Shadows of Eldridge

Chapter VI: Parallel Paths

The sound of rapid keystrokes filled the room, punctuated by the occasional frustrated sigh. Alexander Reed sat hunched over his laptop, his eyes fixed on the screen with an intensity that bordered on obsession. He had been working in the university library for hours, long after most students had gone to bed. The only light in the room came from the dim glow of his computer screen, casting sharp shadows across his face. For as long as he could remember, Alexander had been in competition with Ambrose Sinclair. From the moment they first crossed paths in their freshman year, the rivalry had been inevitable. Both were top students, fiercely intelligent and driven by a hunger for success. But while Ambrose was the golden boy, charismatic, well-connected, seemingly perfect. Alexander had always been the one in the shadows, working twice as hard to prove himself.

Ambrose Sinclair had a way of making everything look effortless, and it grated on Alexander more than he cared to admit. No matter how hard he pushed himself, Ambrose was always one step ahead, always the one receiving the accolades, the praise, the attention. It was infuriating.

And now Ambrose was dead.

The news had hit the campus like a thunderclap, sending shockwaves through the student body. But for Alexander, the impact was even more profound. On the surface, he had expressed the appropriate amount of shock and grief, even attending the vigil with the rest of his classmates. But deep down, his mind was a maelstrom of conflicting emotions.

He had wanted to beat Ambrose, to finally come out on top. But not like this. Not with Ambrose gone, his life snuffled out before the competition could reach its peak. There was no satisfaction in this victory, only a hollow, aching void where his ambition had once burned. Alexander's hands hovered over the keyboard as he stared at the screen. He was supposed to be working on a research paper about the Universal Influenza Vaccine, something that had consumed him for weeks. But tonight, his thoughts kept drifting back to Ambrose. To their last conversation. To the way Ambrose had looked at him, as if he knew something Alexander didn't.

"What are you hiding?" Alexander muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing as he replayed the memory in his mind. Ambrose had been acting strange in the weeks leading up to his death, distracted, secretive, even paranoid. And then there was that conversation with Dr. Blackwood, the one Alexander had overheard by accident. Something about shutting down a research project. Something that had clearly upset Ambrose.

Alexander couldn't avoid the feeling that there was more to this story, that Ambrose's death was connected to something bigger, something dangerous. He didn't know what it was, but he was determined to find out.  If Ambrose had been onto something, then maybe—just maybe, Alexander could pick up where he left off.

But as Alexander sat there, lost in thought, he became aware of a presence behind him. He turned sharply, his heart skipping a beat, only to see a familiar face standing in the doorway.

"Burning the midnight oil again, Reed?" The voice was smooth, with a hint of amusement.
It was Oliver Grant. Alexander had never particularly liked Oliver, but they shared a mutual respect for each other's intellect.

"What do you want, Grant?" Alexander asked, his tone curt. He wasn't in the mood for small talk.

Oliver raised an eyebrow, stepping further into the room. "Just checking in. Everyone's on edge, you know. With Ambrose's death and all. Figure you'd be knee-deep in your research, as usual."

Alexander eyed him warily. "What's your point?"

"My point," Oliver said, leaning casually against a bookshelf, "is that people are starting to talk. They're saying Ambrose was involved in something... unsavory. Maybe even illegal. And that it got him killed."