Ethan''s mind had wandered again—back to the memory of that night. A ghost that had never truly left him. The events replayed in vivid detail, like scabs of a wound he kept scratching and kept refusing to heal.


    "Well, we have covered quite the distance now. Perhaps you can start talking? I may not have any good advice, but it looks like its been weighing on you," Cassius inquired.


    Ethan took a long and slow breath, sighs, and started recounting his experience (replacing some unfamiliar terms from Earth into something that exists in Aetherland).


    It had been raining, the kind of relentless downpour that washed the streets. Typhoons and strong rain are typically in the tropical regions on Earth. Ethan had finished his late lecture and was heading to his car when he heard the faint sound of something crawling at the side of the dumpster. At first, he thought it was a stray dog rummaging through the trash, but then he heard something else. A groan. A sharp, strangled noise, the kind that did not come from an animal, but something that he felt a kinship towards. His heart had skipped a beat.


    He look over the corner and saw a boy.


    His memory was branded by this searing sight. The boy—his student—was barely recognizable. His clothes torn, his body bruised beyond recognition. The child''s blood stained the alleyway, mixing with the rainwater. His body was was lying in the corner of the dumpster– a discarded ragdoll.


    "I rushed over, and tried to save the boy. I contacted the healers to come to rescue even when I knew deep down that it would''ve been too late. I kept calling his name, telling him to stay awake. Charlie..."


    Ethan continued his tale. The boy’s eyes flickered open, the faintest sign hope as he saw his homeroom teacher concerned for him. Charlie''s breath came in ragged gasps, and there was something in his eyes—something too deep for a young boy to be carrying. Pain, yes, but more than that– Fear. The kind of fear that only comes when you know there’s nothing left to live for.


    "Professor... help me..." Charlie''s voice was barely a whisper, but it tore through Ethan’s heart.


    "Hold on, okay? I’m going to get you help. Just stay with me." Ethan had pulled his phone from his pocket, dialing the hospital before he even thought about what was happening.


    And then Charlie spoke again. His words—his last words—came out in a hoarse, broken sob.


    "I couldn’t... I couldn’t stop him. I tried... I tried to fight... but... but..." His voice faded, and then he looked up at Ethan with wide, teary eyes. "Professor Louie... he..." Charlie’s breathing grew shallow, and the light of life has finally left his eyes.


    Ethan tried to keep him conscious, his hands pressing against the boy’s chest, his voice rising in desperation. "Charlie, no. No, stay with me. Stay awake!"


    But it was no use. With a final, quiet exhale, Charlie''s eyes rolled back, and his body went still.


    "Wait, no... You should''ve used a resurrection spell on him!" Cassius retorts angrily.


    "From where I''m from, resurrection spells aren''t a thing. Besides, why do you so arrogantly trivialize life and pain. Resurrection spells, what a load of bullsh-"


    Ethan''s cheek stung before he realized that Cassius indignantly gave him a slap.


    "What was that for?!"


    "Well! I hate how you make it sound like his death was good for him!"


    "Silly kid, you misunderstand. It''s good you still have that childlike positivity in you. But when compared to a lifelong suffering from incurable trauma, death was a kinder alternative."


    Ethan gently pats Cassius head allowing him to lower his guard, then proceeds to slap him on the cheek.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Take that you insolent brat! You shouldn''t slap your elders across the face just because you feel like it!"


    After their banter subsided, Ethan recounts the aftermath of that horrendous night–


    In the weeks that followed, Ethan’s life had become a blur of meetings with law enforcement, with counselors, with doctors. But no amount of paperwork or police investigations could undo the memory of what had happened that night. Charlie’s last words echoed in Ethan’s mind over and over again: Professor Louie.


    It wasn’t until the investigation started that the truth began to unfold. The man was infamous amongst his victims as Professor Ex—a renowned, feared professor in their department—had been caught in a scandal of the worst kind. The allegations stacked high, whispers of ethical misconduct, abuse, and violence that had plagued the halls of the university for years. But no one had ever spoken out. No one had ever done anything.


    Until Charlie.


    Until Charlie’s body, discarded like trash, had become the final testament to Professor Ex’s reign of terror.


    And now, every time Ethan thought he could move past it, every time he believed he could close the door on that chapter of his life, he saw him. Professor Ex. Memories of him being alone with a student in ''detention''... frequenting the students'' restroom even when the faculty had their own... He would appear in the hallways, in the staff room, standing there with that smug, insufferable smile, as though he had done nothing wrong. As though he had never torn a student’s life apart.


    Ethan blamed himself for seeing the signs and not taking action. He always succumbed to the feted phrases of:


    This isn''t part of my job description...


    I wasn''t paid enough to meddle with other people''s business...


    I have problems of my own...


    Remembering all this. He constantly felt the pain from a secondhand guilt. In his heart, he was an accessory to the crime. By staying silent, he had caused Charlie''s death.


    Seeing Ethan in a dejected state, Cassius grimly stated, "You know, the weeds aren''t going to pull out themselves. The lawn needs trimming."


    Ethan felt that Cassius'' statement had an ominous weight to it. Surely a story the kid just heard wouldn''t cause this drastic change of attitude?


    "Kid, this isn''t like you. Rushing in guns blazing would cause a premature death, we both saw the dexterity and strength runes plastered all over his body. We''d be dead before we could cast any spells–"


    "Look at me. Does it look like I care?"


    Ethan was taken aback, this young man who was bullied just a day ago, spoke as if he''s some sort of a paladin about to smite evil.


    "Look, we need to prioritize favorability to get to the second phase."


    "Who cares about favorability? Professor Ex has been alive for far too long!"


    "He has a whole band of minstrels with charisma runes engraved on their skin. I am not on the habit of courting death!"


    ""Compared to the lifelong suffering from incurable trauma, death is a kinder alternative."


    Resigning to the fate that awaits them. Ethan puts his shaking hands in his pockets in order to hide his anxiety while Cassius looks at him expectantly. After regaining his composure, Ethan finally relents,


    "I hate how most of my students use my own words against me. But if we''re doing this, we''ll need all the help we could get."


    --------------


    On the other side of outskirts of the town, Ashley, accompanied by tall guy with a finely chiseled body– his muscles rippling with power. However, in a rather comical contrast, he is using a maids'' outfit as he timidly walked beside Ashley.


    "This sucks. I don''t you have any manly clothes?"


    "Awww rich boy wants to go home to his mommy? Too bad there''s no way out unless you stack up favorability," Ashley jests.


    "I already know that, those bastards are gonna pay for stealing my rune-chanted armor! Wait, why were you helping me out anyway?"


    Before Ashley could give an answer, she was mildly surprised by a pen pal message popping up her interface.


    [ Professor Ethan wants to connect ( Accept? ) ]


    "Hmph! You took too long!"


    [ ( Decline ) ]


    [ Professor Ethan wants to connect ( Accept? ) ]


    "I guess it''s really important..."


    [ (Accept) ]


    "Professor Ex had been isekaid with us," Ethan chats.


    "What? How was that even possible?"


    "The night we got teleported here, there were other teachers in that faculty. Some of them probably got teleported too."


    "So what is the plan?"


    "We''ll take him down. Problem is he has both strength and agility runes on his body. And dark green skin, the typical manifestation of durability."


    "A wielder of three main stats. We''re practically going against a meta human at this point. An X-Men," Ashley giggles a bit as she uses the reference.


    "You can say that again, anyway, we need all the help we can get, have you made any friends?"


    "Yeah, a grumpy one. But he''ll come in handy."


    "Good, I''ll meet you at Logan''s Longhouse. It''s a small tavern southeast of the town."


    "Professor..."


    "Yes?"


    "You should''ve contacted me earlier!"


    "I''ve been running my whole life, Ashley. It''ll be a shame to all isekai''d people if I kept running away in this world too."


    "Regardless, please know that you aren''t alone in this. You can rely on me more, I''m your beautiful and reliable assistant after all."


    "I''ll remember that."