"Even if we manage to obtain her power... there’s no guarantee we’ll be able to use it," he pointed out.
"And more importantly... what makes you think the superior beings will allow us to keep it?"
Robert nodded slightly, as if he had expected this question.
"You’re right. That is the biggest problem," he admitted. "We cannot trust them... and we cannot rely on them."
He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping into a near whisper. "That’s why we play both sides."
Ian’s gaze sharpened.
"We ensure that the superior beings believe we are helping them," Robert continued, "but at the sa ti... we use them as a tool to eliminate Ivy. Once she is gone, we position ourselves in a way that neither side can easily discard us."
A slow, dangerous light appeared in Ian’s eyes.
A plan began to take shape in his mind.
Without hesitation, he began outlining it, his voice low but steady as he explained each step.
Robert listened attentively, and as Ian finished, a satisfied smile spread across his face.
"Good," Robert said, raising his thumb slightly. "Very good. I made the right choice."
Ian allowed a faint smirk to appear before it quickly disappeared.
"Then let’s execute it," Robert added.
However, Ian shook his head slightly, his expression turning serious once more. "There’s still one problem," he said quietly. "Finding Ivy’s weakness won’t be easy."
Robert waved his hand dismissively, his confidence unwavering. "Leave that to ," he replied. "Give one week... and I’ll have everything prepared."
Ian studied him for a mont before finally nodding. "Fine."
A week later, Robert returned.
Robert approached him calmly and spoke without hesitation. "Everything is ready. We can begin."
Ian narrowed his eyes slightly. "What exactly have you done?" he asked.
Robert only smiled.
anwhile, inside Ivy’s base, life seed peaceful on the surface, but beneath that calm, sothing unsettling was beginning to stir.
Valerie, a relatively new mber of the base, had been acting strangely.
She moved with a constant nervous energy, her eyes darting around as if she were always being watched.
Her hands trembled slightly at tis, and there was an odd restlessness in her movents that did not go unnoticed.
Donna, her teammate, had been observing her closely.
’Sothing is wrong with her,’ Donna thought, her brows furrowing as she watched Valerie from a distance.
She had considered reporting her multiple tis, but hesitation held her back. ’If I’m wrong... I could be the one thrown out,’ she reminded herself.
So instead, she chose to follow Valerie quietly.
Valerie’s behavior was... unusual.
She rarely interacted with others and often wandered alone.
Sotis she would plant random vegetation in odd corners of the base, digging into the soil with an almost obsessive focus.
Other tis, she would bring in small animals from outside, creatures that should not have been allowed inside the base at all.
At first, Valerie had been extrely cautious, her every movent filled with fear.
But as days passed and no one seed to pay her much attention, aside from Donna, her anxiety began to fade.
Even the guards, surprisingly, did not interfere much when she brought animals inside.
A quiet sense of relief settled over her. ’No one cares... no one is watching,’ she reassured herself, though the thought carried a strange desperation.
At that ti, Ivy herself was not present in the base.
She had gone to stay at Drake and Ronak’s place, leaving Valerie with more freedom than she should have ever had.
And Valerie used that freedom.
She followed every instruction given to her without question.
Once she finished her task, she slipped out quietly and made her way to a secluded location where Robert was waiting.
The mont she saw him, her composure broke.
"Where is it?" she demanded, her voice shaky yet filled with urgency.
Robert smiled faintly and tossed a small packet toward her.
Valerie caught it imdiately, her hands trembling as she tore it open.
The faint, sharp sll of the white powder reached her nose, and without hesitation, she inhaled deeply.
The effect was almost instant.
Her tense expression lted into one of pure, unsettling bliss.
Her eyes were half-lidded, and a wide grin spread across her face. "This... this is it..." she murmured, her voice trembling with pleasure.
Robert watched her calmly.
"This is not all," he said, his tone turning firm. "There are more tasks you need to complete."
Valerie barely hesitated.
"I’ll do anything," she replied quickly. "Just... don’t stop giving this."
Her dependency was absolute.
As long as she received what she craved, she would obey without question, even if it ant crossing lines she once would have feared.
After getting what she wanted, she left.
That sa day, Donna noticed sothing was off.
Valerie’s movents were sluggish yet erratic, her eyes glazed and unfocused.
Donna narrowed her eyes, suspicion solidifying into certainty.
’She’s on sothing... this isn’t normal,’ she thought, her heart beating slightly faster.
Taking a deep breath, she made her decision.
"It’s ti to report this," she murmured to herself, her voice low but resolute.
The use of drugs was strictly forbidden within the base. Even if she did not fully understand the reason behind the rule, one thing was clear...
Whatever Valerie was involved in... it was dangerous.
The mont she beca certain, she stepped forward and reported everything.
’If I’m wrong, I’m finished... but if I’m right, this could be serious,’ she had thought.
When the people from the Ivy departnt received the report, their response was imdiate and decisive.
Within minutes, a team was dispatched.
They found Valerie exactly where Donna had expected.
She was lying sprawled on her bed, her body slack and her mind clearly detached from reality.
Valerie’s eyes were half-open and unfocused, and her lips were curled into a foolish, vacant grin.
"This is her," one of them muttered.
They entered without ceremony.
"Valerie," another called out, his tone firm, but she did not respond.
She only giggled faintly, her voice hollow and disconnected, as if she were trapped in so distant dream.
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