This is the first time in weeks I've been rested. I can finally function properly for once. I shut my locket as I prepare for the next class. Things have been oddly eventful ever since Kevin and I made our decision about Dawn and everything that happened—we thought it would be best to allow someone else to deal with Michael (we used the badge to report him), especially since it involves intergalactic crimes we can't handle. We weren't involved, and no one knows it was us who sent the signal.
So far, the news has been "simple": Dawn was in a car accident and she died. Nothing more. Nothing else. It has created gossip around the school, and a lot of people are highly upset, but it has stopped the rumors about strange disappearances or her running away. The three girls who attacked us returned to school healthy, acting as if nothing ever happened after Michael was defeated.
I turn my head just in time to see Kevin walking through the hallway toward me. I smile at him, and he smiles back, but then he collides with someone along the way, and his eyebrows furrow.
"Watch where you're going," the other guy says, his voice aggressive and clearly looking for a fight.
"What did you say?" Kevin asks.
Okay, that's not good. Knowing Kevin's temper, this could end badly. I rush over to them without hesitation.
"I said, watch where you're going," the guy repeats, louder.
He uses his index finger to push Kevin back, and Kevin instantly grabs him by the collar of his shirt, something that doesn't seem to faze the other guy. A few students have already gathered around, whispering to each other, almost excited that a fight is about to break out. I finally reach them.
The guy uses his hands to break free from Kevin's hold, then shoves Kevin back again. Kevin raises his fist, ready to punch him, and I grab his arm to stop him. Kevin doesn't move; he remains frozen.
"Kevin, don't," I say. "They could expel you. You could be sent back to the Null Void." My last words are mere whispers, and only Kevin can hear them.
Kevin's face softens, and I see him visibly relaxing, considering my words.
"Pussy," the other guy mutters.
I turn around, giving him a deadly glare. "Walk away."
The guy initially scoffs and looks at his two friends as if contemplating whether he should listen—luckily, he decides to retreat when he sees a teacher patrolling the hallways. I sigh and drag Kevin with me toward our next class together.
"Anger management, Kevin," I say, almost lecturing him.
"He started it," he says innocently.
"And you finish it. They have a zero-tolerance policy, you know. They really don't like fights. Even more so when your grades are bad. Like yours are."
"Aw, are you worried about me?"
I look at him with a raised eyebrow. "Duh. I told you, you could get expelled. And for what?"
Kevin doesn't respond, and something tells me it's because he knows I'm right. We finally enter class, and Kevin sits next to me once again. I make sure to pay attention this time. Enough distractions for once. Although I haven't fallen behind, the past few weeks have definitely caused me to study far less than before, and I'm losing my momentum. The last thing I want is for my grades to drop.
As soon as the lesson starts, I begin noting everything down, organizing by color and paragraph to help me study later. Kevin, on the other hand, just sits there, clearly not paying attention. He grabs a pen and gently taps it on the desk, drumming to a familiar beat. I recognize it as a Linkin Park song.
"Kevin!" I whisper a bit louder so he can hear me. I look down at his hand holding the pen to make him realize, and he stops.
I continue with my note-taking, and I hear the teacher ask a question. I lift my hand almost involuntarily, thinking this could help me get extra marks. Then I feel Kevin tapping the pen against my shoulder, while using his other hand to grab the pen from my hand and do the exact same thing.
I glare at him, but he finds this amusing instead. The teacher picks someone else to answer the question, and I turn to Kevin, grabbing both pens from his hands.
"I'm trying to focus here," I say.
"You already wrote down everything he said, and your notebook seems fine—" He points between my notebook and the chalkboard. "So it should be fine."
The class and the school day finish, and we both walk together toward the exit.
"You should be paying attention in class too, Kevin. You really need to get your grades up; you can't just rely on sheer luck."
"I'm not," he defends. "I can always use your notes if I need to." I glare at him, but he ignores it and continues talking. "A lot of the lessons are useless. French? English? I guess PE is kinda fun but only because it's easy."
"That's how school is. You're not in school to find the lessons interesting, but to get good grades, get educated, and find a job. Or I guess in your case, prove yourself."
"My assimilation," he corrects. "If it were up to me, I definitely wouldn't choose this school. Too proper for my liking."
We finally reach his car. "What school would you choose then?" I ask out of curiosity.
"No school. Maybe something like…"
His voice trails off, and as much as I try to pay attention to what he's saying, I can't. The scenery in front of me changes in an instant. His car is gone, Kevin is gone, the school is gone. Instead, I'm standing in front of Kevin's house this time. The sky is cloudy, the scent of rain lingers, and I can't see any sign of life around me. No people, no animals, no plants. Just nothing.
My instant reaction is defense. I summon my energy and look around, sensing danger from miles away. I'm not liking this. I walk to the door of Kevin's house, and I'm about to knock, only to realize that the door is already open. I step inside and gasp.
The place is completely trashed. There are items scattered all over the ground, and the inner walls look as if they're about to collapse.
"Daphne?" I call. "Kevin?"
I walk up the stairs, only to find it in a similar state. As soon as I reach a bedroom with a double bed, I see a small pool of blood on the ground, and I can only guess who it might belong to. What happened here?
I'm about to run outside to find help—maybe Kevin, Grandpa Max, anyone who might be able to help or explain. But the scene changes before me once again, and I'm standing in front of my own house instead.
"No."
I rush inside, only to find it in an equally horrific state, and no sign of my parents or anyone else. I don't know what to say or think. I pull out my phone and am about to dial Kevin.
But I feel a surge of energy, and it's like my eyes are forced open. Once again, I'm standing in front of Kevin's car, with a worried Kevin looking at me.
"Gwen?" Kevin asks. "Gwen, are you okay?"
"Kevin?" I blink a few times, looking left and right. I'm still at school. I'm still with Kevin.
"Are you okay? You blanked out for a moment."
"I had a vision again," I quickly explain.
"Amperon?"
"I think," I pause, trying to recall the details, "I saw both of our houses destroyed. It was… Our parents were missing too. Do you think it's a message? Maybe we should drive there."
Kevin looks visibly angry, and we both get into his car. "It's probably another one of his tricks. He said he wants us to further his plans, right?"
I nod.
"Then he's threatening us." Kevin cracks his knuckles. "Good, because I was getting bored."
Kevin starts driving, though I'm unsure where we're going. "I don't think we'll find him this way. I think he's warning us for when he eventually shows up again. Maybe we should prepare?"
"Or find him ourselves somehow and ambush him."
I shake my head. "We can't. He's probably stronger now, or he might be expecting us. I think we should stay on the lookout; he'll try reaching out again. He wants us to surrender to him." I look out the window. "I think we need to figure out what he's planning first."
"Always have to be cautious," Kevin says sarcastically.
"You know I'm right."
Kevin looks at me. "That you usually are."
We arrive at Kevin's house, and I sigh in relief when we see his mom walking inside, carrying groceries. Obviously, nothing has happened here. It was obvious enough, but we still needed to check. Kevin starts the car again and drives toward my house.
After ten minutes, we reach my place. Everything looks normal from the outside. My parents still aren't home, all the doors, windows, and curtains are closed, and there's nothing out of the ordinary. I remove my seatbelt and walk toward the front door.
I finally unlock it, and both Kevin and I step inside. Okay. It's all normal. No ruins, no debris, nothing out of the ordinary. I furrow my eyebrows as I feel a small spark of something unknown. It's coming from upstairs.
"What is it?" Kevin asks.
I say nothing and instead concentrate on the aura trail that leads me up the stairs. It's coming from my room.
"Gwen?" Kevin asks, following behind me. "Is someone there?"
I summon my energy and look at Kevin, gesturing for him to stay quiet. He seems unsure at first, but he quickly gets the memo and hardens his fists by absorbing the wall material. I push the door open and I'm met with a hooded person, rummaging through my stuff, my drawers, and touching one of my spell books. The hooded figure faces us, obviously on high alert.
"Watch out!" I yell at Kevin, pulling him out of the way just in time before a nightlamp flies toward his face.
"Is it those shadow freaks again?"
Kevin jumps higher into the air and rushes toward the hooded person, wrapping his arms around them. But they act quicker and push Kevin back. In response, Kevin grabs the walls of my room, about to peel off a piece.
"Kevin!" I scream to stop him. "This is my house, remember? Try not to wreck it."
"Oh, right," he says innocently, letting go of the wall.
The hooded person snaps their fingers, causing Kevin to slam against the wall. But it doesn't faze him. He stands up once again and throws a punch directly at the back of the stranger, causing them to slip but instantly recover.
They raise their hand again, and Kevin goes flying into the ceiling, almost as if he's stuck there.
"Let him go!" I yell. I summon my energy and use it to create a trap around the stranger's body. I wrap them tightly with an energy net, and they don't react at first. They just stand there, facing me as if in shock.
"Do that again," a female voice says.
"Gladly," I respond. I use all of my strength to pin her against the wall with my powers, and Kevin falls to the ground. He's okay. He rubs his head from the blow he just received, but he quickly stands up.
Kevin doesn't miss the chance. He rushes toward the hooded figure, ready to attack, but they've already disarmed my trap and moved out of the window. I create a beam and throw it at them, but the person brings their arm forward and stops my attack.
"You have the spark?" the person asks, facing me. They've stopped their attack.
"Listen, freak, I don't know what you're talking—"
Kevin stops talking, and I look over to see a piece of tape on his mouth. He peels it off instantly, and I turn back to our attacker, unsure of what to expect. They pull down their hood, and my eyes widen.
"It's an old woman?" Kevin asks, equally surprised.
"Are you Gwendolyn?" the woman asks, stepping closer to me.
Kevin steps closer to me, almost protectively, but I place a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. I don't think this woman is a threat. "I am. Who are you?"
"I'm Verdona," she says. "Your grandma."