Chapter 117: Ghost

Hugh was dumbstruck as he saw the person walking into the classroom. His hairs stood on end and his face went pale. His breathing got heavier and he started to hyperventilate.

Aric walked step by step into the classroom. His face was clear, and his hair was well combed. His clothes were sparkling clean; there were no creases at all.

This was the person that everyone in the classroom knew. This was the charismatic person that they had always known. This was their general perception of Aric, but if they took a closer inspection, they would see that there was a sinister aura around him.

Aric was usually a bright and charismatic person, but this Aric had a dark undertone around him. The skin around his eyes was darker, and his expression showed no warmth at all.

Hugh's heart stopped as he looked at Aric. It was not an exaggeration to say that he looked like he had seen a ghost. He could still remember the moment where he had Aric's heart in his hands, oozing blood and taunting his clothes.

He looked at Aric's chest, but he could see no indication that Aric had been injured. He did not know what to do as Aric walked into the classroom and his seat.

"Aric, you seem to be okay now!"

Tanner walked up to Aric and put his hands on Aric's shoulders. His actions were welcoming as if he had seen a longtime friend.

Aric felt Tanner's hands and turned his head. His eyes gazed into Tanner's eyes without any emotions. Tanner felt like he had stared into the void.

There was no sense of familiarity with Aric. It almost seemed as if Aric did not know him, as Aric studied Tanner's features.

More of Aric's friends came to him and greeted him. They were all happy that their leader had returned. They all tried to gather Aric's attention like they were starving chickens.

However, Aric did not reciprocate their welcome. He looked at them dead in the eyes, but he would not speak a word.

Hugh's mind stopped at the moment. He could not process the information in his head. He could not believe that Aric would return from the dead like it was nothing.

He watched Aric's body get buried in the falling boulders of the Central building. Even if he had escaped during those times, how would he be able to explain the missing heart?

Hugh had to know. He needed to know how Aric had survived. He had been wracked up with guilt, but seeing him alive like this was complicating his emotions.

In some parts, he was glad that Aric was alive. At another, he was confused as to how Aric had survived.

Then, his anxiety took over his mind. He could not help but think about Aric telling everybody about his secret. Would Aric tell everybody that Hugh had killed him?

Hugh's heart started to beat a thousand times per second as he thought about those possibilities. No matter his emotions, he knew that he had to know what had happened with Aric.

Hugh stood up, but he realized that he had stood up too fast. He was still distraught over this news, so his legs buckled and he almost fell to the ground.

Centering himself and gathering his composure, Hugh walked over to Aric. His mind reeled with thoughts on how he would approach Aric.

Hey, didn't I kill you? Hugh could not say those words, but that was what he wanted to know. After deliberating on the way over, Hugh grabbed Aric's arm and squeezed it as he spoke.

"We need to talk."

Aric heard Hugh's words and he looked at Hugh. All these times that he had looked at the students around him, Aric always had a deadpan look. However, when he looked at Hugh, there was a sense of familiarity in his eyes.

Hugh did not wait for a response as he started to drag Aric away from his chairs and his friends. Hugh headed straight towards the door, but he had felt his hand get grabbed.

Hugh turned around and saw Tanner grabbing his wrists. There was clear anger on his face, as his nostrils flared and his muscles involuntarily flexed. He was looking for a fight.

"Woah, there. You have to go through us first."

Tanner cracked his knuckles and the men that were behind him did the same. They did not like the disrespect in Hugh's actions, ignoring Aric's inner circle of friends.

It was no secret that Aric and Hugh had beef with each other. Most of them were also clear that Aric had won each of the times that Aric and Hugh had a bout.

However, Aric's inner circle of friends knew that it was not the truth. They had experienced first-hand how powerful Hugh had become. The other students in the class were not privy to that information, so they presumed that Aric would not have trouble dealing with Hugh.

Tanner had seen Aric's condition recently. Aric was clearly not himself, and he was worried that Hugh would be able to take revenge on Aric during these times.

Hugh was not in the mood to tussle with Tanner and his friends, so he turned around and gave them a sharp look while spouting out a warning.

"Stay out of this."

Hugh activated his armor and the brown and silver liquid started to form around his neck. He was showing it to them, letting them know that he was not afraid to fight them again.

Tanner flinched a little bit as he saw Hugh getting ready to fight. He did not forget the beating that he had to endure from Hugh, so he was hesitant to pick a fight. However, he was not alone. He looked back and saw his friends backing him up.

"You can't take all of us out."

Seeing Tanner not backing out, Hugh got ready to fight. He let go of his grip on Aric's arm and readied himself. Then, Hugh blinked for a split second.

When he opened his eyes, he suddenly saw Tanner down on the ground, bleeding through his nose and his cheeks.