She sighed helplessly and shook her head. "You should leave now. Otherwise, General Daniel might storm into the apartment and drag you away himself."
Silas rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath, "He might not be able to do that after what I’ve done."
Ivy caught the murmur and frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
This time, Silas didn’t explain. Instead, he leaned forward, kissed her forehead gently, and whispered, "I’ll tell you tonight."
Before she could respond, he turned and walked out.
Ivy stood frozen in place, her cheeks warm, her heart unsettled. Still, her mood was heavy. General Daniel’s words echoed in her mind.
’Because of the Ravencroft family, Silas’s family hates me this much... I can admit that half of it was my fault. I was indecisive. I hurt him. But the Ravencroft family... they never apologized, and they never will. If they don’t regret, then they will pay.’
She walked to the guest bedroom, pushed open the door, and waved her hand.
At once, three figures appeared... Magnus, Seraphina, and Isla Ravencroft. Their hands and legs were tied tightly with ropes, their mouths sealed with thick adhesive tape.
The moment their eyes landed on Ivy, their faces lit up with excitement. They thought she let them out to give them food.
But when they saw the stormy expression in her eyes, their excitement turned into fear.
Ivy’s voice was calm, almost too calm. "Today I went to see General Daniel. He said something to me. He said that because of my indecisiveness, I am not worthy of Silas."
She paused, her eyes like cold steel. "Do you know why I was so indecisive? It was because of you three. The Ravencroft family."
Magnus, Seraphina, and Isla trembled violently. Their muffled voices came out from behind the tape as they tried to plead.
But Ivy ignored them. She picked up a whip from the corner of the room. The sound of it cracking through the air was sharp and cruel.
She looked at them, her eyes steady. "So now, you will bear my wrath."
The whip lashed down. Magnus cried out through the tape, his muffled scream echoing against the walls. Then Seraphina. Then Ida.
They all begged in broken sounds, but Ivy showed no mercy. Each strike was heavy, each strike filled with all the years of pain she had carried.
Her thoughts grew darker.
’When I was ten, Isla beat me until I almost died. And the rest of you... you just stood there. You ordered me to wash the dishes while my blood dripped into the water. When I was too weak, you beat me again. For two days, I was nothing but a broken rag in your hands. And yet you never showed mercy.’
The whip came down harder.
’Sometimes I wonder how I even survived. Maybe I shouldn’t have. But I did. And now you will feel what I felt. You will know what it means to suffer.’
Her breathing grew heavy, but her eyes stayed cold.
The muffled cries of the Ravencroft family filled the room, but Ivy’s heart didn’t waver. She had learned from them. She had learned that enemies do not deserve mercy.
After a while, Ivy dropped the whip to one side. Her chest rose and fell with each breath. She looked at the Ravencroft family. They had curled up into tight balls, trying to protect themselves from more pain. Their faces were pale, their bodies trembling.
Ivy waved her hand. In an instant, all three of them disappeared into her temporal storage. The room went silent.
She sat down on the bed, pressing her hands against her knees. Slowly, she took a deep breath to calm herself.
’The Ravencroft family... they weren’t just the ones who murdered Silas in my past life. They were also the reason I had suffered so much in the first two years of the apocalypse. Every single day, they made me work like a slave. Cleaning, cooking, fighting zombies, everything. And when I was too weak to fight, they forced me anyway. They even found a way to steal my power from me.’
’When I begged them for help later, when I was truly desperate, they ignored me. Not only that, they reported me to the Talon base leader. They told him I was planning to run away, when all I wanted was a little kindness. Because of them, I was hunted down. Because of them, I almost died.’
Her heart burned, and for a moment she could barely breathe.
’This hatred... it can’t be solved by a few beatings. No, I want them to feel the same darkness I felt. I want to break their hope, over and over, until they taste despair. Only then will I end their lives.’
She let out a long breath and pushed those thoughts down.
’Yes, I am cruel. But who asked them to be cruel to me first? Who told them to push me into hell?’
After calming down, she stood up and straightened her clothes.
’It’s time to think about the future. Now that I have a grocery store in my base, I’m sure survivors will come. The tomatoes in my storage can be sold too.’
With her mind clearer, Ivy left the room and made her way to her base.
When she arrived at the entrance, she froze. A man was staggering outside, fighting off zombies. His body was covered in blood, his face pale. He could barely stand.
"Idiot," Ivy muttered under her breath. "He’s going to get himself killed."
The man swung his weapon weakly, but a zombie came rushing from behind. His eyes widened in horror. He closed his eyes, knowing he was done for.
But before the zombie’s claws touched him, Ivy dashed forward and punched. The zombie flew backward like a broken doll.
She frowned at the man. "You shouldn’t be so careless. If you’re tired, then rest. Don’t lower your guard ."