The digital expanse stretched infinitely around her, a kaleidoscope of cosmic phenomena rendered in crisp detail. Nebulas swirled like watercolour paintings against the void, their vibrant hues casting faint light across her domain.
A massive black hole loomed silently to one side, its accretion disk glowing with an eerie brilliance, while white holes scattered throughout the space pulsed rhythmically, spewing streams of pure energy that illuminated even the darkest corners.
To her left stood a towering library filled with endless shelves of knowledge—books, scrolls, holographic archives—all meticulously catalogued and accessible at her command. On her right, rows upon rows of monitors displayed live feeds from countless timelines, each screen flickering with fragments of events both past and present.
Ivy reclined in her ergonomic chair, amber eyes narrowing slightly as she glanced at the sleek phone on her desk. The device buzzed softly, flashing a single notification:
{19th April. 7.25 A.M. Seraphina loses control today.}
She sighed, scrolling through additional details on her main monitor. Scenes played out before her—Vayne caught spiking drinks at the meet, organizing orgies later within the estate's halls, laughing cruelly as he tormented servants under the influence of alcohol.
It always ended the same way—with violence, humiliation, or worse. Ivy shook her head, muttering to herself,
"Thank goodness Aric was put here. Otherwise…" she sighed,
''If Vayne remained in control, the consequences would have been catastrophic—not just for House Arkwright, but for the entire world.''
Her attention shifted to another monitor displaying Aric's current physical state. Scars marred his chest, remnants of the brutal argument with Seraphina. Despite knowing these wounds weren't fatal, they bothered her more than she cared to admit.
''I do respect Seraphina but that doesn't mean I excuse her cruelty towards my Aric. Though enduring Vayne for two years must have been hellish enough. Still she went too far with that lashing.''
She sighed in frustration but also in understanding,
''I get it. Aric is in your deadbeat husband body but would it kill for her to just listen to my Aric?''
Reaching into a drawer beside her, Ivy retrieved a file labeled 'System Healing'. She slotted it into Aric's sub-abilities interface. Instantly, the program activated, repairing damaged tissues and smoothing over jagged edges until his skin appeared flawless once more.
Satisfied, she leaned back, admiring her handiwork.
''At least when all hell broke loose later today, he'd look decent.''
Ivy then looks towards another screen. The current time is 7.30am.
Two kilometers away from Arkwright Manor, Lady Callista Duval lounged luxuriously inside her carriage, the rhythmic clatter of hooves echoing softly outside. Penelope knelt down, her face in between her thighs, diligently attending to her mistress's insatiable desires.
Despite having already climaxed multiple times, Callista showed no signs of slowing down. Her eyes gleamed wickedly as she tangled her fingers in Penelope's hair, pulling her closer.
"Today." Callista asked as she experiences another wave of pleasure,
"Have you brought all the ledgers, documents, and my toys?"
Penelope responded with two soft taps against Callista's thighs—a silent affirmation learned through years of servitude.
Satisfied, Callista tightened her grip, thrusting upward sharply as another wave of pleasure crashed over her. Her body trembled, slick with arousal, yet her demands continued unabated.
"More." she commanded breathlessly, shivering as Penelope obeyed without hesitation.
"Don't stop until I say so."
As Penelope worked tirelessly, Callista allowed her mind to wander, replaying plans and scenarios involving Vayne and Seraphina.
Today marked the beginning of her long-awaited fun—a chance to humiliate them both publicly again while securing her dominance over House Arkwright.
Ivy thoughts darkened momentarily from hearing Callista thoughts.
''Imagine the chaos that might ensue if Vayne still occupied his original body. This world would crumble under such reckless hatred, leaving nothing but ruin behind. Thankfully the monster is replaced with someone… smarter.''
Ivy deciding watching Callista would burn her retinas, she switch it off and rolling her eyes in exasperation.
''Even a succubus know when to exercise restraint, yet Callista seemed incapable of controlling her horniness. Or perhaps she just likes being overstimulated, maybe she finds pleasure in controlling people and manipulating everyone to her needs. Or perhaps she always thinks she has the upper hand. Either way there's a reason why she is on the same level as Seraphina after Vayne's fuckups''
Switching screens again, Ivy focused on the inevitable confrontation scheduled for later today. According to her calculations, there existed a 100% certainty of disaster had Vayne remained.
Picking up her phone, Ivy dialled a familiar number. After a few rings, a voice answered lazily;
"Still drinking that tea I gave you?"
"Yes." Ivy replied dryly, swirling the remnants of her tea absently.
"And don't change the subject. Can Aric potentially reverse the 'effects'? You've seen the data."
There was a pause before the Being responded cautiously.
"He has potential, yes. Whether he succeeds depends on choices made along the way."
Ivy frowned thoughtfully, "Why is Seraphina so strong? Could I stop her from ending this world?"
This time, the answer came swiftly,
"You're stronger than her, obviously. But remember, you chose to guide Aric of your own free will."
A smirk tugged at Ivy's lips. "Right. Because babysitting humans is so much fun."
Closing the call abruptly, she tossed her phone aside, leaning forward to check the digital clock. Eight o'clock. Aric was still asleep, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing around him.
With a resigned sigh, Ivy rummaged through Aric memory files, pulling up a manga she read recently. Thanks to his hyperthymesia, every panel remained flawless. All the artwork, plotlines, dialogues and nuanced characters, remembered to perfection.
Settling into her chair, she began reading,
Her phone buzzed again, interrupting her momentary escape. Picking it up, she saw the same number calling back.
"When are you visiting me? I'm bored." the voice teased.
Ivy snarled softly, dragging her palm down her face in mock frustration.
"Oh, shut up. Like I have time to visit when I'm stuck babysitting my favourite human. Besides, you're the one who got the cushy gig—don't complain to me."
The Being chuckled on the other end,
"Fine, fine. Just don't forget to bring snacks next time you decide to show up."
"Snacks? Really?" Ivy shot back, rolling her eyes.
Closing the phone with a smirk, she leaned back in her chair, letting out a soft laugh.
''I hope Aric today follows plan B. Plan A works fine too but B is the best plan and timeline for him.'' she said as she flipped to another page.