Hide and Seek: The Mad Girl Sees All novel Chapter 105

Chapter 105

Chapter 105

On the other side of the screen, Ivana’s mother pressed her hand against the display, tracing Ivana’s outline with her fingers.

Ivana’s soul floated half a step closer, her lips quivering as she tried to speak.

“Mom. I’m back,” she called out again, her voice softer than before.

Tears rolled down Ivana’s mother’s cheeks, falling onto her collar and soaking it, but she didn’t wipe them away. She just stared at the half-transparent image of her daughter on the screen.

“You’ve gotten so thin,” Ivana’s mother said.

Ivana looked down at herself, her soul was just a human-shaped outline, no body, no flesh, just floating there, wrapped in a soft glow of white light.

She smiled. “Mom, I’m not thin. I just look different now.”

Ivana’s mother shook her head hard. “You’ve been lying to me since you were little.”

Her voice caught in her throat.

“When you fell as a kid, you said it didn’t hurt. When you had a fever, you said you were fine. When you went to play games, you always said you’d win.” Ivana’s mother said.

“And now, you don’t even have a body anymore, and you still insist you’re not thin,” she added.

Ivana’s soul fell silent.

On this side of the screen, Lyra sat in her chair, clutching the D Tier Ambercat Card in her hand, her thumb tracing the golden patterns on the back of the card.

She wasn’t looking at Ivana. Instead, her gaze was locked on Ivana’s mother, her hair almost completely white, cheeks hollow, cheekbones sharp beneath thin skin, eyes sunken and swollen from crying so many times you couldn’t even count

That’s what a mother looks like.

Lyra lowered her eyes to her knees, a wave of sadness washing over her. She missed her own mom, too.

On the other side of the screen, things went quiet for a few seconds. Then Ivana’s mother moved right up to the camera, her face dry now, eyes locked on Ivana.

“Ivana, can you come back?” she asked.

Ivana’s soul wavered. “Mom, I don’t have a body anymore.”

“That’s okay,” her mom said, clutching the table so hard her knuckle’s turned white. “I don’t care what you look like It I can see you, that’s all that matters.”

“If you’re here, it doesn’t matter what you look like,” she added.

Ivana’s soul started to tremble, her voice shaking. “Forgive me, Mom. I can only be in Draconia now”

Her mom blurted out, “Then I’ll move to Draconia.” But as soon as the words left her mouth, she froze and turned to look at the Commander.

The Commander gave her a gentle nod. Ivana’s mother’s grip on the table slackened, her shoulders slumped, and she broke into a mix of laughter and tears.

FUE

7

O

m

Tue,

Chapter 105

“Okay, okay, okay. Ivana, just wait for me. I’ll come find you,’ she said, laughing and crying at the same time

Ivana tried to comfort her. “Okay, Mom, don’t cry. I’ll be waiting for you.”

After a moment, Ivana’s mother was helped to a seat, and the Commander stepped forward.

“Commander.” Ivana’s soul snapped to attention in midair, her right hand forming a fist and pounding firmly over her heart as she gave a textbook Southern Reach salute.

“Frontline Player Ivana, reporting for duty!” she called out.

“Ivana,” the Southern Reach Commander’s voice came through the screen, rough and hoarse.

“My proud warrior, how is your condition? Is your soul stable?” she asked.

“It’s stable.” Ivana nodded. “The Draconia Player used a tool to seal me inside a card, so the game can’t siphon my soul

anymore.”

“That’s good, that’s good,” the Commander said.

Ivana paused, lowering her head. “I’m sorry, Commander. I lost the national defense line… I’m sorry… I’m a screw-up. I’m worthless…”

“Nonsense! You never let our flag down!” the Commander said, leaning toward the camera. “Southern Reach’s flag still flies With Draconia’s help and Lina’s work, everyone can finally eat a full meal!”

“If it weren’t for the hard work of every single one of you, we wouldn’t have made it this far. So, Ivana, don’t ever look down on yourself. You’re our pride,” the Commander continued.

“Yes.” Ivana wiped her nose, her voice strong and clear.

Commander Yelena’s gaze shifted past Ivana and landed on Lyra. “Comrade Vance, thank you.”

Lyra looked up.

The Commander stepped back and gave a deep, respectful bow.

Behind her, everyone in the Southern Reach conference room followed suit, bowing together in perfect silence

Lyra froze, caught completely off guard.

Lina stood in the second row, bowing with everyone else. When she straightened up, her eyes were red, and she was muttering quietly to herself.

Lyra jumped up from her chair, waving her hands. “No, no, no, please, get up, really, get up! I just did what came naturally

“It wasn’t just a casual gesture, the Commander said, straightening up and locking eyes with the camera

“Comrade Vance, Southern Reach owes you more than just Ivana’y life,” she continued.

“You saved Lina four times in four rounds, and every time you brought her back alive,” she continued.

“And this round, you brought Ivana’s soul out of the game, too,” she went on.

“Our country only has one district left, with a population of twenty-three million. You’ve saved us again and again,” she said.

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