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“At first I thought it was a reflection,” he went on “But it wasn’t It was there Inside the s that swirled, and moved, and… shuffled around?” He shivered involuntarily as if the word — or the memory — creeped him out “I don’t know for sure,” he continued, “but I could tell, these things were really there There but not there, if you knohat I’”

Kara knehat he was saying But she still didn’t like it

“So the crystal soer looked skeptical

“Maybe because of so the cere the ritual”

They orking it out in their heads Going through scenarios Suddenly Jereers

“And if the scrying crystal got transferred through the glass—”

“—maybe Rudolph Northrop did too,” Kara finished

The three of the inwardly for answers as their food grew cold Guests passed by, talking and laughing Other sounds echoed — the clink of glasses, the clatter of silverware against cera on all around them It was Kara who finally spoke up

“This explains everything,” she said “Why the

ritual went unfinished Why there’s no record of Rudolph Northrop after the date on the back of this photo” She flipped it over for effect “Whatever portal or gateway Northrop accidentally opened is still partly open And the mirror is the key”

“So is the date,” said Logan, pointing down at it “This same week, every year The winter solstice”

Jere his glasses again “Well we knohere everything else is,” he said “But where’s the bell?”

Silence Blank stares Shrugs

Logan and Jereer hear thee sensation had presented itself at the back of her neck The feeling turned into a war numbness across the surface of Kara’s scalp

So down into it Peering through time