The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the campus of Crescent University as students streamed out of the lecture halls. The once-busy corridors gradually emptied, replaced by cheerful conversations about assignments, weekend plans, and the upcoming university selection round.
Benny, Ethan, Ryan, and Mia stepped out of the Technology Building together.
The two-hour simulation had drained all of them mentally, but the successful result had lifted everyone's spirits.
Ethan adjusted the strap of his laptop bag.
"We'll continue practicing tomorrow."
"No excuses."
Mia nodded with determination.
"I'll reorganize my notes tonight."
Ryan, walking quietly beside them, spoke in his usual calm voice.
"I'll review the network logs again."
"If we missed anything today, we'll catch it before the selection round."
Ethan glanced at Benny.
"You should rest."
"You've been staring at a screen all afternoon."
Benny smiled sheepishly.
"I'll study a little... then rest."
Ryan looked at him for a brief moment.
"Don't overdo it."
"A tired mind makes careless mistakes."
Benny nodded.
"I know."
The four reached the stone fountain at the center of the campus where their paths separated.
Ethan pointed toward the parking lot.
"See you tomorrow."
Mia waved with a bright smile.
"Don't disappear, freshman."
Ryan simply gave a small nod before following Ethan.
Soon...
Benny was alone.
He adjusted his backpack and began walking toward the university gate.
The gentle afternoon breeze brushed against his face.
He stretched lazily before talking to himself, as he often did whenever he was alone.
"Today's practice wasn't that bad."
He smiled.
"Professor Lewis even praised us."
"I wonder if tomorrow's lecture will be easier."
A second later, he shook his head.
"...No."
"It's Professor Lewis."
"It definitely won't be easier."
He laughed quietly at his own comment.
Just then...
Buzz...
His phone vibrated inside his pocket.
Benny frowned.
"Hm?"
He pulled it out while still walking.
"Who's calling me?"
The moment his eyes landed on the screen...
His footsteps came to an abrupt halt.
His smile disappeared.
His fingers tightened around the phone.
The caller ID displayed a number he thought he would never see again.
Foster Father.
"..."
For a few seconds, Benny simply stared at the screen as it continued ringing.
It couldn't be.
Not after two years.
When he was seventeen...
He had walked out of that house with nothing but a backpack and a few clothes.
No one had stopped him.
No one had searched for him.
No calls.
No messages.
Nothing.
It was as if he had never existed.
So why now?
The ringing continued.
People walked around him without noticing the pale look on his face.
Finally...
He answered.
"...Hello?"
Silence.
Then a familiar voice spoke.
"Benny."
His heart skipped a beat.
It really was him.
His foster father.
The same cold voice.
The same emotionless tone.
"We need to talk."
Benny's expression hardened.
"What do you want?"
There was a brief pause.
"Come back."
Benny let out a quiet, bitter laugh.
"I don't live there anymore."
"I know."
The reply came immediately.
"That's why I'm calling."
Benny remained silent.
"We're having a family meeting."
"You need to be here."
His grip on the phone tightened.
"A family meeting?"
"You ignored me for two years."
"Now suddenly I'm family?"
The other end fell quiet.
For a moment, Benny thought the call had ended.
Then his foster father spoke again.
"This concerns everyone."
"You have one hour."
"I expect you to come."
Click.
The line went dead.
Benny slowly lowered the phone.
The sounds of the campus faded into the background.
His mind replayed the conversation over and over.
Two years...
Not a single word.
Not even on his birthday.
And today...
An emergency family meeting?
He looked down at the black screen of his phone.
"What is going on...?"
The uneasy feeling in his chest grew stronger.
Whatever awaited him at that house...
It couldn't be anything good.
Taking a slow breath, Benny slipped the phone back into his pocket.
He turned toward the bus stop.
For the first time in two years...
He was going back to the place he had sworn never to return.