Rafael & the magic DarKNight

"Well, who wants to go first?” Poppina asked once they had settled themselves on the plush garniture.

Maddox shrugged. “It’s obvious: Bobby is a jerk, and Mr. Demetriu dismissed us pretty quickly after Rafael asked him about Centisom. So now what?”

“I don’t get why they’re suspicious of me,” Rafael sighed.

“Because of your bizarre relationship with Centisom,” Poppina replied. “It does whatever you command. It would probably open the doors to Dreamland if you wished.”

Rafael couldn’t deny it, though he had hoped his secret wouldn’t get out. She must have read his thoughts because she added, “Don’t worry, most aren’t observant enough to notice that, but we’re with you a lot, so we see it.”

“Okay, but how would the Headmaster be clued into that? He doesn’t spend time with us,” Maddox replied, his brow creased in a frown.

Poppina’s eyes darted to Rafael. “Because he withheld crucial information after he tested Rafael.”

Rafael closed his eyes and sighed. “I figured that was the case, Poppina. But how did you find out?”

She blushed and pinched her lips.

“Ah,” Maddox said with an understanding grin, “you spied on Mr. Dowotski.”

“All right,” Rafael drew out the word because he wasn’t about to throw stones at Poppina while withholding his own secrets. “That explains how they thought I could be the culprit. But–”

“You two are hiding something from me. Spit it out,” Maddox cut in, his eyes narrowing in aggravation. “I’m on your side. You can’t leave me in the dark.”

Poppina threw Rafael a pleading look. She was anxious to enlighten Maddox. Rafael discouraged her with a small shake of his head, remembering Mr. Demetriu’s advice. Don’t let others tell your story, it always comes out wrong.

“The reason I get along with Centisom is that it recognizes me, or rather, it recognizes my other power.”

“What?” Maddox sprang to his feet.

Rafael held up a conciliatory hand. “It doesn’t matter because it’s an old, outdated gift. Probably why nobody mentioned it to me.”

He shook his head at Poppina, whose mouth had opened as though to argue. “The world has moved on, and no one cares about it. It’s not worth pursuing.”

He hoped it wasn’t wishful thinking, considering what he had learned in his secret room. Anyway, for all intents and purpose, it wasn’t their immediate problem, and with a bit of luck, would never be.

Maddox fell back on the couch. “I see, you don’t want to advertise it,” he said, drawing a line across his lips, as though he were zipping them closed. “I won’t tell.”

Satisfied, Rafael dipped his chin in thanks and sent a quelling glance to Poppina to crush the rest of her silent protest.

After a long-suffering sigh, she caved. “Right. No telling. Let’s focus on the fact that Centisom was unable to pinpoint who was near Gateway Hall when the doors flew open.”

“Easy,” Maddox said, “it didn’t detect the demon monsters who attacked us either. Those two things must be related.”

“Centisom is an ancient entity. It relies on magic to do... well, everything, so it never needed electricity. I think electronic devices are more or less alien to it,” Rafael reasoned aloud.

Maddox sprang to his feet and paced, picking up the reasoning where Rafael left off. “If Centisom doesn’t understand electronic things, then it can’t recognize a threat coming from them. Maybe its magic gets tripped up by electronic devices and it... it’s a kind of weak spot.”

Rafael jumped up. “Centisom didn’t detect the attack because the monsters came from the tablet! So maybe it couldn’t see what happened in Gateway Hall because... maybe what happened there was related to something electronic as well... that tablet thing again?” He gave Maddox a high-five.

Poppina plopped her fists on her hips. “Thanks for not telling me I was right all along.”

“We couldn’t,” Maddox said, waving a hand at her, “otherwise you’d become even bossier.”

Rafael snorted with laughter at her round eyes and hanging jaw. “You’re the best, Poppina, truly. But you must admit you’re also quite determined.”

“Scary determined,” Maddox added with a wink.

Instead of exploding in outrage, a small superior smile formed on her lips. Rafael realized too late that they had walked right into her trap when she batted her eyelashes and said in a deadpan tone, “I’m glad you both acknowledge I’m the boss.”

Both looked at her, their jaws hanging.

After a pregnant pause, Maddox broke the silence with a laugh. “We should call ourselves the PIC Team.”

Poppina tapped her foot on the ground. “It sounds lame. What’s it supposed to mean?”

“I’m thinking Private Investigators of Centisom, Poppina,” Rafael answered with a broad smile and bumped fists with Maddox.

She shuddered. “Lame. Poppina’s Investigation Company is much better. You’ll be the lead investigators, of course.”

The guys groaned in unison but didn’t even try to argue.

Whatever the case, if they wanted to exonerate Rafael, they indeed needed to figure out who the culprit was behind the strange events.

At the very least, they might even stumble on a way for him to get back home.

Hope dies last, right?

They were skulking in the shadow. His heart was beating too fast, and his breath was too loud in his own ears. A feather-light brush on his hand startled a strangled cry from his mouth.

“Hush, Rafael,” Poppina whispered, “go ahead, the coast is clear.”

As he neared Mr. Zhou’s classroom on shaky legs, he wondered how Poppina had roped him into this harebrained scheme. Centisom had informed him the teacher was still sniffing around back at Gateway Hall. Poppina and Maddox were on the lookout. Now, his task was to pry open the door to Mr. Zhou’s classroom and office.

Previously, they had been searching Infinite Library. When Poppina initially suggested poking around Centisom’s records there to see if they could find anything about the mysterious T.P.O.D. device’s owner, it seemed like a good idea. She had theorized a former trainee must have reprogrammed the tablet, somebody with an ax to grind with the Guardians. If she was right, their best bet was to search the trainees’ archives for recent dropouts. Recent, because Media Room was a relatively new addition to Centisom. Further, the prospect of rejection plus brainwashing provided a strong motive.

As they had discussed the matter, Rafael shocked them with the memory scrubbing thing. The teachers didn’t advertise that part of the Centisom equation.

“Who unleashes monsters knowing he or she won’t be there to admire their work?” Maddox asked, baffled.

“Somebody with a huge grudge, and a sick sense of humor,” Poppina observed. “If I’m thrown out, and they alter my brain, you guys need to find me and put my head right.”

“Done, but only if you’d return the favor,” Rafael bargained. “Uh, that is if they don’t scrub us too to make us forget you.”

“You think they’d do that?”

“I would if I were them.”

“Then we need to write down our story,” Poppina said.

Rafael lifted a finger. “You remember that Centisom wipes out the unused space.”

“Holy crap on a stick! There would be no way to reconnect!”

“Maddox, language,” Poppina admonished in her best bossy voice. “I’m sure there’s a way around that. We just need to find it.”

However, their attempt at accessing that area of the library had failed when they were challenged to present a key. The extra protection was probably meant to keep nosey trainees out of whatever secrets the library was hiding in its depths. So now they were breaking and entering into Mr. Zhou’s classroom to borrow said key.

As his fingertips touched the doorknob, he hesitated. Once he opened it, there was no going back. They were committing robbery, for goodness sake. It wasn’t a small offense.

He jumped again as Poppina urged him on, “Hurry up, Rafael.”

Praying Centisom would agree, Rafael sent a short mental command, and the lock clicked open. “I’m in.”

They followed him into the dim area, and there was a moment of confusion as bodies collided, and a thud resonated in the cavernous space. Rafael conjured a light, and they untangled.

“What are you doing here?” Maddox asked in the direction of a prone figure.

Grace picked herself up from the floor and, somehow, managed a haughty look while dusting her backside. “I slipped in right after you, but somebody braked before I could react. Sorry I crashed into you.” She shrugged. “Whatever. I was searching for Rafael. We were supposed to train together,” she said. Her brow arched. “Amazing how I found you... breaking and entering and all.”

“Look,” Poppina started, but Grace cut her off.

“Whatever you’re up to, I want in.”

Maddox shrugged. “As far as I’m concerned, welcome to the PIC Team.”

Poppina offered a relieved smile. “Cool, girl power rocks!”

Grace looked at Rafael as though he had the last word. All he could manage was a nod and a “Yeah, sweet.”

“You can tell me later why you are doing this ninja-burglar thing. Right now, let’s do it. What are we searching for?” she asked with a delighted grin on her face.

Maddox brought her up to date with a few quiet words, and they spread out.

If nothing else, Mr. Zhou was organized. His office, set apart from the classroom by a cleverly-positioned bookcase, was a role model for compulsive orderliness. He had aligned each item on his desk with military-like precision. Even the furniture was arranged in precise angles.

“Don’t disturb anything, guys,” Rafael said, keeping his voice low, “he will know.”

He rounded the desk while the others rifled through the file cabinets. Something bothered him about the arrangement. Finally, he noticed the left side of the leather desk pad was slightly raised. Lifting the pad with a fingertip, he retrieved a dossier and flipped it open. It contained a single name on a bland sheet of paper. He was putting it back, careful to realign everything when Centisom alarmed him of Mr. Zhou’s imminent return.

“Hurry up, he’s on his way!” he shout-whispered to his team. They looked up like rabbits cornered by a fox, and he shooed them toward the back of the room. “Stand against that cabinet and stay still,” he instructed. When he joined them, he manifested a duplicate of the large cabinet that was behind them and placed it in front to conceal them.

The duplicate wouldn’t pass close inspection because there wasn’t enough time to add the finer details, but it would suffice to foil a casual glance.

“I don’t like enclosed spaces,” Grace whined as the muffled click of an opening door reverberated into the stillness.

Rafael cast her a worried glance, but Poppina had already grabbed Grace’s shoulder to silence her. Noticing a spider descending above Maddox’s head, he shuffled away from it and was standing right at the edge of the cabinet when the lights zapped on. He froze. Movements were easy to detect.

With half an eye, he followed Mr. Zhou’s steps to his desk. The diminutive man was carrying his scientific equipment under his arm. Rafael hoped he would stow it and exit, but the tedious teacher took his sweet time fussing over every detail as he put the equipment away. Rafael could tell by the smell that the PIC Team was beginning to sweat. He, too, was feeling the heat building up in the confined space.

Mr. Zhou emptied his pockets on the desk and repeated the procedure. Dust was tickling Rafael’s nose. Somebody shuffled their feet. Had Maddox just met the spider? He didn’t dare move.

It was at times like this he wished for an invisibility cloak. To his chagrin, mastering the cloaking skill was hard. Absorb the revealing light, then reflect what was behind himself to the observer. Of course, he had tried. Who wouldn’t? He fared okay with stationary objects, but movements caused air ripples that distorted the reflected image. The result was like peering into a kaleidoscope. He would keep trying.

He was grateful Mr. Zhou had his back to him because a knock, immediately followed by the opening of the door, made him jerk in surprise. Mr. Zhou grunted as Ms. Renvoizé joined him.

“Hello, Chen,” she greeted him with a tilt of the head. “I’m glad to catch you.”

A fluffy, iridescent Dreamling dropped from her shoulder onto the desk, impelling her colleague to sweep all the remaining items in a drawer.

“Hello, my dear, to whom or what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I’m aware your time is tight due to your new project. However, we shouldn’t forget our common venture,” she said. “Paolo is doing such a marvelous job. He offers us a great chance to accelerate the process.” Her eyes were shining with pride.

Mr. Zhou chuckled. Rafael was stunned that the humorless man knew how to laugh.

“You’re right, my dear. It’s gratifying to see our work coming to fruition. He amplified the planet’s crucial environmental issues, organized the M.C.M. movement, and has thrown the political scene on Earth into a dither.”

Rafael didn’t hear the rest of Mr. Zhou’s diatribe because his attention had turned to the Dreamling, that, to his horror, was now floating toward him like a drunken puppy. The glob of pearl-white fur – the current star of their Nurture lessons – had taken a liking to him. Rafael slid backward, eliciting a wordless protest from Maddox. But he couldn’t avoid the happy furball that jumped in his arms and, with a soft croon, demanded a petting.

He pressed the tiny Dreamling against his chest and obliged if only to silence it. Sweat was running down his back as he tried to figure how to get rid of it without blowing their cover. He tried to propel it to the top of the shelf, but it missed and landed on Grace’s head. She squawked in surprise, and they all froze.

When Mr. Zhou didn’t stop speaking – he was too busy enjoying the sound of his own voice to hear a thing – Poppina plucked the sweet creature from Grace’s hair and, using her Nurture gift, persuaded it to leave on its own.

Mr. Zhou was winding down. “Of course, you’re right. It’s a unique opportunity. I’ll clear my schedule and get back to you.”

“I’d appreciate it,” Ms. Renvoizé said with a smile, her eyes roaming the room in search of her furry companion. Rafael admired her patience because she didn’t seem annoyed by Mr. Zhou’s lengthy explanation, but rather amused. Her gaze passed over the shadow where Rafael hid. His heart thudded when she strode toward him and presented an outstretched hand. The Dreamling landed on it with a soft croon, and Rafael relaxed. Without warning, she looked straight at him, winked, and departed with Mr. Zhou.

It dawned on him why she had been amused. She knew he and his friends were crammed behind the shelf, forced to endure Mr. Zhou’s monologue, too.

Now Rafael wondered: Were they talking about the famous M.C.M. on Earth? And if yes, were they behind it, or just along for the ride? The thought of Mr. Zhou and the teachers wielding such a tremendous amount of influence over children all over the world was frightening.

He’d do good to remember how influential and powerful Centisom’s staff was.

Straining their ears in the tense silence, they waited until the lights dimmed, indicating the teachers were gone. Rafael inched out of the cramped space.

“What’s M.C.M.?” Poppina asked in a subdued voice, while Rafael made a beeline to the desk.

He opened the drawer where Mr. Zhou had stashed his pocket contents, leaving it up to Maddox to enlighten the girls.

“You’ve never heard of Mondays Climate March?”

Grace looked puzzled. “What do Mondays have to do with the climate?”

Maddox sighed. “I forgot you’re not from our corner of the world. A student named Paolo decided to skip school every Monday to protest the climate troubles back on Earth. He mobilized thousands of teens across Europe. He thinks politicians aren’t taking enough steps to save the planet.”

“He’s a green activist, then,” Poppina said.

“Yeah, he’s making a huge impact and has plenty of followers.”

“But why Mondays?” Grace asked.

“Monday’s lessons that boring?” Poppina laughed.

Rafael finished inspecting the drawer and turned his attention to dematerializing the cabinet. “Only he would know that, Poppina,” he said absently. Something wasn’t right. He walked around the room, surveying the layout. “But the important point is that Paolo is trying to move things instead of waiting for the inevitable to happen. We are living on borrowed time.”

They were silent for a moment.

“That’s depressing,” Poppina admitted. “I never thought about things like that before.”

Grace shrugged. “I get it. Besides, most people struggle to get by. You can’t think about saving the world when you’re busy trying to survive.” After a long pause, she asked, “Where is Rafael?”

“I’m behind the shelves,” he answered. “Something about the room proportions felt wrong.”

They followed the sound of his voice and joined him in a secluded area, which Mr. Zhou had sectioned off with another bookcase.

“That’s a computer station,” Maddox exclaimed, grabbing a gaming device tablet from the desk.

Poppina face-palmed herself. “We’re idiots,” she said. “Mr. Zhou is the Head of Knowledge. If anyone could design the tablets and the simulation’s software for the trainees, it would be him!”

“But he can’t be the owner of the T.P.O.D. device! He was clocked out during the Gateway Hall breach, for starters,” Maddox countered.

“You’re right. As much I don’t like Mr. Zhou, I still can’t see him act against Centisom. Moreover, why would he engrave a single tablet when he owns all of them?” Rafael said.

Maddox pointed to the wall beneath the desk. “That power outlet right there proves Media Room isn’t the only room with electricity. I bet there are others.”

“We’ve been idiots,” Rafael echoed Poppina.

“Now what?” Grace asked.

“I found a name,” he replied, pulling an object from his pocket and holding it up, “and the key to Infinite Library. Now we go back to find answers.”

When Rafael poked his head into Infinite Library, he was frustrated to see Mr. Zhou and Ms. Pepper there. When Mr. Zhou wasn’t teaching or studying the mysterious door, he spent most of his time in the library, so it wasn’t a surprise he went there after his talk with Ms. Renvoizé, but Rafael had hoped he would go to dinner instead.

Motioning to his friends to stay put on the other side of the corridor, he was about to close the door when he overheard his name.

“Rafael isn’t bonding with the Transcry. At all. I fear I missed something.” Ms. Pepper’s voice fell with defeat.

“Nonsense, my dear,” Mr. Zhou consoled her, “anyone can activate a Transcry, even the weakest of our recruits.”

That was three times in a row he astonished Rafael. Mr. Zhou was human, after all.

“I consulted plenty of books, but the only explanation I’ve found so far seems impossible,” she said.

“I’m glad to help if you’ll give me a starting point.”

Ms. Pepper paused as if she was on the verge of declining his offer.

“I know this Library,” he implored her. “If there’s something to be found, I’ll find it.”

“All right. The only thing I’ve discovered was an obscure journal entry, which states Transcrys won’t activate if the person holding them doesn’t need it.”

“But the boy’s gift is Manifestation! Unless. Could it be?” His inflection was a strange mix of wonder and fear. “It would explain...”

“I know,” Ms. Pepper whispered. “I fear for him.”

“I will get started researching at once and let you know the moment I have more information,” he promised.

“I’d like that. We need to be ready if...”

After swearing Grace to secrecy, Rafael asked Centisom to let the new PIC Team members in their hidden hangout, and they ordered food from their personal nook.

Rafael pushed his chicken nuggets away. He didn’t have much of an appetite after hearing Ms. Pepper’s theory about how the Transcry might be useless to him.

“I’m trapped here,” he said, “I overheard–”

“Hold on, you need to bring me up to date,” Grace interrupted his mini crisis. “How did this whole investigation thing get started in the first place?”

Poppina took charge, while Maddox enjoyed his ratatouille with baguette, and Rafael felt miserable.

“You heard how proud Mr. Zhou is of the M.C.M. thing. I think I know why. I… hum… overheard some talk about a possible cataclysm on the horizon. To sum it up: Earth and Dreamland are different planes connected by anchor points, but environmental issues are destroying the anchor points. If the ecological balance isn’t restored on Earth... bad things will happen.”

“The Maintainers on Centisom’s side grow Worg Trees and link them to counterpart trees on Earth to create new anchor points,” Maddox explained. “It’s why the trainees assigned to the Maintain section are rushed through their lessons. Their skills are sorely needed.” Maddox’s voice rose. “And when an anchor breaks, the astral children are traumatized. It’s why we learn emergency Healing because the result is not pretty when it happens.”

Maddox set his empty plate aside with a clink, and Rafael glanced up at the sharp noise, just in time to notice a flash of distress on his friend’s face. However, it was gone in a blink, and Maddox talked on, waving toward the girls.

“Be happy the emphasis isn’t on Manifestation or Nurture.”

Poppina waved back with a sarcastic grin. “Yeah, because it’s so easy to tend to the Dreamlings. They’re cute, but I swear, they scamper like chickens when you try to catch them.”

Rafael was glad for the separation of duties. While Bobby and others were busy learning how to plant and link Worg Trees, Rafael got to spend time with Grace and learn how to manifest more complex items. He liked her dry sense of humor – actually, he… liked her.

Something Maddox had said clicked in his mind. “What Maddox said about Worg Trees is right, but deforestation isn’t the reason why the plane’s connection isn’t holding. There’s an energy field between the planes, and that energy depletes over time. The energy acts like glue to hold the planes together – at least, that’s how Mr. Dowotski explained it to me. Planting trees slows the process, but it’s not the ultimate solution.”

Grace looked alarmed. “Then wouldn’t it be better if they just fixed the energy field? Especially if we can’t solve the environmental issues on Earth in time.”

Rafael, still focused on his Transcry problem, answered without thinking. “Nobody can fix it. That kind of restorative power doesn’t exist anymore. Logic dictates Dreamland will be lost at some point. No more dreams. End of Humanity.”

The group recoiled with a horrified gasp. They hadn’t known Worg Trees alone couldn’t save humanity. That was another thing the teachers didn’t advertise.

From Maddox and Poppina’s thoughtful expressions, he could tell they were connecting the dots and coming to the realization that the “power” he had referred to was right in the room with them. Yeah, his kind of power.

Chastising himself silently for his careless statement, he shook his head to defuse their questions and forced out a thin smile. “Don’t worry, we’ve still got, like, hundreds of years ahead of us. It’s not our problem to solve. As Maddox said, we already do everything we can.”

Poppina threw him a scolding glance and turned back to Grace. “We are Guardians – or will be soon – and we will protect Dreamland and its visitors. The green activists’ movements are valuable because every tree is a victory in a race against time. But it is not what the PIC Team is about.”

“Spoken like a true Guardian,” Maddox quipped with a wink. “But you’re right. The PIC Team focuses on more pressing matters, like finding out who or what T.P.O.D. is, and if it has something to do with unleashing monsters into Centisom.”

“And neutralizing the threat,” Rafael added. “I’m not keen on meeting the nasty monsters again... or being accused of wrongdoing.”

Grace perked up. “Wait, what is this T.P.O.D. thing all about?”

Poor Grace was unprepared for what she was about to hear. As Poppina brought her up to speed, Rafael wondered if she would stick with the team or run away.

As it turned out, their new member was made of tougher stuff.

“Okay, so let me see if I have this right,” Grace said with a frown. “Centisom has some sort of weakness when it comes to electronics. You believe a hacker reprogrammed the simulation designed by Mr. Zhou so – when played – it exploited Centisom’s blind spot to allow evil monsters to enter the grounds and attack.” They nodded. “And since the perpetrators causing the Gateway Hall breach also evaded Centisom’s detection, you think the tablet has something to do with that also?”

She turned to Poppina, who gave her a quick thumbs-up, and continued. “So, you searched for the tablet, but now it’s gone. You theorize the hacker is most likely a disgruntled dropout, so you – we – broke into Mr. Zhou’s classroom to steal his key to get access to sensitive information in Infinite Library. You hope that will reveal the T.P.O.D. perpetrator and, finally, exonerate Rafael. How did I do?”

The thee of them nodded in approval.

She sighed and turned to Rafael with a probing gaze. “So... how did you get in the middle of this mess? Some things still don’t add up. How did you access this awesome place?” She tilted her head and squinted at him. “And have you ever looked up at the glass dome in Gateway Hall?”

“Yes!” Poppina shot to her feet in triumph. “I told him that, but he says no.”

Rafael waved them off. “It’s still a no. Anyway, we need to concentrate on the mystery at hand before Bobby gets me into trouble again.”

Rafael exchanged a nervous glance with Maddox. Poppina and Grace were determined, clever girls. If they joined forces, the boys wouldn’t have a say in the investigation. But then, he relaxed. After all, they were also competent and kind. He decided it was best to acknowledge the girl power and let them lead, so he could concentrate on his escape.

“Good afternoon Mr. Santiago.”

“Hi there. You’re a long way from your accommodations, young man,” the Guardian advised Rafael in a kind, deep voice.

As of late, Guardians were patrolling the premise, thus helping Rafael avoid another run-in with Bobby’s crew. The downside was that their presence hindered his freedom of movement. Mr. Santiago was guarding the area around his hidden wing, so they regularly ran into each other.

“Oh, I’m just trying to work off some extra energy. I miss being outside and playing soccer.”

The man released a belly laugh, “Since I feel the same and don’t enjoy it, I asked the boss – sorry, the Headmaster – when he planned to lift the lockdown. You’ll be pleased to know normal activities will resume Monday morning, including soccer.”

Rafael couldn’t resist a gleeful shout and a happy jump, but his mood soured when he remembered their first excursion to Dreamland was scheduled for the upcoming week. That meant their investigations – and soccer – would have to wait.

“I’m eager to see how the soccer training is progressing,” the Guardian continued with a wink. “I placed a bet on Poppina’s team. She’s a rebel, I like her spirit.”

Rafael chatted with the jovial Guardian until the last PIC Team member had exited the hidden corridor behind the man and hurried off. After waving Mr. Santiago goodbye, Rafael disappeared around the next corner and waited. When the Guardian’s steps faded away, he snuck back into the hidden wing for some much-needed thinking time, safe from intrusions.

Once settled in his favorite chair, he retrieved his coin and took a deep breath, trying to calm his busy mind. He eyed the familiar walls of his secret den. The scripts and books, which had been his faithful companions during those blessed times of self-imposed solitude, had become menacing. If he couldn’t find a way to get back to his family – with or without Transcry – he’d have to turn to them. He hoped he would never have to embrace their content because the price to pay was too steep.

No, that wouldn’t do. There must be another way.

He refused to let the dread crush his spirit. Twirling the coin between his fingers, he pondered his options – or lack thereof.

He wasn’t a crybaby, but he wasn’t a daredevil either.

He was thankful for his friendships with Poppina and Maddox, and a little in awe that Grace-with-the-extraordinary-eyes had noticed him. But deep down, his family and pro soccer aspirations were more valuable to him, and he couldn’t, wouldn’t, let them go.

He would find a solution that didn’t require his surrender because he had the right to pursue the life of his choice.

So no, he wouldn’t divulge anything about what he knew. He couldn’t confide in or trust the PIC Team, the Guardians, or the teachers.

After all, they had been lying to him all along.