She Used Me for a Dare… Now I Own Her Mother Chapter 365: Aftermath

The atmosphere inside the Main Hall had transformed. The chaotic rush of mid-afternoon had faded into a calm, steady murmur while the sun sank lower beyond the arched windows.

Alex glided through the aisles with a calm, fluid pace, his skin refreshed from a swift rinse and his attire adjusted to project an air of relaxed scholarly intent.

He noticed them right where he'd first laid eyes on them when stepping into the hall.

Mike and Sarah bent over their hefty tomes, immersed deeply in their studies.

Danny, on the other hand, lounged back in his seat, his idle stare drifting across the room until it caught on Alex.

The reaction hit him like lightning... he shot straight up in his chair.

"Hey, you're finally here," Danny hissed, his tone laced with real, urgent relief. "I really thought you weren't gonna show."

Alex flashed a lazy, confident grin as he dragged out the chair next to him and dropped into it.

"I got held up with something in the stacks. Time slipped away."

Mike kept his nose buried in his massive books without glancing up.

"You know how tough it is to snag an extra chair during this madness, Alex? You're fortunate I didn't sell this seat to some random first-year."

"Next coffee round's on me," Alex proposed with a subtle, charming smirk. "Call it my apology."

"Double shots, and we're even," Mike grumbled, finally bookmarking his spot and raising his eyes.

"Alex, you missed a huge thing." Danny edged closer, dropping his voice to a secretive murmur, his ennui swapped for the thrill of school rumors.

"I watched Sophia Blackwood storm out of here maybe twenty minutes back, looking primed for battle. I've seen her mad before, but this was next level. She appeared like she'd spotted a specter."

Alex reclined, a subtle, enigmatic smile brushing his mouth. He gave no clarification; he just observed the dust particles swirling in the beams of light.

"Something wild must've gone down," Danny pressed on, eyes bulging. "The mood in here flipped the instant she dashed off. You catch nothing?"

Before Alex could reply, Sarah leaned across and poked Danny hard in the ribs with her elbow.

"Ow! What the heck?" Danny yelped, grabbing his side from the sharp jab.

"For being such a prying pest," Sarah snapped, lifting her eyes to glare at him sternly. "You'd have cracked question four by now if you stared at your books half as much as you gawk at everyone entering and exiting those doors."

"Let Sophia handle her own mess and zero in on our final exam... we can't slack on it," she continued, her gaze holding on him a second more before returning to her textbook.

Danny sulked, slumping back in his chair. "I'm only saying... the vibe felt off."

"The only 'off' thing is your zero concentration," Sarah shot back.

Alex leaned in and flipped open one of the heavy books prepped for him on the table. The cozy group vibe, the everyday squabbles, and the secure brightness of the hall stood worlds apart from the destruction he'd abandoned in Row 42.

"She's correct, Danny," Alex murmured softly, his gaze already racing over the packed text lines ahead. "Stick to the books. All the rest is mere distraction."

A heavy quiet enveloped the table, yet it buzzed with purpose this time.

During the following hour, nothing broke the hush but the gentle flip of pages, the light scrape of pens on paper, and the sporadic creak of shifting chairs throughout the library.

To Alex, the content seemed ridiculously basic. Ideas locked into his brain instantly upon a glance, solid and lasting, as though they'd resided there forever.

While others hesitated, re-read, and wrestled to link ideas, he flowed smoothly, transforming every page into solid knowledge. His mind cut keener now... swifter, more profound... like an engine revved past its peak. Revisions weren't necessary.

Next to him, Danny had yielded to Sarah's reprimand; he hunched over his textbook, forehead creased in an uncommon burst of true focus, even if he still drummed an impatient beat on the table leg now and then.

With the library's ceiling lights flickering on to mark evening's arrival, Mike stretched out at last, his joints cracking loudly in the still space.

"Okay, that's my max for now," Mike mumbled, scrubbing at his eyes. "One more line and my head's frying."

"Cafeteria?" Danny piped up, his head jerking high, food's allure snapping him alert. "I desperately need coffee."

"Caffeine hits first," Sarah concurred, shutting her book with a firm snap of satisfaction.

Alex shut his book with a soft thump. He could've kept devouring page upon page, chapter after chapter... but why bother? He'd absorbed all the essentials already.

Instead, he eased back a touch, his eyes sweeping across the table.

"So," he remarked, laid-back yet watchful, "how's the reading going for you all? Notice any change?"

Sarah halted, her pen dangling in mid-air.

"Yeah... come to think of it." She furrowed her brow lightly, probing the idea aloud. "The ideas seem... simpler to get. Like they're snapping into place quicker. And I last longer without fatigue."

She looked toward the group.

Mike nodded gradually, rolling his shoulders. "Me too. Figured it was only me."

Danny blinked in mild shock. "Yeah... didn't drift off once. That's... unusual."

A subtle consensus rippled across the table, everyone hitting the same realization together.

Alex stayed silent, his look resting on them briefly. Then, he started packing up... steady and purposeful, like no more talk was needed.

The rest mirrored him, tucking books into packs and piling notes in unison. No one probed deeper; it wasn't required. The truth had planted itself firmly in their heads.

The library had emptied further, with just a few stragglers bent over books and lit screens, immersed in solitude.

"Let's head out," Alex stated, moving ahead, his tone hushed yet firm.

They traversed the Main Hall, their steps echoing softly in the hush as sparse students dotted the area, in no rush.

Moving from the library's thick, oppressive quiet to the breezier, laid-back calm outdoors brought sweet relief.

***

The cafeteria buzzed inside with rattling trays and muffled conversations.

Upon entering, Alex's eyes zeroed in without straying; they fixed on a dim corner booth.

There, under the faint glow, Madison and Emma sat. No food. No chat. Just perched motionless, staring at the entrance, awaiting him with the same eerie calm as the girls from the Archives.

"They're still waiting," Alex mused inwardly, a chill spark of satisfaction flashing as he recalled their prior begging.