He didn’t speak loudly or angrily, but Aldric’s single stern word stopped the conversation dead. Silence again filled the room while Aldric did his best to shove his past demons back into the pit he’d buried them in.

After the silence continued for what could have been hours or seconds, Zasia paused in her task long enough to peek at Aldric. The look of pity in her eyes hurt more than anything she could have said. He hated that look.

After letting the quiet linger for a moment longer, Kedrin continued in a soft voice. “... since then. I miss that young man. He was like a brother to me and Zasia. There is very little I wouldn’t try to get him back. You may think us crazy for trying such a thing as making you a teacher, but I am still the headmaster of this academy. As much as I care for you, if I did not think you would excel as an educator, I would never offer you the position. I genuinely believe that you will be an immeasurable source of knowledge for these students, as much as they will be an excellent influence on you. Maybe you’re right, maybe it won’t work, but it won’t be because we didn’t try our best for you.”

Kedrin let that sink in for a moment, then continued in a quieter voice. “There’s also the matter of your... well, your past circumstances. It's getting harder to hide you effectively. We had thought curiosity around you had abated somewhat, but it seems we were wrong.”

Aldric’s earlier anger was forgotten in the wake of his sudden spike of fear. “What do you mean?” he asked quickly.

“Zasia and I have been repeatedly approached regarding anything remaining of you,” Kedrin answered. “We were the closest to you before your ‘death’, so they assume you left something for us. It started out as only polite inquiry, but it has gotten more forceful. We went from politely dismissing messengers to fending off full blown nobility knocking on our doors. I don’t think they ever believed us, and it’s only a matter of time before they try to force our hands.”

Aldric was trying not to show how panicked he felt or how fast his heart was beating. Based on Kedrin’s sympathetic expression, he’d failed.

“We believe that bringing you into the academy as a professor will take attention away from you. Lady Zasia Glory housing an unknown stranger has already drawn attention. With any luck, bringing you into a large academy with abundant staff will help you blend in more.”