“Were we supposed to hold hands?” I asked.

“Of course,” Callaway said, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise. “Don’t tell me that was never covered in your training?!” When we both just stared at him, he waved a hand. “Well, now you know. That was an atrocious oversight on our part, but of course, since it only applies to actual Glitch jumps, your professors may never have mentioned it in the short time you’ve been here.”

“Do we have to watch our recap?” I asked, my still-queasy stomach rolling a little at the thought of reliving any of it.

Callaway shook his head. “There are no recaps in a real Glitch,” he said.

“Oh,” I said, feeling supremely stupid because of course there wasn’t a recap. Nothing about what I’d seen was computer generated, and if I hadn’t already thrown up everything I’d ever eaten, I’d have done it again now.

“Any news about the Academy?” Serina asked, hurrying to walk next to us.

Regan’s face went white, and the relief I’d felt upon her safe return evaporated instantly. I’d forgotten about the Academy.

Callaway sighed, like he was a tire someone had just punctured, and turned to face us. We all stopped, taking in his expression, and it was like he didn’t even have to tell us. That look alone confirmed everyone’s worst fear. The Academy was gone.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Regan

It didn’t make any sense. The world couldn’t just go on without the Academy. It was impossible. It was like the earth continuing to revolve after the sun had disappeared. I’d stood there listening to Callaway explain that Mayhem had discovered the location of the Academy and at one o’clock this morning had discharged enough explosives to wipe out the entire campus. No survivors.

The entire mountain was in shock and mourning. Every single person there had grown up within the Academy walls. I was not the only one who had lost something or someone, but I was pretty sure I was the only one who had lost their mom. But even that felt unreal, because I couldn’t imagine a life where my mom didn’t exist. She was too tough, too strong, too in control to let something like this happen. It couldn’t be true. But it was.

As the early hours of the morning turned into the late hours of the afternoon, I sat with everyone else in the atrium as reports trickled in. Even though none of the adults said it, we all knew they were scared. We were all too aware that the only thing protecting the last people with the equipment and training to Glitch for the United States was a hidden door in the side of a mountain.