Ken raised an eyebrow at the reaction but left the subject alone. Whatever it was, it probably was not in his best interest to pry. There were no signs of red flags; if it was serious, she'd at least mention it, right?

In any case, he now had to explain a story about as equal on the believability scale as ghosts. "This morning," he began, "someone told me at breakfast that the institute allowed visitors. Not just any visitor, but people we'd recognize."

"It doesn't stop there." Knowing the climax was soon approaching, Ken sighed and stared down at his food. "He said the institute can bring back the dead."