Ani blinked, eyes narrowing with confusion. What did he mean by that? Escape where? And from whom?
But… maybe she could. At least for now.
The images of this new world flickered in her memory—the calm streets, modern cars, a world without Titans, without Marley, without the burdens of Paradis.
If such a place truly existed… then yes, maybe escape was an option.
Zane Cartel watched her expression carefully and saw the doubt begin to fade from her face, replaced by something more fragile—hope.
He seized the moment.
"If we open the portal, I can bring your father to this world," Zane said gently. "You'll be free—free from Titans, from Marley, from everything that ever held you down."
"And then," he added, "I'll find a way to remove the Titan power from your body. You'll be able to live normally."
Ani froze.
Her father. Her home. A quiet life she'd only dreamed of, now presented to her as a real choice.
It was almost too much.
But it was real. Zane wasn't lying.
Slowly, Ani nodded. She had made her decision.
Zane let out a deep breath. Thank God.
Ani hadn't been brainwashed as deeply as he'd feared. If this were someone like Gabi, the situation would've spiraled into chaos already. Not even someone like Kael'thar could have reasoned with that girl.
Ani's cooperation was going to be vital moving forward—especially if Zane wanted to extract talents and anomalies from the Giant Realm. He didn't want to harm her. That had never been his goal.
"Alright," he said calmly, "since you've made your choice, I'll release your restraints. But I need you to promise—no transformations. Understood?"
Ani nodded again.
Seeing her comply, Zane carefully reached forward and loosened the band around her mouth. Then, he pulled the handkerchief out—drenched from her struggling.
He set it aside with an awkward cough.
As he worked, he watched her closely, preparing himself in case she tried anything. If she bit her tongue or injured herself, the transformation would be almost instant.
But Ani made no move.
No tricks. No sudden attack. Just silence.
Zane finally removed the rest of her bindings. Ani sat up and rubbed the soreness from her arms.
Then, Zane extended a hand politely.
"My name is Zane Cartel. I hope we can work together from now on."
Ani looked at the offered hand.
She got to her feet, stretched briefly—then, without warning, slammed a kick straight at Zane's leg.
Zane: "?!"
Thanks to the Blacklight Virus transformation, Zane's body reacted on instinct. His enhanced reflexes kicked in. For anyone else, the kick would've been blindingly fast—but for him?
He dodged with ease, twisted, and blocked her next jab with a raised forearm. Then, in one fluid move, he grabbed her arm and pinned her again.
"Hey, hey!" he protested, holding her down. "We had a deal!"
Ani growled, "That was personal."
Zane blinked. "Huh?"
Her voice sharpened.
"What the hell were you doing just now, kissing me?!"
Zane coughed, eyes darting away.
"That… was a containment procedure. I needed to collect certain traits... for analysis."
Ani's eyes burned with fury. "Containment, my ass!"
"I'm going to kill you!"
What followed was a blur of kicks, punches, and counterholds.
Zane subdued her more than ten times. Each time, Ani would surge back to her feet only to be pinned again. But Zane didn't even break a sweat. After all, his physical capabilities now far exceeded human limits.
Without using her Titan powers, Ani didn't stand a chance.
Finally, she collapsed to the ground, exhausted, lying flat on her back, panting.
Zane stood over her, arms crossed.
"Now that you're done throwing your tantrum," he said calmly, "there's a bathroom down the hall."
"There's a hot water system—check the manual. It's simple enough."
"Fresh towels are in the cabinet. Use mine for now—I'll buy new ones later."
He turned to leave.
"Also," he called back over his shoulder, "you'll sleep on the guest bed tonight. I'll handle the arrangements. Quilts and sheets are new."
"I'll explain the full plan for the Giant Realm tomorrow."
Then he walked out, leaving Ani lying on the floor, eyes locked on the ceiling.
She stared up, lost in thought.
Was it really over?
All the suffering she'd endured, the guilt, the battles, the betrayals—was it really that easy to walk away from?
The ceiling above her was pristine, painted a soft cream color. It felt… unreal.
After a long silence, Ani finally stood up and walked toward the bathroom.
As she passed through the hallway, she muttered to herself:
"Maybe Eldia and Sakura aren't so different after all. Island nations, both."
Inside the bathroom, she found the instructions for the water heater and pressed a few buttons.
A second later, hot water blasted from the showerhead, drenching her completely.
Her uniform—complete with the crossed swords of the Training Corps—was soaked instantly.
With a sigh, Ani stripped it off, removing her sweater as well.
For the first time in her life, she took a hot shower.
In Marley, her status as an Eldian meant she was barely allowed to bathe, and even then, it was usually with cold water. In Paradis, things were even worse—primitive tech, worse infrastructure.
But now, hot water streamed down her face.
Ani tilted her head back and closed her eyes, letting the warmth wash over her. For once, her lips curved into a faint smile.
Then came a voice from outside the bathroom door:
"Ani, there's shampoo and body wash on the shelf. They work like soap—just follow the instructions."
A pause.
"Not to be rude, but… you kind of smell."
Ani: "!!!"
She ducked behind the curtain, face flushed red.
She was a soldier. She was trained. She was cold and calm and brutal.
But at her core, she was still a teenage girl. And Zane's blunt honesty made her want to melt into the tile.
But… he wasn't wrong.
Training on Paradis Island hadn't exactly allowed time for personal hygiene. She had smelled worse.
Sighing, she reached for the bottles and began to clean herself properly for the first time in years.
Thirty minutes later, Ani stepped out of the bathroom, wearing a baggy sweater that clearly didn't belong to her.
Zane only had men's clothes in the house, and she had no choice.
The sweater drooped over her shoulders like pajamas.
Funny enough, sweaters seemed to be her thing. Most of her old wardrobe back in Marley consisted of them.
She padded into the hallway, hair damp, cheeks slightly flushed, and her expression unreadable.
End of Chapter
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