As per any other day at East Coast Academy, a young girl got her supplies together and began her early morning walk to receive an education. She silently walked with her hands in her hoodie pocket, ignoring the other students she passed by along the way. It was a quiet, sometimes uninteresting life for her.
"Hey, Invisia!" Sofia greeted, waiting for her friend to walk over. Invisia hurried over and hugged her friend.
"Is today the day?" she asked.
"That's what we've been told," Maisie said when she approached. "We'll just have to wait and see after school."
"Where are Miya and Luli?" Invisia asked them.
"I think they both tried to get a sneak peek in the hideout," Sofia answered.
"Guys!" Miya and Luli ran over, desperately out of breath.
"What happened?!" Maisie asked them.
"Jonas caught us trying to catch a peek! He's after us!" Luli answered.
"Get back here!" they heard him shout.
"I told you it was a bad idea!" said Sofia. "Let's just get to class and go after!"
"You don't have to tell me twice!" Miya immediately started running. Her friends saw Jonas running closer, so they ran off, too.
After a quick day of receiving an education, the Afterschoolers hurried down to the library basement. It was there, they found Briar and Jonas standing over two large crystals. In them were Ms. Lily and Mr. Cord himself.
"Are we sure this is going to work?" Briar asked him.
"It should." Jonas flipped through the burnt pages of one of Surazo's notebooks. "Says here that only an immense amount of aura could break someone free of a giant crystal. I think with all of ours combined, it should be enough."
"Hey! Don't count us out, either!" Aux and Lucky descended into the hideout, eager to help.
"You're here!" Invisia welcomed. "How has the reconstruction been?"
"It's been going smoothly," said Lucky. "Kayde is making sure our former sidekicks get the job done right."
"Yeah! Speaking of which, all of you are still welcomed to join," Aux offered. "We could always use more sidekicks in the Nexus Society."
"We appreciate it, but no thank you," said Luli.
"Yeah, being an Afterschooler is for the best," Invisia added.
"Well said," Lucky complemented. "We can't thank you enough for saving all of us. When Aux and I were stuck in the prison cells, we were sure that was the end."
"Now, shall we begin?" Briar said.
They all called upon the power of the Aura Crystals. Placing their hands on Lily's prison, they channeled enough energy to crack it open.
Lily sprung up from the floor, sporadic and as hyper as can be. "W-What happened?! Where am I?!" she gasped.
"You're back!" Sofia and the students welcomed her with a group hug.
"Uh, yeah? Did I miss something?"
"It's good to have you back," Briar said with a genuine smile.
"Okay," Jonas sighed. "Only one left."
The room fell silent as they pressed their hands on Cord's ebony crystal. It took even more of their combined efforts to breakthrough to him.
"Grandpa?" Jonas said softly.
"Hehe... I knew you'd come save me, Jonas."
