Project J and the Time Walker

Chapter 2 Lost and Not Yet Found

Chapter 2
Lost and Not Yet Found

S A L L Y

My head felt like I was transported into another dimension ones again. After Cadence used her newly found tricks, I found myself tripping on the floor in Professor Villa’s room.

Ever since we returned from the ancestral home of the spirits, Cadence started to experiment using her abilities more. Her experiment were successful, but she still lacked skill at using other special ability.

Well, they developed and improved their techniques on how do they use their abilities almost their entire lives (except Calyx though). I can’t blame Cadence for not reaching their level, I thought.

Unfortunately, when Cadence tried to use Adrien’s Doors of Night for the first time, she went for a quick trip to back in Calyx’s old dorm.

According to her research, she couldn’t proper use Doors of Night because the user must clearly visualize where they wanted to go to. Luckily, she found another way of transportation. Unfortunately, the participants could feel drowsiness and headache if they weren’t used to it, which were what the eight of us felt when Cadence used her ability.

“Good thing you are here now. Sit down so we can proceed to our discussion.” 

Since Cadence was already at traveling using her new teleportation thingy, she didn’t tripped off like the rest of us did. The eight of us stood in our feet while holding our head. My head felt like it was rotating like an electric fan, while my stomach was rumbling in a very bad way.

The room looked the same as ever. Peach-colored walls, arranged bookshelves and drawers containing documents, the soft and cute sofa set in the front of the professor’s table.

My eyes caught Professor Villa was sitting in his chair while Professors Luke and Eve were sitting in the sofa set, drinking some tea.

“Sorry for the trouble, but we needed to discuss this thing immediately.” Professor Luke looked at us after he smelled the tea inside of his white cup.

Professor Luke’s face is charming as ever!

Cadence stepped forward without any trace of the dizziness in her face. The rest of us were still dizzy because of Cadence teleportation ability, but we had no choice but to force ourselves to stand straight or Professor Villa would be angrier at us.

“Let’s start then.”

“Sit before we talk, Cadence. I know that the rest of you are still tired.” Professor Eve stood up and along with Professor Luke, offers us the couches.

Without any hesitation, I quickly sat on one of the couch and sighed in relief. The two other professor sat in the chair in front of Professor Villa’s table. The three professors were wearing their professor uniforms, even though that the school year hadn’t started yet.

“We summoned the nine of you here because of our theory about the sudden disappearance of the four members of the original Guardians.” Professor Villa said.

“It was always a mystery for us, but after the incidents in the Cave of Truth and the ancestral home of the spirits, we found something,” Professor Eve said. “The two of those incidents involved one of you releasing powerful wave of special energy.”

“And the most important thing is that right after the incidents, one of the missing members of the original appeared.”

The nine of us gasped in realization. Even Cadence looked a little shocked, but she immediately hid her surprised expression under her facade.

“Do you think those are just coincidence? I think no. Special energy of the champions and other normal ability users are different, especially that the nine of you are the new Guardians I ones saw in my vision,” Professor Luke explained.

Ever since they told us that Professor Luke returned, we tried to ask him about the vision he saw about the new Guardians. Unfortunately for us, he just made up excuses and never told us what he saw. Even Professor Villa couldn’t get any information from him.

Cadence cleared her throat and narrowed her eyes on at her dad. “You want us to conduct experiment to prove your theory, am I right?”

Professor Eve suddenly laughed.

The rest of us were left confused while Professor Luke was silently giggling as Professor Villa narrowed his eyes at his wife. I confusedly looked at Nicky and the others, but they just replied me with the same confused eyes.

“I’m sorry. I just remembered how you and Arnold are similar.”

“I even remembered the time when we are starting to teach here. Arnold gazed at me like that whenever I teased him about you, Eve.” Professor Luke wiped his tear-filled eyes because of laughter.

My mind they suddenly went to run in circles. I giggled after I imagined Professor Luke teasing Professor Villa who just replied with a deadly glare. I even found the rest of the gang laughing when they imagined the same scenario in their heads.

Cadence and Professor Villa on the other hand just stared at us with a glare much colder than winter. I felt a million of sharp daggers stabbing every organ in my body. I swallowed my saliva as I felt the same fear I felt when I faced Death.

“Le-Let’s just go back to our topic,” Professor Luke suggested where everyone immediately agreed on.

“As I just said, both Eve and I suddenly appeared after one of you released a huge amount of special energy all at ones. What if your teams do that one more time? Will it bring back Emma or Randy?” Professor Luke mischievously smiled. He was really a mad scientist when it came to experiments and elixirs.

“We already got our hands full with the judgmental eyes in this academy and the May’s condition. Please consider our position,” Cadence said with a hint of desperation on her voice. I could even notice that her blue eyes were starting to glow brighter, but she still managed to wear a calm expression on her face.

I could admit that I felt a weird feeling stirred inside me. I knew Cadence had a soft personality behind her cold one, but seeing her being concerned about us made my lips to curve with happiness even slightly.

Nicky and the others seemed to be touched as well as the professors. A smile curved in Professor Eve’s lips, seeing her adapted daughter’s soft side. Professor Villa’s serious expression also soften after seeing Cadence’s reaction.

Professor Villa sighed. “I know you just want to protect your friends, Cadence. I just want to do the same. Emma and Randy are both intelligent. I bet the both of them are holding some clues that could lead us to the answers we are seeking.”

“But—” Cadence tried to argue but Calyx interrupted her.

“Cadence, they might know something about what’s happening. Plus, I’m sure we are going to be fine since we have Professor Villa, Professor Luke, Professor Eve, and Mr. Alcantara.” Calyx smiled at Cadence, which made Cadence’s glare soften.

Nicky and the others seemed to agree on Professor Villa’s plan. The three professors just stared at us with a serious expression in their eyes. I, on the other hand, just confusedly stared at the both groups.

Am I the only one lost here?

Cadence shut her eyes before she took a deep breath. “Alright. We will help you,”

The aura around the father and daughter lightened more. Professor Eve and Luke smiled with joy, but the intensity in the atmosphere didn’t die. I could sense still the seriousness of the situation we were in, even though I didn’t had that much idea what was happening.

“But how we will create an explosion that powerful without us getting endangered?” Nicky asked.

“We will use a crystal ball from the Crystal University. You nine should have enough special energy to overfill it. Ones the ball exploded with massive amounts of special energy, that would be enough to pull back Randy or Emma if our theory is correct,” Professor Eve explained.

Unlike the crystal ball I watched from the TV, the real crystal balls were an tool that absorbed and contain the special energy. It was similar to the fruit of Memories, but unlike the fruit, it couldn’t be used to search for memories.

“Wait a minute. From where we exactly going to pull Uncle Randy and Mom?” Calyx asked with his pair of his confused coal-black eyes.

Question started to run in my head after I heard Calyx’s question. Some of this questions were: After the Reset, where they exactly went? Why did they mysteriously disappeared? Is this Randy guy cute? Is he single?

“I don’t know for sure. But after I learned the existence of other dimension from your club, I guessed they were thrown to an unknown dimension because of the backlash of the Second Reset,” Professor Villa silently explained.

His explanation made new questions in my mind. I wondered why they didn’t just ask Professors Luke and Eve. If they were thrown actually to an unknown dimension, they should knew it. Unfortunately for me, I was wrong.

“Luke and I can’t remember anything after the Reset. All I know is that after we performed Reset, a massive explosion occurred. I then had a dream about a beautiful place filled with . . . with magic. I can’t remember anything else, but I am sure that my dream is not just an ordinary dream. It felt . . . it felt real,” Professor Eve explained.

Magic? That sure was something pretty weird. But after learning that other dimension besides ours existed, then it might be true that they were thrown to other dimensions.

“I, on the other hand, had a dream about a weird place where there was war everywhere. I can’t remember anything else, but it’s all weird.” Professor Luke while he was holding his arms like he was cold or something.

A dimension filled with war and violence? I was sure it’s something interesting. I guessed I think I should add that to my bucket list, if I ever learned how to use my abilities as a champion of Trust to travel through dimensions.

“So is that all? You want us to make a massive explosion?” August asked.

“Actually there’s one more thing I want you to do. A week from now, I want your club to go to Crystal University to take the crystal ball we ordered. I also want you to check if the school is safe. I will give further instructions tomorrow,” Professor Villa answered.

“Crystal University is in the Silangan Region, right? Why one can’t you just go there yourself? With Professor Eve and Professor Luke now here, Professor Villa can leave the academy more freely.” Harvy asked.

Well, that made sense. Why they were pushing the work into us anyway?

Wait a minute. If I go to Crystal University then I can see Finn!

As I started to imagine things in my head how wonderful it was if we went to Finn’s school, the others were in a different page. Calyx and the others were arguing to Professor Villa about the extra work that he was pushing to us.

“You might know this, but while your club was kidnapped by the champion of Death, the Demon King began to make his move. Even with the three of us and Alex, Nightingale Academy’s pillar might be still in danger.”

The Academy’s pillar? That might be the academy’s treasure that Professor Villa ones mentioned before.

“So we are going to take the crystal ball in the Crystal University and check their school? Plus, we also need to create an explosion to bring back the remaining original Guardians,” Calyx told himself.

“Darn! Our schedule is already full before we begin our ninth grade.” Ronnie cradled his head with his hands.

Professor Eve stood up and gave us a very sweet smile that broke the thick atmosphere that was surrounding us. “I think you guys should go take a rest. You guy have a big day tomorrow.”