HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Ivy

Ethan's warmth encased me when I stepped into his home; I couldn't help but immediately try to find him in the crowd. I was pretty jumpy as my eyes scanned the familiar faces around the living room. It didn't take long because there he was, by a small bar area with someone I couldn't quite make out, seeing as their back was to me.

"It's sort of similar to his old place back at the Inc Dimension," Fiona said, her eyes taking in our surroundings with curiosity. "You think he picked this place purposely?"

"It's probably Silas," I said. "Or Glory—to maybe give him a sense of familiarity? She couldn't have changed everything that he currently remembers."

Fiona hummed in agreement as Romans' arm tightened against my own, and I looked up at him. "You alright?"

"No. They all make white seem like an ominous color. It doesn't sit right with me." he said, cautious eyes looking around as if something would pop out of the corner and jump him.

Looking around, I couldn't help but feel uneasy too. The Superiors were all around, drinking, talking to people around them, and just—mingling; I could spot some people with the Rebel-lions uniform gathered in their corner, dancing and partying.

Roman brought his head down to whisper in my ear. "I still think people on the outside throw better parties."

I couldn't help the grin that I gave. "How would you know? Last I checked, you didn't get invited to many parties."

He raised a brow at me. "Oh, you think you know me now. Did you really think I would let Kyle put a ladder by my bedroom window if it really wasn't useful to me?"

My eyes widened. "Wha—"

His lips kicked up to the side. "I'll leave you to think about that while I go mingle and gather whatever information I can," his eyes shifted to Fiona, who was already looking at him before he gazed down at me again. "and maybe find out who is trying to get into my head." He said before walking away from me and into the crowd.

"I'll go find 541 if there's trouble; I'm one text away." Caramel voiced, walking in the other direction, leaving Fiona and me alone.

Her brows were drawn down in worry; eyes fixated on one of the superiors...Oliver. The healer guy.

"Hey," I called softly, watching her flinch a little before her eyes met mine.

"Do you want to grab a drink?" she asked, and I nodded as we both went to a small beer pump at the corner. Before I left, my eyes wandered to where I'd last seen Ethan. The previous stranger he had been talking to was nowhere to be found. Instead, a grinning Navya was keeping his company.

You shouldn't trust me; in fact, you shouldn't trust anyone. Her voice resounded in my head, and I looked away, honestly unable to watch Ethan be that close with someone else.

I planned to talk to him tonight, wherever that talk would lead. But I planned to ensure it led to something or somewhere. I needed him back by my side. I wanted him to remember.

I watched Fiona get us the drinks, but from the corner of my eye, I could see Roman talking to one of the superiors in the bar area, and I wondered what he meant by someone messing with his head.

"Here you go," she handed me one red cup before taking a drink from hers, looking at the content in the cup, and nodding appreciatively. "At least they serve good beer."

I took a sip, the thick, strong, and bittersweet taste curling around my tongue, about to ask her why she and Roman had barely spoken on the way here when she spoke.

"I spoke to Malcolm."

I choked, stopping myself from spilling the drink. "What?"

She spoke to Malcolm? I was confused because this was popping out of nowhere; Malcolm was still in isolation, or—wasn't he?

"Yeah," Fiona breathed out. "He reached out, probably heard about Ethan. He wanted to help talk to the Willing in charge of the farm; it was the only way to make the right concoction to help Ethan remember. It was a failure, though; there's no remedy. What was done to him can't be cured by herbs."

I shook my head, closing and opening my eyes as I tried to focus my thoughts. "Wait a sec—Malcolm contacted you? When was this?"

She hesitated before saying, "A few days after Ethan came back."

My jaw dropped as I stared wide-eyed at her, unable to hide my shock. "You knew all those times and didn't think to tell any of us?"

She sighed. "I wanted to, but Malcolm insisted that I shouldn't. But I'm telling you now, even though I know that I shouldn't. so maybe cut me some slack? It's been so hard keeping it to myself."

Blowing out a breath, I nodded. "I know; I'm sorry. It's just shocking. So, herbs are out of the option, and the superiors can't exactly help because their powers don't affect him."

"Yeah, another dead end."

We allowed the noisy silence to envelop us. The people around us were clearly having loads of fun. I wasn't sure 90% of them knew what the party was for.

"Maybe it's not exactly a dead end." Fiona voiced out suddenly, and I let my gaze meet hers again. Her eyes showed she was contemplating something in her head. 

"What do you mean?"

"You're a superior, just like the rest of them, and you can walk the walls of someone else's mind and live whatever moment in their life asthem. You know their thoughts, their deepest secrets, their feelings, everything. What if you use that on Glory?"

I frowned. "I don't think I can—I've not been able to do it—not since the Inc dimension, and even if I could, what makes you think Glory's not immune to our powers? She made them."

"Ethan is the tether to the superiors. That's why you haven't been able to Mind-Walk."

"That's what we're calling it?"

"What would you want to call it? Shadow-Walking?"

I smiled. "That actually doesn't sound bad, but let's stick to Mind-Walk. I don't exactly know how to control it. The first few times it happened, I had to concentrate deeply on the person or maybe just stare at them until they started to blur away. I don't know. I don't think I want to do it again."

"It might help Ethan. Or maybe you could Mind-Walk him?"

"Maybe I could," I whispered it. "Maybe I could have done that, and maybe I'm scared of what I'd find in his mind. Apparently, he has a thing for Navya."

Fiona's eyes widened. "Wait, what?" her eyes moved to a spot behind me. "That clingy girl next to him?"

I didn't even want to look, but I nodded anyway.

"How do you know that?" Fiona asked when she looked back at me.

"She told me? I mean—I think that's what she did? She said she wouldn't pursue it and, well—kinda told me not to trust her. She lied to me about not encouraging whatever he thinks he feels for her. She probably just wanted the challenge."

"She wants you both to fight over him. She's probably playing with your mind; what was her ability again?"

"Cloak girl," I answered, remembering the drink in my hand before taking two gulps, accepting the strongness of the alcohol. "I hate this situation. He was mine. The only person he loved was me, and now I have to share that feeling with Navya," I gritted out her name, blowing out a hot breath.

"I don't think so," Fiona said, making me look back at her.

"Why?"

"Cause he's talking to her, yes, but he's looked over here like five times now."

I blinked. "What?"

"Six now. Navya's biting his ear off, talking about some show she got lost in with Talia in another district. He obviously doesn't care because he keeps repeating only two words. 'Yeah' and 'really'—seventh time now."

"Sometimes I forget you've got super ears."

She chuckled. "I don't use my ability unless it's completely necessary." She drank from her cup. "I think you still have him wrapped around your little finger even though he doesn't remember you."

I didn't fight against the hope that warmed inside my chest as I turned in his direction; almost at the same time, his head turned to my direction again, making our eyes lock. His eyes widened a fraction before he quickly looked away.

I couldn't help my smile as I looked away, too, my heart pumping too much blood through my veins as his warmth enveloped me once more, strong and enticing.

Fucking hell, it never gets old.

"She left; someone called her from across the room. He's alone now."

I closed my eyes, letting out a shaky breath. "Okay."

"Now's your chance."

I nodded, throwing the remaining content in the beer cup down my throat; I swallowed, feeling much lighter but nowhere near drunk. "Here goes everything," I said, handing her my empty cup.

"Good luck, Text the group if you need me; I'll be around."

"Thanks, Fi," I said, bracing myself before turning and walking to him.

___

VOTE AND COMMENT

LONG TIME NO SEE! WHY?????! I wanted to be able to come back and concentrate fully on the second book of this series.

For those who don't know, last year, I joined the Wattpad creators program, and I was working on a particular story for the program, but now that my job there is done, I've decided to make MY ROBOTIC STRANGER my creator's program project.

This means you'll be seeing frequent updates from time to time.

I hope it's a good thing!

I'll see you in the next chapter when I come up with a schedule for this story.

Till then, see ya!