Chapter 98: Echoes of the Past
Chapter 98: Echoes of the Past
Andras opened his eyes.
He was floating in the air.
There was no ground beneath him, yet he wasn’t falling.
He looked around.
His surroundings were strangely familiar.
It was his old bedroom.
The bedroom he had lived in as Alex.
Andras lowered his gaze toward himself.
His body was still that of Andras Darkmoor.
But something was different.
His body had become transparent, almost like a ghost.
He could see through his own hands.
"What is this...?"
Before he could understand what was happening, something caught his attention.
Someone was sleeping on the bed.
Andras froze.
It was Alex.
His former self was lying beneath the blankets, completely unaware of the strange presence watching him.
Andras stared at him in silence.
Then—
Knock.
Knock.
Someone knocked on the door.
Alex stirred.
A moment later, he reluctantly climbed out of bed and walked toward the door.
He opened it.
A middle-aged woman stood outside.
She looked at him with a mixture of concern and frustration.
"Alex, what are you doing in your room?"
Alex rubbed his sleepy eyes.
"I was sleeping."
The woman sighed.
"Of course you were."
She crossed her arms.
"Alex, all you ever do is sleep these days."
Alex leaned against the doorframe.
"So?"
His mother frowned.
"You’re not even going to university anymore."
"I don’t want to go."
"Why?"
"Because it’s boring."
Alex shrugged.
"I don’t want to waste my time there."
His mother stared at him.
"You don’t want to study. You don’t want to make friends. You spend all day in your room."
She paused.
"And when you’re not sleeping, you’re smoking or drinking."
Alex didn’t seem bothered.
"So what?"
He shrugged again.
"I like smoking. I like drinking. And I like sleeping."
His mother sighed deeply.
"You can’t keep living like this."
Alex looked away.
"I don’t see the problem."
"You don’t have any friends."
"I don’t need them."
"You don’t want to go to university."
"It’s boring."
"You don’t want to do anything."
Alex remained silent for a moment.
Then he answered casually.
"Exactly."
His mother stared at him.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then her expression softened.
"I know something has been wrong with you from the beginning. The way you react to things... the way you feel..."
Alex looked at her.
"What do you mean?"
"I know you’re having problems in your mind."
She hesitated.
"That’s why I’ve made an appointment for you."
Alex frowned.
"An appointment?"
"With a therapist."
"I don’t need one."
"I’m not asking you."
Her tone became firm.
"You’re going."
"Mom—"
"I’m not listening to you."
She shook her head.
"You’re going to the therapist."
Alex sighed.
"Fine."
The scene suddenly began to blur.
Andras watched silently.
The room faded away.
---
The next moment, he found himself sitting inside another room.
A desk stood between two chairs.
A woman sat across from Alex.
She appeared to be in her late twenties, with neatly tied brown hair and a calm expression.
She offered Alex a gentle smile.
"Hello, Alex."
Alex looked at her.
"I’ve heard you’re my therapist."
The woman nodded.
"That’s right."
She picked up her notebook.
"Your mother booked an appointment for you."
She smiled again.
"My name is Jane."
Andras stared at the scene.
Something about it felt strangely familiar.
He watched Jane speak with Alex.
But the longer he watched, the more the scene seemed to distort.
The voices became distant.
The room faded.
Everything around him gradually disappeared.
Then—
"Young Master."
A familiar voice reached him.
"It’s morning."
Andras’s eyes opened.
The ceiling of his academy room came into view.
For several seconds, he remained still.
Lyra stood beside his bed, looking at him.
"Young Master?"
Andras turned toward her.
She studied his face.
"Did you have a bad dream?"
Andras was silent for a moment.
Then he shook his head.
"No."
His voice was calm.
"It wasn’t a bad dream."
Lyra looked slightly confused.
Andras sat up.
It was the second time.
The second time he had dreamed about his previous life.
He still remembered his first dream.
But this one had shown him something he hadn’t thought about in a long time.
His first meeting with Jane.
Why was he dreaming about his previous life again?
Andras rubbed his forehead.
He didn’t know.
Perhaps it was simply his memories resurfacing.
Or perhaps there was another reason.
Either way, he couldn’t find an answer by sitting in bed and thinking about it.
He shook his head and pushed the thought aside.
"I’ll get ready."
Lyra nodded.
"Breakfast is ready."
Andras got out of bed and headed toward the bathing chamber.
---
After finishing his bath, Andras changed into his academy uniform.
The black jacket fit comfortably across his shoulders, while the silver embroidery gave the otherwise simple uniform an elegant appearance.
He adjusted his dark-blue tie and glanced at himself in the mirror.
His new life at Ambrose Academy was beginning today.
When he stepped outside the bedroom, Lyra was waiting near the table.
"Breakfast is ready, Young Master."
Andras sat down.
Lyra took the seat opposite him.
The two ate together.
Outside the window, the academy grounds were already beginning to come alive.
Students were walking along the pathways in their new uniforms.
Some were heading toward their classes.
Others were talking excitedly about their first day.
Yesterday, Ambrose Academy had been filled with applicants competing for admission.
Today, they were students.
Andras finished his breakfast and stood.
"I’m leaving."
Lyra nodded.
"Have a good first day, Young Master."
Andras gave her a slight nod.
"I will."
He left the room.
---
The academy grounds were considerably livelier than they had been the previous evening.
Students filled the stone pathways, heading toward different buildings.
Andras followed the directions he had received and eventually reached the academic district.
Several enormous buildings stood before him.
He continued walking until he found the one assigned to the highest-ranked students.
Class A.
Andras stopped before the entrance.
So this is it.
His first official day at Ambrose Academy.
Yesterday, he had been an applicant.
Today, he was a student of Class A.
Third place in the entrance examination.
Andras pushed open the door.
The classroom was already partially occupied.
Rows of desks filled the spacious room, while large windows allowed the morning sunlight to illuminate the polished floor.
Several students were talking among themselves.
The moment Andras entered, a few of them turned toward him.
Some recognized him immediately.
"Isn’t that Andras Darkmoor?"
"Third place."
Andras ignored the whispers.
His gaze swept across the classroom.
He found an empty seat and walked toward it.
Then he sat down.
Around him, conversations slowly resumed.
Andras leaned back slightly.
His academy life had officially begun.