Chapter 24: Strings of Sapphire

"Jake…What are you doing here…?" CJ asked the teen who stood before him and Jonah.

"I could ask the same thing." Jake countered him. "You and Jamie disappeared after first period; you ignore all of my calls…"

CJ pondered the situation and concluded. He scoffed. That scoff turned into a chuckle. And the chuckle, into a full-blown hysterical laugh. "I get it…God, I'm so stupid."

Jake raised his eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"Everything…everything you've said and done. Your motives the secrets." CJ listed and gestured. And his arms dropped to his sides. "It was all for her. Everything was for her."

"Again, what, are you—"

"Jamie," CJ stated. "You're obsessed with keeping her safe. You've done everything in your power to keep her out of harm's way."

"I've done everything to keep all of you out of harm's way, you know that!"

"Okay at this point its kind of hard to believe that. Like really, why else would you skip school and come down here of all places if you weren't looking for us?"

"Because I called him here." Jonah stepped up.

CJ paused. "You did what?!"

"As I said. Neither the Earthlings nor Creatures were the cause for the end of the world. It's him. And I'm going to put an end to it here and now."

"I guess getting my father thrown into prison for the rest of his life wasn't enough for you then, huh?" Jake said taking out his deck.

"Both of you stop!" CJ got in between them.

"Please don't get in my way!" Jonah exclaimed. "This is our last shot at victory! We can change the future, Invincible Technology hasn't predicted this reality, we have a shot!"

"So then let's use this to our advantage and talk it out!" CJ shot back. Earthlings, Creatures, its obvious that none of us want our worlds to be destroyed! Aside from everything that's happened how can we stand here and ignore the relationships we have made with each other?!"

"CJ, move," Jake said.

"Shut up! I'm not letting this go through."

"I said…Move!" Jake's eyes flashed gold and suddenly CJ felt a force shove him aside, the teen hitting the floor.

"What the…ow." CJ pushed himself up. "The heck was that?"

"This is your last chance to step down. You're messing with a force that you can't hope to comprehend. No matter what it tells you It's not an ally!"

"I don't need to comprehend it. As long as it gives me the power to protect what I hold dear, I'll gladly give it everything." Jake countered him.

"You'll die a fool," Jonah told him.

"If so, I'll do so graciously," Jake said, raising his hand.

Before CJ could even say anything his fingers snapped. The echo rang in his ears and the increasing rhythm threw him off balance. The room around him grew increasingly white all around until it was just the three of them in the void.

CJ stood up and took a deep breath, trying to process his surroundings. "What is this place…" his voice echoed into the endless void. He looked down and stared at the white floor, above at the white sky, and ahead at the endless road before them.

The Realm Between Worlds… a mysterious voice echoed in response. My World…

CJ turned around reactively and there it stood. A massive sapphire and gold fortress stood before him, the sole structure in this void of nothing. "What the…how long was that there?"

"It's always been there," Jake stated. "Watching us."

CJ turned towards him. "You wanted to keep it a secret from us…"

"He wanted to keep its relationship with it a secret." Jonah insisted. "Whatever it told you was a lie. Take it from someone who fell for its tricks before."

"I already told you that it doesn't matter!" Jake snapped. "Because…my fate was long decided from the beginning."

CJ was still left clueless at Jake's vagueness. It was then he saw Jake look towards him.

"CJ, I'm sorry for everything; truly, I am. I promise to come clean to everyone once I finish things here."

CJ again was taken aback. "Wait are you still going to duel him? Jake, he's not evil, he's on our side! He's not going to—"

"Like I said! Once I finish things here, I'll come clean about everything…"

"There's no sense in talking to him. He's made his choice." Jonah said.

"But…this isn't right. I don't get any of this, why do you two have to fight?!"

"Because…" Jonah said, "that's what this reality dictates."

"Ready?" Jake asked, the table materializing before him.

"Ready," Jonah responded.

CJ got in between them once again. "STOP THIS!"

There is no stopping what I've set in motion…

CJ paused. The voice was back.

Come, Earthling, let us get acquainted with one another…

CJ felt his chest constrict suddenly as if the air was ripped from his lungs. His body grew hot and suddenly his K-Waves visibly ignited around him. Shocked and confused at what was happening, he suddenly began to glow green until he visibly vanished from before them.

Jonah and Jake didn't react to what just happened to CJ. Instead, they were deadlocked in their gazes towards one another.

"DUEL START!" Both Jake and Jonah exclaimed as Shields were deployed. With their hands drawn they accepted that this was it. Everything has led up to this very moment…

And there was no turning back…

CJ hit the crystal floor that suddenly appeared under him. After a moment he rose and looked around. He didn't know where he was, but the interior implied he was inside that mysterious fortress from before.

Welcome…Christopher.

The mysterious voice knew his name. CJ got on both feet and looked around, to see if he could figure out where the voice came from.

Do not bother to look, I am present before you…

"Who are you?"

Simply one who craves knowledge and understanding. Who are you?

"You know who I am!"

The voice chuckled. "I'm afraid I may have misspoken. Perhaps I should've asked, what are you?

What kind of question was that? He thought. "I'm an Earthling."

You're an anomaly. You are a paradox. You are…interesting, to say the least.

CJ didn't know how to respond. "Thank…you?"

I wish to understand you more…please, teach me what it is that has aided you to defy me.

CJ still clueless did the only thing he could think of; pull out his deck.

This is what you Earthlings use…to have the Creatures battle alongside you…

"Yeah, …it's called a Deck."

A…deck…I have heard of these…' decks.' Tell me, what is special about your deck? Something interesting is contained in it and I must know what it is!"

CJ fanned his deck out and retrieved Bombazar. If there was any chance for him to learn what this card was all about, it'd be now. He held it skyward and awaited a response.

Yes…! That's it. The paradoxical challenger of my arrangements!

"What is it? Why does it have two civilizations? How am I connected to it?!"

Yes, why indeed…? To think such lower lifeforms can birth such a magnificent miracle…! the voice laughed heartily, excitedly. Tell me, where is the mother of this beautiful creature?! I must become acquainted with her as well!

Mother? CJ didn't know how to even answer that.

Could it be…you don't know…?

"What do you mean by 'mother'?"

Surely you lower lifeforms have ancestors, do you not? I simply wish to meet her. The lifeform that aided you in this miracle.

CJ still stood clueless. Impulse made him look around again for the source of the voice.

The voice chuckled some more. Shall I provide proof to my words?

The room began to illuminate, and, in a flash, CJ found himself in the familiar setting: outside of the Tombs of the Dragons, where the shaking chains drew his attention. CJ looked up and saw the Armored Dragon pull Kuukai towards it.

"This is…" CJ began to make the correlation between this moment and his dream.

Moments before my Will came to fulfillment…

Jonah drew and set Water Mana beside his Light Mana. "I summon Kelp Candle!"

Kelp Candle materialized behind Jonah, Jake standing unimpressed at the sight of the blocker.

Kelp Candle

Civilization: Water

Power: 1000

Jake drew and set Nature Mana besides Alcadeias in his Mana Zone. "I end my turn."

Jonah drew and set Darkness Mana. "I summon Emeral, which allows me to swap one of my Shields with a card in my hand."

Emeral materialized besides Kelp Candle and did as Jonah explained.

Emeral

Civilization: Water

Power: 1000

Jake drew set mana and tapped all three. "I summon Bronze-Arm Tribe. With it, I add the top card of my deck into my Mana Zone."

Bronze-Arm Tribe materialized behind Jake and raised its pitchfork, granting him an extra Mana.

"I must admit, after everything I did, I was sure in my victory. Leave it to me, to fall victim to irony." He drew and set mana.

"Yeah, what a shame," Jake said.

"However, at the very least I've been given a third chance," Jonah said. "This time for sure, I'm going to fix everything. I'll pay for my mistakes by unraveling its plans once and for all." He tapped his mana. "I evolve Emeral into Emperor Maroll!"

Setting the card on top of Emeral, The Evo Crystal materialized before it and it rose into the air and reformed itself. its body began to divide into honeycomb-like patterns until it gradually became a towering machine-like creature resembling a robotic infant, with glowing gold eyes and razor teeth.

Emperor Maroll

Civilization: Water

Power: 5000

Jake stared at the massive Evolution Creature. "Didn't scare me then, doesn't scare me now."

Jonah smirked. "That's because before it was a rampaging beast. Now it's my weapon to break you. Emperor Maroll, break his Shield!"

The Creature's razor-sharp teeth pulled apart and revealed a cannon between them. It activated and unleashed an electrified blue beam that impacted one of Jake's Shields, causing it to crack and then shatter before him.

Jake

Shields: 5-4

The shards flew past him and gathered together into a small ball-like object, which then shot a bolt of lighting back and hitting Kelp Candle.

"Shield Trigger: Kolon the Oracle to the Battle Zone," Jake stated.

Kolon the Oracle

Civilization: Light

Power: 1000

"You can try and fight it, but the events of this duel are inevitable," Jonah stated.

Jake drew and set mana. "Bronze-Arm Tribe attacks Kelp Candle."

Bronze-Arm Tribe: 1000

Kelp Candle: 1000

The paralyzed Kelp Candle was powerless against the Bronze-Arm Tribe that charged it, but the ensuing destruction of the former lead to the latter's demise regardless.

"I end my turn," Jake stated.

"You're not going to break my Shield?" Jonah questioned.

"Reminds you of someone, doesn't it?" Jake asked.

Jonah was taken aback. "Do what you want, it won't change a thing!" He drew and set Mana. "I cast Slash Charger! With this card, I search your deck and send one card from it to the Graveyard."

Jake allowed access to the deck. Jonah brought it up and spread it before him, looking for one specific target. After several moments, his eyes began to widen. "It's not here…"

"Guess that means I still have a chance, don't I?" Jake asked him.

Jonah snickered and made a choice. "Mileus, the Daystretcher to the Graveyard."

The card sent itself to the graveyard and Jake's deck shuffled.

"I end my turn…" Jonah said reluctantly.

"Don't want to chance it being in my Shields, huh?"

Jonah gritted his teeth as Jake drew. The latter set Mana and tapped. "I summon Aeris, Flight Elemental."

The move was almost taunting in nature as Aeris materialized besides Kolon.

Aeris, Flight Elemental

Civilization: Light

Power 9000

"It's your move…" Jake smiled, his expression matching his play.

Jonah didn't challenge him back, simply drawing and setting mana, thus ending his turn. Jake on the other hand drew, set mana and set two cards into his Battle Zone. "I summon Jil Warka and Rodi Gale."

Jil Warka and Rodi Gale materialized besides Aeris and Kolon in Jake's Battle Zone.

Jil Warka Time Guardian

Civilization: Light

Power: 2000

Rodi Gale, Night Guardian

Civilization: Light

Power: 3500

"I end my turn," Jake stated, with his line up of three Creatures.

Jonah drew and set mana. "I summon Corile…Aeris to the top of your deck."

Jonah's personal Corile materialized and used its powers to send Aeris away for the time being.

Corile

Civilization: Water

Power: 2000

"Emperor Maroll breaks your shield!"

"Jil's going to block it. Nice try." Jake smirked.

Emperor Maroll: 5000

Jil Warka: 2000

"Or so you think. Emperor Maroll's effect! Whenever it becomes blocked, it returns the blocking creature to your hand!"

Jil, as it went in to intercept Maroll was caught by surprise by Maroll's cannon, which, as Jonah stated, bounced Jil back.

"I see. No matter what blocker I have, Maroll can just return it to my hand." Jake said.

"Exactly. So be it Jil Warka or Gran Gure, your light's going to flicker out one way or another soon enough."

Jake drew and set Jil to Mana. "You would think that. I summon Aeris, Flight Elemental."

Aeris returned to the Battle Zone.

"But, you made one critical error in your calculations." Jake tapped two more Mana.

"And what's that?"

"I was never playing defensively, to begin with," Jake revealed the spell. "I cast Roar of the Earth! With this spell, I can retrieve one cost six or higher Creature from my Mana Zone to my Hand." He pulled the Alcadeias he added in the very beginning from Mana. He then went and tapped Rodi Gale. "Rodi, Break his Shield!"

Rodi Gale went into action and took out one of Jonah's Shields.

Jonah

Shields: 5-4

He retrieved his Shield and looked at it. "Perfect." He added the card to his hand and drew. He set Mana and tapped all eight, "Witness the fruit of my labor; the Ultimate Cyber Moon: I Summon Hawkeye Lunatron!"

The Area erupted as the massive bird-like fortress arose in a massive indigo stature. Similar honeycomb patterns expanded outward like teal wings as the structure stood as Jonah's ultimate weapon.

Hawkeye Lunatron

Civilization: Water

Power: 8000

"When Hawkeye Lunratron enters the Battle Zone, I search my deck for a card to add to my hand."

"A last-ditch effort I'm assuming?"

"A tool to heighten my odds," Jonah responded, fanning his deck and taking the chosen card. "Maroll breaks another Shield!"

Maroll powered its cannon once more and fired, taking out a second Shield.

Jake

Shields: 4-3

Jake added the card to his hand and rolled his neck. "Well, that's must be it then."

"Don't get cocky!"

"Says the one who went into this thinking he was pulling the strings."

"As I said before all of this, this reality isn't set in stone. Which means I have a shot to change it in my favor! Very soon, you'll be at my mercy…!"

Jake didn't respond to that, drawing. He paused for a moment and then spoke, "Just like them, right?"

Jonah hesitated.

"Right?!" Jake gritted his teeth. He threw a card into Mana and slammed a card on top of Aeris. "ALCADEIAS!"

Aeris rose up and like the previous Evolution Creature, it reformed and became the shining warrior, Alcadeias, Lord of Spirits.

Alcadeias, Lord of Spirits

Civilization: Light

Power: 12500

"BREAK HIS SHIELDS!" Jake howled, tapping his three creatures. Rodi Gale and Kolon went in to break the first two shields while Alcadeias lined its shot up and fired its Double-Breaking shot as well. The impacts blew Jonah back causing his impact several feet away to echo alongside Jake's outburst.

Jonah

Shields: 4-0

Jonah rose amongst the shards as all four cards returned to his hand.

"Aren't you going to activate that Shield Trigger?" Jake asked.

Jonah looked up at the Terror Pit he set back in the beginning, and then back at Jake who stared through him with pain and anger-stricken eyes.

"I've…caused you pain. More than I've caused myself…" Jonah said, walking back to his table.

"I watched you…" Jake said, holding back his tears. "While you tortured them…while you killed her…!"

Jonah began to choke, being reminded of the act. His immediate regret, only noticeable when his anger towards Robert relaxed. The moment he was reminded that he was still human, despite his augmentations.

"I…I'm going to destroy you. And I'm going to make things right…" Jake stated. "No one is going to feel that kind of pain again…"

"You don't think your friends will feel it when it's done with you?" Jonah threw out there.

Jake didn't answer.

"Well? Did you even think of that? When you accepted its offer, did you not think once of your friends?!" Jonah snapped back.

"I don't want to hear anything from you!"

"I'm trying to warn you! Before its too late! I've broken free from it, so can you! Why can't you see it?!"

"Because I allowed you to break free! Me! I did it! Just so I can have this moment! This…moment…to get revenge. To keep my friends from fighting…from getting involved. I took that power…so they wouldn't have to…"

Jonah watched as Jake took deep breaths, to regain his composure. Jonah drew and proceeded to summon a trio of Marine Flowers.

"You're a liar." He tapped his remaining five Mana. "I cast Diamond Cutter!"

Jake's eyes widened.

"All my creatures that would be restricted from attacking have their restrictions lifted, including summoning sickness! Go, Marine Flowers!"

Marine Flower

Civilization: Water

Power: 2000

The trio of Marine Flowers all flew ahead and sideswiped Jake's Creatures shattering his three remaining Shields.

Jake

Shields: 3-0

"And now…" Jonah rested his hand on Hawkeye, "To put an end to this…What?!"

Jake stared blankly at the one group of shards that hovered before him. He reached for it, and it regenerated in his hand. "Shield Trigger…Holy Awe."

Hawkeye tapped involuntarily in response to a crashing bolt of lightning coming from the white void above, sending a figurative wave of shock through Jonah. "That's…no. No No No No No! How could this happen?! This wasn't supposed to be how this—!"

The shadow of Alcadeias came over him, causing him to look up at the towering figure, staring him down, sizing him up.

"You did this to yourself, Quazla, not me…" Jake uttered. "Tenshi…"

Jonah watched as Alcadeias' hand lined up with his vision. He relaxed and smiled. "So I did…"

The card tapped…

Alcadeias' light beam ignited…

And Jonah laughter echoed until his voice finally faded with the void.

For he finally understood its' sick sense of humor…

"Unhand me…!" Kuukai struggled to break free from the Dragon's grasp.

CJ watched as the Dragon reeled in Kuukai. His Mecha Del Sols honed in on the dragon, but Inferno and Draconis stood by its side to defend it.

"We need to move CJ out of here!" Jamie exclaimed. CJ looked over to see Jamie and the others hoisting his lifeless body away from the conflict.

Before CJ could even say anything, a squeal proclaimed itself from the distance, catching his attention. CJ turned back and saw a horned pig and its rider, an overly buffed yellow-skinned pig man wearing a white suit, armed with a double-bladed lance made of rock.

"Quinten! Up here!" Kaitlyn exclaimed.

"I have arrived Milady!" The Creature proclaimed. It continued to charge, giving CJ little time to step out of the way. The pigman completely passed through him to his surprise, with the teen looking at himself to see how this was possible.

This is but a memory. The voice confirmed. You are but a spectator in this.

"Why are you showing me this?" CJ asked. "What do you get out of this?"

First and foremost, knowledge. Knowledge, pertaining to the mother, of that creature.

CJ, as the seconds went by began to think to himself. Being a Dragon, it could've been Kachua…but what if it was Jamie instead? But…how would that be even possible? It had to be Kachua for sure.

"Ready?" Kaitlyn said as Jamie and Karon held CJ between them.

"Not really," Jamie stated.

"Come on, where's that strong girl who beat me?" She reminded. "You only showed me one aspect of your strength, right?"

Jamie looked at her and nodded. "You're right."

"Of course, I am." She turned back. "Now you two, we'll go on three."

Kuukai raised its weapon into the sky and the Mecha Del Sols charged their cannons.

Karon looked back and saw the glowing energy ready to be unleashed. Without saying anything, he leaped, dragging the others just as the Mecha Del Sols fired upon Arden Lunatron. The ensuing explosion caused the four of them to be blown further into the air, with CJ watching in horror, not being able to do anything.

Fortunately for him, he didn't have to.

From underground, even more, energy erupted from the lead dragon's hole and more dragons erupted from the hole, such as Jagalzor, who slithered underneath the falling ones to catch them, to their surprise.

"There's more of them?!" Kuukai exclaimed.

"Magnificent!" Quinten exclaimed as well, clearly posing as Kuukai's polar opposite in the matter.

The Dragon with the chains roared as if it was being ignored. Draconis and Inferno heeded its cry and turned their attention back to Kuukai.

"It's over," Draconis stated. "Surrender now."

The chains tightened around Kuukai as the Mecha Thunder was dragged up to them. Jason motioned, and Inferno locked onto Kuukai's Evo Crystal and fired a small missile at it, destroying it and forcing Kuukai to devolve into Gandar. Despite the de-empowerment, Gandar was smiling regardless.

"What's so funny?" Draconis grabbed the chain.

Gandar locked eyes on Draconis and his sadistically sharp grin opened to respond. "Oh, nothing…only that for all of your trouble, at the end of it all, we Light will forever hang above you to rain down justice…"

Jason almost immediately realized what it was. But before he could call to them, the star-like flicker in the sky disappeared, and down a massive blue energy beam engulfed Gandar and Draconis, to everyone's horror. Jason and Inferno immediately took to the skies at Mach speed to find the culprit, a lone Mecha Del Sol resembling a large satellite.

Thanks to the voice, a small holographic screen appeared besides CJ, allowing him to see what Jason saw from his Point of View. Through this, It was able to pick up on his curiosity.

Sasha was created as the first Mecha Del Sol, the first true Anti-Dragon weapon. Virtually unstoppable. And it was Gandar's trump card in the event that the Dragons were successfully reawakened, and he was backed into a corner.

"If it's so strong then how did Bombazar escape it?" CJ asked.

Valid questions deserve proper explanations, do they not?

At that moment, A yellow beam shot from the direction of Empreya City, soaring for miles into the sky. Inferno took note and dove downward to avoid it. Jason was just barely able to catch a glimpse of Sasha's beam being intercepted and pushed back into Sasha, causing the creature to fade away as if it wasn't there.

CJ suddenly found himself in Empreya City, what was once a beautiful place now torn apart by the chaos of the giant Cyber Lord who made its way through, leaving nothing in its wake. The beam relaxed and the Cyber Lord closed its jaws, turning its attention to the civilians who sprinted in all directions to avoid it. Naturally, CJ couldn't interact with any of them and was left powerless as the Cyber Lord mowed through the crowd.

Naturally, I foresaw Quazla's plight, and it was here I decided to contribute to the situation at hand.

Another screen popped up beside CJ and he watched the moment when the voice intervened between Jonah and Shtra. He watched as the voice granted Jonah the Evo Crystal. And he turned away when Jonah forced Shtra to evolve.

How could I allow this to happen, you ask? Knowledge is paramount in this universe, after all. There is no other reason for my actions.

"So what? Are we just some social experiment then?!" CJ cried out.

The voice didn't respond. If you wish to see yourselves like that.

CJ didn't know how to respond. "I've seen enough…"

Are you sure about that? I can show you more if you are—

"I said I'm done!" CJ snapped, waving his arm back and casting his K-Waves out before him. "Just fix everything and leave me alone. Leave us alone…!"

The voice took another moment. I am afraid, that I cannot do that at this time.

"You're a freaking God, aren't you?!"

I am a being bounded by an obsession of knowledge and curiosity. Whose only purpose is to accumulate knowledge to feed those who seek it… If I were a God, then I wouldn't be bothering with you lower lifeforms, now would I?

CJ gritted his teeth, feeling his anger rise. His body was growing hot.

And a red flicker sparked across his face.

The voice was silent. And then laughter. Beautiful…simply beautiful…as a reward for impressing me, I will grant you this…

A glowing white orb suddenly appeared before CJ. He hesitated for a moment but felt inclined to reach for it.

The power to reshape your reality is there for you. To set things right, or to set things in your favor…what choice will you make?

CJ blinked, pulling his hand back. "Why are you…?"

Because I wish to see the source of your powers. What makes you Earthlings such magnificent creatures…With my Alpha Code, I see you've revitalized a tiny part of your Civilization. And I've witnessed what one could do with reality itself…

…show me once more, what happens when one chooses to defy destiny…

CJ stared at the light. His senses were overly sensitive to it, as his K-Waves slowly began to react to it, with each crack and crackle around him. He decided to reach for it once more.

And the flashes of both Green and Red Waves around his hand latched onto the ball of light.

"Hello, anyone home?" Dylan popped his head in the doorway. He scanned the room to the infirmary and caught sight of Jason beside Jamie while the latter rested. Needless to say, the latter two were surprised to see not only him but Karon walk inside the room.

"Aren't you two supposed to be in school?" Jason asked them.

"Yeah, but the thing is…" Dylan tried to come up with an excuse.

"The Principal dismissed us due to an emergency here."

"The Principal sent you?" Jamie said. She tried to sit up, but the pain forced her back. "Why would she…?"

"Guess is as good as ours." Dylan crossed his arms. "She didn't explain it. Just said that Dr. Collins wanted us to come."

"Just you two?"

"Jake cut. He insisted to come along, don't know why, because he ditched us the minute we got here." Dylan explained. "Did something happen between you two?"

Jamie hesitated to answer. "It's complicated."

"I'll say. Don't know why but I keep getting this feeling that something major happened that involved you two…"

"Dylan, stop talking please…!" Jamie covered her face with a free pillow.

"What? What did I say—!" his eyes widened. "Whoa, time out are you two…?"

Jamie screamed in her pillow.

Dylan stepped back. "Oh, come on, is it really that bad that he likes you?"

"YES!" her muffled scream was loud enough to get through.

"Even if it complicates things, I don't think it's dramatic enough to fake a panic attack…" Dylan added.

"You guys didn't hear? Jamie was nearly hit by a school bus this morning on their way to school. The trauma from that and…this is what's been stressing her out. The migraine's a result of her K-Waves spiking to astronomic levels." Jason explained.

"You were nearly hit by a bus too? What the hell Jamie?!" Dylan exclaimed.

Karon tapped him on the shoulder, finally speaking up. "Keep your voice down.

"Right…my bad."

Jamie removed the pillow from her face. "I can't catch a break…I get kidnapped, prevent a pandemic, and train my butt off and all I get for it is PTSD, nightmares, and confessions from two people."

"Two?" Karon raised an eyebrow.

"I think it was two…" Jamie tried to sit up again so she could curl her knees to her face. "CJ made it seem like he was going in that direction, so I panicked and told him that Jake told me…"

"How'd he take it?"

Jamie took a moment to think it over. "Almost like he knew already. And then I ended up telling him about the moment when the School Bus came at me. About how for a moment I saw something entirely different."

"Like a Creature?" Karon asked.

Jamie nodded. "He asked me if we were in the dream. He was there, but I didn't want to tell him. Jamie turned to her brother. "You were there too."

"What about me?" Dylan asked, feeling excluded.

Jamie shook her head. "Neither you nor Jake. Just us and…Dr. Collins…!"

That caught them all off guard as much as it did her. Red waves sparked again, and the pain spiked, pulling her back. she was crying again as her monitor began to fluctuate. The nurses in the room all took note and sprang into action, forcing the three boys out of the room so they could tend to her.

"What was that about?" Dylan turned to Jason.

"No idea. The nurse back at the school told me the same thing happened, which is why she was told to be brought here. Her K-Waves are unstable for some reason."

"Could it be a side effect of her training?" Karon suggested.

"Her training would only heighten her sensitivity to better control it, not make it unstable," Jason explained.

"It's the Neo Waves she synced with before…" A voice answered them. The three boys turned around, finding Luke approaching them.

"They've finally started to rear their ugly heads..."