She quickly shook her head, forcing out a dismissive tone, "You’re overthinking."

Before Ivy could respond, Martha’s voice echoed. "You’re lying."

Siya’s body stiffened.

Martha did not possess any supernatural ability to detect lies.

Instead, her confidence stemmed from something far more grounded...observation.

Over the past few days, under the subtle influence and guidance of Eric, she had begun to understand the intricacies of human behavior, learning how even the smallest twitch, the faintest hesitation, or the slightest shift in breathing could reveal what words tried to hide.

And right now, everything about Siya screamed deception.

’Her eyes... her tone... even the way her shoulders tensed,’ Martha analyzed silently, her gaze unwavering.

Siya felt her heart skip violently.

Ivy, on the other hand, let out a soft chuckle. "So... have you both accepted each other as soulmates?"

Siya’s reaction was immediate, almost too immediate.

"No, he isn’t. We aren’t," she blurted out, her voice rising slightly as she repeated herself, as though sheer insistence could turn the lie into truth.

Her eyes darted toward Martha, desperation flickering within them.

’As long as she doesn’t expose me... everything will be fine,’ she thought, clinging to that fragile hope.

But Martha slowly shook her head, her expression calm yet resolute as she turned to Ivy. "She’s not telling the truth."

That was all Ivy needed.

Without another word, she stood up abruptly.

From her pocket, she pulled out another injection.

The moment she began walking toward Paris, the atmosphere shifted instantly.

"Stop! Stop!" Siya’s voice cracked as she shouted, panic surging through her veins.

She took a step forward despite her restraints, her entire body trembling.

"How can you do this to me? Don’t you have a heart? One day...one day you’ll stand in my place! When your own soulmate is tortured like this, you’ll understand! This is karma... remember that!"

Her words echoed desperately, filled with raw fear and anguish.

Ivy froze mid-step.

For a brief second, everyone fell silent.

’Soulmate... karma...’

A strange flicker passed through her eyes before, at the last moment, she exhaled softly and lowered her hand. With a calm motion, she put the injection away.

Looking at Siya, she spoke in an even tone, "I wasn’t going to inject him."

Siya blinked, momentarily stunned.

"But," Ivy continued, her gaze turning sharp once more, "you’ll have to be a bit more honest from now on."

Relief flooded through Siya instantly, her shoulders sagging as she let out a shaky breath.

’As long as Paris is safe... I can endure this. And someday... I’ll make her pay,’ she swore silently, her eyes darkening for a brief moment.

Regaining her composure, she looked at Ivy and asked cautiously, "What do you want to know?"

Ivy’s expression turned serious, her voice calm yet heavy with intent.

"I’ve heard that your kind is planning to take over Earth. Is that true?"

The question sent a wave of shock through everyone present.

Siya glared at Ivy for a moment before finally nodding, her voice laced with resentment.

"Yes. Preparations have already been made."

Ivy’s gaze sharpened. "What kind of preparations?"

Siya clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging into her palms before she answered, "Soon, many from our world will arrive here... and when they do, this planet will belong to us."

Ivy chuckled softly, shaking her head. "That’s nonsense."

Her confidence wasn’t baseless.

Having lived through a previous life, she knew the timeline far too well.

Those so-called superior beings would not arrive for at least another decade.

As if provoked by her disbelief, Siya’s expression twisted with agitation.

"I’m not lying!" she snapped. Then, after a brief pause, she added through gritted teeth,

"It will take time... maybe two decades. But for beings like us, two decades is nothing."

Ivy’s chuckle returned, softer this time, but her eyes gleamed with understanding.

"Now that... sounds like the truth."

’Two decades...’ she repeated inwardly, her thoughts racing. ’That’s not much time at all.’

A faint frown formed on her face.

The disappearance of the apocalypse posed a new problem.

As the zombies reverted back into humans, the source of power...zombie crystals...would vanish.

Without them, growth would stagnate, and humanity would be left vulnerable once more.

’That’s... troublesome,’ she admitted silently.

Meanwhile, Siya looked at Ivy with an unusually serious expression.

Her voice lowered, carrying a strange weight as she spoke,

"If I were to give you one piece of advice... it would be this...step back now. Don’t side with humans."

Ivy raised an eyebrow slightly, intrigued.

"If we’re in a good mood," Siya continued coldly, "we might let you live. If not... at worst, you’ll become a prisoner. But if you continue down this path..." Her gaze darkened, and a chilling smile appeared on her lips.

"You’ll die in a way so miserable that even your soul won’t get the chance to reincarnate."

Ivy’s eyes narrowed slightly, curiosity flickering within them.

"Reincarnation?" she repeated. "Is your world so advanced that you can control something like that?"

Siya chuckled softly, a hint of pride slipping into her tone.

"You have no idea how advanced our world is. We can travel at the speed of light...something your world hasn’t even come close to achieving. Compared to that, dealing with reincarnation is nothing."

A subtle flicker passed through Ivy’s eyes.

’So... reincarnation can be controlled...’

The thought sent a ripple through her mind, connecting to a lingering suspicion she had long harbored.

’Then... my own reincarnation... could it be related to them?’

Her gaze deepened as she looked directly at Siya, her voice steady but probing,

"If you know so much, then tell me...what are the conditions for rebirth?"

Siya paused, her brows furrowing slightly as she thought. After a moment, she shook her head.

"I don’t know the details. Only the royal family of our planet has access to that level of power."

Seeing them silent, Siya thought they did not believe her word.

"However... they do possess such power," she murmured.

"After all, they were the ones who helped a king from thousands of years ago... reincarnate into this world."