I fell into the middle of the lobby in the academy.
The only other person there was a Cool Beanz employee closing up shop. He looked at me for a moment and then went back to his business.
Everything else was quiet.
No creepy, honking red-alert horn.
No panicking students.
‘Hello?’ I shouted, my voice echoing down the halls. ‘Somebody help me!’
‘You all right, kid?’ the employee asked.
‘Where is everyone?’
‘They went back to their dorms after that weird alert thing. You should probably head back, too.’
Was it possible that Headmaster Kepler brought me back early enough to warn everyone?
I ran straight for the wall and did exactly the same thing I did on the first night.
I pulled the fire alarm.
I stared at Lost Nation as the ringing bell of the fire alarm chimed behind me. Kids poured out of the academy, less groggy but just as frustrated as they were at the beginning of the school year.
‘Stay inside, go outside,’ some kid said. ‘Make up your mind, ya dumb school building!’
My past self was still down in the city getting his heart broken by Jennifer.
Joel would open a portal soon, and …
Brock.
Joel’s portal would open close to Brock!
That’s why I saw myself earlier!
I ran to the statue, passing Duncan as he floated across the grass.
The ghost did a double take. ‘What’re you doing here? Donald took Penny into the city to find you because you went full klepto in my lab, you little punk! Did you think we didn’t have cameras set up in there?’
I stood by Brock, staring at nothing, just waiting.
‘Ben!’ Duncan said, angry.
‘Any second now …’
‘Any second? What’re you—’
The air magically split, and Joel’s portal stretched open in front of me. I made eye contact with my past self, and we stared at each other for a moment.
It was weird.
Joel dove through and landed at my feet.
‘Ben?’ he asked, confused.
Penny was right on the other side, white energy still bubbling under her skin. ‘She was pouring herself into me! She was erasing me!’
I grabbed Penny and pulled her through to the school just as the portal sealed shut.
The glow from Penny’s skin disappeared. She was frazzled but all right.
Jordan slid to a stop next to us.
‘What’s happening?’ he said. ‘Did Coach find you?’
‘Coach is a bad guy!’ I said. ‘So is Jennifer! I mean, Angel! Ack! I’ll explain later!’
‘Please tell me Angel doesn’t have Project Blackwood,’ Duncan said.
‘Wish I could. Also – she’s gonna be here soon,’ I said. ‘So we need to get outta here. All of us! Everyone!’
Duncan was flabbergasted. ‘Where’s Donald?’
‘He brought me here,’ I said. ‘But he was too fried by the explosion to follow.’
Duncan stopped. ‘What explosion?’
At that moment, the sky lit up over the heart of Lost Nation as an eerily silent ball of white energy ballooned until it burst.
The shock wave travelled through the city, shaking buildings and bending trees all the way up the mountain, streaming past the academy and bringing its terrifying sound with it. BADOOM!
