Chapter Thirty-Five

After Ethics was another class in Agartha Studies, and Amber was genuinely looking forward to it. The teacher’s not boring, and the class is actually fun.

Team Svalinn found their places near the back of the class. They weren’t early, for once, even with Morgan pushing them to walk over to the other building a little faster. Ethics ended and there was barely any pause between that and the next class, so they weren’t alone to find a seat already.

“Okay, this is too much,” Cassy said as she flopped down onto her seat. “Two classes in a row? Fine. But three? With no pause in between? That’s a crime!”

“It’s why Ethics is skipped so much,” Morgan said.

Amber nodded along. “I get it. Are there any other classes we can skip?”

“I don’t think telling any of you would be a good idea,” Morgan said with a shake of her head. “That would just encourage Cassy to skip more of them, and I have doubts about her grades already.”

“Hey!” Cassy said. “This is stereotyping! Just because I’m the hot one on the team doesn’t mean I’m bad at school stuff. I’ll have you know I got good grades in school, despite any classes I might have slept through.”

“Wonderful,” Morgan said.

Amber sighed and shared a long-suffering look with Jade. At least I’m not alone in suffering. “Should we stop them?” Amber asked. “Maybe one of us can sit between them?”

“Nah, let the tension build; it’s good for their romance,” Jade said.

And just like that, both Morgan and Cassy turned their attention--and mock-anger--on Jade.

Amber stood up with a glance to her internal clock. She had a minute or so before class started. “I’ll be right back. I need to use the washroom.”

I should have asked Morgan for directions, she thought as she left the auditorium. There weren’t any signs pointing to the ladies washroom around, not even in the main corridor splitting that school building apart. So Amber took a guess and walked down the length of the corridor opposite the entrance.

That’s where she ran into Professor Erickson. “Hello,” he said with a cheerful smile.

“Hello professor,” Amber replied. “Um, this is a little embarrassing, but do you know where the washrooms are?”

The young man stopped, adjusted the filele folder he was holding to free up a hand, then he pointed behind him. “It’s not quite as close as would be convenient. Down the corridor, to your right, then it’ll be to your left. If you get to the maintenance closet, you’ve gone too far.”

“Thanks!” Amber said. “I’m sorry if I’m a little late to class.”

“It’s fine,” he said as he continued on his way. “Just don’t make too much noise when you come in.”

Amber nodded before continuing down the corridor at a brisk pace. She didn’t want to stand out by arriving to class any later than she needed to. She found the washroom, a surprisingly modern one considering the age of the building, and did what she had to do.

It was when she was stepping out that Amber saw something: a flash of pink, from the corner of her eye.

What?

It had been around head-height, and had disappeared as soon as it slipped around the far end of the corridor.

Amber looked towards where her classroom was, then back towards the corner. She hesitated a moment before she started to walk deeper into the building.

It was well lit, and there were some windows along one side of the wall. Still, it somehow felt like she was walking along an empty street; a place that was familiar, and yet dangerous.

Amber peaked around the corner, her head moving out, then back into cover. Nothing.

Maybe I imagined it? Or maybe it is something... damn it.

Amber started down the passageway, this one following along the back of the building. She slowed down before one room. The door was opened, and she looked in quickly. An office, some desks, piles of looseleaf next to closed laptops, the walls covered in posters and calendars. Just a teacher’s room.

There were only two more doors before the corridor ended. An exit out the back, and a room with ‘Janitor’ marked across its door.

Amber moved to the janitor’s closet first. The door was slightly ajar.

She reached out and wrapped her hand around the handle, then tore it open.

Amber didn’t know who was more surprised. Herself, or the pink-haired magical girl squatting down, both hands in a safety-yellow bucket where something that looked a lot like a bomb to Amber’s untrained eye was resting.

“Shit,” Amber said.

The girl leapt forwards, her hand extending towards Amber.

Amber slapped the arm aside. Then the girl’s other hand rammed her in the gut, four fingers digging into Amber a moment before a hot blast of pain cut into Amber. Her eyes met Amber’s. Sea-foam green that clashed with her bright hair.

Amber gasped, then swung a fist at the magical girl who spun around and ducked under the blow, her hand, now armed with five-inch nails, tearing out of Amber’s chest.

No!

The magical girl brought her non-bloodied hand up even as Amber bent over double, hands grasping at the pain in her gut.

The hand came down.

Everything paused, the image holding for a moment as the girl’s hand rested right over Amber’s exposed neck, all four of the girl’s fingers pressing down into the side of her throat.

Amber gasped and stumbled back.

Her butt bumped into a stainless steel sink, and she took a deep breath before grabbing the edge of the sink behind her.

This is... She blinked, taking in the time.

The bathroom, just after she entered it. Three minutes before...

Amber swallowed and tried to sooth her racing heart.

“That... that bitch!” Amber swore. She stepped away from the sink, arms raising up in a quick and familiar dance. It took a few seconds, but soon she was in her costume. She pulled her phone out and dialled Morgan’s number even as she raced to the door.

She opened it right in front of a girl that she didn’t recognize. Plain brown hair, the same uniform Amber had been wearing just moments before...

No, those eyes, I’ve seen them before. Pale green, like sea-foam.

Amber swung a fist at the girl, who went from confused to surprised as Amber’s fist connected with her cheek.

She stumbled to the side as Amber pushed her fist harder and ignored the slight pain in her knuckles.

The girl had a bag. A plain, boring school bag, the sort Amber had seen plenty of times and dismissed just as often. The bomb.

“Amber?” Morgan’s voice, from her phone.

She glanced down at the phone for just a moment. “Morgan, in the corridor, I need--”

A gunshot.

Loud, like thunder booming right in front of her.

Amber coughed as something punched into her ribs.

The girl had a gun.

That’s hardly fair, she thought faintly.

Her back foot found purchase and she started to move forwards again, cocking her fist back for another punch.

The girl slapped Amber’s hand aside with the same arm holding her gun. Another shot, this one ruffling past Amber’s head, but almost blowing her eardrum it was so loud.

Amber winced, and almost failed to see the girl striking out with two fingers pointing forward, her nails darkening and growing longer even as they shot out towards Amber’s eye.

No! Not again. I need to go back again, farther, much farther.

Her magic started to respond, but it was slow, just a little sluggish.

Amber screamed as the nails dug into, then through her eye.

Time

Time

Time

Time snapped.

Amber woke up with a cough on the floor next to a pile of vomit. There were beans in it, she noted idly. Her vision was... acute. Sharper than it had ever been.

No... that’s not right.

She heard someone running over, then a gasp from the doorway.

A look up revealed a nurse, hand over her mouth. “Oh! Wait! Wait, I need,” the woman said before running off.

Amber climbed to her feet. She felt... fine. A little shaky. It was the wobbliness of her legs after a hard run, but all over. It was fading fast.

Fading...

Amber looked up, at the bed, at her dad resting on it, at the Seelie staring at her with its head tilted to one side. “How curious!”

END OF LOOP ONE

***