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Ivy

It was almost as if realization dawned on us the moment Caramel spoke, almost like a scale got plucked out from our eyes. Even I who thought I didn't forget about what happened at the Inc dimension, felt like I had taken a slap from the harsh palm of reality.

"I thought she went away with the old dimension?" asked Fiona, as Caramel took the space beside me. "I don't understand. How is she back when she's supposed to be dead... gone with everything?"

"Where did you get this information?" Roman directed the question to Caramel.

"The internet?" she said, shoving her phone to his view as he collected it, studying whatever was displayed on it.

"I really have been off the grid, haven't I?" he muttered to himself, handing Caramel back her phone and pulling his laptop out of his bag, probably to do more research about her return.

"To think of it, there was no prove that she actually stayed behind, I mean, why would she? She didn't come all this way to just end her life with her first dimension." I mentioned.

"Yeah, makes sense." Caramel supported. "Maybe she didn't come with us... maybe she went to the Outside when we crossed."

I furrowed my brows in confusion. "But why would she—"

"The 10." Voiced, Roman whose eyes behind the frameless glasses, read through whatever it was on the screen of his laptop.

He looked up. "She didn't come with us because she had to seek out the 10."

"Wait, do you mean the guys with the same rare powers as Ethan and Ivy?" Fiona asked, sitting up.

I tried not to react to the way Fiona had said his name like he was still here.

"I thought they went missing." Caramel asked, confused.

Roman's eyes went back to the screen of the laptop. "Apparently they're here... with her." He turned the laptop to our view."

It was a clear picture of the Grey Zone, where Dean's headquarter and office was. The Grey zone was like the White House of this dimension.

They stood there with so many reporters and state officials of each state in the dimension, smiling widely at the camera, Glory holding a proud look on her face.

"They look happy." Fiona stated.

"Nope." Roman countered. "They look brainwashed."

My eyes scanned through the article. "The Superiors?" I asked, reflecting what Glory had called them in the interview.

Caramel scoffed. "We are the Insiders aka subjects, and they are the Superiors... her number one, non-failure." She said in distaste.

"Wait... this doesn't make sense... the ten and well me, are of no use to Glory without our tether." I voiced out.

Roman nodded. "Since well, Ethan's not available, maybe she found another way? Another anchor?" he said. "Could be that guy." Roman pointed to the guy at Glory's side.

"Who's the hottie?" Caramel asked.

Roman moved the laptop back to his view, typing away before finally answering the question. "Well, I'll be damned." He said.

"What did you find?"

"That's subject 541..."

We all offered him series of confused looks.

He sighed. "Patient zero." He cleared up. "The first guy to be tested on with the Chip."

I blinked, while Caramel's eyes widened.

"This is huge." Fiona said.

"Him being their anchor makes sense." I said. "But I still don't get it... why now? it has been a year already, why hold back and then return with them now?"

Roman shrugged. "Why does Glory do the things she does?"

Caramel's palm slammed on the table. "We shouldn't be trying to figure out measly unimportant things like this. We should be taking the fight to her, for what she did to us... to Ethan, for Edith!"

Malcolm had gone missing... not missing, missing but, my biggest bet was, he didn't want to be found, and we all respected that. Edith had died so suddenly, and it would take a lot for him to come to accept that his daughter was no more.

"No." Fiona stated. "What do we gain by doing that? More casualties? Glory would crush us; she has done that so many times before... this is—this is our new life... we can't bring our past mistakes into it." She said, her eyes falling to me. "Ivy back me up."

I swallowed.

I wanted nothing more but to find Glory and ask why she had ended the life of someone she had claimed to love more than anything, I wanted to take revenge and just end this all once and for all... but, I couldn't deny the fact that there was some truth in what Fiona said. This is our new life.

For the first time in a long time, we aren't looking over our shoulders, wondering who was gonna come for us next.

Besides, Ethan would want me to stay clear off of Glory... he had told me that the last time we saw each other.

I sighed. "Fiona's right." I said.

Caramel's eyes widened. "Little miss Fisher, says what now?"

"I think we should just leave it be... Glory has destroyed us once in the past... she has taken a lot of people we care about, and we can't put ourselves in the spotlight again. Ethan wouldn't want that."

"How about the ten? We're just gonna let Dean and Glory continue to brainwash people?" Roman asked, also wearing a confused look.

"There's nothing we can do about them... they're under her command." I heard myself say... and I couldn't deny that my statement was unfamiliar to even me.

"What if she tries to come to you?" Caramel countered. "You're a superior too."

I swallowed. "Trust me, she won't. I don't think she's gonna step into the Rebel-lions territory... we've grown in numbers." I said.

"Wait... are we seriously doing this? ignoring the fact that Glory is back and ready to wreak havoc?" Roman asked.

"As long as she doesn't bring the fight to us, we won't take the fight to her. It's as simple as that."

Fiona smiled. "Come on guys, try to understand... I love the peace, everyone loves the peace, and as much as I want to take my revenge on Glory for what she did to Ethan? I know Ethan would disagree to getting involved in Glory's business, so let's keep it that way."

Caramel sighed. "Fine... I'm just gonna get so fucking wasted at Ricky's party, cause if I remain sober, I might charge into the Grey Zone with knives in hand."

Fiona rolled her eyes. "We should talk about what we're wearing for the party." She changed the topic, and I tried so hard to follow the conversation, but I couldn't... there was this weight in my heart, and I knew it wasn't leaving anytime soon.

I might as well get wasted, myself.

I just need to forget.

***

"Oh my God, Ivy... you look smoking!" Fiona gushed, her red hair was curled beautifully around her shoulder, eyes wearing a smoky look, almost like mine, but darker. "Why don't you just let your hair down? Don't you get tired of that ponytail?"

I shot a look to her reflection in the full-length mirror. "I prefer it this way, I always have." I told her, looking back at myself.

The black thigh length gown I wore, exposed my legs in ways I never thought my legs could be exposed. It was Caramel's, Fiona had said Caramel never once wore it ever since she got it from a store few months ago. I didn't think much of it, I just wanted live through this night.

I wanted to finally take a step at my moving on phase, and maybe give Markel a shot? I still wasn't sure about that; I was just going to let the night take me where ever it wanted to.

"Yeah, I know." She responded, coming to stand behind me, as she placed her hand on my shoulder, her chin coming to rest on it as she stared at me. "But tonight's different. It's for you to let loose and forget. All of it. Things are trying to look up for you, Ivy... why don't you let it?"

"You're referring to Markel, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am... that guy is head over heels crazy in love with you, and you've been turning him down for like four months now."

I sighed.

"Trust me, I know boys," she said. "They don't last for this long trying to persuade a girl to date them. Especially not guys like Markel who basically has girls fawning the hell over him."

I bit down on my lip.

"You'll give him a chance tonight, right?"

I squinted my eyes at her, releasing my lip. "Did he put you up to this?" I asked her.

"No. he didn't... I'm only saying this to you because I want you to be happy."

"What if he doesn't make me happy? I don't want to be the girl who dates someone just because of the pressure, and then remains unhappy throughout that relationship, making him feel terrible for it." I said in one breath. "Markel is a nice guy, I know that... but I don't think he can make me feel the way Ethan made me feel."

Fiona sighed, coming to stand in front of me. "It's true... he won't make you feel that way, I don't think he ever will, but I'm positive he'll make you feel better than you feel now... just, think about it some more, hm?"

"Yeah I—"

Her phone vibrated, she quickly fished it from her purse and brought it to her view. Soon after, she sighed. "Great, Roman does it again."

"What happened?"

"He's not picking me up... he said he went a bit early cause of the project thing he has with some guys from his class." She answered.

"I'm sure he'll make up for it." I said, hopefully.

"Yeah, maybe."

I smiled. "It's fine, Fi... You can grab a ride with me and Markel."

"Hell no... you both need that alone time; I'll just go with Caramel."

"Okay. Just don't be too hard on Roman... he's still trying to process this new him."

"I understand." She said. "I mean I get it, it's not so easy for him. he probably just needs a break." She forced a smile.

"That's not—"

"I'll go check on Caramel real quick. See you at Ricky's... also, I wanna hear good news regarding you and Markel after this is all over." She grinned. "See ya." She said, rushing out.

I sighed, my eyes meeting my reflection once more.

I swallowed, raising my hand to free my hair off the Ponytail, watching it fall to both sides of my face with a side parting, and down my mid back with slight wavy curls.

I ran my fingers through the length, straightening it out as much as I can.

Cutting it was something I had considered when it began to pass my shoulder length, but then one day, I had pulled it up in a ponytail, and for the first time in a long time, I looked like myself, I looked familiar, and the feeling of staring back at a stranger, slipped away.

I guess it wouldn't do any harm to let it down tonight. 

The notification sound went off on my phone, I walked over to the edge of my bed, picking it up.

It was a text from Markel.

Markel:

I'm here.

I let out a breath.

I'm moving on tonight... I'm letting go tonight... it's what I should do... it's what I should have done.

___

Vote and Comment for a quicker update. ;)

This update was supposed to come in yesterday, but I've just started the second phase of my internship, and it's gonna last for six weeks. (Let's go protest against school)

Either way, this is not going to stop me from placing updates... it might only prompt slow updates. But you can control that, if you comment your thoughts on each chapter, letting me know what you're thinking.

Update: For now, I have no Instagram, but we can talk here on Wattpad, in the comment section, my inbox or my conversation board... I'll let you know when my Instagram is back online.

So, Question time.

What do you think of this chapter?

Ivy is moving on? Do you think she will actually give Markel a chance? Do you want her to?

Who do you want to see in the next chapter?

Or Better still, what would you love to see, happen?

And the Rebel-lions are backing out from the drama? How do you feel about this? do you think they should take the fight to Glory, free the Ten or Let them all be?

Tell me what you think!

I'll see you guys in the next update!