Mech-man: The Mission of Fate

Chapter 38

Max's mind raced as he considered their next move. "What should we first do?" He asked in a worried voice.

"Let's check the staff room," Jaxon suggested. "Maybe some of the other teachers are there."

They quickly made their way through the corridors of the school, the silence amplifying their sense of urgency. As they approached the staff room, Max's heart pounded harder. He reached for the door handle, and it swung open easily. The room, like the rest of the school, was deserted. Everything seemed peaceful, the staff room was as clean and tidy as ever. Desks were neatly organized, chairs tucked in place, but there was no sign of life. Max walked over to one of the desks and noticed a coffee cup still steaming, a stark reminder that whatever happened must have occurred recently.

"Someone was here not long ago," he said, pointing to the cup. "We must be just behind them."

Caden picked up a piece of paper from another desk. It was a memo about a school assembly scheduled for that day. "There was supposed to be an assembly," he noted in hopeful voice. "Maybe everyone went to the gym?"

"That makes sense," Lucas said, latching onto the hope. "If there was an assembly, everyone would be there, even the teachers and the principal."

Their footsteps echoed loudly as they rushed to the gymnasium as quick as they could. The large double doors stood closed, but they could hear faint murmuring from within. Max exchanged a glance with his friends before pushing the doors open.

Inside, the entire school and teachers were gathered together, sitting in silence. At the front of the gym, on a makeshift stage, stood Principal John and Professor McAllister, along with several other teachers. Relief washed over Max, but it was quickly replaced by confusion when he saw their faces. To Max, it seemed a mixture of worry, sorrow and confusion.

"Where have you been?" Someone shouted. Max couldn't identify the voice.

Principal John stepped forward, his voice echoing through the gym. "Students, please remain calm," he began and the whole gymnasium quietened down.

Principal Johns joined with Professor McAllister walked towards them, and when they got close, Max could see their grim expressions.

"Max, Lucas, Caden, Jaxon," Principal John said, his voice heavy with concern. "We need to speak with you immediately, outside." He pointed out of the gymnasium.

The four friends exchanged worried glances but followed the principal and professor out of the gymnasium and into the central yard. Once the door was closed, the atmosphere grew even more tense.

"Where have you been yesterday?" Principal John repeated, his voice urgent. "We've been searching for you everywhere."

Caden took a deep breath and began," I remember two nights ago, we heard an explosion happen and someone calling for help. We went out to look but we encountered a shadowed figure on the beach and we lost consciousness."

Max continued after Caden and began to recount their experience when they woke up. "And then, we ended up in a underground chamber. It looked ancient. We were trapped there until we found a way out."

Professor McAllister's eyes widened. "An underground chamber? Did you see anyone or anything unusual?"

Max hesitated, then nodded. "There was a some kind of creature, we were lucky to escape."

Principal John and Professor McAllister exchanged worried glances. "This is more serious than we thought," the principal said. "We've had reports of strange occurrences, other students have also heard the explosion. What exactly happened in unknown. Maybe history is repeating itself."

"What do you mean?" Lucas asked, his voice trembling slightly.

Professor McAllister sighed. "The school was built on the remains of an older structure, one that had been abandoned for mysterious reasons. There have always been rumours dark magic, but we never had any concrete evidence."

"We need to investigate this further," Principal John added. "But first, we need to ensure everyone's safety. The assembly was called to keep everyone in one place while we assessed the situation."

Max's mind whirled with the implications of what they were hearing. "What should we do now?" he asked.

"For now," Principal John said, "stay with the rest of the students in the gym. We'll send for you if we need more information. And please, don't mention what you found to anyone else. We don't want to cause a panic."