Chapter 4
"Huh?" Ethan blinked at Michael, still trying to process everything.
Michael didn't flinch. "Arcanis Academy. You've never heard of it?"
Ethan shrugged. "Isn't it just… some top college? Rich kids, big campus, fancy programs?"
Michael's lips twitched into a faint smirk. "Kid, that's what the world sees. But every ghost hunter worth a damn has studied there. It's more than a college—it's the starting point, the forge."
Ethan's mind spun. Wait… Arcanis… that's the school Freddie got into early. The one Jacob, Freddie, and I all applied to… and only Freddie got in on time. And now I'm… what? Getting a late admission? This is insane.
Michael glanced at him, eyes calm as ever. "Where do you live, Ethan?"
"Not far," Ethan said automatically.
"Good," Michael replied. "We'll walk. You've got a lot to take in before tomorrow."
Ethan followed, shoving his hands in his pockets, trying to slow the rush of thoughts. The streetlights flickered above, buzzing softly. Shadows stretched across the sidewalk. He focused on the concrete beneath his shoes, hoping that keeping his head down might keep the chaos outside—and inside—from spinning completely out of control.
Michael's voice broke his thoughts. "You'll have to pass the headmaster's interview before you're officially accepted. Nothing is guaranteed."
Ethan swallowed. "Of course. The interview. Right." Fantastic. First day at the most elite college in the country—and it's already trying to kill me with bureaucracy.
Michael kept walking, calm and steady. "And don't get comfortable. You'll have a lot to learn in a very short time."
Ethan let out a shaky laugh. "So… I'm six hours from home on the East Coast? I could get used to sunny beaches."
Michael stopped, looking at him with a measured stare. "Oh? That place? That's just a decoy."
"Decoy?" Ethan frowned.
"The real Arcanis Academy," Michael said, voice dropping, "is beyond the Ice Wall."
"…Ice Wall?"
Michael's smirk widened. "There's a lot you don't know yet, Ethan?. And you're about to learn faster than you can imagine."
They reached the corner near Ethan's house. Michael slowed, letting the quiet of the night settle around them. "Alright. Tomorrow morning, eight o'clock. You tell your folks I'm a liaison from Arcanis, here to escort you."
"Tomorrow morning?" Ethan echoed, nearly tripping over his own feet.
"Quick, yes," Michael said, nodding. "Some doors don't stay open too long, kid." And with that, he turned and vanished into the darkness.
Ethan froze for a moment, chest pounding, before trudging toward his front door, trying to brace himself for what was coming next.
Ethan's keys rattled in his hand as he fumbled with the door. Once inside, he was met with the familiar chaos of home—phones buzzing, jackets tossed across chairs, the faint smell of dinner cooling on the counter.
"Ethan!" His mom rushed toward him, eyes wide and frantic. "Oh thank God—you're okay! I saw the news about the robbery. I called a dozen times—where have you been?!"
"I'm fine, Mom," Ethan said quickly, holding up his hands. His chest still thumped from the walk and the conversation with Michael. "Really. I'm okay."
"Ethan Carter! You scared me half to death! Jacob even came by—he was worried sick!"
Ethan barely had time to nod when Jacob's voice boomed from the hallway. "Yo! You good?!"
Jacob appeared, slightly out of breath, eyes wide with relief. He came in and grabbed Ethan's shoulder, giving it a firm shake. "Man, I was freaking out! You're okay… thank God!"
Ethan forced a small grin. "I told you. I'm fine. Everything's… fine."
His mom gave him one last squeeze before stepping back, still clutching her phone like it was a lifeline.
Ethan dropped his bag on the floor. "Look, I need to shower. Just… give me a few minutes."
Half an hour later, he returned to the living room, towel-dried hair still damp, clothes neatly folded. Both Mom and Jacob were staring at him expectantly. Ethan cleared his throat.
"While I was out," he began carefully, "I got an email… a late admission to Arcanis Academy. Scholarship included."
The silence that followed was deafening.
His mom's jaw dropped, and she grabbed his shoulders again. "Oh Ethan! That's… that's incredible! I'm so proud of you! Thank God you're safe and… this!"
Jacob's mouth fell open, then he let out a low whistle. "Wait… hold up. Arcanis? You're serious? Dude… that's… that's insane!"
Ethan nodded. "Yeah. And I leave tomorrow morning. Someone's picking me up."
Jacob blinked, then grinned. "Well… I mean, obviously I'm bummed I didn't get in, but… wow. You're gonna kill it, man. Seriously, I'm happy for you."
Ethan felt a pang of guilt. Later, when Jacob pulled him aside in his room, the words tumbled out. "I'm sorry we can't go to college together. I… I wish things were normal."
Jacob waved him off, ever the classic optimist. "Ethan, chill. You think I'm upset? No way, man. This is awesome! If I could, I'd take it in a heartbeat too. Freddie's already there, right? You're just catching up."
"Yeah…" Ethan murmured. "It all happened so fast… I didn't even have a chance to call Freddie."
"Relax," Jacob said with a grin. "He's probably too busy being a big-shot Arcanis kid anyway. You'll see him soon enough. And hey, don't worry—I still leave tomorrow as planned. We'll both be gone soon enough."
They shared a brief laugh, and then Jacob headed out. Ethan shut the door behind him, leaning against it for a moment.
Ethan sat on the edge of his bed, clothes and backpack already packed. The room smelled faintly of detergent and the faint musk of his childhood. He stared at the ceiling, thinking: Nothing will ever be normal again. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Not ever.
Arcanis… the school we all dreamed about. Freddie's already there, months ahead of me. Mom and Jacob think I just got lucky with a scholarship, that it's all about prestige and money. But she doesn't know what I'm about to walk into. None of them do.
Finally, he let himself lie down, eyelids heavy. Sleep came slowly, but when it did, it brought the first calm he'd felt all day.