"Hey, Ciela, where are you going?" one of my English classmates asked. "The classroom's the other way."

"I know. I'll meet you guys there." I called as I walked quickly against the current of passing students.

I maneuvered through the crowd, imagining it was one of the training courses at Titans Tower. I twisted my body as I walked, careful to avoid getting hit by passersby and not swing my backpack into others. I entered the cafeteria, which only had a few students still lingering there. Before and after the lunch bells, this place is frighteningly silent.

I approached a certain table near the center of the cafeteria- Jane's table. She was not there. She was the only one absent from the gaggle of giggling students. As I came closer, more started to notice me. They were all hushed by the time I arrived.

"Have any of you guys seen Jane lately?" I said.

"Why do you care?" said one girl with long, wild, red hair and blue eyes. I remembered her face back when I picked a fight with another one of Jane's minions. In fact, he sat next to her, glaring daggers at me.

"You don't need to know."

"Then we don't have to answer you." The group lost interest in me and returned to their conversations.

I clenched my fists. I leaned forward and slammed my hands against the table. The pairs of eyes whipped back over to me, wide in surprise.

"This is not a time to swap banter. I can't tell you many details, but you need to get this: something has happened to Jane, and if you want something done, then tell me what I need to know." I said. I stood up straight. "How long has it been since she was here at school?"

Jane's minions glanced at each other before collectively submitting.

"It's been nearly a month." Dagger Eyes finally said. "We just assumed she did something to get suspended again."

A month?! The cartoon image of Jane appeared in my mind once again: the dark smile, the sharp scythe in her hand, and pure evil in her eyes. If it's only been a month according to my world's time flow, who knows how long the show says it's been.

"I've tried calling her, but it always goes straight to voicemail." the redheaded girl tossed a lock of hair over her shoulder.

"I went over to her house to check on her." a girl with blonde hair piped up. "She wasn't there. I don't think even her family knows where she went."

"Now that I'm hearing it out loud... I'm starting to get worried..." The redheaded girl looked at me. "What's going on? Where's Jane?"

I looked between the concerned faces before me. Looking past their mindless desire to hang within Jane's popular bubble, it was clear that they genuinely cared about her and her well-being.

"I can't tell you. I'm sorry. All of this is my fault." I said. I gripped my backpack straps. "But I'm going to fix it."

I turned on my heels and headed to the door.

"Ciela!"

I froze underneath the doorway to the hall. Goosebumps pricked my arms. I slowly turned back. I followed the voice to Dagger Eyes, whose expression had softened slightly.

"Whatever the heck is going on... you better make sure Jane comes back in one piece." he said.

I nodded and headed down the hallway. I turned the corner and entered my English class, where the three boys eagerly waited for me. I set my backpack next to my desk and sat down, absently listening to their conversation.

I'll do my best...


I leaned back in the computer chair and propped my white-socked feet on the desk. Rorek's storybook sat in my lap. Raven reluctantly allowed me to borrow the book after some incessant pleading.

"Yo! What'cha reading?!" Rorek's storybook disappeared from my lap. I looked up and watched Cyborg flip through the pages, his eyes darting across the book as he did. Once he was finished, he threw the book back at me. I fumbled with it before it slipped out of my hands and hit the floor. "That's an interesting read right there! I highly recommend it!"

I sighed and stood up, dusting off my clothes from the dirt the tome left behind. "I'm guessing the chip came in?"

"You bet it did! Best decision I've ever made!" Cyborg said, running over to the fridge. He pulled out a sandwich and shoved it all into his mouth. "Want to join me on a run?"

"Um... I'll pass, thanks." With all this energy he has, his run will be at least five miles long.

"Suit yourself!" Cyborg dashed out of the room. I walked over to the couch and opened the book. I skipped to the ending.

"It seems as though Malchior and I were destined to be mortal enemies since the dawn of time. A being of evil who wished nothing more than the end of all things. None before me had the courage to do what I have done, but despite that, there still were many more steps to be taken. The responsibility rested upon my shoulders; Malchior must be stopped.

I prepared diligently, harnessing the true power that my magic contained. When it came time, and I glanced back at the faces of those I knew, their hope shining deeply in their eyes, I had no doubt that I must come back victorious, lest their lights be smothered by the flames of that foul beast's belly.

I traveled across unknown lands, searching for Malchior. I faced many foes, but none so formidable as the one I was looking for. It appears he is hiding from me. He must have concocted some master plan, which included a moment of 'peace' before the storm. But no matter. I will continue searching. I will not rest until I have felled that evil creature. I, Rorek of Nol, swear upon the sun, the moon, and the stars, that I will be the one to slay Malchior and save the world."

I stared at the last page, which simply had "THE END" written in small letters on the center of the page. I sighed and set the book on the coffee table.

No wonder Raven found it boring. What an unsatisfying cliffhanger.

I stood up and stretched my arms up to the ceiling. I interlaced my fingers and placed my hands on top of my head.

"Did you find something?" I turned and saw Starfire and Robin standing behind the couch.

"The only tangible trace of Jane I can think of is this here." I said, pointing to Rorek's storybook with my foot.

Starfire floated over the couch, picked up the book, and flipped through it. She reached the end and quickly skimmed over it.

"You believe your enemy has tampered with the telling of this story?" Starfire said.

"Maybe. The dragon mentioned in the book is supposed to be in there, but someone's somehow let it out. The episode focusing on it happened a while ago. Raven was supposed to release Malchior, but it happened before she got the book. Maybe Jane's the one who did it." I said.

"Anything else?" Robin said.

"I asked schoolmates about Jane. They say she's been MIA for almost a month now." My arms fell back to my sides. "How long has it been since I came here? For you guys, I mean?"

"Um... I think it's been almost two years."

My eyes widened. Somewhere between those two years, Jane got stuck in this world. But when did it happen? She flashed in my mind once again. The sight of her scythe sent chills down my spine. And what's become of her since?

Starfire waved her hand in front of my face. "Perhaps you should give yourself some time to recuperate. You are looking a bit dreary."

I chuckled and tucked a loose hair behind my ear. "The past two days have been pretty crazy."

"Make sure you take care of yourself in the middle of all this. We don't know when Jane may show up again, and you should be prepared." Robin said.

"I know..." I rested a hand on one of my pistols.

"As long as we're around, she's not getting anywhere near you."

Getting close to me seems like her main objective. Even with a team of teenage superheroes in her way, I doubt that will be enough to stop her. I sighed. What's going to happen to me?