"I HATE rude boys!" Dawn exploded. "They make my blood boil! Lucas, I get he's your friend and all, but that guy could do with a slap—and I'd be MORE than happy to be the one."

Across from them, still seated on the opposite sofa, his face looking as bored as ever, Professor Rowan shook his head.

"If that young man could've waited just a second... Lucas, I need to apologise."

Lucas looked up at Rowan.

"I'm sorry if I sounded a bit insensitive, but I don't want to mince words. You're likely correct in saying that you disturbed Mesprit, but the being of emotions is known to be quite a prankster, so don't hog all the blame, child."

"Prank...?" The word fell from Lucas's mouth in sheer shock. "You think... Mesprit tried to prank me?"

He glanced at Dawn, his pupils tiny and twitchy. Man, his head was spiralling. Maybe Barry was right... old people always say the wackiest things—wasn't this guy 60 or something?

And the lab was COLD! Stupid COLD! He'd tried to downplay it, but now he wanted to go—

"You can go outside if you want. Your rowdy friend could be right... perhaps my old age is clouding my judgement, and it’s better for you to leave the lab and dig deeper on your own outside. However, I do think it would have been in his best interest to have stayed a while longer..."

Suddenly, the old man stood up, straightening his coat and fixing his black tie before walking away from the lounge.

Lucas followed him with his eyes... what? What was he doing?

"Do I follow him...? Am I supposed to follow him?" He glanced at Dawn, who stared back.

Boy, did it feel like he was staring straight into a mirror, because the only thing he found on her face was confusion.

"I don't know if we should..." she said, watching Professor Rowan mumble with the other scientists by a bookshelf. He browsed through a drawer for a few seconds, then stopped, looked back, and shut it.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Professor Rowan then stood there, holding out a paper parcel in his hands, staring at the boy and the girl.

Looking at the parcel, Dawn knew exactly what was going on. It was an all-too-familiar sight. It may have been a while since she got hers, but she remembered it like it was yesterday.

"Lucas Gray. I need you to do something for me."

"I HATE rude boys!" Dawn exploded. "They make my blood boil! Lucas, I get he's your friend and all, but that guy could do with a slap—and I'd be MORE than happy to be the one."

Across from them, still seated on the opposite sofa, his face looking as bored as ever, Professor Rowan shook his head.

"If that young man could've waited just a second... Lucas, I need to apologise."

Lucas looked up at Rowan.

"I'm sorry if I sounded a bit insensitive, but I don't want to mince words. You're likely correct in saying that you disturbed Mesprit, but the being of emotions is known to be quite a prankster, so don't hog all the blame, child."

"Prank...?" The word fell from Lucas's mouth in sheer shock. "You think... Mesprit tried to prank me?"

He glanced at Dawn, his pupils tiny and twitchy. Man, his head was spiralling. Maybe Barry was right... old people always say the wackiest things—wasn't this guy 60 or something?

And the lab was COLD! Stupid COLD! He'd tried to downplay it, but now he wanted to go—

"You can go outside if you want. Your rowdy friend could be right... perhaps my old age is clouding my judgement, and it’s better for you to leave the lab and dig deeper on your own outside. However, I do think it would have been in his best interest to have stayed a while longer..."

Suddenly, the old man stood up, straightening his coat and fixing his black tie before walking away from the lounge.

Lucas followed him with his eyes... what? What was he doing?

"Do I follow him...? Am I supposed to follow him?" He glanced at Dawn, who stared back.

Boy, did it feel like he was staring straight into a mirror, because the only thing he found on her face was confusion.

"I don't know if we should..." she said, watching Professor Rowan mumble with the other scientists by a bookshelf. He browsed through a drawer for a few seconds, then stopped, looked back, and shut it.

Professor Rowan then stood there, holding out a paper parcel in his hands, staring at the boy and the girl.

Looking at the parcel, Dawn knew exactly what was going on. It was an all-too-familiar sight. It may have been a while since she got hers, but she remembered it like it was yesterday.

"Lucas Gray. I need you to do something for me."