Kristen watched as the sliding doors of the cafeteria opened and closed with dozens of students coming in. The place was as busy as it could get on a Monday. It was her first year at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She sat there fidgeting with a spoon, nervously waiting for her parents with a troubled look in her eyes. Her hazel-brown hair was tied back in a knot, similar to the way her mother used to wear it. A black, long-sleeved chiffon shirt covered the area around her neck, along with her flat chest and skinny arms. From her waist down to the very heels of her boots draped a long, dark-green button-up skirt. She was often the object of mockery when it came to her friends due to her prudish look, and many thought she was forced to dress that way because her parents, according to the information they provided, worked as ministers for a religious organization. These types of comments rarely bothered her. She learned to disregard people’s opinions of her once she became aware of how carelessly others led their lives.

“Hey, Kris!” She heard a jaunty voice shout, darting her eyes to the counter to see her friend waving at her with a wide smile, her fresh piercing sticking out from under her upper lip.

“I told you not to call me that. Kristen is fine.”

“Who uses their full name these days? I let you call me Maddie, not Maddison. Can I at least call you Kristy?”

“Only my mom calls me Kristy.”

“Okay then, Kris, it is.”

Kristen sighed. It wasn’t the first time they had this conversation. She once again shifted her attention to the entrance.

“What do you want?”

“Why are you in such a sour mood? Did you get a B+ in biochemistry again?”

“No. I’m seeing my parents today. Dad said they would come at two, but it has already been an hour. I haven’t talked to mom in the past six months. She doesn’t pick up my calls. I’m starting to think they are hiding something from me.”

“Perhaps they are going through a divorce?”

“That’s impossible,” Kristen chuckled at the absurdity of her friend’s suggestion. “For as long as I lived with them, I haven’t seen them have a single fight. Not once.”

“Hey, I thought so too about my folks,” said Maddie as she stirred her ramen with a piece of cheddar. “Turns out my siblings and I have different dads because my folks tried to have an open marriage when my brother was two. They used to get bored with each other, then get back together when mom got knocked up. Sometimes I think of all the possible half-siblings I have on my dad’s side. What might be the chance I’ve dated one of them?”

“My parents aren’t like that.”

“How do you know?

“I just do.”

“You say, they are away all the time. You can’t be that naive to believe they don’t hide any secrets from you.”

“So, what? I’m hiding secrets from them. That makes us even.”

“What secret?”

“Mind your business, Madds,” Kristen shut her off absentmindedly, sounding colder than intended. She closed her eyes, rubbing her temples to gather her thoughts. “I’m sorry. It’s just that my head has been a mess lately. There is this person that I…”

It was as if her brain shut off immediately once she saw her father walking towards them. She was surprised to see he hadn’t shaved for what appeared to be weeks. The dark circles underneath his eyes were a sign that he wasn’t getting much sleep. He greeted her with a hug as usual, and she could smell the thick scent of tobacco on his coat.

“Since when do you smoke?” Kristen asked him.

“I don’t,” said Michael, confused at first, before remembering the jinn regularly lighting its pipe whenever it felt bored. “I must have been from the diner I went to the other night. They let people use e-cigarettes there.”

“Mom wasn’t with you? I know she can’t stand the smell of cigarettes in the slightest. Where is she, by the way?”

“She had to stay in Glendale to finish some paperwork. I’m sorry you didn’t get to meet her this time either, sweetie.” his reserve of lies had begun to diminish. It was hard enough for both him and his wife to hide their true occupation from their daughter.

“I feel like she’s been avoiding me. Did I do something to make her mad?”

“No, nothing of the sort. We’re both very proud of you,” her father smiled.

“Is she sick?”

“She got the flu last week, but she’s doing well now.”

“You know that’s not what I meant.”

“There’s nothing to worry about. I assure you,” it pained him to use words he himself hardly believed. “What about you? How is life as a med student?”

“Stressful.”

“She does nothing but study all day,” said Maddison as she applied another layer of black lipstick. Her appearance had changed so much since the last time Michael saw her that he barely recognized her. She was one of the very few friends Kristen had in high school. “I’m not praising her. If she doesn’t learn to relax from time to time, she will get an ulcer. Tell her. She doesn’t believe me.”

“You can’t get an ulcer from stress,” Kristen argued. “They’re caused by bacterial infection. You would have known this if you had picked up a book for once. It will do you no harm to read something other than text messages.”

“It’s not true. I can get a papercut. Besides, the school library is haunted by a spirit, so I’m not stepping foot in there unless there are free tacos.”

“Haunted?” Questined Michael, his face turning pale.

“I’ve heard rumours that a strange woman is lurking in the area, “Maddison continued, leaning in as if she was prepared to share the story of an urban legend at a campfire. “She’s like a shadow, vanishing any time someone goes near her. I haven’t seen pictures, so it’s probably something the upperclassmen made up, but if it is true, my guess is that she’s either a ghost or a Russian spy.”

“Or a shy girl who doesn’t like talking to anyone,” said Kristen, rolling her eyes at her friend’s absurd theories.

“Nah, that’s boring. I think I’ll go with a Russian spy,” said Maddison. She once again reached into her purse, grabbing a hand mirror to fix her makeup. Upon looking up, she seemed overstimulated, her irises widening to the size of her pupils. “Oh, my God, he’s here,” she whispered. “Kris, don’t look to your left, or he’ll notice us staring.”

“Who?” Kristen stared at her, confused.

“What do you mean by who? He’s probably the most popular student on campus. He’s a last-year top-of-his-class. Never failed a single exam. Some say he’s smarter than the teachers here. God, he’s even more gorgeous up close. You haven’t heard it from me, but rumor says he used to work as a mortician when he was in high school.”

“You and your stupid rumors.”

“What are you doing? I said don’t look. Oh, crap, he’s coming here. How is my hair?”

Michael couldn’t help but wonder who that man was. Stricken with curiosity, he turned his head around to see, causing his heart to drop to his stomach. A sense of vertigo overtook him. He subconsciously prayed to whatever deity was out there; it was merely a hallucination.

“Do you mind if I sit here?” The man asked, his thin lips forming a deceitfully charming smile. He wore a short white coat over his linen shirt. “I believe we’ve met before. My name is Andrzej. Andrzej Grzeskowiak.”

“You taught us the histology class when Mr. Harrison was sick. I remember you. “Kristen smiled politely, introducing herself.

“And I remember you. You were the only student who passed the exam,” he redirected his attention to her friend. “And you were the one who thought I wouldn’t notice when you copied from her.”

Maddison flushed, looking away as if she were oblivious of the matter. She taped the table with her fingernails, hoping he would change the subject.

“What are you doing here?” Michael said sternly, unable to prevent the words from escaping his mouth. The lenses of his glasses nearly cracked under the spite exuding from his cold glare.

“I study here, mister,” Andrzej said, lifting an eyebrow. “Do I know you from somewhere? Oh, I know. I work as a phlebotomist at a nearby clinic. Perhaps you’ve seen me there, though I wear a mask most of the time. Not many people recognize me.”

“Perhaps…” Michael muttered through a clenched jaw.

“Is this your daughter?”

“She is.”

“You must be proud. She’s such a bright girl. Beautiful too,” the necromancer smirked, knowing well that his last statement would have surely earned him a jab to the face if there were no other people present. He decided to stoke the fire even further. “Forgive me if I sound rude, but you two don’t look much alike. Maybe she takes after her mother?”

Michael knew better than to let such cheap tricks make him lose his composure.

“I hear that a lot,” said Kristen. “Thought there’s no way I could know. My biological parents passed away when I was a baby.”

“So you’re adopted? What a coincidence, me too,” said Andrzej. “I grew up in Krakow before me, and my foster mom moved to Colorado.”

“You don’t have a father?” Michael asked. To him, that explained a lot.

“He left the family when my mom developed retinitis pigmentosa. It’s a genetic eye disease that causes a progressive degeneration of the retina. By the time I turned twelve, she was completely blind.”

“That’s cruel,” Kristen exclaimed, her gentle voice filled with sympathy, much to Michael’s discontent. “You must have had a rough upbringing.”

“We still managed to make ends meet, so I can’t complain. One must be grateful for the things they have in life,” Andrzej pretended to glance at his watch, after which he stood up, moving a strand of hair behind his ear. “I must leave for pathology class. I hope to see you around soon.” He waved the three of them goodbye before turning to Kristen and sending her a wink, making sure her father would notice. “Especially you,” he added.

Maddison put a hand over her gaping mouth as if she had witnessed a train wreck, her eyes glistening with a spark. She regained her composure and shortly after announced what was already going through Michael’s head.

“I think he sooo into you.” The vocalization of his thoughts caused his heart to skip a beat. He suddenly felt sick from the image his mind so viciously conjured up. A lump formed in his throat before he could say anything.

“He was just being nice, Maddie. You’re watching too many K dramas,” Kristen shrugged, taking a sip of her tea. “And to be honest, he’s not really my type.” A sharp exhale escaped Michael’s lungs, expressing his profound relief; he lacked the strength to mask. “Besides, I’m already seeing someone.”

“Really?” Asked Maddie with a note of skepticism.

“Really?” Michael repeated with a stunned look.

It occurred to his daughter that she had perhaps shared something she didn’t intend to, biting her lip nervously. “I mean… It’s nothing serious, really. We’ve only been on a few dates so far.”

“Just make sure to introduce me to him when things get serious,” her father reassured her. “We’ll be staying in town for a while, so please do call me whenever you need to talk. I’m so sorry I couldn’t spend more time with you, sweetie. Me and your mom had a lot of work lately. I promise we’ll make up for it.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Kristen answered with a bittersweet smile. “I will always love you, dad. Make sure you tell mom I love her, too.”

“I will,” the words flew out of his mouth like thorns.

***

Michael left the cafeteria, ready to break something, preferably the necromancer’s impeccable jawline. Had he not suffered enough that fate had to punish him by putting that bastard and Kristen on the same campus? He swallowed his rage. There were more important things at hand. He couldn’t bear the thought of seeing them together again, but even less so could he stomach keeping the truth about her mother a secret. What if the jinn was right? What if there was really no other way to get Maria back? Was it worth making a deal with the devil?

Stormy clouds hung above him like an omen. Now he had to go back to that thing and pretend everything was fine, pretend there was still hope within him.

“We need to talk, wujek,” a voice called to him, causing him to clench his fists.

“You’re right. We do need to talk,” said Michael. “If I ever see you anywhere near Kristen, I’ll turn your life into a living hell.”

“You’re a bit late for that,” Andrzej muttered under his nose as he shook off the cinder from his cigarette. “I have no interest in your daughter. She’s way too innocent for my taste. What I do have interest is your skills. Have you reconsidered my offer?”

“Don’t you have a pathology class? Go there and stop bothering me.”

“I already know the textbook by heart. It can wait. This can’t. Don’t get me wrong, Michael. I’m more than capable of handling this whole case on my own, but I simply don’t have the time. I have a day job, classes to attend, corpses to revive. My schedule is very busy, you see. I can’t waste my precious waking hours being a henchman for the Order.”

“Then don’t. Who’s forcing you?”

“It’s not that simple. The Order is a powerful organization; they have ties all over the world, including those of sorcerers. If I refuse to do their bidding, they will no doubt find a way to drag me there against my will.”

“And would that be so bad? Perhaps it’s where you belong,” Michael couldn’t bother hiding the glee in his tone.

“I have no business in there. Necromancy is banned in the realm of magicians, and I have no talent for any other sort of magic. I’d much rather stay here and become a surgeon, so I’ll have no need for this stupid side business of mine. I want to save lives, not bring them back from the dead when it’s already too late.”

“I find it hard to believe a man like you has any altruistic reasons to do anything.”

“Why? Just because I have some unorthodox hobbies doesn’t mean I’m evil.”

“Hobbies?” Michael scoffed. “You call raping desperate women a hobby?”

“Keep your voice down,” the necromancer scolded him. A spark of rage flickered through his eyes. He turned his head around to check if anyone was listening. “I didn’t rape anyone. Those women gave their consent, knowing full well what was in store for them. They get what they want. I get what I want. Where’s the issue in that?”

“Does your foster mother know about those deals you make, or was that sob story something you made up?”

“Mother?” Andrzej chuckled. “Lena would kill me if I ever called her that. She indeed adopted me, but not because she wanted a son. She wanted a student whom she could exploit, whip into shape, and turn into her protégé. Even if she did know about the deals, she couldn’t care less. Like most sorcerers, she sees humans like nothing more than hairless monkeys.”

“And you don’t.”

“I am half-human after all. On top of being a necromancer, I only give more reasons to the magical society to hate me.”

“Doing what you do doesn’t help your case. What about your so-called ‘assistant’? Whatever contract she’s under doesn’t give you permission to treat her that way.”

“She can leave whenever she wants. I pay her enough to rent her own place. She stays with me on her own accord.”

“Why?”

“God knows.”

“Which one?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Is it true that you’re a descendant of an old God?”

“Who told you that?” Andrzej jolted as if he was stung. He dropped his cigarette and then lit another one. “Probably the jinn, right? Tsk. Whatever. Let’s get back on track. There is one more crucial thing I forgot to tell you the last time we met. I usually warn each of my clients about this, but you ran off before I got the chance.”

“I thought I already made it clear that I’m not interested in doing business with you.”

“Listen to me. It’s important,” Andrzej stared him down, dead serious. “During the process of reviving someone, one severs their connection with the afterlife forever. Meaning their soul will know no rest until the end of time, the moment they become an undead. This is why sorcerers are forbidden from practicing necromancy. In a way, it’s like a curse you place on a dead person. When they die again, that’s it. Endless void. An eternity doomed to nothingness.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Michael flinched, taking a step back.

“Because I’m trying to reverse the process. I promised someone I’ll get their soul back, so they won’t have to face that bleak fate.”

“W-“

“A-ah,” the necromancer stopped him. “I know what you’re going to say. Why in the world should you trust me? That’s the thing. I have no reason to trust you either. Hell, having to be on the same team as that thing you call ‘jinn’ is putting both Nami and me at more risk than you can imagine. Sometimes you need to gamble. There are no certain things in life.”

Michael took a deep breath as he placed the tip of his fingers upon the bridge of his nose. The past few days had given him a massive headache, one he desperately hoped to get rid of. In his mind’s eye, he could only see Kristen’s face, red from tears after learning the corpse of her mother was now used as a tool by an ancient being, whose origin he did not know. He wished to turn back time and would have gladly done so if it were within the jinn’s power. Sadly, this, along with reviving a dead person, was one of the few things it wasn’t capable of doing.

“Why have you suddenly gone quiet?” Andrzej pestered him as he took another puff. He clicked his tongue and checked his watch before putting out his cigarette. “I need to go now. You have my number if you ever change your mind. I’m busy tonight, so don’t call me, but feel free to leave me a text or voicemail.”

“I will work with you,” Michael reluctantly said at last, peeling his gaze from the pavement to look into the necromancer’s eyes. “I only need you to tell me one thing. Why did you choose this occupation?”

“The necromancy? I didn’t have much of a choice. It’s the only type of magic I’m good at. The only reason I’m still doing it is to pay for my tuition.”

“No. I mean, why did you choose to become a doctor? In fact, why would any sorcerer choose to spend more than a decade of their life to pursue a career in a medical field?”

“I thought I already told you. I want to save lives…”

“There must be another reason. Was it because of the money?”

“If it were riches I was after, I would have simply continued with my side business.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“It’s true.”

“Why would a bastard like you want to save lives?”

“What is it to you?” Andrzej retorted, growing annoyed by the exorcist’s persistence. “I have my reasons. You think you’re so righteous. If you had any rectitude at all, you wouldn’t allow a jinn to peruse around in your wife’s corpse,” he leaned closer. “Heed my advice. Either we shake hands right now and tolerate each other for as long as it’s necessary, or you go ahead and dig up a grave like you should have done in the first place. I have no desire to share my background or even less, listen to yours.”

Michael held back the urge to cause a scene, as much as he would love to demonstrate his years of combat training on the smug necromancer. He nodded without making a sound and reluctantly squeezed his stretched-out hand with enough force to hear his fingers crack. The nefarious smile forming on the man’s face suggested to Michael that this move was a mistake, remembering he had a different reaction than regular people when it came to causing or feeling pain.

“You chose wisely,” Andrzej said as he flexed his hand. “I’ll send you details via e-mail on what I know regarding the case. My assistant and I have been busy collecting data these past few weeks. Luckily for us, I already have a lead.”