Advanced Brewing smelled strange again. Something sweet and acidic drifted out of the open door. I still wasn't sure what that smell actually was.

Russel was sitting at the table, his head resting on a propped up hand. The sleepless night taking its toll, probably. Luckily for us it was the last class of the day. We just had to get through this and then we could spend the day resting.

It was only Monday and I already wanted another weekend. But I would have to settle for a nap later.

"Hi," I greeted as I sat in my usual seat.

"Hmm," Russel responded. Even that one syllable sounded exhausted.

Celica wasn't here yet, and neither was Carmine. At least as far as I could see. The smell made me wonder if he was waiting for a dramatic entrance. Again.

"What's your favorite comic book?" Russel asked after a second.

The question was so sudden I hadn't processed it at first. "What?"

"Since we're apparently living one now, which one's your favorite?"

"I don't know. I prefer B movies."

He chuckled, "Of course. Monsters?"

"Radioactive spills, aliens, and forgotten castles."

"Not a lot of time travel then?"

"Some. Not much though."

"The way I see it, we have two options. One, you can't change what happens to Red and are doomed. Two, you can change it but risk something worse happening."

"What do you think is worse than getting attacked by a wraith and dying?" I asked lowly. Though even if it were heard no one would have any idea what we were talking about.

"I don't know, I've been thinking about that question. I can't really imagine a worse scenario. What I can't make sense of is why you're alone. If we know this is coming we should be prepared. Even one more person would make a world of difference for your chances. So why is it just you?"

I shrugged, "I don't know." It was mostly true. I didn't know any of the details. What choices led to Red to be standing there in the attic waiting for an attack. The way she'd talked about it, it seemed like it was part of some grander plan.

That meant there was something that the others were doing. Something that needed their attention more? A plan with details I wouldn't know until we were making it?

I don't think she'd told anyone when it was coming. Because she sounded like she had a rough idea.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Then again, I had a rough idea too. A collection of things that meant the attack was nearing.

"Maybe something happens that keeps you all locked outside. I mean…the doors lock when Echoes play. And there was one time she was talking to someone that I couldn't see or hear. It's not impossible that I'm not alone." A slim chance of someone unseen being involved in some sneaky plan.

I knew I was grasping at straws here. But there was some element of truth to it. We'd gotten a scattering of glimpses. Not the full uninterrupted fight with an exact play-by-play.

It was almost a certainty that there was something we didn't see. That might make all the difference here.

"I don't know which option is worse. That we somehow miss that it was happening or that we did and let it happen anyway," Russel mumbled low under his breath.

"Well, there's still a chance we can avoid the entire thing. No wraith, no attack." All we had to do was get rid of that knife.

"Sure. But what will that do to the timeline? Is that even possible?" Russel pondered.

Honestly, they were good questions. Even as they terrified me. What if trying to avoid one fate just brought an even worse one on our heads?

"Do you think we would be able to forgive ourselves if we didn't at least try?" I asked instead. Technically that was an option too. To stop having Hope wander the school looking for Death's Echo. To pretend we didn't know anything about what was coming.

"No. I know I wouldn't. Doing nothing wasn't an option for us. Not since M told us the knife was here."

"We refuse to hide in the sand. We can't run from this, leaving now would be too risky. So. We fight. We fight and we try to win. If it's hopeless and we fail then we won't be haunted by regret. If there's a chance, we have to take it."

No regrets, she'd begged me. Right before trying to reveal her identity to me. Even knowing I wouldn't find out yet. That boded poorly for our chances to change things.

But what would telling him that accomplish right now? Make them all feel worse than they already do? They already knew how dire the situation was and were doing what they could about it.

All that would do was upset them further.

So I couldn't tell them. Not about that. Hope might just be the only thing keeping any of us going right now, ripping it away when we knew so little about any of this seemed cruel.

"Do we think it was your curse or the chamber that caused this time stuff?" Russel asked.

"I don't know. I don't think anyone could know. It was likely some combination of both. There's so little we know about the curse and barely anything about the spells down there. How they interacted is anyone's guess."

"The reason I'm asking is because the wraith was able to interact with you the same way Red does. Now that we know who she is, what does that mean for the wraith?"

It was the best question I'd heard or thought about all day. But that didn't mean I had any idea. All the potential answers seemed horrifying.

So I took a deep breath while trying to think. "Maybe it got some kind of exposure to the curse? If it's both that cause the time weirdness?"

I had no idea if that was possible or made any sense.

"How would it get exposure to the curse?" Russel pondered. "Wraiths aren't…their only useful for their claws and lack of free will. Not something that can use magic. Which is what makes the curse react, right?"

"So far."

"In theory, if the exposure happens when they're still alive it might still linger. And maybe something with the interaction with Death's Echo triggers something. Or your exposure to the chamber has something to do with it."

There was too many what-ifs. And no one in the world with the knowledge to sort out the truth from the conspiracies.

"It's possible the curse makes more things go awry than we're expecting. Maybe the thief doesn't know about it and that does something."

"Or maybe the wraith is you too," Russel said it in a near inaudible whisper. Like even breathing around the idea would make it come true.

"That doesn't make sense. Have we seen Echoes of Echoes? And that doesn't work with some stuff I've seen from Red. I saw her in the attic once and she looked like she was waiting for its attack. Something about that sounds off."

"Crossing off the worst choice sounds nice. And maybe you have a point, even when no one has any idea what they're talking about."

"Russel. Be honest with me. What do you think our outcomes here are?"

"If we don't try, you're almost definitely dead. Same with whoever the wraith is or was. If we try, we might still fail to save anyone."

"What do you think those heroes in your comic books would do?"

"Try. Even if it was doomed."

"I'm not scared Russel. If there's one thing I know about Dragon Tower, it's that we do what people aren't expecting. Maybe we can still do that here."

"Is there anything that scares you? If this doesn't?"

Being alone again. Having no one I could rely on. "I came here for a place to belong. Losing it now scares me more than anything."

"You're not the only one. So don't do anything stupid, okay?"

"You guys too. This goes both ways."

Russel smirked. Seeing it made me feel better for the first time that day. Maybe we could find a way out of this after all.

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