The smile etched across her face, knowing that victory sounded too good. Half the city had fallen under the army's control. It had belonged to the Garren Clan and now possessed more resources. The remaining area represented Marmoris, now led by Max's brother, William. She wasn't worried about this aspect, but she thinks that Garren wasn't as invisible as it had suddenly become. For weeks, she had observed suspicious activities in the old warehouse area. They contained only dust and spiderwebs, but no one imagined they served as a hideout. She investigated the nests of fugitives planning to leave the city soon. It was expected, but she feared they would end up killed. Her plans didn't involve any entanglement with these groups. Furthermore, she attempted to sideline them, ensuring they wouldn't get caught in disasters. The operation unfolded slowly, but there were no innocent victims anymore. That meant good news, and another came immediately. Mell contacted her, chirping that her mission was complete. Marmoris had surrendered but refused any form of cooperation. They were allowed to leave on the condition of providing no aid to anyone. She preferred to reduce them silence from distance rather than incite more crimes. Meanwhile, she continued her search for the Garren Clan, hoping a GPS would shed some light. The computer chair rotated involuntarily. Dizziness caught her off guard, almost causing her to collapse. She couldn't stand pranks or bad jokes, and she knew who was experimenting on her. She felt like a lab rat subjected to terrifying things. When she managed to focus on the blonde, Philip, she refrained from choking him. Instead, frustrated, she tripped her to prevent her from disappearing elsewhere.

–You're lucky I didn't kick you like a ball.

–Why are you so cold? I was just kidding!

–Do you want me to show you how I joke, or do you prefer to stay alive?

—Um, alive, I want to stay alive.

–Then cut the act!

–I was overwhelmed with joy! I had just heard you were given the leader title.

–A bottle of champagne would have solved it. I didn't need any dizziness.

–Haha, do you want to see something?

–No thanks, I've had enough.

Philip sighed, informing her that this time he wasn't playing the clown. He grabbed the mouse, moving the cursor to the search bar of the digital map. He casually entered the coordinates and zoomed in, focusing on the edge of the forest. On the screen, the name of a city appeared, called "Underworld." In the past, it was part of them, but they lost it due to misunderstandings. The streets projected in her mind, guessing their hiding place so obvious. She had roamed street by street, every seen and unseen corner. When she was at the mansion, she used to escape there, so no one would know her. She remembered sneaking past inattentive guards, crossing the cobblestone alley to the fence. She would emerge through it like a kitten left outside for the first time. With small steps, she would descend into the forest, dancing with the leaves, trees, warm or cold light depending on the season. At its edge, she ventured into Underworld without care. That world seemed fantastic to her, full of freedom, full of colorful displays. She especially liked sneaking into bookstores. She held storybooks in her hands, unable to take them with her. One evening, as she exited, a dog escaped its leash from behind the corner. The owner was nowhere in sight. The dog's drool, bulging eyes, sharp teeth were ready to turn her into minced meat. The closer it came, the more her blood refused to circulate. In her mind, she longed to move, not to die right now. She didn't know if she could be saved. She heard someone's footsteps, but she wasn't able to see. She snapped back to reality when the animal whimpered in pain, evaporating into nowhere like a bad dream. In front of her stood a redhead, tall, with a seemingly random cane. Dazed, slightly embarrassed, she thanked the stranger, whose name she learned later. Now her memories revived. She felt them so close to her soul, warming it. Even after so many years, their roles hadn't changed. She barely recognized him when she saw him in the training room of the Marmoris Clan.
© BlairAmy
#plan #mystery #war #time