Ivy studied her for a mont before smiling faintly. "If that’s the case," she replied, "how do you plan to compensate ?"
Grace clenched her fists again. "I’ll give you all the crystals I own," she declared firmly. "As an apology."
A wave of sympathy swept through the crowd. Whispers followed, impressed murmurs rising. To them, Grace looked sincere, even noble.
’’If only they knew,’’ Grace thought quietly. She planned to register only thirty of her crystals as her lifeti wealth and give that amount to Ivy. It would spare her resources and still earn her a good reputation.
’’A perfect start,’’ she mused.
Before her plan could settle, Ivy shook her head.
"No," she said flatly. "I don’t want you giving anything. What if you lie about the number later?"
Grace hurried to defend herself. "I’m telling the truth!"
Ivy ignored her completely. "It would be better if you never appear before again," she warned calmly.
"Next ti, I won’t be this patient." With that, she turned and walked away.
She knew that with this move, Grace’s reputation would be ruined completely.
The base buzzed with activity. Ivy’s mind was already on training plans when a presence prickled at the back of her neck.
She turned and saw Grace following her, face pale, eyes heavy with regret.
’’For the first ti I think,’’ Ivy realized, ’’Grace isn’t stupid at all.’’
When exposed, she hadn’t argued to death. She had switched tactics instantly, swaying public opinion just enough to survive.
Now Ivy finally understood why, in her previous life, Grace had survived for so long.
Her thods were clumsy, her words pitiful, but her instincts for survival were sharp.
Taking a deep breath, Ivy finally turned back toward her base.
The mont she entered her room, she felt a wave of relief washing over her. Her legs gave out, and she fell onto the bed, the sheets cool against her overheated body. ’
’Just for a while,’’ she told herself, eyes fluttering shut.
When she woke again, six long hours had vanished.
A blaring alarm tore through the air, drilling straight into her skull. Ivy jolted upright, her heart slamming violently against her ribs.
This was the sound even Ivy couldn’t forget. A sound she had selected on her own, in case the base was attacked by the zombies due to unexpected situations.
’’An attack?’’ She didn’t waste a second.
She rushed out, with panic written all over her face.
The mont she reached the walls, her steps faltered.
Zombies were pouring in, bodies crashing over one another, rotten flesh reeking as they clawed their way into the base.
Panic surged through her mind and heart, icy and suffocating, but she forced it down. ’’Calm down. Fight first,’’ she commanded herself.
She moved instinctively, striking, dodging, and cutting through the chaos while her eyes scanned the crowd desperately. ’
’Where’s Martha? I need an announcent now,’’ she thought, teeth clenched.
Then sothing was wrong. Horribly wrong.
The walls began to flood.
Thick, white liquid spilled down the stone like a living thing, carrying a strange, sour-sweet sll.
Milk rushed toward her feet, soaking her boots, rising unnaturally fast. Ivy’s breath hitched as raw fear clawed up her spine.
’’This isn’t real. This can’t be real,’’ she thought, backing away.
Before she could react, the wave crashed into her, splashing against her face and chest.
She gagged, choking as more and more zombies surged in, their movents distorted through the milky haze.
Ivy shook her head violently, trying to clear her vision, trying not to drown.
A soft voice brushed against her ear, disturbingly gentle. "You’re lagging behind, Ivy."
Her pulse thundered. "If this continues, you won’t be able to activate your power in ti," the voice continued calmly. "Drink more milk."
............................
Ivy woke with a sharp gasp. She stared at the ceiling for a mont before burying her face into the pillow, her voice muffled.
"What a strange dream..."
Just as the words left her lips, a familiar alarm began to blare.
Her body tensed instantly, fear surging back, but when she stepped outside, she froze.
The alarm wasn’t an ergency system at all. It was Felix.
She raised an eyebrow slowly. Felix’s face was pale, panic written plainly across it.
The mont he saw her, he ran toward her, breathless. "Ivy, one of our soldiers turned into a zombie."
Ivy’s eyes widened. "What do you an?"
Without hesitation, Felix grabbed her sleeve and pulled her along.
Once outside, shouting filled the air, sharp and furious. A mother and daughter stood at the center, faces twisted with rage and grief.
"You’re heartless!" the woman scread. "Completely heartless!"
Ivy stepped forward, her voice low but steady. "What happened?"
Felix swallowed hard. "They’re Max’s family. His mother and sister. They found out he turned into a zombie."
The words hit Ivy like a blunt blow. Her expression hardened, but her heart sank heavily.
’’Max..." He had trained beside her and fought beside her.
’’And now...’’ Regret seeped in, cold and bitter.
’’Was helping the military a mistake? ’’ she wondered. ’’My own soldier turned into a zombie.’’
Before she could speak, Max’s mother charged forward, her hand raised high. Felix moved without thinking, stepping in front of Ivy.
The slap landed hard against his head.
He didn’t fight back. He didn’t even flinch. ’’I understand,’’ he thought grimly.
He rembered the days he had lived in terror, wondering if his own sister would be found as a zombie. He couldn’t bring himself to argue.
Max’s mother had completely lost herself. She beat at Felix again and again, mistaking him for Ivy, her voice breaking.
"It’s all your fault!" she scread. "If you hadn’t taken away my son, he’d still be alive!"
Her sobs turned hysterical as she continued to strike him.
Martha arrived at that mont, rushing forward, followed closely by Helena, Kael, and Ember.
They grabbed the mother and daughter, holding them back gently but firmly.
"We understand your loss," they pleaded. "We can’t compensate for it, but we will take responsibility."
Ivy stood frozen. Her hands had gone completely cold, numb at her sides.
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