Chapter 174: A Pill for Safety, a Magazine for Chaos    

[EVE]

Michael's grin told me that he couldn't care less about all my excuses.

"Wait—" I began, but he was already rummaging through a drawer. He pulled out a small, sleek black box and placed it in front of me.

"What's this?" I asked suspiciously.

"Your birthday gift," he said nonchalantly, shrugging on his lab coat. "I've been too busy, and you've been too busy avoiding your responsibilities here for me to give it to you earlier."

I frowned, but curiosity got the better of me. Opening the box, I found a single, shiny pill nestled inside. My brow furrowed. "What is this supposed to be?"

"A nanotech tracking device," Michael replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I could give it to you via injection but swallowing it is much painless."

I blinked. "You want me to swallow this thing? Is it even safe?"