Kel and Presence stared at each other, drunk on the impossibility of the moment. Their words came out soft and stunned, like they were afraid speaking too loudly might break the spell.

"You're... here," Presence breathed, her voice competing with her heartbeat for volume.

"Yep," Kel replied, eloquent as ever.

"And... solid?" Her fingers ghosted over his face, half-expecting him to vanish.

"Last time I checked."

It was the kind of conversation you'd have in a dream, where nothing quite makes sense but everything feels right. Reality had taken a vacation, and in its place was this moment - impossible, beautiful, and fragile as a soap bubble.

"How?" She asked.

Kel's mouth twitched into a lopsided grin. "Would you buy 'magic'?"

This seemed to break the spell. Presence let out a short laugh, shaking her head. "Of course. Because that's exactly what this situation needed - more impossibility."

"Hey, after weeks of ghosthood, impossible is my new normal," Kel quipped, his grin going full mode.

Presence's eyes did a not-so-subtle sweep of his body. "Not bad for a dead guy," she mused, her tone a cocktail of awe and snark. "Looking pretty... lively."

Kel nodded, suddenly sheepish. "Yeah, well, you smell amazing."

"Oh god," Presence groaned, "Put me down."

He obliged with theatrical huffing, like he was setting down a grand piano.

"I hate you," Presence said, rolling her eyes so hard they practically did a backflip.

"No, you don't," Kel replied, his voice soft as a whisper but heavy as a promise.

Their eyes locked again, the moment stretching like taffy. But before they could dive into the deep end of whatever this was, a weak cough from inside the building crashed their little reunion party.

Reality check, courtesy of the universe's impeccable timing. Kel's eyes widened. "Shit, Anthony!"

"Anthony?" Presence asked, confusion evident in her voice. "What about... oh. Right. Him."

Kel gave her a look that was equal parts exasperation and fondness. "Come on, we need to help him."

As they hurried inside, the flickering fluorescent lights cast eerie shadows on the peeling walls. Presence muttered under her breath, "Fine, but if he tries to touch me again, I'm pushing him off the roof myself."

Kel couldn't help but chuckle. Even in the face of the extraordinary, some things remained comfortingly familiar.

As Kel and Presence reached Anthony, they found him barely clinging to life. His eyes, glassy with pain and disbelief, focused on Kel once more.

"How... how is this even possible?" Anthony gasped out, his voice weak and strained.

"Hold still," Kel commanded, a look of concentration crossing his face. He made a gesture, as if testing something unseen, and then, to everyone's amazement, his hand became intangible. Without hesitation, he phased his ghostly hand into Anthony's chest.

Anthony cried out in pain, his body tensing as Kel's ethereal fingers searched inside him. After a few agonizing moments, Kel withdrew his hand, now holding the bullet.

"Looks like your heart dodged a bullet. Literally," Kel announced, his tone a mixture of relief and disbelief at his own abilities.

"What are you?" Anthony coughed.

"A miracle," Kel scoffed.

Anthony coughed, painting his lips red. His eyes found Presence, who was glaring daggers at him. Suddenly, the weight of his choices felt heavier than the bullet in his chest.

Tears welled up as Anthony fumbled for words. How could he possibly explain? How could he even begin to apologize for everything?

""I swear on my brother's life," he choked out, "I didn't kill you."

Kel's eyebrows did a surprised little dance. His eyes met Anthony's, surprise and uncertainty evident in his gaze.

"I swear," Anthony repeated, the tears now flowing freely. "I've done a lot of shitty things but I could never kill you." His words came out in a rush, as if afraid he might not have the strength to finish. "Yes, Chief made an offer, more like tried to make me do it, but I couldn't. You got hit —died by an actual hit and run. It was never me, I swear it."

The confession hung in the air, heavy with implications. Kel's expression was unreadable as he processed Anthony's words. Could he trust him? Doubt gnawed at the edges of his mind, but the sincerity in Anthony's eyes gave him pause. He remembered the years of friendship, the countless moments of loyalty. Was it possible Anthony was telling the truth?

Presence looked between the two, her own face a storm of conflicting emotions.

Kel exhaled heavily, his gaze fixed on Anthony as he processed this new information. "But why did he want me dead?"

Anthony coughed, each word a struggle. "That's a question for Funi. Or should I say... Afefe."

The revelation hung in the air, adding another layer of complexity to the already tangled web of deception. Kel's mind reeled, trying to reconcile this new piece of the puzzle.

After a moment, Kel spoke again, his tone serious. "You need to call 911."

Anthony shook his head, barely. "If I'm here when the police arrives, I'll be wearing prison jumpsuits for life."

"Better than playing hide-and-seek with the law forever," Kel countered, concern sneaking into his voice.

"I'll take my chances," Anthony replied, stubborn as a mule even with a bullet hole in his chest.

It was a standoff, not with guns, but with choices. And sometimes, those were the deadliest showdowns of all.

Kel's expression softened like butter in the sun. "Aren't you tired of all this... everything?"

Anthony's eyes met his, a cocktail of desperation and stubbornness. "Kelechi, I've got a brother to look after. Who'll do that while I'm playing jailbird?"

"Not like you've been Brother of the Year lately," Kel shot back, his words sharp enough to cut.

Anthony's mouth opened, then closed, swallowing the comeback. He coughed, sounding like a car with engine trouble. "Go catch Chief," he wheezed. "Find Funi... find your answers." Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, a stark reminder of the ticking clock.

The air in the stairwell got heavy, like it was made of decisions instead of oxygen. Kel's face screamed 'internal struggle.'

Presence, who had been silent throughout the exchange, finally spoke up. "Kel, we don't have much time. Whatever we decide, we need to do it fast."

Kel nodded, his gaze moving between Anthony and Presence. The clock was ticking, and with each passing moment, the chances of catching Chief - and uncovering the truth - grew slimmer. Yet, could he really leave Anthony, his once-best friend, bleeding out on the floor?

Anthony flashed a smile that was more grimace than grin. "Don't sweat it. I'm Anthony Adodo Ighodaro. We don't die easy."

Kel returned the smile, grabbed Presence's hand, and poof - they vanished like magic trick gone right, reappearing outside Funi's dorm.

Their persistent knocking for 15 minutes yielded no response. It was Lade, Funi's new neighbour, passing by, who finally provided some information. "Funi? She said she was going home to see her father," Lade told them, a hint of uncertainty in her voice. When she finally looked at Kel's face, her eyes narrowed slightly as she studied his face. 'I've seen you before, haven't I?' she asked, her tone tentative, as if trying to place a half-remembered memory."

"No, I don't think so," Kel smiled.

Presence immediately dialed Funi's number, but each attempt went straight to voicemail. As they exited the building, a sense of frustration and urgency hung between them.

"What now?" Presence asked, her voice tinged with worry and exasperation.

Kel's eyes landed on a bench outside Funi's dorm, and suddenly he was time-traveling in his mind. The scent of pine and wooden deodorant yanked him back to a day when he was alive and love was simple.

In his mind's eye, he saw himself sprawled on that bench, head in Funi's lap, drunk on her scent and the illusion of forever. They'd been playing the 'safe place' game, and he'd tried to be smooth, claiming she was his sanctuary.

Funi had laughed, her eyes twinkling like she knew a secret the universe didn't. Then she'd whispered about her real safe haven - her late mom's lagoon house. "Even Dad doesn't know it exists," she'd confided.

The memory faded, leaving Kel with a sudden clarity. He turned to Presence, his eyes bright with realization.

"I think I know where she is," he said, his voice filled with certainty.

Presence raised an eyebrow, hope and skepticism warring in her expression. "Care to share with the class?"

Kel nodded, already preparing himself for another teleportation. "Her mother's old home, by the lagoon. It's a place even her father doesn't know about. If she's looking for a safe haven, that's where she'll be."

As understanding dawned on Presence's face, Kel reached for her hand once more. The pieces of the puzzle were slowly coming together, and this next move could be crucial in unraveling the entire mystery.

"Ready?" Kel asked, his grip tightening slightly.

Presence nodded, her face set with determination. "Let's go find some answers."

With that, they vanished once more, leaving behind the bustling campus and heading towards a secluded lagoon where, hopefully, the truth awaited them.

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