I told them about my frequent visits to the Tunnels and how I worked on my creations there. I also mentioned how I'd been working on my replica of the famous Neuro Skeletal Headgear device for a while in Tunnel Six. And how the day I'd finally finished was also the first time I'd been spooked by the yell I heard from Tunnel Three which, thinking about it now, was now a perfect match with Mr. Speck's voice. And how when I went back to Tunnel Six to get my tech back, I was met with nothing but a scary Yunie which seemed intent on ending me.

"I don't know how, but with our classes, the dance, Liberation Week and all this mind-control thing... it just wasn't on my mind anymore. " I rubbed my eyes for the hundredth time since I began talking.

"Thank you so much for sharing so that I wouldn't have to," Mr. Speck was the first to speak. "Your honesty is refreshing, something I couldn't say for so many others in this world. You were the one who gave me exactly what I didn't even know I needed and your tech only proves how alike you and I are in wanting what's best for the world."

"It was a Neuro-Skeletal Headgear Device, the tech for those who can't move parts of their bodies, I was building! I didn't know that that's how it turned out, I swear!" My fingers moved to pull the roots of my hair.

   I'd made sure to follow the designs perfectly. Aside from the minor variations of my device due to my reliance on junkyard tech, it could still be easily compared to the real thing. And even though I had never gotten a chance to test it out, how could I have possibly foreseen the possibility of my tech being the so-called answer to the improvement of Mr. Speck's mind-control devices?!

"Don't get me wrong, Beth, your device required a lot of my input and tech to get to what it is now," Our principal said. "But I can confidently tell you that the soaked device that made its way to me that fateful day was not the Neuro-Skeletal Headgear you thought you were making."

   My scalp began to feel like it was on fire as my fingers dug deeper into my hair. I felt myself curling tighter and tighter into a ball as the tears which had stopped flowing returned with a vengeance. I didn't even bother trying to find out what everyone's reactions were. Not that my tear-blurred vision would have allowed it anyway.

   After what felt like hours of crying and wishing that the floor beneath would open up and put me out of my misery by swallowing me, I felt someone's presence as they stooped beside me. This person did not hesitate to pull me into their arms.

"It's not your fault, Beth." Those were the words Camila had to whisper into my ear for me to cling onto her and start crying all over again.

"Yeah," Rav had joined us on the floor. "You didn't know."

"And you heard what he said," Landon, who was now several steps closer to us, added. "The only reason the improved version of the mind-control tech came to being was because he added the tech he already had and some new input. The only role you played in all this was having a device with capabilities no one could have ever considered."

   I'll admit, their words were powerless against the reality of the situation. Nothing was going to change the fact that my Neuroskel ended up being the missing piece to Mr. Speck's puzzle.

   But their words were just what I needed. Their words were what made me realise how lucky I was. And if I had these amazing people who, after this discovery, were willing to still remain on my side and comfort me, any other mind games Mr. Speck had up his sleeve didn't stand a chance.

"You could have told me the truth," I looked up at Dorian as he remarked.

   Unlike the others, he hadn't moved from his spot or said a word about everything till now.

"You forgot to mention that while you were running away from the Yunie you bumped into me," he continued with a flat tone. "I asked you where you were coming from and you lied to me. Who knows what could've been prevented if you just told me the truth in the first plac–"

"That's enough, Dorian!" I'd never heard Rav sound so enraged. "What would telling you have done, huh? Beth's device had already been taken before she bumped into you. And the mind control tech for our classmates was already in existence before that. Also, how was she going to explain to you what she'd seen, something she herself could barely understand, without sounding insane? Judging by how cold you were to her then, why would Beth or anyone you treated in a similar way, want to tell you anything?!"

   By the time Rav finished his outburst, Dorian's glance wasn't on mine anymore. His shoulders appeared hunched as he stared at the ground, saying nothing.

   Inasmuch as his words felt like a slap to the face, I wasn't going to let them get to me. Not when I was this close to accepting that I wasn't responsible for coming up with Mr. Speck's creation.

   Not directly anyway.

"You know, Dorian," Mr. Speck said. "You're certainly one to talk... or should I say not talk? Beth's secret was not even known to her. You, on the other hand, knowingly have skeletons in your closet and–"

"–they aren't yours or anyone's to know." The speed with which Rav rushed to Dorian's side while snapping at Mr. Speck was enough to give me a whiplash.

"That may be true," Our principal replied, "but I do."

   I couldn't help but gape at the protective stance Rav had taken next to Dorian like he hadn't bitten his head off for my sake a second ago. It was when Rav turned to his brother to give a reassuring nod of his head that I noticed the look on Dorian's face.

   He wasn't doing a very good job of hiding the creases on his forehead and brows pinched with worry. Even from afar, I couldn't not notice how his breathing patterns were becoming more and more irregular and the rising and falling of his chest more prominent which each breath inhaled and released.

   The raw fear in his wide, green eyes was unlike anything I'd ever seen.

   But what could Mr. Speck possibly know about Dorian that could trigger such terror? During the time we'd been together, I'd gotten to know a version of Dorian no one–except Rav and their parents–could imagine. As awful as everything with his birth parents, the evil institution he was a prisoner in and his tattoo was, did it really call for this level of fear?

   It's not like Mr. Speck really had any power with all that information. The worst he could do was tell it right now. But even if Camila and Landon got to find out, I could see them feeling nothing but sorry for Dorian.

"Rav." Dorian's hand clamped upon Rav's shoulder in a white-knuckled grip as that one word barely escaped his mouth.

"He. Doesn't. Know." Rav responded through gritted teeth. "He couldn't possibly–"

  Mr. Speck's mock hurt voice cut him off mid-sentence, "You know, I don't appreciate you thinking that I'm a person who bluffs. I guess I'll have to prove you wrong then. And since now seems like the perfect time to reveal long overdue secrets..."

   Before anyone could inhale their next breath, the entire room resorted to the darkness we'd woken up to not too long ago.

   That moment of pitch darkness was immediately replaced by a blast of scorching hot flashing lights that sent all hands flying to protect our stunned eyes. Even with that and our closed eyes, the flashes still managed to be visible. The way these mere lights were able to bring everyone else's non-photosensitive epileptic bodies to the ground was downright terrifying.

   I couldn't really tell when the flashes stopped, but I'm guessing it was when our piercing screams were no longer echoing in the room.

   It was hard to believe that aside from the sporadic dark spots I kept seeing when I finally opened my eyes and the blinking, I was actually okay. Looking around though, it seemed like I wasn't the only one. Camila was already helping Landon to his feet and Rav, though dazed, did not appear hurt in any way.

   But what I saw beside him made me do a double take. Or rather, what I didn't see.

   Dorian wasn't at his spot.

A/N: Any guesses as to what Speck knows?

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