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While Chris is holding hi it off him “No!” Adam yells, but Chris shoves him away I know I should help Adam, but a trace of doubt has crept inside me, and I stand there, frozen

“Let me see that,” Chris says

Trent hands it over, and Chris yanks the case out before dropping the backpack on the floor Adaun out of it He ai it more confidently than I ever did

“Drop it!” he yells

“You—you have a gun,” I blurt out And not just any gun, but a gun identical toto kill us tomorrow Does that mean…Is Adam…No It can’t be

His eyes flick to me for a second and then back to Chris and Trent “I don’t want to hurt you guys, but I need that case Put it do”

Chris slides the case across the floor to Adarowls “I knew it”

I don’t want to believe it, but the evidence doesn’t lie Adaun that is going to kill us And Ada he said tohis future self said—a lie? Did he trickfor him just so he could set me up later? My heart twists, but my inner voice says, I told you so I can’t believe I let ainst ainst my nature, but I should have known better The only person I can ever trust is myself

Adaht appears The faint golden dust floats in the air, for a dome in the center of the roo down in un pointed at Chris and Trent, but he keeps glancing at the light Chris looks like he wants to fight, but then he ht, and a second later Zoe and Trent follow All three of theht and vanish

Adam stuffs the case in his backpack He steps toward the aperture, but then turns to me “Elena…” He shakes his head “I’ me alone in the future

Fifteen seconds left I should stay here in this ti’s changed now and I don’t knohat to believe Was everything I learned in the last twenty-four hours a lie? Did Adam and Future-Adam plan all of it? Or will I really lose un, so there’s still a sht murder them all

But if I’m not really the killer, if Adam and Aether set all of this up, then the others are still in danger

Ten seconds I dash toward the aperture, h me with each step

Five seconds I enter the aperture, and the golden flecks surround ht searing

Part III

The Present

Thursday

I blink to clear my vision, but for a moment I can only hear distant voices and ht vibration running through it fro loud thuds nearby Am I back in the present? Did it work?

Slowly, the world comes into focus Ada as dazed as I am The walls of the metal dome stretch around me, and the door’s already open That h, and the people outside cheer Bright-white spots still cover

Outside, scientists in lab coats gather around the accelerator, clapping In front, Dr Kapur stares at us with eager eyes, like he’s excited to pick apart our brains Above hiiant clock on the wall Only thirteen minutes have passed since ent to the future And yet, in those few ives us all a proud smile “You’re back,” he says, and he sounds relieved I picture his older self, frail and trapped in his bed, racked by coughing fits and regret I can’t look at him the same now that I’ve seen the man he becomes