Nothing had really changed.

The barrier around Mayview still stood- which was a great comfort to everybody involved. Man's Rise Cave had definitely lost a few rocks here and there, but it hadn't caved in enough for any of them to worry about being crushed to death.

Nobody would know what had happened there- except Mister Spender, Doctor Zarei and their organization- Isaac thought bitterly. The city would remain the same. Its people would remain the same. Conall's rise had been nothing but a dot of ink on an entirely blank sheet of paper- so much more to write that nobody notices the tiny little smudge that makes the 'i'. Everybody was relatively silent as they piled into Spender's car, save for Isabel and Ed joking about whatever it was they were joking about. Nobody really paid attention to their giggling. Doctor's order, Spender was supposed to sit in the passenger seat of the car. He complained and moaned heavily as Zarei hoisted him onto her shoulders as they walked. Zarei rolled her eyes and told him to shut his mouth because she couldn't bear hearing him cry like a small child.

They watched as the kids piled into the car, some enthusiastically- others (namely Isaac) not so much.

"So we're never speaking about this again."

"BL only needs to know the threat was dealt with."

"Understood."

- Monday -

Sunday had come and gone regularly, just like a normal holy-crap-I-had-homework-what-do-I-do-now-it's-like-9:00PM day would go. Isaac messed around in his room for a little while with… nothing. Then he'd gone to visit the Doorman, who seemed very pleased Isaac was back to health when he'd heard Isaac had been ill.

Isaac didn't have the heart to tell him what he'd done.

Though Isaac supposed, since everybody was acting like nothing ever happened, he was expected to forget the story of Conall too. That meant he wouldn't have to tell the Doorman anything.

He couldn't do that.

Come Monday he knew he just couldn't go into the clubroom, sit down, and get angry like he usually would. He couldn't just shrug what happened off as a thing of a nonexistent past, but he knew they couldn't either. They'd act like they normally did around him but they'd remember what he'd done. There'd be more secrets he wasn't allowed to know, Ed and Isabel would stick together like they always did and Max wouldn't be too far behind (because hey, Max needed the activity club because he still knew even less than Isaac and Isaac couldn't blame him). If Isaac thought the loop was apparent before, he knew it was going to be outlined in red pen by the end of the day.

That was why he stopped by the clubroom after school, before anybody (including Mister Spender) got there, and pulled the key he'd used for his shortcut out of his pocket. He stared at it for a good few minutes, contemplating whether or not his decision was a good one. When he came to the conclusion it couldn't be good but it couldn't be bad for anybody, he tossed the key on the desk and walked out of the room.

On his walk out the front door of the school, he'd nearly regretted it. It wasn't too late. He could go back upstairs and he'd be a little late, but nobody would know. Mister Spender would be confused about the key on his desk that came from nowhere, but he'd be completely unaware.

Isaac shook his head and slung his backpack even further over his shoulder, sighing as he took his first steps down the dirt road home.

"So you went and quit, huh?"

Isaac gasped and whipped around to see Max not far behind him, book-bag and baseball bat and his scooter slung over his back. He didn't look angry, but Isaac could read him well.

Max was upset with him.

Isaac sighed and turned around entirely. "It's the only thing I could do."

"You know, besides staying in the club- that's an option."

He laughed at Max's sarcasm. Even if it could be painfully annoying, Max's cynicism made him who he was and it was Isaac's favorite thing about him. "It's really not. We can still hang out, Max."

"Isaac-!"

"Look, I know what you're going to say. You're going to tell me I'm being overdramatic and that nothing's going to change- and maybe you're right. But, I am pretty sure you're wrong." Isaac faced the ground and kicked the dirt, stuffing a hand in his pocket. "Ed and Isabel- they have a clique. You're uh, you're lucky enough to be part of that. You'll get the answers to your questions and the Activity Club might be a really good place for you. But for me…"

"They won't trust you."

"Whoever it is Mister Spender works for is going to trust me even less- Mister Spender himself is going to trust me even less. I'll be an outcast all over again and it's going to be nobody's fault but my own."

"Um, actually, maybe that's kinda sorta our fault?"

Isaac's attention snapped up from the pebbles he'd trained his eyes on. Isabel and Ed followed closely behind Max, looking awkward and shuffling uncomfortably. Max stepped to the side, seemingly aware that they'd been there. Isaac opened his mouth to say something, but when nothing came he shut his lips and waited to hear what they had to say. Isabel and Ed exchanged guilty looks. Ed was the first to speak up. "You're really quitting?"

Isaac frowned but nodded, much to their concern. "Yeah, I am. As I'm sure you heard, it's going to be really hard to learn anything anymore. I might not even be allowed on any missions after what happened. It's for the best that I..." He trailed off when he felt arms wrap around his neck. By the long dark hair that clouded his vision, he knew who it was. "Isabel?"

"We really made you feel that way, huh?"

He swallowed heavily and decided it was a good idea to stop talking.

Isabel carried on. "Isaac you really scared us back there. You were a completely different person and you wouldn't listen to anything anyone said. We thought we lost you!" Her hands grabbed onto his shirt and jerked him even closer. "You're our- you're our friend, okay? I know we haven't acted like it, but you never told us there was anything wrong!"

Max smiled, tilted his cap upward, and crossed his arms. This was a conversation long overdue. Although he was fairly certain things were cool between himself and Isaac, he'd had a feeling the medium was planning on quitting anyway. He was suddenly very glad that he'd managed to stop Isabel after class and share his suspicions. When she'd heard, Isabel's face had scrunched up in what he'd assumed to be courage as she'd proudly declared "Isaac? Quitting? Yeah no, that's not happening!" Ed had been just as determined to stop their friend from walking out.

Isaac's eyes widened as Isabel nuzzled into his neck, his hands at his sides frozen as he was unsure what to do with them. "Talk to us next time! Tell us when you're feeling like that. Ed and I get it- what feeling all alone is like. We felt that way forever before finding each-other. If we'd realized we were making you feel that way we would have done something! We don't blame you for what happened, Isaac. We're as much to blame as you are!" She was beginning to shake and Isaac knew she was crying. Her voice got quiet enough that Isaac could barely hear her. "Don't make us lose you again."

His hands finally figured out what to do and they wrapped around Isabel's waist as Isaac buried his head in her shoulder.

Ed was in the hug in no time flat, launching himself between them and holding his friends for dear life. Isaac and Isabel readily welcomed him in, laughing about nothing. He wasn't one for talking, but Isaac could tell by the way Ed squeezed on their shoulders he'd agreed with everything Isabel said.

Max snickered and pulled his backpack further onto his shoulder. "Maxwell Puckett- get in here!"

"WHOA HEY!"

Isabel's hand found its way to his wrist and she tugged him forward so that he was locked in the embrace, too. Max groaned. "Ugh, I don't want to do this with you dorks!"

His mock irritation was met with chuckles and snickers.

There was no helping it, so Max accepted the hug and nestled in.

"You do know we have a classroom for this sort of thing?"

The group looked up to see Mister Spender standing at the doors of the school, a small smile on his face. "Come on inside, children. I just got word about the ghost of a groundhog that's terrifying spirits and ghosts alike. I need to prepare you before I send you out there."

"Yes! I wasn't expecting more action so soon!" Isabel pumped her fist and ran at the door. "Race you guys!"

"That's a bet you're gonna lose!" Max bolted after her, Ed not far behind. He'd paused to laugh maniacally. Isaac chuckled and shook his head before walking after them. Racing wasn't his thing.

Now if they were going to have an eating contest, he would definitely run them into the ground.

"Isaac."

The medium paused and slowly turned around.

Mister Spender was observing him, he could tell. He was silent, watching the way Isaac shuffled uncomfortably under his gaze- and oh boy, was Isaac shuffling uncomfortably.

The teacher eventually took steps toward him. Isaac gasped and stood up straight, clenching his hands anxiously. He was going to get reamed into for what happened Friday and Saturday- he just knew it.

A gentle hand ruffled his hair. Isaac flinched at the contact but when he realized he'd been wrong, he calmed down. "You were very brave to stand up to Conall on Saturday." Spender smiled. "You were even braver to stand up to us."

"I wouldn't call it bravery so much as being blinded by emotional manipulation, but thanks." Isaac laughed shyly and looked away. The teacher laughed too and shook his head, removing his hand from Isaac's hair. "You were strong back there and you really proved your loyalty."

"What?!" The medium jumped back, eyes wide. "I beat you guys to pulps! I nearly got you, specifically, killed!"

"First of all, that was a hallucination- a mind trick. I was never stabbed, we only thought I was." Subconsciously, Spender touched the place he'd felt the 'sword' go through. "Second of all, I wasn't talking about loyalty to us. I was talking about loyalty to what is right. You may have been under Conall's control, but he could only manipulate your emotions- not your morals. The only reason his trick worked was because you felt an urge to do the right thing. That's all anybody can ever ask of someone."

Isaac thanked him, but could see there was something else his teacher wanted to say. "What else?"

Spender groaned and leaned his head back, grinding his teeth. "Don't tell Doctor Zarei, Isabel's grandfather, or Agent Day about this. My boss will kill me." He leaned over and whispered in Isaac's ear. "It's nothing you did."

He stood up straight and retreated to the classroom, bidding Isaac to follow. For a few moments, Isaac stood exactly where he was, eyes wide and searching for a straight line of thought. When what Mister Spender said finally clicked, a smile broke across his lips and he hurried after his friends.

Later that night, Ed beat that level in his game.