“I’ll wait for you here!” Birdie said. “You put the tokens in the bucket!”
“Got it!” Albert yelled. He jumped from level to level, barely missing getting pummeled in the face by a moving platform, and slam-dunked the first two tokens into the bucket.
“He shoots, he scores!” Albert screamed, fist pumping the air.
The second Hissengore appeared almost instantly. It was lightning fast and wrapped itself around Birdie’s ankles, tugging her downward.
“Throw the tokens!” Albert yelled.
She launched them upward, but Albert watched in horror as a moving platform knocked them down. The second two tokens clattered to a stop on another platform that swung over to Hoyt’s side of the Pit.
Albert passed Hoyt leaping up from the bottom with two tokens in his hands as he leaped down to retrieve the fallen tokens. His muscles were getting tired—he didn’t know how much longer he’d be able to keep this up. As if to rub that in, he heard the clatter of Hoyt dropping Argon’s tokens in.
Albert did some quick math. Now Argon had only two more to go before they’d win. Another Hexabon appeared, but Mo turned to look at it, screeched some sort of monkey command, and the creature stopped in its tracks. Then it started dancing. Huh. Apparently Mo’s Tile allows him to talk to animals. Albert filed that info away for future use, then jumped to the top and dunked Hydra’s second two tokens in. Moments later, a third Hissengore appeared below.
Meanwhile, Hoyt had hopped down to the bottom and grabbed his team’s last two tokens.
“Albert, do something!” Birdie yelled.
Albert saw the Hissengore burp a cloud of green into her face. She nearly rolled off the side of the platform.
Not far from Birdie, Leroy had managed to get out of the first Hissengore’s grasp, but now the third Hissengore surged forward. Leroy hopped out of the way with a screech.
The sound cleared Albert’s head—he did have to do something before his friends suffocated on Hissengore burps.
Albert leaped down from his platform and landed on another. It started to move upward again, so he jumped to the right, landing on the next-lowest one, then down a few more.
Leroy was just below him now. Leroy picked up the last two tokens and threw them sidearm toward Albert. He leaped into the open air and caught them in mid-dive.
Out of the corner of his eye, Albert saw Hoyt pull away from the iron grip of a Hexabon just in time to catch the last two tokens Mo threw in his general direction.
“Albert, go!” Birdie screamed.
“Go!” the crowd screamed along with her.
Albert needed more energy. He thought of his cousin’s trampoline again. This is just like that, Albert told himself. He leaped onto a platform going left. Hoyt went right, and when their platforms moved, they passed in midair. Albert was about to jump when he was slammed from behind. It was Mo!
“I don’t think so, Flynn,” Mo hissed in his ear.
Albert tried to wiggle out from under his assailant, but Mo was both heavy and strong.
Not now! Albert begged. We’re so close!
Albert gathered all the strength he had, thinking of those pro wrestlers he liked to watch on TV. Suddenly, he felt like he could lift a truck if he wanted to. Whoa. Albert launched Mo right off of his back like the kid was made of popcorn.
Hoyt had stopped to watch Mo, but was still a couple of platforms above Albert, and using his Speed Tile, too. Albert didn’t know how it was possible Hydra could win now, but he felt a surge of adrenaline so he readied himself to leap anyway. Come on, just jump like those Jackalope things in Cedarfell, he thought. He pushed off and found he could now jump between platforms like it was no effort at all. Two platforms from the top, Albert was level with Hoyt. He leaped with all his might. To his surprise, he soared right past the final platform and on toward the bucket. Hoyt had just landed on his final platform and pushed off. They were mirror images of each other, both of them reaching, stretching for their buckets. Albert was so close. . . .
But he wasn’t close enough. Hoyt tossed his tokens in a millisecond before Albert.
There was a clang from overhead.
“Argon wins by a hair!” Trey shouted.
“Yes!” Hoyt screamed. “You’ll never beat me!”
Albert landed on the highest platform with a thunk. I had no idea I could jump that high . . . not that it matters now.
The simulation stopped. The Hissengores and Hexabons disappeared back into the walls of the Pit, and Slink and Mo cheered their heads off from down below.
The platform Albert was on sank slowly to the bottom of the Pit, where Leroy and Birdie stood waiting. He dropped the final two tokens into the water and watched them sink to the bottom, disappearing into darkness.
“We should have won,” Albert said, slumped over at the shoulders. “We were so close. I’m sorry, guys. It’s my fault we lost.”
“Nah, it’s nobody’s fault,” Leroy said. He straightened his baseball cap on his head, which was dripping water off the bill. It was crushed and lopsided, and smelled like Hissengore burps. His glasses were fogged over.
“We would have won if it weren’t for their foul play,” Birdie said. She pulled the elastic band out of her ponytail and let her wet curls fall loose around her face. “I saw what Mo did to you, Albert. He tackled you. That wasn’t fair.”
Albert wiped sweat from his forehead. “But my dad said there are no rules; only winners and losers.”
“Still,” Leroy joined in, “that was messed up. They play dirty. We wouldn’t have done that.”
Their platform started moving up, carting them to the top of the Pit.
Across the way, Argon was busy celebrating. Trey gave them each a Medallion for the Core Canteen.
“It should have been us with those Medallions,” Albert sighed.
“Next time,” Leroy said.
“Yeah, next time,” Birdie agreed. “We did great today. We’re getting better. We worked as a team—my water skills and Leroy’s mental skills got those tokens together. I guess we’ll have to work on our physical skills, but Albert, you shouldn’t have been able to do half the things you did. Going underwater for so long, leaping so easily, throwing Mo off your shoulders. What came over you?”
Albert didn’t answer, because Albert didn’t know.
When they arrived at the exit of the Pit, Hoyt held up his Medallion.
“Normally I’d use this to buy something to help me beat another team. But I’m competing against you three again tomorrow, so . . . I won’t need it.” He tossed the Medallion over his head like it was worthless. It bounced off the rock wall and landed on a platform.
“It was a close battle and you know it, Hoyt,” Albert said.
“Whatever, Flynn. Beginner’s luck, that’s all it was.”
But Hoyt’s face had reddened, just in the slightest.
As Hoyt and his cronies left, Albert went back for the discarded Medallion and thought an excellent thought.
Hydra was getting into Hoyt’s head.
CHAPTER 13
The Cave of Souls
Late lunch was even later than usual, and Hoyt was in rare form. He spent the entire meal going over the events in the Pit, playing it up so it looked like Albert, Leroy, and Birdie had barely stood a chance.
“He’s always this way,” Ellery said to the trio. “Don’t let him get to you. He’s just a bigheaded Pure.”
“Aren’t you a Pure?” Albert asked tentatively.
“Well, yeah. But I’m the pure kind of Pure. Hoyt’s, like, stained or something.”
“I want to punch him all the way into one of the Realms,” Birdie said.
“He’s not worth it,” Leroy said. “And besides, we know better. We were good today.”
Still, even Leroy wasn’t eating like usual, and Albert could barely eat the slice of pizza he’d chosen. Birdie spent the entire time clenching her fists, glaring at Hoyt like she was about to dive across the table and tackle him.
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“Remember what we said,” Albert whispered to her. “Don’t let him get to us.”
Birdie unclenched her fists. She dove into her pasta instead.
Man, do I feel sorry for that pasta, Albert thought. But he couldn’t blame Birdie either—they should have won that simulation. He forced himself to eat his pizza, thinking what he wouldn’t give up if it meant they could beat Argon in tomorrow’s Competition.
That night, Albert woke up to a pair of bright blue lights shining in his face.
“Farnsworth!” Albert whispered, patting him on the head. “What are you doing up?”
When the dog’s eyes faded, Albert was shocked to see a familiar sight: Farnsworth had an envelope in his mouth, just like a few days before in Herman.
“What’s this?” Albert asked. He took the envelope and saw that his name was on the front, written in his dad’s familiar handwriting. Albert ripped open the top and read the message:
Meet me in the Observatorium. And be sneaky—you’re not supposed to be out of your dorm! Farnsworth knows the way.
Albert hadn’t heard of the Observatorium yet. Whatever it was, it sounded supercool, and Albert smiled as he thought about a night of sneaking around the Core.
Leroy was still sound asleep, snoring louder than a lawn mower, so Albert and Farnsworth snuck out on their own, leaving the trees of Cedarfell behind.
In the tunnels, Farnsworth took the lead, his eyes lighting the way. It was scary for Albert, being the only person out there alone after hours. The statues in the tunnels looked like they might burst to life and steal Albert away. A painting on a wall of an old man with a Tile around his neck looked like it was watching Albert, and every so often, Albert would get a feeling he was being followed. He kept turning around, but no one was ever there. He shivered. Just keep moving. Darkness gave him the creeps.
Halfway to the main entrance of the Core, the sound of footsteps caught Albert’s attention. They were coming his way.
“Hide, Farnsworth!” he whispered. The dog’s eyes dimmed to blue embers, and Albert and Farnsworth sank into the shadows as Professor Asante, the giant woman covered in tattoos, walked past. She had a book in her hands, and though she was distracted, Albert knew if he’d moved an inch, he would have been caught.
“That was close.” Albert sighed as soon as Professor Asante turned a corner. “Come on, buddy, let’s go.”
Farnsworth took off at once, leading Albert to the main entrance of the Core. The giant black cat was sleeping by the entrance to Calderon, its purr so loud it rattled the ground beneath Albert’s feet. They slipped past the creature, Albert walking on tiptoes, and disappeared down another dark tunnel.
After what felt like forever, Farnsworth stopped in front of a wooden door with a copper handle. The word Observatorium was embedded in the door, carved in curling script.
“You sure know your way around this place. Is this where my dad is, buddy?”
Farnsworth wagged his tail playfully.
“All right, then. In we go.”
Albert turned the handle on the door. It opened with a loud creeeeak. He winced, hoping no one was around to hear it. They slipped inside, and the old door swung shut behind them.
Inside, blue flames on torches lined an old, dusty stairwell. Albert followed Farnsworth down the steps. It was strangely cold here, and as they got closer to the end, Albert felt his heart racing wildly.
At the bottom of the stairs stood another door. This one was larger, made of thick metal. Albert took a deep breath, pulled hard to open the door, and peered inside.
The room was massive, a giant cave that seemed to go on forever. When Albert looked up, he sighed with wonder.
Stars.
Or, maybe not—they were still underground, after all. In any case, there were thousands and thousands of little balls of flaming light swimming across the ceiling of the cave. They twinkled and danced. They changed colors every few seconds, and they moved in strange patterns, as if wind was blowing them across the cave’s ceiling. When Albert stepped inside the room, he felt like he was in a holy place. The light from the flames made the room dance with colors and shapes, like Albert was standing inside a kaleidoscope.
“You made it!”
Albert whirled around. Across the room, his dad was sitting on a large, rounded rock, waving to him. At the sight of Bob Flynn, Farnsworth raced ahead, barking happily. The sound echoed all over the cave.
“What is this place?” Albert asked his dad. He crossed the cave floor and sat down next to him.
“This is the Observatorium,” his dad said. “But it’s more commonly known as the Cave of Souls. When a Balance Keeper enters the Core, his flame is born. Even though most of our kind will leave here eventually, their flame will always stay lit. It’s a tribute to the heroes that devote their lives to keeping the Core and the Earth safe.”
“You mean there’s a flame up there for me? And one for you?” Albert wished he could reach up and pluck his flame out of the sky.
“Somewhere up there, yes.” His dad nodded. “And one for Pap, and his mother, her father, and so on. Our family has been here for centuries, seventeen Balance Keepers in all.” He looked at Albert. “Speaking of which, you’re finally here, a Flynn Balance Keeper, number eighteen. What do you think, kiddo?” Albert’s face lit up with a grin.
“I think it’s amazing,” he said. Then he admitted something to his dad he realized he hadn’t even admitted to himself yet. “I think I never want to leave.”
His dad laughed. Farnsworth thumped his little tail. “I know the feeling, Albert. It’s a pretty neat place, though it does take some getting used to. I still remember my first day in the Core. I was so distracted by everything, I fell right into one of the rivers.”
Albert laughed, imagining his dad as a boy, stumbling into the water. Albert was surprised he didn’t do that himself. “Hey, it could be worse. You could’ve flopped at the simulations, like me.”
His dad patted him on the shoulder. “You’ve done fine, Albert. Over time that will become a distant memory. You’ll learn fast, just like I did. I’m sure of it.”
Albert saw his dad’s eyes fall to his Tile.
“You did some really great stuff today. I was pleasantly surprised.”
“That wasn’t me,” Albert said. He thought about it a little more. “I mean, it was me. But it was like . . . my Tile helped me do those things. Do you think that’s possible?”
“I think the Core reveals an endless supply of mysteries,” Professor Flynn said.
It was the kind of answer that Albert’s dad liked to give when he didn’t understand something, a way to shrug away the question.
“You said it’s some sort of legendary Tile, right?” Albert pressed. “Well, today I could swim like Birdie, and I tossed Mo off my back like it was nothing. What if it can maybe . . . do more than one set of things?”
“That’s impossible,” his dad said. “Every Tile can harness a single set of powers. That is all.”
“But what if mine could do multiple types of things?” Albert asked. “You know . . . like if I had two Tiles in one or something?”
His dad frowned. “Albert . . .” For a second, it looked like he was going to say something important. Instead, he just sighed and shook his head. “I’ve been looking into it, reading books, discussing with the other professors. I’m afraid you’ll have to discover the answer on your own.”
Another classic Dad answer. Albert nodded and looked up at the flames above. They were moving in a giant spiral now, changing from blue to yellow to red. It was mesmerizing, and it made Albert realize how tired he was. He felt his eyelids drooping.
His dad shifted a bit on the rock. “Albert, there’s something else I need to tell you.”
Albert gave himself a little shake to wake back up.
“Your mom doesn’t know about this place. She never can. Neither can your brothers or sister.”
“What? Why not?” Now Albert was wide-awake.
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“Knowledge of the Core, when placed in the mind of someone who is not destined to come here, can do horrible things.”
“But Birdie’s mom knows about the Core,” Albert said.
“It’s because the blood of a Balance Keeper is in her veins. She chose not to come. Some people choose a different life.”
“But Mom would never tell anyone,” Albert said. “I was thinking maybe I could bring her down here someday, show her what the Core’s all about.”
“The Path Hider wouldn’t allow that to happen, Albert. He’d keep the way inside hidden, until you eventually gave up.”
“That’s not fair,” Albert said. “Mom should get to see this place, too.”
“She isn’t destined,” Albert’s dad said. “The Core is the world’s greatest secret. Every Balance Keeper is sworn to protect it. Do you understand? I know it’s hard, but you must promise never to tell her, or anyone else on the surface.”
Albert looked back to the flames. All those generations protecting the world above, and the world didn’t even know it. It didn’t seem right. Suddenly he thought about the ash clouds again, in New York City. “Do you think Mom is okay?”
“Yes, I do. There is a team of people down here, the Monitors, who watch the world above. If she were in serious danger, I would be in Calderon with Grey and Aria and Terran around the clock, working to fix the problem.”
“You can still go in the Realms?”
Albert’s dad nodded. “I can still go in, if it gets bad enough, but the Realms aren’t as easy for older guys like me. It tires us out more quickly, has negative effects on our bodies. We don’t know why. We only know that is the way of the Realms, and we must respect it so we don’t harm ourselves.”
Albert thought of his dad as a young boy, running around in the Core, entering the Realms, helping to fix Imbalances. It was strange to picture.
“You can speak to your mom, you know, if that makes you feel better.”
“The Phone Booth!” Albert remembered Trey saying something about it earlier.