Ghost Billionaire-Chapter 43: Annoying Lenox!

The realization hit harder than he liked. The pain came from pushing his abilities too far. That ghost must be exaggerating it, he thought. Turns out, he just needed to absorb a ghost to feel better. That ghost didn’t mention anything about it earlier.

A few more seconds passed. The spirit vanished entirely, drawn into him like water into dry soil.

Matthew didn’t waste time. He stepped back again, keeping his eyes on the hallway ahead. Still nothing. Still quiet.

But at least his head had stopped throbbing.

Then he felt it.

Something shifted.

The temperature dropped even lower, a dense pressure creeping into the surrounding air. He couldn’t see anything different, but the space ahead... changed. The shadows weren’t just dark anymore. They felt thick. Pressed in.

Then came the smell.

It was faint at first, like wet soil and rust. Then stronger. The distinct stench of rot. Old, wet rot. Like flesh that had been buried and forgotten, now exposed again.

Matthew swallowed and stepped back one more time, his hand brushing the wall for balance.

There was something in front of him. He couldn’t see it, but it was there. Heavy. Wrong. Like the space itself was bending under its presence.

Then the ghosts around him started to flicker.

Something was coming.

"Hey! What are you doing? Didn’t I tell you to run!?"

The ghost girl’s voice cut through the silence like a slap. It snapped Matthew out of whatever trance he had fallen into. His eyes widened, and he turned his head toward the darkness. Why is this ghost still here? Didn’t she leave?

That’s when he heard it.

Chains.

The sound was faint at first, like metal dragging across concrete. Then it grew louder. He didn’t wait to find out what was coming.

He turned and bolted.

The hallway felt longer than before. The air around him thickened, pressing in on his shoulders. Each step felt heavier, like something was pulling at his legs. His feet dragged slightly, no matter how hard he pushed forward.

The chains echoed, slamming against the walls, dragging behind something that didn’t bother hiding. The sound bounced off the concrete, twisting through the corridor, filling every inch of space. Cold sweat clung to Matthew’s back.

His instincts screamed—whatever was back there wasn’t just dangerous. It would devour him.

This time, he didn’t look back.

He kept his eyes forward, breathing hard, pushing through the sluggish weight pulling at his body. The hallway began to blur from the corners of his vision.

Then, finally, he saw it—the stairwell.

He pushed harder, his legs started to burn. Just a few more steps, he thought.

He reached the bottom of the stairs and stumbled, his foot catching on a loose tile. His body lurched forward, momentum carrying him across the threshold. He hit the floor hard, palms scraping against rough concrete.

He lay there for a few seconds, chest heaving, the cold seeping into his skin.

But nothing followed.

No chains. No sound.

He slowly turned his head, eyes locked on the stairwell behind him.

Still silence.

He sat up, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. The ache in his legs was real. The pain in his hands, sharper. But the hallway was empty. Whatever that thing was—it didn’t leave the dark.

"Didn’t I tell you to run!?" the ghost girl’s voice echoed in his head again.

Matthew pushed himself upright and turned his head, narrowing his eyes at her.

"What? Don’t look at me like that," she said.

Matthew glared at her. "You left me."

"I ran!" she snapped back. "I told you to run too! Is it my fault that you didn’t know how to listen?"

Matthew didn’t bother responding. He brushed the dirt off his pants and turned toward the hallway.

"What was that thing?" he asked.

"I don’t know," she muttered. "But it wasn’t supposed to be there."

Matthew clenched his jaw. "You brought me down there."

"I didn’t know that thing existed," she said quickly, hovering near the door. "But you should get this through your head now—being a Nexian isn’t just about cool powers or whatever fantasy you’ve built in your mind."

She floated closer. "For years, humans have been trying to find and capture Nexians. They want to study them. Cut them open. Use them. You’re not some lucky chosen one. You’re a target."

Matthew blinked. The words didn’t even sound real.

"Don’t trust anyone," she continued. "Not even in this school. Especially not here." She looked around. "You should go back home and rest. Sleep for at least two days to recover—or you’ll die. I’m not exaggerating."

Then she vanished again—just like that.

Matthew stood alone in the quiet stairwell, breathing in the cold air. He clicked his tongue and looked around.

"This world’s a damn mess," he muttered. "I know nothing about it... and that’s probably what makes it more dangerous."

He leaned his back against the wall.

"If I want to live, if I want to actually change anything, then I need to grow stronger."

His head still throbbed. He closed his eyes for a second, then forced himself upright.

"First things first," he said quietly. "Get rid of this damn headache." That damn ghost girl just told him to rest, but that’s because she didn’t know that he could absorb ghosts.

He scanned the area. It didn’t take long. Near the far corner, drifting aimlessly through a cracked doorway, was another ghost. novelbuddy.cσ๓

Matthew started walking toward it. After a few minutes, the ghost faded just like the others. That now-familiar wave of relief settled in—his headache finally gone. Whatever spiritual energy he had drained earlier was slowly returning.

Matthew took a deep breath and stepped out of the building. The cold air outside stung a little, but compared to what he just dealt with, it felt like peace. He crossed the edge of the old grounds and walked along the worn path that led back toward the main school buildings. By the time he reached the edge of the forest, he felt refreshed.

He slipped back into the schoolyard, pulling his uniform back into place and brushing some dirt off his sleeves. Just in time. He still had one exam left.

Or so he thought.

He was halfway across the courtyard when someone called out to him.

"Matthew!"

He paused and turned. Lenox was standing under one of the covered walkways, a group of students around him. Two of them he recognized from the student council. One was flipping through a folded sheet of paper.

"Where’ve you been?" Lenox asked, walking over. "Didn’t see you in the canteen."

"I was resting," Matthew said. "Do you need something?"

Lenox smiled and gestured back toward the others. "Next exam’s about to start. Thought I’d let you know. If you want a few pointers, I’ve got some notes from last year’s batch."

Matthew’s gaze shifted to the folded paper in the other student’s hand. It wasn’t just notes—it was too neatly marked, highlighted in columns.

"No thanks," Matthew said as he adjusted his bag and turned to leave.

He didn’t want to drag this out. The sooner he got away from Lenox, the better. But cutting him off completely wasn’t an option—not yet. If he wanted to stay a step ahead, he had to cover his bases. That meant keeping Lenox close, at least for now.

Still, Lenox was persistent. Annoyingly so.

Before Matthew could take two steps, Lenox moved in front of him again.

"You sure?" Lenox asked, concern written all over his face. "This exam’s a big one. You don’t want to fall behind, right?"