Alexia and Seda locked eyes, their gazes intense and unyielding. Seda finally broke the silence, sneering, "What are these Freak Monitoring people doing here?"
In this world, there was a notorious group of beings with one attribute that was heightened to extreme levels, often at the cost of their other abilities. Some were super strong; others were insanely beautiful; and some had an impenetrable defense. But they were all a threat to society, and Alexia's company was tasked with protecting the world from their powers.
"Some crazy person is using their power to manipulate people's hearts. I hope you know who I'm talking about," Alexia growled.
Seda's expression twisted into one of anger. "Adriel hasn't used his powers in a long time," she spat. "I've been keeping a close eye on him, and if he did something like that, I would know."
"I heard he was trying to make himself popular again," Alexia countered.
"He gave up on that already," Seda snapped back.
Alexia thrust a folder at Seda. "This report doesn't match up with what you're saying," she hissed.
The folder contained reports of a new threat that used the abnormal power of charisma to manipulate people.
"Yes, some people are being manipulated, but that has nothing to do with Adriel," Seda insisted.
"How do you know?" Alexia pressed.
"I've been watching him...I mean, observing him," Seda replied with a disturbing grin.
"That's...unsettling," Leandra spoke up, her voice shaky.
Seda shrugged off the comment. "Stalking is normal...when you're in love with someone," she said with a disturbingly possessive tone. Alexia surprisingly nodded in agreement, a twisted smile forming on her lips.
The two women cackled, but their laughter had an eerie and unsettling quality to it, sending shivers down Leandra's spine.
"But that still doesn't explain who is doing it," Alexia said, trying to get back to the topic at hand.
Just then, Makoto tried to run away, but Alexia quickly caught him and held him down.
"Why are you running, my dear?" she asked in a sickly sweet voice.
"I just saw you talking, and..." Makoto stammered.
"And?" Alexia pressed.
Makoto didn't answer and started crying instead.
"I promise I didn't intend to run away," he managed to say between sobs.
Alexia looked at Seda and said, "See, my new friend. Which is why the best thing to do is trap them."
Seda shook her head. "I don't agree with that. Imprisoning someone is always the last option. The answer is to manipulate them."
Seda was the calmest of the group, but there was an underlying tone of possessiveness in her voice when it came to Adriel.
"Anyway, I have to deal with this runaway. If I find out that Adriel had anything to do with what's going on..." Alexia trailed off, her voice laced with a dangerous threat.
"If you try to do something to Adriel, I'll have to kill you," Seda declared, her eyes flashing dangerously.
"Of course, I couldn't have expected less from my new friend. I hope we don't have to fight," Alexia said as she left holding Makoto by the collar.
"Please save me," were Makoto's last words before he disappeared with Alexia.
Leandra was worried about Makoto, but Seda was quick to dismiss her concerns. "Come on, Leandra, this has nothing to do with us."
The conversation ended, but Leandra couldn't shake off the feeling that something dangerous was lurking just beneath the surface.
***
Leandra found herself standing in Seda's room, feeling a bit disoriented as she took in the strange surroundings. The furniture had been rearranged, and the dim red lighting gave the room an eerie vibe. To top it off, there were roses scattered all over the floor.
Seda's voice broke through Leandra's thoughts, bringing her back to reality. "Don't worry," she said in a calm tone, as if she could sense Leandra's unease.
"Summarize what happened," Seda said, stopping Leandra's thoughts in their tracks.
Taking a deep breath, Leandra recounted everything that had transpired since Elizabeth had called her, asking her to investigate the strange occurrences happening in their town.
Seda listened intently, her face betraying no emotion as she processed the information. "I knew she was involved," she said after a moment of silence.
"What did you think?" Leandra asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
Seda nodded slowly. "Yes, it makes sense now. This girl is trying to kill us all by using this thing."
Leandra's eyes widened in shock. "What?" she exclaimed, unable to believe what she was hearing.
Seda leaned back in her chair, her expression pensive. "Think about it," she said. "She sent you to fight that monster even though you were the weakest of us. She knew you wouldn't be able to handle it, with all due respect."
Leandra didn't know what to say. It was true; she was the weakest of their group, and she had struggled to defeat the monster. But why would someone want to kill them all?
"She wants us dead, but she doesn't want anyone else to die," Seda continued. She's taking advantage of this to make us turn on each other."
Leandra was beginning to understand the gravity of the situation. "So she's not the one using Adriel's name?"
"No, she just took advantage of it. I bet she wants to kill the real culprit too," Seda said, a hint of frustration creeping into her voice.
"But why didn't she kill me herself?" Leandra asked, still trying to make sense of everything.
"Poor Leandra," Seda said, shaking her head. "You didn't get it. You don't need to get your hands dirty, and you shouldn't. Manipulating is always the best way."
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A/N:-I added some details to Chapter 12. They didn't change the story, but they did give the scene more depth.
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