The next morning, I was running completely late for class. When I finally hurried through the lecture hall doors, I spotted my group immediately. Ethan, my idiot friend, was sitting there grinning like crazy, while Iris and Ela were leaning in close, gossiping intensely about something. A sudden wave of panic hit me. Did they find out about the note?. I slowed my pace, clutching my bag tightly against my chest. Inside that bag was the heavy weight of my secrets from last night. I took a deep breath and walked over to them, trying to act completely normal. "What are you guys muttering about?" I demanded, dropping my books onto the wooden desk. They looked up at me as I collapsed into the seat next to them, their gossip pausing for a brief second."You're late, future doctor," Ethan said, his signature grin widening."I know," I replied, rolling my eyes as I tried to catch my breath. I looked at the three of them, my heart pounding as the memory of the moonlit library rushed back.

I leaned across the desk, lowering my voice to a sharp whisper."You know... something happened last night."Iris gasped, her mouth opening to ask a million questions, and Ethan leaned forward, his grin instantly turning into a look of intense curiosity. But before a single word could leave their lips, the heavy wooden doors at the front of the lecture hall swung open with a loud thud.

Our professor strode into the room, slamming a thick stack of medical journals onto the podium. The sudden noise made all of us snap back into our seats."Good morning, class," the professor's booming voice echoed through the hall. "Open your textbooks to page one-hundred."

I sat up straight, grabbing my notebook, but my skin was tingling. Across the desk, Iris was glaring at me, silently mouthing the words: You are telling us everything after this. I choked back a nervous smile. Little did they know, I didn't even have all the answers myself.

As the professor began drawing a complex diagram of the human circulatory system on the chalkboard, a sudden, icy chill swept through the closed lecture hall. Out of nowhere, a sharp gust of wind howled through the room, slamming the heavy glass windows shut with a deafening rattle.

The air grew so freezing cold that my breath turned into tiny plumes of mist. Students began whispering and shivering, wrapping their coats tighter around themselves."Quiet down, please," the professor frowned, rubbing his arms. He picked up his piece of chalk to resume teaching, but the moment the chalk touched the board, it snapped perfectly in half. He sighed, picking up another piece. It snapped again. Then, the main lights in the auditorium began to flicker violently. Nobody else understood what was happening—they all assumed it was just a faulty electrical system or a sudden storm outside. But as I stared at the chalkboard, my heart practically stopped beating. The professor's neat handwriting on the board was slowly being smudged away, as if an invisible hand was wiping it clear.

In its place, the powdery white chalk dust began moving on its own, swirling across the black surface until it formed words in a fluid, elegant cursive calligraphy. It was the exact same handwriting from the anatomy book. It didn't spell out a medical term. It spelled out a direct message: Ho sentito la tua voce, Pia. (I heard your voice, Pia.)My eyes widened in absolute shock as the chalk dust suddenly vanished into the air, leaving the board blank.

No one else had noticed the words; they were too busy complaining about the blinking lights. But I knew. The ghost from page forty-two wasn't just confined to the library anymore. He was here.

"Who r u?"

It was the exact same handwriting from the anatomy book. It was answering the folded note I had hidden on the library shelf last night.

The board read: Sono Julian, Pia. (I am Julian, Pia.)My eyes widened in absolute shock as the chalk dust suddenly scattered into the air, leaving the board blank again.

No one else had noticed the name; they were too busy complaining about the blinking lights. But I knew. The ghost from page forty-two wasn't just confined to the library anymore. He was here, and he knew exactly who I was.

I hurriedly scribbled a reply, hoping whatever presence was in the room could see it:“Okay so Julian, can we talk later? You are in the middle of my class.” I stared at my notebook page, holding my breath. A second later, a tiny, freezing draft blew directly across my desk. Before my very eyes, a faint layer of chalk dust settled onto my paper, swirling into elegant letters right beneath my question.

It read: “Okay, love.” A deep blush rushed to my face as the dust scattered into the air, leaving my notebook clean again. The ghost from page forty-two wasn't just confined to the library anymore. He was right here, listening to me....

Soon after, the bell Rang. Leaving my confused friends behind the moment the bell rang, I practically ran back to the ancient library, drawn by an invisible thread I could no longer ignore.

But as my fingers touched the worn spine of the anatomy textbook, I realized my folded note was gone—replaced by a silver antique key that definitely hadn't been there last night......