Mech-man: The Mission of Fate

Chapter 48

Max woke to the white lights of the spaceship, his head spinning with confusion. He blinked several times and rubbed his eyes, trying to make sense of his surroundings. The last thing he remembered was being trapped in a dark, underground cavern, his limbs trapped beneath tons of debris. How had he ended up back on the spaceship?

As he tried to sit up, a sharp pain shot through his side, reminding him of the injuries he had sustained during the cave-in. But to his surprise, Caden was already by his side, his face filled with relief and joy. "Max, you're back!" Caden exclaimed, his voice thick with emotion. "We thought we had lost you."

"I don't know how to thank you guys," Max said, his voice tinged with gratitude and wonder. Caden simply smiled and patted his friend's shoulder, relieved to have him back safe and sound.

As Max began to recover from his injuries, Lucas explained how they found Max.

"After we escaped from the goblets and you fell down, we hid nearby and saw you and Lucas being taken inside, we tried to follow but they were too quick. Then we waited contacted Kellen and we went abord the spaceship. We waited till you reappeared, which was at night. We would have missed you if Jaxon didn't insist to check again. Then we followed you on ground, we wanted to help you on the way, but you moved too fast and we didn't have a good chance. When you guys entered the mine, we waited outside. We were about to leave when we felt the ground vibrate and the next thing we knew was the ground collapsing. Then we found you and Lucas buried. You should have seen how excited we were when we found you and Lucas grasping a black crystal!" Caden told Max.

"And what about Lucas, is he awake?" Max continued to ask.

"I think he hasn't woken up yet, Kellen said he's safe though." Caden replied with a worried expression. "I think you should rest a bit, now, we are going back."

The whole journey was peaceful, the spaceship raced through space, cutting through the air like a piercing bullet. The lights outside the window became a blur, they raced past planets and thousands of other solar systems. Wast galaxies pasted them like tree on both sides of a road, blurring past to fast to process. Max sat on his bed his face pressed against the window. They successfully retrieved the black crystal from Draconis, they completed their first mission.

Slowly, a familiar planet came into Max's view, the dark blue seas, green islands placed around the planet. He clenched the black crystal on his hand tight, as if it would disappear anytime.

After Kellen dropped them off the spaceship, he went away to park it. Back at Mech school, Professor McAllister greeted them with a worried smile, slowly took the black crystals and examined them carefully.

"This is the first black crystal that I have ever touch." Professor McAllister admitted. "But I can tell that these crystals are powerful. Now, follow me." Professor McAllister lead them outside of the school, they stood on the beach, facing the glistening sea.

"After you went on your mission, strange things happened in the school." Professor McAllister began, lowering her voice as if they were being listened to. "For example, powerful items such as power crystals began to disappear without a trace. Just yesterday, a few students vanished into thin air during a lesson. It wasn't long before students began to disappear one by one. We have no idea where they went or how to stop this. I think the black crystal is the key to solving this problem."

"How many students have disappeared?" Aria asked nervously.

"Fourteen in total." Professor McAllister replied, "We sent a few staff members to try and find them around the school, but they seemed to disappear too."

"Where's everybody?" Caden suddenly asked.

"They're in the assembly hall and Principal Johns is doing the register to check if there are anymore disappearances." Professor McAllister answered gravely. "I suspect that what's happening now has something to do with the figure that you guys saw on the night..."

Max mind immediately flashed back to that dark night. The overwhelming green light, the feeling of dizziness. Suddenly a thought flashed into his mind.

"Wait, do you remember the creature we met in the chamber?" Max asked nervously, but in a quick pace. Jaxon and Caden nodded, remembering how they barely escaped from the mysterious creature.

"Are you saying that the people that disappeared is going to be fed..." Jaxon spoke out his thoughts with fear.

"No! I won't let that happen!" Professor McAllister snapped sternly, "Stop making up stuff. Now, tell me where you came out of the chamber."

Lucas nodded and began to lead the way. They arrived at a little clearing outside of the school, here, tall grass blades covered the ground.

"I'm sure that it is around here." Lucas said, kicking the ground.

"Here!" Cassia suddenly exclaimed, pointing at a unusual part of the ground with her feet. The ground seemed to be more covered in this area, but a outline of a lid could barely be seen. Professor McAllister lowered herself down and slowly removed the lid. A dark chamber came into view. The only way down, was a wobbling wooden ladder. Even under the sunlight, the whole chamber was practically dark.

"Should we go in?" Max asked slowly, eying the chamber nervously.

Professor McAllister didn't reply, she took out on of the black crystal and held it in her hands. As she lowered he hands into the chamber, the black crystal began to shine, illuminating the whole chamber. Max, Lucas, Caden and Jaxon saw the familiar rough walls, with strange characters written on them. Suddenly, screams of help came from deep inside the chamber.