The Volt Cannon blazed into life, firing a crackling surge of energy towards the newly opened portal. It sizzled into the dark world within, exploding in a turmoil of lightning.

The shrieking from the darkness was almost deafening. Out in the corridor, Newt and Rowan clasped their hands over their ears.

As the sound and light subsided, the churning darkness stayed within its own world.

‘It’s not coming out,’ breathed Rowan.

‘I think it worked,’ said Newt. ‘I think she’s stopped the darkness.’

‘What’s that?’ Rowan pointed to another mechanical arm that was lowering from the ceiling.

‘No idea,’ said Newt. ‘But why is the portal still open? If the darkness has been stopped, why hasn’t she closed it?’

Energy crackled from the end of the arm. Not a lightning bolt like the Volt Cannon had discharged, but a more focused, concentrated beam. It stabbed forward into the portal. Inside the dark world, light flared and energy cracked. A screeching, far more intense than earlier, filled the air.

The energy beam withdrew from the portal.

Newt gasped. The beam was pulling something out … a bubble of energy, like a smaller version of the one that protected Dr Bloom. Within the bubble was a tiny amount of churning darkness. Contained. Captured.

‘She’s stealing bits of it,’ said Rowan.

More darkness surged after it through the portal.

‘And the darkness isn’t happy about it,’ Newt pointed out.

The Volt Cannon fired again, electricity arcing into the dark depths.

The pursuing darkness withdrew.

The arm with the captured bit of darkness disappeared into a compartment in the ceiling.

And then another arm lowered.

‘She’s doing it again,’ gasped Rowan.

‘She doesn’t care about this world’s safety,’ said Newt. Horrified, her mind ran through the possibility of the darkness escaping and attacking this world again. And of more darkness forcing its way in, seeking revenge. ‘She doesn’t care about anything other than her research. This is not what science is supposed to be like.’

‘If only we could stop her,’ said Rowan.

‘We can!’ Fuelled by her sense of scientific morality, Newt sprang into action.

I can’t believe I’m doing this, she thought, racing across the chamber to the Volt Cannon.

As the metal arm lowered into place between the cannon and the portal, Newt slammed her hand down on the firing control.

The cannon flared into action, a surge of energy striking the mechanism. With an explosion of sparks and smoke, the metal arm fell to the floor – useless.

‘What are you doing?’ screamed Dr Bloom from her protective bubble. ‘You are a saboteur.’

‘I am not!’ declared Newt. ‘I’m just trying to keep this world safe.’

‘I’ll teach you to interfere with my experiments.’ Dr Bloom wrenched at her controls.

The Volt Cannon spun around, its barrel knocking Newt off her feet. She sprawled across the floor and looked up into the nozzle of the weapon.

Her mouth went bone-dry as she thought, this is it!

‘No!’ Rowan shouted and sprinted the length of the chamber, throwing himself between the cannon and Newt.

Newt stared in disbelief. Was Rowan willing to get zapped in order to save her?

Then something unexpected happened.

A point of light appeared in the dark world beyond the portal. It moved towards them.

Newt saw Dr Bloom’s attention and priorities shift in a fraction of a second. The scientist frantically began operating her controls. The whine of the frequency oscillators returned, powering down. And the vibrations in the air ceased.

But the portal remained open, wavering at the edges as if it were about to collapse.

And the ball of light grew larger and nearer.

‘What’s happening?’ yelled Newt.

‘I don’t know,’ cried Dr Bloom. ‘The oscillators are powered down, but the portal won’t close.’

The Volt Cannon swivelled back around to face the portal.

For a moment, Newt thought that this time Dr Bloom might indeed be the cause of this world’s destruction. If the portal wouldn’t close, how long would it be before the darkness got through? Surely the Volt Cannon would run out of power eventually.

The darkness, however, made no further attempt to get through the portal. Instead, the ball of light came nearer and nearer until it popped out onto the dais. Almost immediately the crack sealed up behind it.

The portal was closed.

‘Scanning.’ Dr Bloom continued to operate her controls with a frantic enthusiasm. ‘It’s radiating energy. Powerful energy. Beyond that, my equipment is unable to fathom it.’ She kept up a stream of commentary to herself. ‘Energy is slowly reducing. But what’s the source? What is it?’

She finally gave up and regarded the sphere. Dr Bloom gaped, hesitated, then switched off her energy field. Jumping down, she approached the dais.

As Rowan helped Newt to her feet, she saw Dr Bloom shoot her a venomous look – but then the scientist’s attention was back to the sphere.

Better to be shot with a glare than a cannon, thought Newt.

The silence stretched, as all eyes focused on the sphere with anticipation.

‘Hello.’ The voice came from the sphere of light. It was squeaky, but loud, as if being amplified. ‘I’m going to come out now. Okay?’

No one responded.

After about half a minute, the sphere of light began to gradually dim. As it did so, a figure became visible.

‘It’s a person,’ said Newt.

‘It’s a boy,’ said Rowan.

A pimply teenage boy in purple robes. Looking all of sixteen, he had bright orange hair, green eyes that seemed too large for his face, and a long, thin nose. His back was hunched. He was sweaty and red-faced. He appeared exhausted.

‘I am Stygian Glimmerloss, the one hundred and thirteenth. Heir to the House of Glimmerloss. Mage of War to the Queendom of Zanak. Advisor and confidant to Her Royal Highness Queen Xanxia. And …’ he seemed particularly chuffed about this one. ‘… Traverser of Worlds.’ He spread out his arms in a grand gesture. ‘Behold my greatness!’

He sneezed, resulting in a string of snot dangling from his nose. He sniffed it back up.

‘Sorry about that.’

Newt and Rowan were lost for words.