Elias sighed deeply, dragging a hand down his face as he turned back toward the hallway leading to his chambers.
His instincts screamed at him to retreat and pretend none of this ever happened, yet the translucent forms of the ghosts lingered before him, their pale, spectral faces twisted with panic.
"I need to leave," Elias said firmly, keeping his voice low to avoid drawing attention. "I don't have time for... whatever this is."
One of the ghosts, a young woman with hollow eyes and a faintly shimmering outline, shook her head violently, her movements frantic.
She raised her hands and gestured toward the corridor ahead, her urgency palpable even without words.
"Look," Elias began, forcing his voice to remain calm. "I understand you want something, but I'm not—"