Ivy
Beautiful wasn't enough to describe the sight spread all around me. The view of the four sectors was the definition of breathtaking.
For a dimension I was supposed to hate, I was beginning to find the reason why some people would call it home. And yes, 85 percent of the people here called the Inc dimension their home, and I saw why.
It was their home. It was made for them...but... How about the other 15 percent?
Basically everyone here used to belong on earth, but that doesn't erase the fact that generation after generation resided and called this place home.
"As much as you wanna take it down, there are going to be thousands of people trying to stop you Ivy. Just like the Outside, this is home to these people." Ethan's voice reached my ear.
The wind whipped my hair into different directions as I turned my gaze to find him looking far off into the distance. "Did you bring me here to try change my mind?"
Hesitating, his green eyes landed on my face. "No." They searched mine, almost as if he was digging deep in search for a way to make me see reason. "I brought you here to see what you're up against."
I swallowed, looking away.
My gaze swept over barrier after barrier, separating one sector from another. The distant buildings lost into the horizon, the beautiful sky sheilding them from whatever lurked beyond. Separating them from where they truly belong... On the Outside... With Family. They might believe this is home, but do they even know what home is? "There's a difference between home and... Home. Ethan. This isn't home... This is prison. I just have to make them see it."
"How?"
"I'll think of a way." I said.
"What if there's no way Ivy?"
I turned towards him. "There's always a way. Trust me."
He fell silent, just staring at me. "Why? Why do you want to help them so bad? They hate you Ivy."
"They hate me because of the lies they've been told about the outside. They deserve to know the truth. They deserve freedom. You deserve freedom."
He took in a deep breath. "I don't want you to get hurt Ivy."
"I won't."
"I want you safe." He mumbled, resting his head atop mine, eyes fluttering closed. "I want you safe, Ivy."
His words tugged at my heart. "I know."
"So why don't you just listen to me? Let this go... Please. People will get hurt Ivy, if you continue this, people are gonna get hurt, and trust me, you don't want to have their blood on your hands... You really don't want to know what that would feel like. I don't want you to know what it feels like."
I reached up to caress the side of his face.
"If we do nothing, more people are gonna keep getting hurt. If we do nothing, this would escalate in a way none of us would expect. We have a fighting chance... I'm taking it. For you and for everyone."
He sighed. "There's no convincing you, is there?"
I shook my head.
"Why do you have to be so stubborn Ivy? Can't you see that I'm trying to protect you? Can't you see that this is bigger than you?"
I smiled, pulling back an inch so I could look into his eyes. "And like I said earlier today, it might be bigger than me... But it isn't bigger than us." I took his hand in mine, feeling his warmth seep into me. "Together."
"Ivy-"
"What are you so scared of Ethan? Glory? Is that it? Are you scared of her?"
"She has hurt everyone I care about. She has taken my happiness so many times I've lost count. I don't want her to take you away from me."
"She won't, if we're one step ahead."
"You can never be one step ahead of Glory, Ivy. She's way crafty and dangerous than you think. I learned this the hard way."
I swallowed, a question burning at the back of my mind, but I wasn't sure if this was the time to ask... I wasn't sure he was going to tell me.
There's no harm in trying right?
"Is this about Lacy?"
He stiffened. "How do you know about Lacy?"
"Words travel fast at Inc high."
He sighed, looking down at our hand together.
"What really happened between you two?"
"Glory." Was all he said.
I thought he was going to say more but he just kept quiet, staring at our hands together.
"Ethan?"
"Yeah?"
"You know you can trust me right?"
He went quiet again, this time for like a few seconds before speaking up. "She was Glory and Dean's daughter."
"Dean?"
"Yeah... I would call him the second master mind to this whole project." He swallowed. "Lacy was- was amazing. She meant everything to me."
"You loved her."
"I did, but I never got to tell her." He answered. "When Glory realized we were getting too close, She warned me to stay away from her. At first I was confused cause I thought she'd be okay with me and Lacy together. But she wasn't, she told me Lacy was stopping me from reaching my full potential, that it'd be best if I stayed away before something unfortunate happened."
Hold up... "Glory didn't love Lacy?"Â I asked.
"Apparently, for some strange reason, I was more important to her than her own daughter. I didn't think Glory would do anything drastic, seeing as you know, Lacy was her only child. But when Dean called my attention one day, he told me to stay away from Lacy, seeing as he was also scared for his daughter... Then, just then I knew Glory was more dangerous than she'd let on."
"What did she do?" For some reason, I dreaded that answer.
"Nothing."
I was slightly taken aback by that, confusion settling on my brows. "Nothing?"
"Glory is crafty, and if there's one thing I've learnt from all the ill she's ever done to me, it's that she always manages to find a way to make herself look like the good guy. She manipulated Lacy..."
"Manipulated?"
"I don't exactly know what she did, but- the next time I saw Lacy, she was breaking up with me."
"What?"
He nodded. "She broke up with me... Told me she never really did love me, and that it was better to be away from each other since well- nobody wanted us together. I was hurt, but I respected it. It was when Glory came to me, telling me that no one would ever value me the way she did, did I realize it was her plan all along."
"I went to search for Lacy, after the word got out that Dean had taken her somewhere safe in the Purest sector. I found her, and tried to make her understand that Glory was only manipulating her, but everything I said did nothing to change her mind. We never got back together, until one night when she suddenly appeared at my doorstep with her bags... She told me she'd found a way for us to escape to the Outside. I was glad, but something told me to just leave it be... But there was just that look in her eyes that told me this might be it... We might actually leave. But still, I was worried, worried that Glory had somehow managed to find a way to make our separation permanent."
"It didn't take long for my worries to become reality. She was waiting for us just at the portal. She took Lacy- she took Lacy, and I watched- I didn't even do anything."
"Why?" I found myself asking.
He shrugged. "Glory... She had this hold on me... I can't explain it. There was just something about the way she looked at me... Something that told me it was for the best. In my heart, I knew it wasn't but- it felt like I was being controlled. I wanted to do something but I couldn't do anything. When she was out of sight, my senses came back to me. I dropped to my knees, guilt killed me in that moment- but Glory she- she came to me... Do you know what she said?"
"What?"
"She said Lacy's blood will forever be in my hands." He said. "And then she held my face up to meet her eyes and told me she'd never let anything stop her from getting me to my full potential, not even me. And even if it meant controlling me like she did her puppets, she would."
"What does that mean?"
"It means I didn't have full control of myself Ivy. It means in some sick way, I was connected to that witch."
"Was?"
He nodded.
"She made me a promise after seeing what Lacy's disappearance did to me. She actually apologized and told me she'd stop and cut off every connection between the both of us. Turns out she wasn't the only one good at manipulating people. When she eventually cut off all connection, whatever it was, I realized she really did care about me... She just had some sick way of showing it."
"So she doesn't have any hold on you now?"
He shook his head. "She doesn't. Glory Curt might be a liar, but she has never lied about one thing."
"Her motherly love for you."
He nodded, his free hand moving to brush my hair away from my face. "If- if we're going to do this, Ivy... I'd have to pretend to reciprocate her feelings."
I paused, taking a moment to digest what he just said. "Wait what?"
He smiled, cupping the side of my face. "You were right about one thing Ivy Fisher, This might be bigger than you, but it's not bigger than us, together."
"You'll help?"
"It's either I stop you or I stand with you. Since I can't stop you... I guess I'm standing with you. I know Glory better than anyone... That's one advantage. We'll get her, and we'll put an end to this. Together."
"Really? Are you- are you sure you can stand being around her?"
He nodded. "As much as I know this might not- not end in a good result... We still have a fighting chance, and it's better we take it and lose, than doing nothing."
A sudden rush of hope, swirled through me.
I couldn't help but reach up to press my lips against his in a lingering passionate kiss, my fingers digging their way into his hair.
When we broke apart, breathless, he whispered. "I love you, Ivy."
I smiled up at him. "I love you too, Ethan. And don't worry, this wouldn't be one of the times Glory would come off as the good guy. We'll get her this time. I promise."
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Don't kill me... Those of you guys who still read this book! And thank you all so much for sticking with me!
I'm still alive, just trying to finish one book at a time, and don't worry, it's my babies turn now! This book will be completed before this year comes to an end.
What do you think of this chapter?
And Lacy? Do you think she's really Dead?
What step do you think they're going to take next?
Read on to find out!