Her eyes blazed with anger, though the tremble in her tone betrayed how shaken she really was. "How could you all be so reckless? How can you just take danger upon yourselves like that? What if something happened to you?" Her gaze swept over them.
On the bed, the five of them sat in a row like guilty schoolboys, their heads lowered, none daring to meet her eyes. Even Karl, who usually had a comeback for everything, sat with his hands folded in his lap, his lips pressed tight.
"Wife! Those witches were bad!" Karl finally blurted out, his tone defensive but weak compared to her fury. "They insulted us, they mocked us, and they... they looked at us in the wrong way." His face tightened, anger flashing across it again as he remembered the encounter.
Ruby’s chest rose and fell heavily as she took a deep breath, pressing her palm against her forehead as if to steady herself. Her voice softened, but only a little. "I know... I know they were wrong. And I am proud of you for standing up for yourselves." She paused, her eyes closing tightly at the thought of what might have been. "But what if they had weapons? What if they weren’t just throwing insults? What if... what if one of you never came back to me?"
Her voice cracked on the last words, her fists clenching at her sides.
The ghosts exchanged uneasy glances. Julian bit down on his lip, Milo looked like he was about to cry, and Adrian shifted uncomfortably, guilt written across his usually calm face.
Kaelan, who had been silent until now, scoffed softly, his arrogance flaring. "We’re fine, aren’t we?" he said, his tone smooth but dismissive, as if her fears were unnecessary. His words cut into the tense silence, making Ruby snap her head toward him.
Her glare locked on his face, fire burning in her eyes. "You think just because you walked back alive, it means it’s fine?" she shot back, her voice rising again. "Do you understand what it means to fight recklessly? You may not care about your own life, Kaelan, but I do."
Kaelan’s jaw tightened, the smirk fading from his lips for a split second. He turned abruptly, muttering something under his breath, and shoved the door open, stepping outside without another word. The door slammed behind him, leaving the room vibrating with the echo.
Everyone froze. Milo let out a small gasp, clutching at Julian’s sleeve. Karl jumped to his feet. "What the hell—where is he going?!" Panic spread across their faces, the thought of Kaelan storming off alone after what had just happened gnawed at all of them.
"Stay right there, all of you," Ruby said firmly, catching them as they started to move. "I’ll go and check on him." With that, she stepped out of the dorm.
Julian’s face tightened with worry. "Are they about to fight?" he muttered.
"Of course... wife looked angry," Karl whispered nervously, shifting in place.
Adrian’s lips pressed into a thin, straight line, his silence speaking louder than words.
Milo gripped his sleeve, eyes wide with fear.
"Wait, Kaelan." Ruby’s voice was sharp as steel, echoing down the empty corridor. Her hand clamped around his wrist, stopping him mid-step.
He turned his head slowly, his eyes narrowing, his tone dripping with impatience. "What???"
Ruby’s anger flared, her chest rising as she took a step closer. "How dare you walk away when I’m talking to you? Do you even understand how reckless you were today? You didn’t just put yourself in danger, you dragged the others into it too!"
Kaelan scoffed, pulling against her grip but she held on tighter. "Dragged them? Don’t insult me. If it weren’t for me, those witches would have done far worse. You should be thanking me, not lecturing me like I’m some child."
Ruby’s eyes blazed. "Thanking you? For what—throwing yourself headfirst into a fight without thinking? You think your arrogance keeps everyone safe? It doesn’t, Kaelan—it makes you a liability!"
His expression hardened, his jaw clenching as he yanked his wrist free. "Don’t you dare call me a liability. I’ve fought my entire life without anyone’s help. I don’t need you standing there pretending you know better."
"Then maybe you should start acting like someone who’s lived through battles, not a ghost desperate to show off!" Ruby shot back, her voice rising. "Because whether you admit it or not, you scared them. Karl, Milo, Julian—they looked at me with their heads down like guilty children. Do you know why? Because they follow your lead. And if you lead them into a grave, that blood is on your hands."
For a moment, Kaelan froze, the words hitting harder than he expected. But pride quickly masked it, and he sneered. "You think I don’t know responsibility? Don’t talk to me like I’m reckless when you weren’t even there. You sit safe inside, and you judge what happens outside."
Ruby’s voice shook, but her anger didn’t falter. "Because someone has to! Someone has to think about what happens after. Someone has to care if you live or die!"
The silence that followed was sharp enough to cut. Both of them stood chest to chest in the narrow corridor, their breathing heavy, neither willing to step back. Ruby’s fists were clenched at her sides, Kaelan’s shoulders tense like he was holding himself back from exploding.
"And for your information, I am not the only one who rushed in—it was Karl too!!" Kaelan snapped, his voice echoing through the corridor. His face flushed with anger, his fist tightening at his side.
Ruby’s eyes widened for a second before narrowing again, her voice sharp as a blade. "Karl was being childish! He never thinks before he acts, and you know that better than anyone. But you were no better—you rushed in like a fool!" she said sharply, jabbing her finger at him.
Kaelan’s teeth clenched, his chest rising and falling rapidly. "So now I’m a fool? Maybe you should’ve been there to see it yourself! Maybe then you’d realize those witches needed to be put in their place!"
Ruby’s voice cracked as she shot back, "And maybe you should realize you’re not invincible! What if something had happened? What if Adrian’s wound had been worse? What if Milo—Milo, who just had heart surgery—had collapsed out there? Did you even think about that?"
The mention of Milo made Kaelan falter for just a heartbeat, but pride shoved the hesitation aside. "We’re fine, aren’t we? None of us fell, none of us died."
To be continued... 🪄