From Shrimp Boy to Slapjack: System Activated

Note

Stepping into Zephyr's study, I braced myself for the icy silence that had become our routine interaction. But to my surprise, she greeted me with a measured tone, the stormy glint in her eyes replaced by a calculating coldness.

"Ben," she began, her voice devoid of emotion. "We need to talk about your… actions on the forum."

"I understand," I said, my voice steady despite the tremor in my heart. "I was trying to help, to contribute to your plan of dismantling John Cook's web."

She scoffed, a harsh sound that echoed in the sterile room. "My plan? Ben, you have no idea what you've done. You've poked a hornet's nest and put everyone in danger."

Her words stung, but I held my ground. "Then what do we do?" I asked, the question hanging heavy in the air. "We can't just sit here and be intimidated into silence."

Zephyr's gaze narrowed. "Silence, for now, is the best course of action. John Cook is not someone we can confront directly. But," she added, a hint of her old fire flickering in her