Under_The_Whispering_Door_by_TJ_Klune

they’re not as gone as you think? What if part of them still exists?”
“Then that would mean—I don’t know what that would mean.” Hugo
lifted his head, eyes sad, mouth tugging down. “I tried so damn hard to get
through to him, to make him see that he wasn’t defined by his ending. That
even though he saw no other choice, it was over now, and he couldn’t be hurt
again.”
“He lost someone,” Wallace whispered. The sunshine man.
“I know. And no matter what I said, I couldn’t convince him that they’d
find each other again.” He looked toward the door that led to the garden.
“Has anyone ever come back from being a Husk?”
Hugo shook his head. “Not that I’ve heard. They’re rare.” His mouth took
on a bitter twist. “At least that’s what the Manager told me.”
“Okay,” Wallace said. “But even if that’s the case, why aren’t there
hundreds of them? Thousands? He can’t be the first. Why didn’t I see any in
the city after I died?”
“I don’t know,” Hugo said. “The Manager said that … it doesn’t matter
what he said, not now. Not if … Wallace. Do you know what this means?”
He pushed himself off the wall.
“Uh. No?”
“I need to think about this. I can’t … my head is too full right now. But
thank you.”
“For what?”
“Being who you are.”
“It’s not much,” Wallace said, suddenly uncomfortable. “I wasn’t that
great to begin with, as you know.”
Hugo looked like he was going to argue. Instead, he called for Mei.
The music briefly grew louder as she came through the doors, hurrying
down the hall. “What? What is it? Are we under attack? Whose ass do I need
to kick?”
And without looking away from Wallace, Hugo said, “I need you to do me
a favor.”
She glanced between them curiously. “Okay. What?”
“I need you to hug Wallace for me.”
Wallace spluttered.
“Wow,” Mei said. “I’m so glad I ran out here for this.” She tapped her
fingers against her palm. A little light burst before fading as quickly as it’d