THE ILLUSION

Doubt

Merin furrowed her brows. Her heart was beating fast as the anxiety began to well up.

“Tomorrow? What if I got a mission? No, way!I can't let my trial mess up again." She muttered to himself, "I have to ask Prof. Eldric about switched days.

Merin reassured herself that everything would be fine. She made sure to meet Eldric and try to negotiate. However, there was a hint of regret in her. If only she hadn't handed over the Eldric and Isabella tape, she might have had a gun. Merin repeatedly cursed herself as a fool for not manipulating the tape.

Merin stepped back, she just needed to try. A drone that was originally attached to the wall immediately moved in front of him. Re-appears Iron and Scarlett. The two holographic humans blocked Merin, causing the girl to flinch.

“Annoying!” She grumbled, "you think I can't get past you?"

"You can't," said Scarlett as sweetly as possible.

Merin rolled her eyes. "Get out of the way, I don't have a mission today. You must give me freedom!” Merin complained, trying not to show her intentions.

“Ha! Have you forgotten that you are a prisoner, you psychopath!” Iron's words made Merin even more furious. He grabbed a baseball bat in the corner of the room, pointing it upwards.

Merin grinned at them. Her eyebrows were raised with glaring eyes.

"Get out of the way or I'll destroy that thing." Iron growled. The system started to crash.

Code red! Code red!

Suddenly Scarlett immediately pushed Iron slowly while sending a signal to the center. Elsewhere, Loey straightened up after receiving a signal from Scarlett.

"Iron was hooked, but this isn't the time for him to explode." He said casually. Olivia leaned her face toward Loey's screen, making the boy feel uncomfortable.

“Merin wants to meet Eldric? Why did he do that?” asked Olivia in amazement.

Loey shrugged with his lips pulled down.

“Looks like he has other motives,” he guessed, “but… could you move your face a little?”

Olivia fell silent and glanced at the child while blinking quickly. The girl was still in her position, making Loey decide to shift his chair. There was awkwardness between the two of them, no—only Loey. Because Olivia didn't understand what the boy meant. Indeed, according to him, that was the most difficult thing while joining the Fantasia Team.

Meanwhile, Jasper was still doing his part.

IRON'S SECURITY GUARD

Level up/entering-to-level-7/add

SUCCEED.

    

"I've raised the security so it doesn't explode." Jasper said to his two friends.

With a little smile, Olivia immediately turned around and ruffled Jasper's hair.

“Good job!” throw it. Now it was Jasper's turn to shrug. He feels strange about the behavior of the only woman on his team.

***

    

Olaf squinted in front of the small screen beside the door. The screen showed Eldric standing tall in front of him.

    

"Hello, who are you?" said Olaf, pressing the record button.

    

Eldric reached into his ID and held it up to the screen.

    

“I'm from university. Are Merin Noella's parents inside?”

    

"Sure, please come in."

    

Olaf asked Eldric to wait a moment in the living room.

    

“Ah, there's no need to call Merin. I just want to meet his parents,” said Eldric, greeted by a nod from Olaf.

    

While waiting, Eldric put on his smart glasses. Displays a row of information options that can be accessed from the Merin’s drone. He was quite relieved, the plan was monitored safely. The girl wouldn't be able to get out of the room as long as Eldric was still there. Eldric would make sure he had enough time to warn Merin's parents.

    

Eldric took off his glasses just as Merin's parents arrived. There doesn't seem to be a warm welcome. They put cold faces on purpose, but it didn't bother Eldric at all. After seeing firsthand their attitude last night, Eldric could deduce what kind of person they were. Humans are selfish and poisonous.

    

“So, you are the professor who punished my daughter without permission?” Mr. Aziz reproached in a deep voice.

    

Eldric stifled a chuckle. "She's not a kid anymore, Sir."

“Excuse me, but do you know manners? How can you tell us after the decision is made?” Mrs. Rosa mumbled limply. “My daughter is really poor, entangled in unclear laws in other people's countries. Even though there is no solid evidence that she is guilty.”

    

It's been a long time, Eldric stuck. He tried to hold back his disgust with Mrs. Rosalina's gimmick. How could her words be 180 degrees reversed from last night? How can a mother say that? Shadows of Eldric's mother's beaming face appeared, making Eldric feel better and grateful, of course.

    

Eldric clasped his fingers into a fist. Staring intensely at Merin's parents in turn.

    

“Now, let me do the talking. Merin Noella Amyra has been in my sights. He is an official prisoner. A special criminal. All her actions are monitored for 24 hours by our system,” said Eldric, Merin's parents faces tightened and became even sourer.

    

“What happened last night was also recorded by us and it has potential to harm Merin and my project. So, I hope you two don't create conflict. If both of you do it, the punishment applies."

    

Instantly Merin’s parents gasped.

    

“How dare—” Mr. Aziz reflexively stood up while glaring, but he didn't know what else to say. Eldric followed to his feet. Suddenly, the sound of glass being hit was very loud. Making everyone in the living room widen and turn in the same direction. Merin's room.

***

Scarlett couldn't understand what she saw. A full-body mirror shattered into pieces raining down on the floor. It seemed, Scarlett's system would brand Merin as a dangerous human. Meanwhile, Iron was still leaning against the door. Since the system has been updated, he is not provoked by the insane behavior of his prisoners.

Merin's chest heaved up and down. Her breath is irregular. She laughed, really hard. Her facial muscles tightened again. "Why? Do you think I'm a weak girl? Why are you guys so annoying?”

Scarlett smiled. "Listen, Merin, our job is to make sure you don't run into our superiors."

“Then just give me a chance to talk. No need to meet, I just need to talk to him for a while, just like last night.” Merin begged.

Iron chuckled, sounding like he was belittling the girl's request.

"You think, both of you were talked last night?"