Chapter 258

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> *If anything happens to **anyone** up on that mountain...
> There'll be hell to pay.*
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>
>
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*- Seraphina isn't screwing around.*

#### 10:00 AM

Blyke demands for John to release Terrence, who insists that he doesn't know anything. John pauses his interrogation, realizing that he's coming off as the same mad tyrant everybody knew him as. But the danger is real, and he needs to make sure everybody understands it. He turns to Isen and orders him to keep a close watch on Terrence and prevent him from escaping. Isen agrees, but Blyke isn't having it. When Johns comes up to him and asks for a word in private, he thinks of how naive it was to believe the guy could change. Isen wonders if John's reason for confronting Terrence was because he was in the loop at long last. For this reason, Isen urges Blyke to take stock in the concerns of their old foe. Blyke is incredulous, but Isen promises to handle things 'til they return. And so the Kings step aside for a chat.

### Downtown Rowden

#### 10:05 AM

Remi is still being dragged by Arlo, who remains frustratingly vague about the "if they don't come back" business. He says that he's needs to get to Rowden Hill, but without losing sight of her. Fed up, Remi breaks free of his grip and refuses to budge until she gets a proper explanation for Arlo's erratic behavior. Considering it for the best, Arlo refreshes her memory of how Seraphina came down with an unexpected spell of powerlessness. He then explains that the people behind that were in Rowden, with their sights set on doing the same thing to Wellston's other high-tiers. Arlo reveals that he, Seraphina, and John were working together to try and foil their plot. But the organization got wise to them, and split up the group in order to pick them off. Remi is stunned that every unusual turn that the field trip took, from Seraphina's abrupt leave of absence to the hiking disparity, was precisely calculated. Arlo warns her that Blyke is isolated and vulnerable as Seraphina was, but Remi wants to know how they got involved with such dangerous people anyway. Arlo only says that there's no time to tell the story, but promises to divulge everything as they move out. Remi intends to hold him to that.

### Rendevous Point

#### 10:07 AM

Back at the Arcwood gas station, three battered adults are ejected from their van. Agent Rowden, looks up from the ground to the furious teenager responsible for his current condition. Seraphina swears terrible revenge should any of her friends come across misfortune on their hike. As she's getting ready to steal the van, Arlo calls her. After explaining to her stressed out backup that her "teammates" were trying to keep her far away, they get up to speed. Arlo tells her that he and Remi were en route to the mountain, and their ETA was 11:00. Seraphina instructs him to send her the address so that they could meet up. She starts up the engine, and prays that John could hold out until the calvary gets there.

### Rowden Hill

#### 10:27 AM

John finishes telling Blyke about Terrence's purposes for enrolling at Wellston and leading them all up into the mountains. Blyke requires proof that he's being targeted, but John only has a gut feeling. Blyke is certain that it's all some cruel trick of John's, and warns him to knock it off with the hostilities. John doubles-down, and asks Blyke to come up with some other reason for his sudden shift from trying to destroy Safe House to awkwardly intruding on their little holiday. Blyke is too offended to rationalize, but John continues. It was for this reason that he asked to partake in the trip. Blyke is skeptical that John would want to protect the club, and John confirms that he doesn't care about most of them. But he *does* want to do whatever it takes to keep Seraphina happy. It is this confession that makes Blyke reconsider the integrity of John's story. John doesn't care either way, and just pleads for Blyke to just get them back to civilization.

#### 10:33 AM

Terrence hasn't moved a muscle while under Isen's watchful eye. He notices that Blyke and John are coming to rejoin the group. Isen greets them before asking if they settled on a compromise. Blyke announces to the group that they're cutting the trip short and going back down right away. The other students wonder whether Blyke was strongarmed into this decision against this will. Suddenly, someone unseen sets their sights on the group.

#### 10:35 AM

With targets in range, the Ability Dampener is fired. Nearly everybody in the group is disoriented by its effects, not noticing that Terrence smiling at this turn of events. For a moment, everybody is trying to figure out just what happened. Suddenly, John realizes that they need to keep track of Terrence now more than ever! He orders somebody, anybody, to grab him. But it's too late. Terrence is gone.

## Appearing Characters

* Seraphina
* *Agent Rowden*
* *Communicator*
* *Tech*
* Arlo
* Remi
* Terrence
* Blyke
* Isen
* John
* Evie
* Dylan
* Roland

## Appearing Abilities

* Time Manipulation
* Invisibility