Later that week, Priya, Jax, and Chloe came to visit me at my family’s martial arts studio, their arms laden with celebration gifts.
“We’re so sorry, Blaze, Priya said, her voice full of genuine remorse. “We made you handle all the external conflicts in that world. You never had any time to properly study.”
“And you missed taking the final exam with us because of it; Jax added, looking guilty.
I just smiled, wiping the sweat from my brow after a particularly intehse training session. “It’s fine. The finals weren’t really a necessity for me anyway.”
Priya’s expression turned serious. “Blaze, your education is important. A scholarship is one thing, but the Grant is….
“You should re–apply for next year! We can all tutor you,” Chloe offered earnestly.
I sighed, a playful, dramatic sound. I walked over to the studio’s crowded bulletin board, past tournament trophies and photos, and pointed to a thick, official–looking envelope pinned right in the center.
“That’s because I was already accepted to my first–choice university on a full athletic scholarship weeks ago.”
I turned to face them, a grin spreading across my face. “I’m the reigning Junior World Martial Arts Champion, after all.”
Priya’s jaw dropped. Jax’s eyes went wide. “You never told us that!”
I gave them a mysterious smile. “I wanted it to be a surprise.”
The room erupted in laughter, the bond between us forged in a crucible they’d never know, stronger than any trophy award.
514
Later, through a strange, dream–like connection that sometimes still flickered between our worlds, like a faint radio signal
Later, through a strange, dream–like connection that sometimes still flickered between our worlds, like a faint radio signal from a distant star, we learned what happened to the girl we left behind.
Rowan Adler thrived. With the residual memories of thirty brilliant minds as her guide, she navigated the treacherous waters of the corporate world with an almost supernatural skill and confidence. We saw a glimpse of her a year later, at a hostile board meeting. She stood at the head of a long table, calm and unshakable, dismantling an older, condescending board member’s arguments with cold, precise logic. She took over the Fairchild Corporation and became a rising star, respected and feared in equal measure.
Caspian Ingram, his mother’s journals safely on his bookshelf, graduated at the top of his class. He turned down offers from every top firm in the country to join the Fairchild Corporation. He became Rowan’s most trusted advisor and right- hand man. In that boardroom glimpse, we saw him sitting at her side, and as she finished her takedown, he gave her a small, almost imperceptible nod of shared victory. Theirs was a partnership built on a foundation of shared trauma and unwavering trust. And perhaps, in time, it blossomed into something more.
Our thirty souls had been thrown into a desperate battle to save one lost girl.
And in doing so, we had learned how to fight together, how to trust each other, and how to win.
We had saved Rowan Adler.
And in the process, we had saved ourselves.
