"Before we do this, Dorian," Rav remarked after Dorian finished telling us everything. "I want you to know that I am so proud of you. And so will our parents. You're the best big brother and son we–and anyone else, really–could ever ask for."

"Thank you, Rav." Dorian's eyes shone as he whispered.

   But Rav did not end there, "And definitely, definitely way over every girl's league after this!"

"Much appreciated, Rav," I grimaced at the pointed look he directed to me while saying that. Not because I was offended, but because it was so true.

"You know I love you, Beth." he winked.

   I rolled my eyes, switching to Dorian, "He's right, though. Right to be proud of you, I mean. I know I am."

   His thank you response came in the form of a hand squeeze. One I liked very much.

   Dorian let go for me to pick up the Neuroskel from the floor while he and Rav held onto the Yunies' laser guns.

"Is everyone ready?" he asked.

   I gave the best nod I could muster.

   We began walking toward the open assembly pod door, in execution of our first part of the plan, which was to find the Zavolonian students and Talise. This was so that we'd know for sure whether they would no longer be mind-controlled after Dorian does what he was planning on doing. With Landon still passed out and no way of knowing when he'd be awake, we couldn't find that out from him.

   Fortunately, the blood trail Speck's shot foot had left stretched from the stage, all the way to the door and beyond, giving us a good head start with our search. Even there was no guarantee that Speck had gone to where the students were–although I really think he'd be interested in knowing whether their heads exploded after one hour–at least we'll be led to one of those rooms in the walls instead of walking through a never-ending hallway.

   Sure enough, we walked out the assembly and into a yet-another overly-white hallway that extended left and right. Speck's blood trail, which we realised continued from the door to the left side of the hallway is what we followed. Every step we took was in silence, our thoughts alone keeping us company.

   I'll be lying if I said I wasn't thinking about what Dorian was about to do. If it turned out to be the way he described it, then all this will be over. Everyone would get to go home and for Speck and Camila, the nuthouses where they so-desperately belonged.

   But what if things went the opposite way? That would mean, not just us and the people already here, but the entire world were screwed for all eternity.

   I envied Dorian's ability–or should I say, skill– to wear a stoic mask as we ventured into the hellish unknown.

   The situation in this hallway was not like the others because in this one, we didn't have to go an endless walk, only to get knocked out.

   In this situation, we didn't go very far and rather than encounter any of our mind-controlled friends, facing us were two hallways, split products of the one were still in.

   I gulped, staring behind at the route we'd just taken and the sight before us now. The blood could no longer play any role as a guide since it ended in a straight line between the two hallways, not giving a single clue as to which he and Camila chose.

   Of course Speck thought this through.

"We should split up," Rav spoke up, not sounding like that's what he wanted to do at all.

"Not unless we have two mes and two Neuroskels," Dorian protested. "What if the path Beth and I take ends up being the wrong one? That would leave just you without me and the Neuroskel and that can't work. Also, have you already forgotten what happened the last time we split up?"

"But what if the path we all choose turns out to be the wrong one? That will leave the right path with absolutely no one in it!"

   As they continued to bicker, I stared at the Neuroskel, the anime villain with the power to multiply things he touches coming to mind. As juvenile as it was to think of that right now, let's be honest, it sure would be nice to have two Dorians and Neuroskels.

   Also, I really missed my comic books.

   If we managed to emerge successful in this whole thing, Mr. Shin will have to drag me out of his store kicking and screaming.

   That unpleasant image in my head was cut short by something uncanny reaching my line of sight. I peered at the device in my hand to confirm what I saw wasn't my crazy imagination screwing with me.

   Turns out it wasn't. The red light in the Neuroskel was really flashing. Each blink it gave broke my resolve not to gasp.

"Guys!" I snapped, interrupting Rav and Dorian's exchange.

   Once I had their attention, I lifted the Neuroskel up, making sure the view they got of the light was indisputable.

"What does this mean?" Rav frowned.

   I shrugged, not taking my eyes off the light.

"When did you notice it?" Dorian leaned over to get a better look.

"A few seconds ago," I replied. "But I'm very sure it didn't happen till we got here."

   I'd been watching the Neuroskel at intervals since we began walking. The flashes were in no way subtle. It would've been impossible to not notice.

"So you're saying the hallways have something to do with it," Rav remarked.

"No, I–"

   I stopped myself. But what if they did?

"Let me see that," Rav grabbed the Neuroskel before I could react.

   What happened at that gesture upgraded the situation to a whole new level of weirdness.

   The red light resorted to its former unblinking state, as if Rav's hands were its Kryptonite or something. Nothing changed even when he raised the Neuroskel above his head, turned it upside down and put it through other dramatic positions that prompted me to snatch it back.

"You all saw me," he held up defensive hands, when I did. "I had nothing to do with this device's bizarreness."

   Dorian raised an eyebrow. "And yet, the light's flashing again now that it's no longer in your hand."

   I glanced down at the Neuroskel, surprised to find that Dorian wasn't being sarcastic or anything. The flashes had returned.

   I stared at Rav and Dorian facing me, then at the two hallways before us, then at the wall that separated them.

   With the position the three of us were currently in, if that wall was stretched out past its current limit, there would be an automatic segregation between us, with me getting the right hallway whereas Dorian and Rav got the left.

   I thought of what Rav just said about the hallways.

   To the confusion of Dorian and Rav, I moved from my spot to stand beside them. I paid no mind to their reactions, letting the Neuroskel be my object of concern.

   What I saw confirmed my suspicion. When I finally looked up, I realised Rav and Dorian had followed my eyes.

   Their expressions showed we were all seeing the same thing; the Neuroskel's light was frozen again.

"Told you it wasn't me." Rav's smugness contained traces of relief.

   But that wasn't what I wanted them to understand. So I returned back to my hallway, taking them with me and watched the device's light blink again before taking us back to theirs for it to cease. I did this one last time, just to cement the understanding dawning on them.

   I went on to explain my actions anyway, pointing to the right hallway, "Something coming from here is causing the Neuroskel to act this way and I don't know if this sounds far-fetched, but the only things I can think of that affect the Neuroskel are the things that have a connection to it."

"You mean the mind-control devices," Dorian shot me a knowing look. "That doesn't sound far-fetched at all."

"It makes a lot of sense," Rav nodded.

   I released a relieved sigh. Good to know I wasn't the only one who believed that somehow, the Neuroskel was receiving signals from the mind-control devices to which it was the powerhouse, hence the flashing, and that this hallway led to wherever these devices were.

   Rav's gaze travelled down the hallway. "And where there's mind-control devices..."

"There's students," I concluded. "So what are we waiting for?"

   Our next steps through our chosen hallway felt different. For once, we weren't simply walking blind and hoping for the best, we did so confident of what we were going to find when this journey came to an end. This awakened in me a sense of optimism I couldn't shake off if I wanted to. One too many times, I had to keep my giddy legs from breaking into a run, their attempts to quick-paced steps anytime the temptation arose–which was a lot.

   I sneaked peeks at the Neuroskel, now in Dorian's hands and Dorian himself. The excitement that he felt was clear, but knowing him and his sporadic glimpses at the Neuroskel, that emotion existed alongside thoughts of what he was going to do once we encountered our schoolmates and friends. And he wasn't the only one. Which is why despite the happiness all around, I took his free hand in mine and held onto it as we walked.

   The door that soon came into view brought us to a sudden stop.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Please don't forget to vote and comment ❤!

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