Zane Cartel placed his hand on the bedroom doorknob, a smirk forming on his lips.
"Just as expected from Eri Spencer," he muttered. She hadn't caught on to anything—none of it.
After spending so many years around her, Zane could read Eri's thoughts to a degree. She was the textbook definition of a tsundere: sharp-tongued, feisty, and always hiding her true emotions. Despite that, Zane had sensed her subtle affection. Still, he knew now wasn't the time to return that affection—not yet.
With a steady hand, Zane opened the bedroom door and quickly stepped inside. He knew that if Eri ever walked in and saw what was happening here, the results would be catastrophic.
He crossed the room in a few strides, approaching the bed where a girl lay motionless. Gently, he touched her cheek. The system screen appeared instantly.
[Notification: The contained entity has the attribute 'coordinate', capable of opening a world portal.]
[Target World: 'Giant Realm' — Compatible with the anomaly 'Titan Power.']
[Open portal now? Yes / No]
Zane's eyes narrowed.
"So, it is possible to travel to the world of giants..."
He selected "No."
Now wasn't the time. But this changed things. It meant he needed to adjust his plan. The Giant Realm held immense strategic value—and powerful talents that could serve in his cause. His goal was clear: to establish a global containment foundation, an organization to neutralize and protect the world from anomalies.
And to do that, he needed allies. Specifically, some of the most powerful warriors in the Giant Realm—the kind of people who had endured endless tragedy and still stood tall.
But first, he had to secure something else—the genetic power of the Female Titan.
Zane leaned down and pressed his lips against Ani's slightly parted ones.
20,000 words of omitted content happened here. (Don't ask. It's behind a paywall.)
Unfortunately, Ani still had a cloth gag in her mouth, making the experience rather… unpleasant. Even worse, as he lifted his head, his eyes met Ani's ice-cold blue stare—now burning with rage.
Zane backed off awkwardly, clearing his throat.
Why did it always seem like Ani just happened to wake up at the worst possible moment?
Bound tightly, Ani twisted and squirmed on the bed, growling muffled protests through the gag. Her efforts were futile. The bindings were secure, her hands and feet wrapped in soft material to avoid injury, and the gag ensured her teeth couldn't even clench properly.
All she could do was wriggle and glare.
Once upon a time, she had found Zane… bearable. Maybe even a little trustworthy.
Back in this strange world, he had been the only one to approach her gently, to communicate with reason and patience. She had even started to feel safe around him.
Now, she felt like a fool.
Zane gave her a sheepish smile and said,
"I know you feel betrayed, Ani. I know you're furious and want to kill me."
He picked up a glass from the nightstand, holding it up for her to see. Ani's pupils shrank. It was her glass—the one she had drunk from earlier.
Zane continued, "But listen closely. This isn't about betrayal. This is about your future. And honestly, you don't have another choice."
He swirled the water inside the glass. A faint pink hue shimmered at the bottom.
"Let me explain how I tricked you."
He spoke calmly, like a teacher explaining a science experiment.
"That drug in the glass—don't bother asking what it is. It's not something you'd understand. I introduced it using a trick. I placed a jug of water on the dining table to make you think it was safe."
"Then I handed you a drawing to distract your mind, shifting your suspicion toward the jug rather than the cup. You were focused on the water source, not the glass."
"But the problem was never the jug. It was the cup I gave you."
Zane chuckled, setting the glass back on the table.
The pink drug? It was something he'd acquired through a black-market platform, under the code name "computer accessories." The delivery had arrived like any other package—unassuming, disguised.
"The reason you're now tied up like this," he continued, "is simple: you're an anomaly."
Zane's voice hardened.
"I told you before—I'm here to protect humanity from abnormal threats. And someone who can transform into a Titan is definitely an anomaly."
At these words, Ani flinched. Deep down, she had heard this countless times before—from both Marley and Paradis. "You're a monster." "You're a weapon." "You're a threat."
And each time, the sting in her heart remained the same.
Zane, watching her expression change, slowly shifted his tone.
"But you see, Ani... it's not you that's the threat. It's the Titan power inside you. There's a difference."
Her eyes widened slightly, a flicker of hope breaking through her rage.
"I don't want to destroy you," Zane said. "If I could protect a girl named Ani Leonhart, I would."
"But I need your cooperation."
For a moment, Ani stopped struggling.
Zane smiled.
Then, he dropped his biggest bombshell yet:
"Ani, I can send you back. Back to your world. Marley, Paradis Island—the place you came from."
Ani's entire body tensed.
Her eyes went wide, her breathing sharp. She began to struggle with twice the intensity she had before. It was no longer rage—now it was desperation.
"Stop!" Zane barked.
Ani froze.
She stared at him, wide-eyed, waiting.
Zane took a breath and calmly continued.
"I can open a portal that connects this world with yours. But there's a condition."
"You have to break free from the commands in your head—whatever Marley ordered, whatever mission they burned into your mind. Race, country, mission... put them aside."
"This is your chance to choose for yourself."
He pointed at her, voice firm.
"Your two options are simple: be executed for the danger you pose…"
"Or escape it."
A long silence filled the room.
Ani looked down, her shoulders shaking slightly.
She didn't respond. Not yet.
Zane turned away slightly and muttered to himself, "This is what the Foundation must do. Protect people. Even anomalies deserve a chance—if they're willing."
He looked back at Ani with clear eyes.
"This world needs peace. Surface peace, at least. For that, we'll have to do a lot of dirty work underneath."
Ani, a girl torn between duty and freedom, now had a choice.
A hard one.
But it was hers to make.
End of Chapter.
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