“Dad!”

The sudden cry from her older sister sent a shiver down Jisoo’s back. She had never heard Tae-yeon sound so… helpless before. Even when she was in pain, Tae-yeon was not the kind of person to share her grief with anybody else. She never cried, or sobbed, or raised her voice no matter the circumstances. Until now. 

Blood streaked down the flight of stairs that led from the front door of their house to the second floor. A disturbing amount. Many of the wooden spindles which connected the railing to the floor were broken from the impact sustained during her father’s fall. 

Park Byung-ho’s body lay perfectly still in a pool of blood on the floor at the bottom of the staircase, contorted at an odd angle like a crumpled sheet of paper. His glasses had shattered on the hardwood floor next to his unconscious face, broken beyond repair. From Byung-ho’s midsection mere inches below his heart, one of the balusters from the stairs was impaled into his torso. Jisoo couldn’t tell if he was breathing or not from her vantage point on top of the stairs.

Tae-yeon rushed down the stairs and collapsed by their father’s side. Tears streamed down her face as she desperately tried to get him to respond to her pleas. Her beautiful white dress was quickly ruined by the blood from Byung-ho’s wound, not that she would have cared. 

She sobbed. “Dad… please…” Tae-yeon mewled helplessly. “Please stay with me…” 

Her cries triggered something inside of Jisoo. Instantly she felt the intense red mist from moments prior dissipate. What semblance of rage and hatred pent up for over a decade taken all out at once was relieved from her shoulders, at a terrible cost. She stood alone at the top of the stairs and slowly glanced down at her trembling hands.

What have I done?

She descended the stairs slowly. As if in a dream. Jisoo almost lost her balance when her heel slid off a puddle of her father’s blood, which had gotten all over the stairs. Her heart pounded inside of her chest, and her fingers felt dreadfully numb. Byung-ho’s eyes were lifeless, oblivious to either of his daughters as they looked down upon him. 

Jisoo stood behind her sister for several moments before she mustered the courage to speak. “T-Tae-yeon… I… I d-didn’t mean too-!” She began and reached for them before her sister rounded on her suddenly.

Her glare stopped her cold. Tae-yeon’s expression was full of a kind of despairing rage that was difficult to describe. Anguish that her father may very well be dead, mixed with hatred directed at the woman who had hurt him. Suddenly Jisoo was not a demigoddess. She was a tiny insignificant speck once again, cowering beneath a hateful gaze. This time from her own sister.

“You’re a monster.” Tae-yeon whispered hatefully. 

Her voice was full of suffering as Jisoo slowly let her arm hang off to the side uselessly. She averted her gaze and said nothing, and glanced down at her father in his broken state. Both of his legs were clearly broken. So was an arm. The blood loss was severe. Even if he lived there would be brain trauma that lingered for the remainder of his life.

Tae-yeon exhaled deeply and shook her head from side to side. “Just go… I never want to see you again.”

Suddenly Jisoo was awake, and acutely aware of a very painful sensation from her right arm. Everything was pitch black, and she was now seated upright on a soft mattress with a mess of blankets draped over her legs. Sweat dripped from all over her body, and she could feel her heart continue to pound relentlessly in her chest. It was difficult to breathe, never mind even think.

For several tense seconds she looked around frantically before memories flooded her mind once again. 

That horrible day had been over a year ago. She was no longer in Busan, she was in Beijing. Her sister and father were far, far away. And the pain from her arm…?

She glanced over her shoulder and noticed that Eren was there with her in bed. He clutched to her nightie tightly, and had pinched her skin as hard as he possibly could with his teeth and hands in what she realized had been an effort to wake her up. From the mess she had made of the blankets on the bed, it was clear to Jisoo that she must have been thrashing around in her sleep. 

Gradually Jisoo regained her composure and took a moment to breathe. She threw off the covers, which felt suffocating and swung her legs to the side off the bed and turned on the lamp which illuminated the bedroom that had once belonged to her mother. This was their second night in the new house, and it still felt just as foreign as it always had. She found little comfort in its walls or decorations. 

Instead, Jisoo found solace in the speck who boldly strode towards her thigh and caressed her clammy skin. Goosebumps ran along her leg all the way up to her upper body, and she fended off the urge to shiver. 

“I’m… I’m sorry.” Jisoo managed between short, staggered breaths. She rubbed her temple. “I-I had a nightmare.”

“It’s alright. Just relax and listen to my voice.” Eren advised while Jisoo shuddered. “You’re all sweaty, let’s go to the bathroom and get you washed up.” He advised. 

That was a good idea. It was best to not think too hard about a bad dream after all. Jisoo obliged and carefully seized Eren with her cold, numb hands. She noticed a slight pang of discomfort flash across his face and she quickly realized that she had clutched him too tightly. She quickly corrected her mistake and hurried into the bathroom, then set Eren down next to the sink.

Indeed she was covered in a thin film of sweat from head to toe. Cold water against her skin felt heavenly as she began to wash her face thoroughly.

Just don’t think about it. It’s just a bad memory. She attempted to convince herself. The hollow words of a foolish girl who means nothing to me anymore. Tae-yeon and Byung-ho… they don’t matter in the grand scheme of things. Forget them.

Water dripped from Jisoo’s chin as she hesitated to grab a nearby towel. She gazed at her reflection for a few moments and considered who the woman who looked back at her really was. A liar. A murderer. She had come to peace with that, or so she thought. 

You kill and torture other people… Jisoo, this isn’t right. She decided to wash her face again. Her sister’s words echoed within her skull. Please, I just want my little sister back.

No matter how many times she washed her face, the mournful voice never went away. It was impossible to determine which of the thousands of conversations she had with her sister tormented her now. There had been countless times over the years Tae-yeon unsuccessfully attempted to sway her away from the Heavenly Duties.

I love you Jisoo. I always will. Come home. Please.

Now it was her father’s voice as well. Jisoo turned off the faucet and rubbed her face several times with a towel and took another deep breath. Eren touched her hand in concern while she recovered from what had been an all too real nightmare. She checked the clock in the bathroom and noticed that it was not quite midnight yet. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Eren asked as she neatly folded the towel and set it aside next to the sink. “I’m here for you.”

“It’s nothing. Just a bad dream… it wasn’t real.” She dismissed, although Jisoo could tell he did not really believe her. “Let’s go back to bed.” Without another word she collected him from the sink and strode back towards the bedroom. 

This time she tucked Eren close to her heart instead of the pillow next to her. Before he could potentially press the issue any further, Jisoo pulled the blankets up over her chest and sealed him away beneath the soft fabrics coupled with her own warmth. Slowly she could feel Eren begin to grow slack against her chest, lulled to sleep by her heartbeat as if by hypnosis.

I haven’t had a nightmare like that in months. It must be because I’m back home. She sighed and felt herself begin to drift back into unconsciousness.

Those memories will soon fade away. Just ignore them.

Grace knew her younger cousin quite well. Her mannerisms and slight quirks which typically betrayed her thoughts were difficult for the average person to perceive. It was unfortunate that Jisoo was the kind of person to express her emotions in rather self-destructive ways. Whether through excessive alcohol or isolation from the rest of the world. 

Everybody heals in their own way I suppose. She thought and suddenly grasped Jisoo’s hand as they ascended a metropolitan skyscraper from within an elevator. 

The slight touch sent a jolt down her cousin’s back, who shot her a dirty glare in response. “I can feel you shivering.” Grace said pointedly and squeezed Jisoo’s hand tightly. “You can relax. If I can stand in front of Aunt Min, you absolutely can.”

“More than a year has passed since I even spoke with her.” Jisoo murmured. “Now I waltz back here. With a foreign boyfriend and a blood trail behind me in America for Lianfei to deal with.” She sighed.

Although they had successfully taken care of all the known witnesses in Norwich, there were countless other steps that were needed to ensure no other damage control needed to be taken from any of their affairs in the United States. All of the people she had eliminated had families and employers who would ask questions, so it turned to brilliant women such as Lianfei to tie off the loose ends.

Unfortunately Lianfei had been overworked for the past few months. Between Jisoo’s antics combined with Grace’s occasional dip into a local bar in search of her usual toys and souvenirs she had her hands full. Frankly without women like her the world would have collapsed on itself by now.

The elevator came to a stop on the topmost floor of the Amrita Corporation Headquarters in Beijing. It was one of the tallest buildings in the world, at over three thousand feet tall. A beacon that demonstrated their infinite wealth and influence to the world, and an invitation for rivals to fail at imitations. Both she and Grace stepped out of the lift and strolled down a long corridor with dark marble floors and golden hued lights. 

Grace paused before they came to the end of the corridor, where a currently sealed door guarded Min’s personal office. “Something else is bothering you.” She said directly, to which Jisoo averted her eyes. “What happened? Is everything alright?”

“I’m fine Grace.” Her cousin bristled and stepped past her. “It’s nothing you should worry yourself with.” 

“Jisoo-!” Before she could say anything else, her cousin wrapped her knuckles on the door to Min’s office. Instantly both women went silent as they heard a pair of heels in the next room approach the entrance. 

She’s not herself right now. Grace thought in concern as the electronically sealed door slid open. The presence of the woman on the other side forced her to turn her attention away from her cousin, and instead enter a formal bow. Although Grace was infamously opposed to pointless traditions, she made an exception for the great Min Chen. 

Min was an exceptionally tall woman. Even Grace, who stood at an impressive six foot four seemed almost childlike when compared to Min, who was closer to seven feet tall. Her hair was long and straight, and passed her hips like an ebony waterfall. It contrasted her porcelain skin, and enchanting dark gold eyes. 

She smiled warmly. “Jisoo… The last time we stood together was before the Lunar New Year.” Min mused and gazed down at the two of them with a kind expression. “Welcome home my dear. It has been far too long.” She said and beckoned them into her office.

Like with many other professional offices owned by the company, the interior design followed feng shui practices. There was a natural flow to everything and an emphasis placed on certain aspects of nature such as a gongshi stone upon a pedestal. A bonsai tree which had been a gift from the Japanese Prime Minister resided on Min’s desk, as were a small stack of papers. A few portraits adorned the walls as well in the traditional Chinese art style, primarily with family members.

Both Jisoo and Grace waited for Min to take a seat behind her enormous desk before they sat down across from one another. Their Aunt swept aside the papers from her workspace and reached into a nearby cabinet and produced three small crystalline glasses. Then she selected a bottle of liquor filled with a golden liquid which seemed to give off a luminescent glow. She uncorked the bottle effortlessly, as a faint peachy aroma emanated from the essence inside. 

“It is a delight to see you again as well Aunt Min.” Jisoo said graciously and accepted one of the three glasses, now filled halfway with the specially brewed liquor. “Although before I say anything more of my time abroad, I must express my most sincere apologies for the abruptness of my departure last year. I was not in the proper state of mind after what happened to my adoptive family.”

“Apologies are not required my dear. I am well aware of how profound an impact that incident had upon you.” Min dismissed as she passed another glass to Grace, also filled only halfway. 

Once Min had filled all three glasses to the appropriate amount, she rummaged through a drawer to select a small finely carved wooden box which for now she placed delicately on the endless expanse of her desk.

Gold inlays? Grace recognized the designs etched into the metallic mechanisms which kept the wooden container sealed. As if in voracious anticipation her tummy rumbled, even though she had eaten a healthy sized breakfast that morning. Although if the contents of that box were what she theorized them to be…

Min continued. “…I am far more intrigued to hear of your time away. Lianfei has submitted her own account of your affairs overseas. Although I am curious to hear your side of the story.” She professed and raised a brow elegantly. 

“For the first several months I was away from home I… I attempted to drink away my sorrows. Truthfully I do not really remember much of what happened at that time.” Jisoo replied with a twinge of embarrassment. “However one day shortly before Grace announced she would pay me a visit, I encountered a young man who was nearly murdered by a pair of locals.”

“I assume this is the individual who Lihua informed me about?” Min asked to which Jisoo nodded in affirmation. 

Jisoo went on. “His name is Eren Klein. After I prevented his murder we became rather close. To summarize our feelings for one another… I would like to formally request he be brought into the fold as my husband.”

“Oh? You two are in love? Truly?” 

“We are. I-I can’t imagine that I would be here if not for my experiences with him.” Jisoo proclaimed. “I love him.”

“I can attest to the strength of their relationship as well.” Grace mentioned. Both Min and Jisoo glanced towards her as she continued. “Their feelings for one another are genuine. Moreover, Eren is a speck, has received a laudable college education, and-!” 

“And he has expressed his approval of our mission.” Jisoo cut in. Min looked at her with a neutral expression, unperturbed. Uncertain, Jisoo elaborated. “Through a, well shall we say a complicated chain of events, Eren was exposed to the truth behind The Diminution… part of it.” She explained. 

Grace shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She also attempted to gauge Min’s reaction to those words, but as usual the woman’s demeanor was impenetrable. Briefly she thought back to her worst fears from just before they had departed Norwich.

Jisoo is optimistic, but what is the worst possible outcome of this conversation? Grace considered although she made no attempt to keep her cousin silent. One way or another this conversation had to happen. I don’t think any potential suitor has ever known about our clan secrets before they were properly prepared. And with Jisoo’s heritage…

Regardless Jisoo did not seem dissuaded even with that in mind. “Eren has demonstrated approval of our family’s mission. Even without proper context or knowledge provided to him beforehand.” She reasoned. “I believe that illustrates that the content of his character is congruent with our beliefs.”

“…I should also explain that Jisoo bears no responsibility in Eren’s discovery of the truth. That was due entirely to my own negligence.” Grace murmured. “And I also agree with-.”

“Although I appreciate your candor, there is no need for both of you to plead a case on Eren Klein’s behalf.” Min chided and raised her hand for Grace to hold her tongue. Idly she swirled the peach liquor in her glass around before she went on, her attention turned to Jisoo.

“I am already aware that Eren was prematurely informed of The Diminution.”

Maeve really did not know much about robots. Or artificial intelligence. Or any electronics for that matter. Before she met Maddie she had never owned anything even remotely computer related, and she didn’t really think her cybernetic leg counted. 

She liked to tell herself that was the reason why Maddie intentionally seemed to exclude her from her work with Eureka. After all, since she was not very knowledgeable about robots there was little she could contribute to the company beyond moral support whenever Maddie was tired. However Maeve hypothesized that it was more likely her friend did not want any of her employees to know her roommate was a speck. 

Therefore it came as a surprise when Maddie asked her one day if she would like to attend a meeting with her. Or at the very least simply be present and watch how they were conducted. 

I wonder what changed? Maeve thought and swung her legs back and forth on the edge of a ceramic plate that carried Maddie’s breakfast from that morning. A gigantic raspberry cream cheese danish she had made herself. Before she turned on her webcam, Maddie inspected her reflection in a nearby mirror. 

There had been a noticeable improvement in her appearance. She was far less haggard and exhausted than normal, which Maeve only saw as a positive. Her time spent away from Eureka to focus on her mental health had definitely been a necessary change of pace. 

The camera activated, as did the monitor itself which switched screens to show everybody else in the virtual meeting room. “Good morning everybody! It’s been a little while huh?” Maddie greeted with a big smile as everybody waved happily at her.

“Wow you look great Maddie! Did you enjoy your vacation?” A young man asked, with short light brown hair and a pair of glasses on his nose. 

She grinned. “Thanks Adrian! Yeah I really did, I took a bit of time to recuperate and do a bit of soul searching I guess.”

“Well whatever it was, it definitely worked out for you!” Another person replied, this time a woman with a pixie cut and freckles. Maeve recognized her by description. Giulia, who had recently been promoted to the Supervisor of the Systems Department. After the previous Supervisor left for loftier opportunities she had been granted his place.

There were a few others in the call who Maeve more or less could determine the identities of based on how Maddie spoke about them. Of course there was her longtime friend Desmond, who had supported her ever since Eureka was founded. Adrian who handled publicity and marketing. 

Maddie did a quick roll call and furrowed her brow. “Oh before we get started… We are actually missing one person for the meeting.” She murmured and checked the list of attendees. “Not that I can blame him, it's almost midnight in Beijing.”

Beijing? Isn’t that where-?! Right as Maeve realized who Maddie had referred to, the array of boxes on her screen with the current attendees portraits all shifted to accommodate one more person. There was a bit of befuddlement in the virtual room as the newcomer’s camera took a moment to load. 

Eren’s initials flashed on the screen for a brief moment before his webcam loaded properly, which gave everyone present a moment to register who he was. There was a collective gasp across the attendees, along with many shocked faces as Eren’s camera loaded to reveal his familiar face to everybody for the first time in many weeks.

He frowned and seemed to tap a few buttons on his keyboard. “H-Hello?” Eren asked, his voice digitally distorted as the audio adjusted. “Is my microphone picking up my voice?”

“Yeah! We can hear you loud and clear Eren.” Maddie responded in her typical upbeat fashion, while the rest of the room became distressingly quiet. Aside from Desmond Lewis, Maeve noticed that nearly everybody seemed appalled by Eren’s presence. 

Eren actually returned to the company? I don’t believe it! I didn’t think he would actually listen to me! Maeve thought, flabbergasted to see her friend displayed on the computer monitor as if on a movie screen. Their time together in Norwich before he left for China had been brief, although they had connected quickly as fellow specks saved from the brush of death by an enlightened brob. 

Maeve had thought it would be good for him to give Eureka another shot, although at the time he had seemed lukewarm to the idea. After all, his girlfriend offered a much easier position in her family’s company. 

Their last conversation must have had more of an impact on Eren than she realized, if he was here now.

One of the people in the meeting wrinkled his nose. “What is that thing doing here?” Adrian turned his attention to Maddie while the rest of the room went silent. “Didn’t you get the message last time you fucking-!” He began to rant before suddenly his microphone was muted.

Maddie shot Adrian a deathly glare as she silenced his speaker through her administrative control over the meeting settings. “Some of you may remember Eren from his time with Eureka last year. I see Adrian certainly does.” She said firmly as she commanded the room’s undivided attention. “You may also remember that Eren was the employee of the month in December, and managed to save this company from financial ruin. A feat nobody in this room could have accomplished.” She proclaimed sternly.

“He graduated from the top school in this country, has contributed more to this company than anybody present other than myself, and his work has been paramount in the development of the Franklin Model Epsilon.” Maddie explained, her tone serious as stone. “And yes. Eren is a speck. However he has absolutely nothing to prove to anybody here. As a matter of fact, I brought him here today so that we could all express our sincerest apologies for our conduct in Delphi’s Tavern.” 

Silence. 

From his muted webcam in the corner of Maddie’s screen, Maeve could see Adrian’s face turn a bright red and a vein seem to pop in his forehead like a character in an old cartoon. Meanwhile the rest of those present took time to consider what Maddie had demanded of them. She remained stoic, in stark contrast to her normally joyous and exceptionally bubbly personality. 

Giulia was the first person to find their voice. “B-But Maddie… you were the one who fired him in the first place?” 

“That’s correct. I fired Eren because I allowed my personal prejudices and biases to cloud my judgement. It was a mistake which I have come to regret.”

“So now you want us all to willingly work with a speck?”

“Nobody is keeping any of you here. And quite frankly, if you are too bigoted to see Eren for the content of his character and his academic qualifications simply because he was born three inches tall… then you can get the fuck out of my company.” Without another word Maddie kicked Adrian from the meeting room while he was still muted. 

She’s really not messing around! Maeve thought excitedly as the ripple of Adrian’s sudden forced departure spread to others in the room. She watched with a big smile as Eren’s lip turned to a slight smile and he nodded in approval while the rest of those present contemplated what to do next. 

Once more Giulia spoke up. “Maddie I think we should talk about this before you-.”

“I’ll go first. What we did to you, Eren, was awful.” A lower voice from another side of Maddie’s screen cut in before Giulia could finish her sentence. Desmond removed his glasses and set them to one side, then turned to face the camera directly.

“There ain’t a day that goes by that I don’t regret not speaking up for you when we were all at Delphi’s in Norwich. You were always a great dude to work with and I’ll be the first other than Maddie to admit it, but you’re also the smartest guy in this whole company.” Desmond professed. “I’m sorry that I didn’t defend you back then. I won’t make that mistake twice and I also won’t work at a firm that treats people differently ‘cuz of the way they were born.”

“I feel the same way.” Another voice interjected. Leah, a robotics expert who was located across the country in California. “I was not able to attend the celebration in Norwich. And honestly if I had… I probably would have quit right there and then if I saw how you all treated him. I’m sorry Eren, Maddie is absolutely right. You don’t need to prove anything to us.”

“Are you all fucking crazy?! Are we actually going to let this insect work with us?!”

“That ‘insect’ designed a power supply for the Franklin Model Epsilon that made yours look like a toddler’s first attempt, Smith.” A man named Byron shot back at the person who had spoken out against Leah. “I was in the same boat as you about specks… till I saw the blueprints Eren drew up. I work in Assembly, I built his designs. He’s the real deal speck or not.” Byron defended. 

Smith shook his head. “I can’t believe what I’m hearing. I won’t be a part of this shit.”

“Then fucking leave you big loser!” This time the voice came from Maddie’s own computer, although the voice was clearly not hers. Maddie’s cheeks flushed bright red as Maeve clambered off of the plate and up her arm so that the camera could see her clearly. 

Nobody calls my friend an ‘insect’! Maeve huffed and fearlessly spun around to the mortified expression of several people in the virtual call, who now witnessed a speck shout at them from atop Maddie’s shoulder. “Nobody is going to miss you! Have fun living knowing a speck is smarter than you!”

“W-Why you little-!”

Before he could say anything Maddie kicked Smith from the virtual call as well, while Maeve crossed her arms and took a seat on her shoulder with a satisfied smirk. The rest of the virtual room were considerably less abrasive from that point out, and instead either left without another word, or professed their apologies to Eren. Some were more heartfelt than others. 

Giulia was the last person to speak when everybody else had already said their part. “…I’m honestly not sure what to say at this point.” She admitted. 

“You can either apologize to Eren or leave, Giulia. It’s simple.” Maddie said with a shrug. “Frankly, I don't care if we lose everybody. I won’t sacrifice my conviction for the sake of appeasing a group of bigots.”

“…I’m not a bigot. I just don’t see the logic in allowing a speck to work for Eureka. You know the impact that will have on investors.” Giulia replied. “Think about this, Maddie! If you do this all of your work will have been for nothing. Our work will have been for nothing.”

“Eureka was not conceived to make money. It was created to help people in need.” 

“It won’t do either of those things if you let Eren work with you.” Giulia responded angrily. “Maddie please, I’m begging you.”

“Goodbye Giulia. I’ll forward your last check by next week.” Maddie bristled and tapped a button on her laptop to remove her from the meeting as well. 

The silence that followed in the immediate aftermath was deafening. Maeve counted the number of faces on the monitor. There had been almost thirty people in attendance to the weekly update. Now there were only eight other than Eren. 

Over half the company was just fired or quit. Maeve thought as the satisfaction from the event began to dissipate. That’s… That’s probably pretty bad huh?

Regardless, Maddie simply took a bite out of her cheese danish and turned her attention to the remaining attendees. “One… Three… Five…” she counted off from the list of those present. “Alright, a total of nine are left! That’s more than I expected.” 

“We’re with you till the end Maddie. All of us.” Desmond said as Leah and a few others nodded in agreement. “Same goes for you Eren. You’re part of this team.”

“All of you are amazing people. I’m honored to call you my coworkers.” Eren responded with a smile. 

With that out of the way, Maddie pulled up a new screen on her monitor which listed all of the needed tasks for the week. “Alright everybody, this next week will determine the future success of our firm. We will reconsider our missions and vision statements to better align with what Eureka has decided to accomplish.” She remarked to everybody. “Moreover I would like to announce that we will temporarily postpone the Franklin Model Epsilon, and instead work towards a new product line designed specifically for specks. I have arranged to meet with a city official to discuss the process to become an approved vendor for Speck Communes.”

“We’re completely changing focus?” Byron asked, perplexed and his voice rather uncertain. “Isn’t it a big risk to rebrand ourselves again?”

“We already have a prototype for the product in question.” Maddie replied and plucked Maeve off her shoulder so the camera could see her properly. 

Prototype? Does she mean my prosthetic? Maeve thought and allowed Maddie to hold her within her palm. The virtual room glanced over her figure, and noticed Maeve’s cybernetic implant. 

Maddie continued. “I designed an artificial intelligence which predicts Maeve’s movements based on their momentum. Unlike a traditional prosthetic this one does not connect to the nerve endings.” She explained. “It’s the same operating system used by the Franklin Model Epsilon to escort a disabled person based on their movement.”

“Speck medical companies don’t have modern prosthetics. This would be a revolutionary idea if we could maneuver through the bureaucracy involved.” Leah noted and scratched her chin. “I think it’s a really good idea.”

“Understandably this was a very eventful meeting for everybody. So let’s take today off while I refocus on some administrative stuff. However Eren, Desmond, Leah and Byron? You four will be the new supervisors while we coordinate how best to proceed.” She explained. “We will reconvene later and discuss the new product launch, investors, the approval of our vendor status et cetera then.” 

Everybody seemed to be in agreement that this was likely the best course of action to take, and the meeting concluded shortly afterwards. Right after her webcam deactivated, Maddie slumped in her chair and began to laugh softly under her breath. 

“That honestly went a lot better than I could have possibly hoped for.”

Jisoo sat in her chair paralyzed by surprise, her mouth slightly agape. To her left she could sense that Grace was equally shocked to discover that Min had known the truth all along. However, on second thought, she realized how silly it was to believe that there was a secret in this world that was not known to Min Chen. 

She was the most powerful person on the planet, with eyes and ears in every household. Of course she had known. 

The metallic click of a metal latch from the wooden box that Min had retrieved earlier cut through the tense silence that had overwhelmed the office. Min calmly lifted the lid away from the container and set it to one side, then reached into the depths of the box. Her long, elegant fingers ensnared a group of tiny individuals each around a third of the size of an ordinary speck. 

With a splash she dropped a few of them into her shot glass, where they swam around helplessly in the aromatic liquor. Min playfully swirled them around within the alcohol to create a powerful vortex with the strength of a powerful whirlpool. After a few intense rotations she returned the glass to the table and allowed them to simmer in the dizziness and exhaustion that came with prolonged struggle against the current.

Microspecks?! They managed to complete the formula? Jisoo thought, shocked to see the much smaller than normal specks in person for the first time. She had only been absent for a year. To think their alchemists had achieved so much progress in such a short span of time.

Min raised the glass to her plush lips and tilted it upwards. A river of silky smooth brandy dragged several of the exceptionally tiny specks towards her mouth, where they disappeared over the crest of her maw. She allowed the alcohol to sit in her mouth for a few seconds, a chance to savor the quality of the liquor and determine the taste of the microspecks. The remainder that had not been washed into her mouth returned to what was left of the brandy, helpless to watch Min tilt her head back slightly and drink them all down. She sighed and licked her lips fondly, then reached back into the container to pluck a few more delicacies from within. 

Generously Min added a few to their glasses before she closed the box. “I will admit that I was not particularly pleased to learn that an outsider had been informed of our family’s most precious secret before he had even been considered as a potential suitor.” She explained and handed the glass to Jisoo. “Moreover this person is a foreigner, with a past that has proven remarkably difficult to verify.”

“B-But Aunt Min-!” Jisoo blurted, mortified to hear the disapproval in Min’s voice. Min raised her brow slightly, and Jisoo went bright red. She sealed her lips, aware of how inappropriate it was to speak out of turn. 

Once she had calmed down, Min continued. “However… Since Eren Klein has received not only high praise from Grace, he has also earned the adulation of Lihua.” She remarked. “That is an impressive accomplishment. Neither Grace or her mother ever agree on anything, however they both vouch for Eren’s viability.” 

“Therefore, the decision of whether or not Eren will be brought into the fold through marriage will be determined by the traditional method.” Min decreed. “I will defer judgement to Grace, and two other individuals from different cadet branches as per the custom.” She proclaimed.

So Grace will be one of the three selected for Eren’s proposal! Jisoo thought, relieved. That’s good, there will only be the other two to worry about then. 

Jisoo sighed. “Thank you Aunt Min. I… I apologize for my outburst.”

“It should be noted Jisoo, that due to the nature of your birth our family will be afforded the opportunity to extend a cadet branch into Korea.” Min informed her. “If Eren is accepted by all three of your cousins, then you will become the matriarch of that cadet branch and bear all of the responsibilities involved.”

“I understand, and I will not disappoint you.” Jisoo promised. 

With that the three women raised their glasses and exchanged a brief toast before they drank. The brandy was a delicious concoction of nectar from a Peach of Immortality blended with a high quality liquor, which when intermingled with the microspecks made Jisoo’s throat tingle.

She could feel them struggle and fight against her tongue helplessly. It was a very different sensation when compared to how a normal speck felt when they were consumed. Due to their vastly diminished size Jisoo could fit several of them into her mouth, and experience the variety of different flavors. 

It was almost a shame she had to gulp them all down. Their voices were much quieter than a regular speck which was nice, there was less of a distraction from her beverage that way. Also with so many tiny people trapped in her mouth Jisoo could sense their baser instincts kick in and they began to fight with one another, all in a futile attempt to be the one to reach the front of her lips. Their efforts were for naught, since right as the alcohol began to burn the inside of her mouth she tilted her head back and swallowed. 

Jisoo traced the lump in her throat all the way down past her collarbone and towards her torso where she felt the brandy pleasantly spread across her tummy. A warm sensation occasionally interrupted by the struggles of the microspecks now trapped inside of her. There was a moment just before they expired in which their struggles became almost animalistic in intensity, at the peak of their desire for freedom. 

That was the moment she yearned for each time she devoured someone whole. It was the tiny, almost imperceptible tingle in her stomach as their lives were extinguished which provided the most ample strength. Of course she could attain unbelievable power in other ways, all of those descended from the Fang Sisters could. However the tried and true method that came through the consumption of a newly created speck was easily her favorite.

It was the little things in life that she had missed most dearly while she was away. While abroad it was much harder to get a study supply of delicacies. Although now that she was home and ready to accept more assignments, there was no limit to the prizes she could enjoy.