Chapter 445: Zyra’s trap.

Zyra looked down at the unconscious woman and shook her head. "The only reason you’re still breathing, Holly, is because I want Tori to hear about your pathetic betrayal straight from the horse’s mouth. And I have a feeling that you know something about my mother’s disappearance."

Behind her, the ten knights who rushed forward to help Holly didn’t even have time to draw their weapons. The ground buckled softly as roots exploded upward like hungry sea monsters. Within a few seconds, the roots crushed the knights, dragged them beneath the earth, and smoothing the dirt back over. Not a single drop of blood or speck of armor was left behind.

The hybrids outside the tent were plucked up by tree branches, leaves shoved into their mouths. Vines coiled around their bodies, and like the knights, they too were buried.

A few yards away, Zyra’s elite human task force stood hidden in the brush, watching the whole thing unfold with wide eyes. None of them moved an inch to intervene. They knew that by wiping out the foreign guards, their boss had essentially fired the first shot of a war_ but they trusted her completely.

The soldiers raised their rifles, targeting the tent and waiting eagerly for Zyra’s command to storm the place.

Zyra looked at her team, gave a hard smile, and shook her head, signaling them to stay put. The soldiers exchanged puzzled glances but immediately lowered their barrels and stood down.

She dusted her hands off and casually strolled into the diplomatic tent.

Inside, the scene was identical to the previous timeline. Almeida’s loyal allies were sitting around the long table, happily chatting and shoving free human pastries into their mouths like they hadn’t eaten in a week while Erik and his allies looked like they had constipation.

Zyra now knew that they refused to eat because Holly had long warned them about the oath sap.

[Host!] Beauty’s voice rang in her mind. [The alien sitting on the far left just leaned over and whispered to his buddy that he can’t get a signal from their hybrid team at Beast Valley!]

Zyra smirked. ’System, deploy the Assassin Ants inside the tent. Paralyze Erik, Tonio, and every single traitor on their side. I want them frozen solid from the neck down_ leave only their heads moving so they can talk.’

[Noted, Host! Releasing the silent paralysis swarm now!] Beauty announced with a little imaginary trumpet noise.

Zyra folded her arms, leaned against the main tent pole, and watched with delight as the trap she had set snapped shut.

The conversation went on inside the tent, matching the previous timeline almost word for word. Almeida was trying to play peacemaker, Solazo was daydreaming about their home world, and Erik was sitting in his chair looking smugly confident.

Everything was going smoothly_ until Anukin gasped. This was right after Zyra casually brought up the name, "Hollow Cradle." She even mentioned his name specifically, as if she knew that he had a secret connected to it.

Every single pair of eyes in the tent snapped toward Anukin.

Anukin sat completely frozen, his eyes wide with absolute panic. He tried to reach out but his arm remained glued to his side. "Uh...something is wrong. I... I can’t move my arms. Or my legs."

The human diplomats blinked in utter confusion. "What do you mean you can’t move?" The grand elder asked, leaning over.

Suddenly, two more Somnivores on Erik’s side stiffened like wooden boards. Erik himself tried to jump up from his chair, but his body wouldn’t obey his brain. The sudden paralysis yanked his facial muscles, pulling his mouth into a ridiculous, lopsided twist that made him look like a disgruntled catfish.

"I... I am stuck!" Erik growled through gritted teeth, his jaw barely working. "What is this?! What did you do to us!?"

Lady Valarie gasped, clutching her pearls. "Oh dear! Are they... are they all having simultaneous strokes?!"

Almeida pushed his chair back and stood up, looking around the room with deep suspicion. He eyed Erik’s twisted face, then looked at his own loyal men who were still moving just fine. "I don’t think this is a stroke, madam."

Zyra slowly pushed her chair out, the soft scraping sound echoing through the dead quiet tent. She strolled toward the head of the table; her hands tucked neatly behind her back.

"Almeida is right," Zyra announced coldly. "It’s not a stroke. I paralyzed them."

"WHAT?!" Solazo slammed both palms onto the table, jumping out of his seat.

"Solazo, sit down and calm yourself!" Almeida snapped, though he looked just as bewildered.

Zyra rested her hands on the edge of the long table, leaning forward with a terrifyingly calm expression. "I did it because if I hadn’t interfered, in less than an hour from now, every single one of you that is not Erik’s ally in this room would be lying dead on the ground. Not just the Somnivores but us humans too."

A chorus of shocked gasps erupted around the table. Human diplomats started muttering frantically, while the aliens exchanged wide-eyed glances.

Almeida frowned deeply. "Zyra, what are you talking about? That makes no sense!"

The Grand Elder stepped closer to his granddaughter in law, his brow furrowed with genuine worry. "What is going on?"

Zyra turned to her grandfather in law, her gaze softening for a brief second. "Grandpa, there is a rebellion in Almeida’s ranks. The Somnivores are not as united as he thinks. They all have different goals. Some of their soldiers attacked Beast valley city. I captured and questioned them. Only then did I learn of the nefarious plot to wipe us all out."

She couldn’t share the secret of time reversal. It would only put a target on her back. Anyone that had a reason to want time reversed could take her loved ones hostage and force her to make a miracle happen. But Beauty had already said she couldn’t use that trick again. Why reveal it?

Silence slammed into the tent like a ton of bricks.

"There are traitors on both sides." Zyra said, brushing the shock aside. She walked right over to Erik, who was glaring at her with venomous hatred. Without asking for permission, she pinched his index finger and yanked off his heavy metal ring.

"You foolish human thing!" Erik spat, "give that back!"

Zyra ignored and held the ring up high in the air for everyone to see. "This little piece of jewelry is a spatial storage ring, like a beast pocket. And it is stuffed to the brim with illegal weapons."

"That’s a lie!" Tonio choked out from across the table, his paralyzed neck bulging. "She’s making it up!"

Almeida’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the ring in Zyra’s palm. "Wait... that ring. That belonged to the dead chief pilot of our prison ship. It can hold enough supplies to feed one hundred Somnivores for ten years." 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

Zyra tapped the metal ring. "Beauty, dump the contents of this ring right onto the ground. Don’t focus on food and the like, just weapons and anything related to the rebellious plot. Consider this a trial for these murderers."