It had been weeks.

No sign of Vertin nor her friends.

Druvis had been idle in the Timekeeper's suitcase for weeks barely a foreseeable end on her loneliness, only tending to the plants every now and then. She hadn't heard from anyone in a while now, not Mr. APPle, not even Regulus. It pained her to remain alone, constant dreams of the Timekeeper haunting her in what should have been a peaceful night of sleep.

Till that day arrived. In truth, Foundation members has been trying to get Druvis to leave the suitcase for a while now. But her experience as a former Manus Vindictae member sharpened her senses and learned not to trust them at all. But weeks of loneliness gave them the chance for her to hear them out.

––

"Ms. Druvis, we are waiting for your response." A man's voice – assumably a foundation member – echoed gently throughout the suitcase. Thought occurred to Druvis before speaking, her usual calm tone never wavering.

"Now ... I am the last to be invited." More spoken to herself than to the man to say the least.

"Is there anything else that concerns you, Ms. Druvis?"

"When will my friends come back?" An immediate question given the opportunity to ask especially. A question she's been longing for an answer to.

"They are waiting outside the suitcase, just as we are. All we want is an opportunity to talk to you face to face."

Despite the man's calm tone, Druvis knew better than to trust a voice that wavers, even if it's barely imperceptible. But even so, a part that hoped she's truly be able to see them again made her respond after a moment of tangible silence. "Please wait a moment."

There is no time to feel attached to the past.

She looked at the brown granules in her hands. These are seeds for trees. As she wags her fingers, the seeds are sprinkled on the ground by the stairs. They quickly roll and disappear in the gaps and crevices.

Before long, she exited the suitcase, her eyes opening to an unknown sterile library as she was automatically sat onto a fancy dull-colored wooden chair. A woman unknown to her with blonde hair fixed into a tight bun sat in front of her with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. A notebook and a pen sat in front, one for each of them. An unfinished tower of cards sat in front of them.

Her friends aren't here, of course. A petty lie by the male foundation member to get her to exit the briefcase.

"May I ask ... where we are?" Druvis immediately asked, staring at the woman in front of her head on.

"The library, a place where people let down their guards." A strange response from the other woman, as if aiming to unintentionally provoke her. "Trust always facilitates cooperation, don't you think?" Her tone was smooth and nearing innocence. Too near.

"... But I don't even your name." Druvis responded.

"The name is Constantine. I'm the vice president of the Joint Committee of the Foundation." She responded. "Please allow me to extend a welcome on behalf the foundation." She taps her pen on the table and calls out a thin pile of documents. The signatures are left blank on the paper. "We have sent this document into that suit case days ago. I should assume that you have read it." The document Constantine mentioned was a formal invitation to the Foundation.

A pause before Constantine continued. "What's your conclusion then, Ms. Weyerhacuser?"