitting quietly at the back of the room.
Kael flushed. "He's just… helping me out."
Mira giggled. "Uh-huh. Sure."
Kael buried his face in his notebook, wishing the ground would swallow him.
Still, it was oddly comforting—teasing, laughter, the normal chaos of student life. For a little while, Kael let himself pretend everything was ordinary.
When the group ended, Kael and Riven walked back through the campus under the soft glow of streetlamps. The night air was cool, filled with the faint buzz of cicadas.
Kael stretched, yawning. "Today felt almost… normal."
Riven's eyes stayed on the shadows. "Almost."
Kael followed his gaze—and froze.
Near the edge of the hostel yard, just past the lamplight, a figure stood watching them. Too still. Too deliberate.
By the time Kael blinked, the figure was gone.
His stomach dropped. "Riven—"
"I saw," Riven said quietly. His hand brushed against Kael's shoulder, steadying him. "Don't panic. Not here."
Kael swallowed hard, his fragile sense of normalcy shattering.
Maybe university life wasn't as safe as it seemed.