Since the direction of his company had shifted dramatically, Eren found himself more tired than usual whenever he went to bed. He had begun to snore on occasion, whereas in the past Jisoo claimed he was very peaceful at night. It took a lot to wake Eren up when he was asleep. Months spent in bed with a giantess whose smallest movements at night shook the earth had trained his body to ignore most disturbances. However there were still limits, and Eren found himself wide awake after a loud noise of some kind. 

His eyes fluttered open, and Eren quickly noticed that the enormous bed felt slightly cold to the touch. He glanced to his side and realized that Jisoo was not there, her body heat notably absent. It took his eyes a few moments to adjust to the dim light, and Eren peered around her bedroom to see if she had perhaps stepped into the bathroom. Instead he saw light from beneath the door which led outside into a hallway. 

After a few moments passed there were no more sounds, however Eren was absolutely certain something loud had roused him. Curious, he rubbed the matter from the corner of his eye and used the bed sheets to descend to the floor. He ducked under the space beneath the bedroom door and stepped into the corridor, then followed the light down the hall towards the kitchen.

What’s that sound? It’s almost like a river. Eren thought and pressed forward until he stepped into the kitchen. 

Quickly he noticed the source of the noise. 

On the floor, shattered into a million shards was a bottle of dark colored liquor which had smashed into the ground. The alcohol inside had slowly spread out across the wooden floor like a flash flood, which he surmised was the sound that had woken him up earlier. Countless shards of broken glass glimmered like stars in the ocean of spirits.

Jisoo was still in her pajamas, her motionless body slouched over a chair and another empty bottle of beer in her hand which somehow she had not dropped. Her eyes were shut tightly, and only after she heard Eren’s tiny feet splash through a river of rum did they flutter open and lock onto him. 

She smiled weakly in a drunken haze, her eyes were red and puffy. Eren realized instantly that she must have been crying earlier. “H-Heyyy… s-s-sorry if I *hic* woke you up…” Jisoo apologized, each word slurred together. “I’ll t-try ta keep it down~” 

“Are you okay?” Eren asked gently when he reached her side. She tried to help him clamber into her lap, but a more sensible part of Jisoo still remaining told her she was too drunk to even do that. 

Once he was on her thigh, Eren took a seat and placed a hand affectionately on her leg. He had never seen her this drunk before, even when they first met she was still able to walk around. Only a few hours had passed since the guests had left for the night.

Something had happened which cut off dinner not long after Satsuki revealed her reasons for her and Jade’s presence in Beijing. Whatever it was, it seemed to have both Grace and her mother spooked since they left almost immediately. Jisoo was also profoundly affected. She escorted the guests out of the house then curtly told Eren that they could talk about the marriage later, but for now she wanted to rest and think. Although he was initially opposed to the idea, the look in Jisoo’s eyes pleaded with him to agree with her. Even when they turned in for the night Eren could tell that she was unable to fall asleep.

Now this happened. “It’s okay. You can tell me anything and I won’t be mad.” Eren said soothingly as Jisoo’s happy facade began to slip and her smile quivered. She looked ready to break down again at any moment. “I love you. What’s been bothering you since dinner? It’s alright to vent around me, you don’t need to pretend to be happy.” He insisted calmly.

Finally Jisoo could not lie anymore and tears began to stream freely down her cheeks. She dropped the bottle she had next to her and let it shatter as well, then rubbed her eyes with the hem of her night shirt. All the while Eren remained on her thigh and gently nuzzled against her, the only source of comfort he could provide. 

Between sobs Jisoo shuddered until she managed to stammer a response. “M-My mother is back.” She murmured weakly. “S-She broke into a secret factory we own and *hic* killed everybody there… Even Grace’s aunt.”

“I… I am so sorry.”

“They found S-Suyin… in a puddle of her own blood. B-By the time they tried to h-heal her *hic* It was too l-late.” Jisoo revealed and choked on the words. “My m-mother killed her.” She shuddered.

I thought nobody even knew where Keqing was? Why would she come out of hiding now to do something like that? Eren thought. And why would she do it so soon after Jisoo returned from the United States… don’t tell me that is not just a coincidence. 

Jisoo sighed. “Satsuki t-think’s it’s because I came b-back *hic* home. M-Maybe she’s right…” Suddenly the terrain around Eren shifted and Jisoo collapsed onto her side. 

She groaned in discomfort while he was tossed onto the ground in front of her thighs while Jisoo curled into a fetal position. Eren blinked and slowly returned to his feet, now surrounded on all sides by his girlfriend’s colossal body. It was clear she was still very drunk, so there was still a danger she might accidentally crush him. 

Still, he refused to abandon her while she desperately needed him. “It wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known.” He said reassuringly and walked towards her moonlike face. “Satsuki just wants to get under your skin.”

“She r-really doesn’t like me.” Jisoo mumbled as Eren caressed her cheek affectionately. Her breath reeked of rum intermingled with minty mouthwash, which made the odor somewhat bearable. “I’m s-sorry *hic* that I n-never told you why they were *hic* here.” 

“It’s okay.”

“I’m such a shitty p-person…” Jisoo told him sadly. “I keep *hic* lying to y-you about everything.” She mused.

Eren planted a kiss on her gigantic lips. “I want our dream to come true. I want us to be happy together for as long as we live.” He promised her. “I fell in love with you from the first day we met. I don’t know much about weddings or marriage in your family, but I’ll happily go along with the process no matter what.” 

“Eren…” Jisoo said softly and began to reciprocate his kiss passionately. Her lips and tongue were quite sloppy in her efforts to smooch his entire body from head to toe, and soon he was covered in thin film of her saliva. 

He felt her hand coax him forward to press him against her soft, supple lips to continue the embrace. Jisoo flattened him against her palm and began to make out with his entire body. As she shifted slightly to get more comfortable, Jisoo rolled over into the rum she had spilled earlier. She did not seem bothered by it in the slightest and continued her ministrations on Eren until he felt the world flip on its axis when she rose to a seated position. 

She broke away from the kiss momentarily. “I w-won’t lie to you again. I promise.” Jisoo proclaimed. “Even if *hic* Satsuki refuses to l-let us be together, I’ll *hic* abandon e-everything for you...”

“Don’t say that. I’ll convince her I’m worthy to be your husband somehow.” 

Initially it had started when she had been unable to fall asleep, and went into the kitchen to get a glass of water. Once Jisoo opened her fridge, she noticed a twelve pack of beers which she couldn’t resist after such a dreadful day. The news that they had all received was terrible, and the bombshell Satsuki decided to drop at the dinner table was almost worse.

Jisoo intended to tell Eren the moment he was approved to become her husband. She would come clean, and this time could do so without some external force like what had happened in Norwich. Part of her wanted to prove to him that she was not a complete liar. Although he had not seemed upset at the time, she had been unable to have a sensible conversation earlier that day and just needed to sleep and collect her thoughts.

Suyin was dead. She had always been a very agreeable, friendly, and outgoing woman who loved to make people smile. Due to her temperament and jovial nature she was unfit to be a full-time operations specialist or assassin, and therefore was charged with oversight of a production facility in the north. To think that such a wonderful person would be so cruelly ripped away from the world and left to die, alone and cold was a dreadful thought.

And to think the person that had taken her life was none other than Jisoo’s own mother. After so many decades she had emerged from the shadows to ruin their family’s mission, right as they were on the cusp of repairing the world. 

Eren turned on the bath for Jisoo and she slipped lower in the tub until her chin touched the warm water. He expertly poured some lavender essential oils into the bath, which soothed her headache. Once she was comfortable, Eren took a seat on the rim of the tub and laid down on a cushion. He was still exhausted after the previous night when she woke him up, and soon dozed off once again. 

She exhaled deeply and closed her eyes. The early morning sun glimmered through the curtains of a nearby bathroom window. The worst of the hangover had passed and now all that was left was an upset stomach and a bad headache. 

Suyin was strong. Almost as strong as Grace is right now. Jisoo thought and felt a chill creep down her spine. My mother is much more powerful than I would have imagined. If we came to blows right now she would kill me.

For years, Jisoo had dreamt of the day she could finally end her mother’s life. Once she had answers that is. Now she was unsure whether or not that was even in the realm of possibility. Her strength had waned significantly in the past year, and even if she was able to regain her old power it was likely Keqing would still eclipse her. If even Suyin was unable to stand a chance, then Jisoo would be powerless.

Therefore only one option remained for Jisoo. She had to consume another Peach of Immortality.

Officially, Chen Suyin had died in a tragic accident which involved a critical system failure. That was the story spun to the families of the deceased employees and soldiers. They were informed the deaths of their loved ones had likely been quick and painless. 

Although money could never compensate for the death of a lost relative or friend, the Amrita Corporation issued ten million dollars to the bereaved families and offered a lifetime pension and college tuition support. It was not standard company policy, however in Suyin’s will she made it clear that her last wish would have been to see her employees taken care of for life in the event she ever passed away. When it was time for her funeral, hundreds of people were in attendance. Many were from nine Chen Cadet Branches, while others were relatives of the employees who had perished who wished to pay their respects. Suyin had met many of them personally, and was counted a close friend to several households. 

Grace had no idea how she made it through the funeral ceremony. Her aunt never had any children of her own, and she had never been particularly close with her older sister. So Grace was asked to give the eulogy. Somehow she delivered it smoothly, even professionally. However the moment she stepped away from the podium she excused herself to a secluded place to break down in tears. 

She freely sobbed into Jisoo’s shoulder, and was notably absent for the rest of the event. Grace and Suyin had been close. Suyin was the woman instilled in Grace her deepest values, that ultimately a person’s independence is their most important attribute. And that life should be lived by the choices of the individual, not by the decrees of the parent or tradition. 

For the first time in her life, Grace felt hollow. Alone. Hurt.

As a xian she was unused to grief or mourning. She and most of her loved ones were effectively immortal. The thought that someone she cared about could die was unfathomable until now.

One morning Jisoo and Eren paid her an unexpected visit. Although normally the host prepared tea, Jisoo insisted Grace stay put while she fixed them something to drink. 

“I’m so sorry to hear what happened Grace.” Eren murmured quietly. “Suyin seemed like a wonderful person.”

“Thank you.” Grace replied with a long sigh. She still did not feel herself a week after the funeral had taken place. 

“Did you two spend a lot of time together? Do you have any fond memories?” He asked softly.

Fond memories? When she was a little girl, Grace had always run to her Aunt Suyin whenever her mother made her cry or was angry at her. Suyin understood the rebellious heiress better than most people, and accepted that she hated conformity to traditions. 

For the first time since the incident, Grace smiled. “A few. Once I skipped lessons with my private tutor to hang out with friends downtown. By chance we ran right into my aunt.” She reminisced. “I thought she would call my mother and get me and my friends in trouble. Instead she took us to see an action movie kids usually couldn’t get into even with a parent. All she had to do was drop her name to the cinema manager and they let us right in.”

“She wanted you to enjoy your childhood.”

“Absolutely. Aunt Suyin thought my mother was way too hard on me. They argued a lot over my education and performance in school.” Grace agreed. “She was the first person I spoke to about my preference for women. I had no idea how my mother would react so I kept it a secret for a long time.”

Grace exhaled slowly. “When my mom found out she was… hurt. She didn’t care that I was gay, she was upset that I trusted her sister with the truth and not her.” She murmured. 

As she spoke, Eren placed his hand on her fingertip affectionately. At first she felt a little uneasy to have someone comfort her like this, but those thoughts quickly melted away when Grace realized how much better she felt to talk with someone about this. After the funeral she had kept entirely to herself and not received any visitors up until this point. 

“Maybe you should reach out to your mother.” Eren suggested softly. 

Grace scoffed and rolled her eyes at that idea. “Why would I do that? She never even cared about her sister anyways.” She muttered. “I’m sure she would just tell me to stop mourning for Suyin.”

“...Do you really think she would do that?”

“You don’t know my mother Eren. I’ve had twenty seven years to realize that she means nothing to me.” Grace responded, a little more coldly than she intended to sound. 

Eren hesitated and looked away for a moment before he replied. “Me and Jisoo stopped by your mother’s residence a few days ago.” He revealed. “She’s been inconsolable since the day of the funeral.” 

That can’t be true. Grace blinked in obvious surprise to hear that. While she gave the eulogy, Lihua remained stone faced throughout the entire ceremony. She had outright refused to speak at her own sister’s funeral, and it was difficult for anybody to convince her to even attend. 

If that was the case, then why would she seem so downtrodden now? Grace shifted uncomfortably. “Well… I suppose she isn’t completely heartless.” She conceded. “Regardless I don’t see what I could do about it, even if I cared to.”

“You’re her oldest daughter and you knew Suyin just as well. I think you two need each other right now.” Eren told her. “Your little sister is too young to really comprehend all of this. So Lihua feels… Alone. She’s lost her only sister, and is estranged from her eldest child.”

“Do not try to guilt me into this, Eren.” Grace said in an icy, dangerous tone. 

Eren remained stalwart despite her cold glare and ominous presence while she loomed over him. Grace briefly wondered if he was at all intimidated by her, since unlike so many he spoke without a filter or care for what she could do to him without any effort at all. 

He held up his hands simply, as if to demonstrate he had not meant any offense. “Ultimately the decision is entirely up to you. I can’t make you do anything, and even if I could, I would never disrespect our friendship by making you interact with your mother if you truly want her to stay out of your life.” Eren said gently. “But please understand that I can empathize with you. Almost every person that I’ve called a friend is gone, and I’ve felt alone just like you. I know what it’s like to feel alone.”

“This isn’t the same thing.” Grace replied quietly, her tone more reserved this time. “My mother hates me. I’ve given her countless chances in the past and not once has she ever treated me as my own person.”

“If in the future you don’t want to ever see your mother again, that’s your choice. But right now she needs you as much as you need her.”

Lieutenant General Jianyu wiped the sweat from his brow and took a deep breath of relief. The battlefields of Northern Africa and the Middle East paled in comparison to the boardroom in the Amrita Corporation Headquarters. It took more courage to stand before Chen Min’s desk and deliver a report than it did to face a desert full of enemy combatants. Especially when after a full week spent combing through the northeastern tundras had not produced any substantial results.

Every soldier charged with protection of the production facility was confirmed killed in action, which unfortunately included Commander Xiao. A more crucial loss was the deaths of Doctor Stepanov and his team of elite alchemists, who unlike soldiers were not easily replaced. In total, ninety-six people had been slaughtered by a mystery assailant. Although Jianyu did not dare make any speculations in his official report to Chen Min, he theorized that the only person capable of such raw destruction was none other than a member of the Chen Family. A relative of the Fang Sisters. The thought that one of the demigoddesses who could crumple tanks like aluminium, or turn an entire battalion into specks in under a minute had betrayed them sent a chill down Jianyu’s spine. There was no power achievable by mere mortals which could even mimic a fraction of the might wielded by the xian. 

Fortunately he was allowed to depart the boardroom with his life and returned to another floor where the rest of the officers in his company had congregated. He thanked the young man who went around the room with a tray of water, which quenched the intense thirst he had developed since the meeting. Per the request of Chen Min, officers from other units had been summoned. He assumed a different Lieutenant General would handle the military parade that the Amrita Corporation had decided to host. 

It was too dangerous for their assets to be left far away from the heartland of the Amrita Corporation. It had been decided that at some point after the Lunar New Year, the military would ensure that a transition of equipment could be conducted smoothly into Beijing. There they would consolidate their resources in a single operation with extremely tight security. Perhaps they could also draw out the traitor in the process. Whatever the case may be, Jianyu was simply happy he would live to see another day, and had not been squished into pulp beneath Chen Min’s foot. 

A strange young woman was in attendance at the meeting, one whom Jianyu had never seen at the Beijing Headquarters before. She was accompanied by a company bodyguard, which indicated that she was almost certainly a member of the Chen Family. Perhaps from one of their Cadet Branches outside of China. Jianyu noted her unusual attire, she wore a fabric medical mask which covered her mouth and nose. 

When she approached him, Jianyu straightened his posture to befit a man of his status and bowed respectfully to the young woman. “Good afternoon ma’am. I greatly appreciate your family’s hospitality.” 

“And we greatly appreciate your steadfast loyalty and commitment! Thank you Lieutenant General.” Replied the bodyguard who accompanied the masked woman. “This is Nang Yai Saefong.” The woman noted.

Saefong? Ah, so she belongs to the branch of the family located in Thailand. Jianyu thought. He watched as Nang Yai tugged at her glove to reveal a pale, dainty hand capped with smooth polished nails.

She extended her arm towards him, and Jianyu wasted no time to shake her hand firmly. 

The moment he touched her bare skin, Jianyu frowned and felt a strange sensation pulse across his entire body. Like a powerful static shock, although he experienced it for only a brief moment. Still his hand continued to tingle faintly even after he had loosened his grip from Nang Yai’s hand. It was probably just static electricity he decided, and disregarded the sensation shortly after. 

Once she had made physical contact with him, Nang Yai allowed her interpreter to say a few more words to Jianyu before she slipped her glove back on. They travelled around the room some more, and each time Nang Yai was introduced she made sure to shake each and every officer’s hand firmly. Like Jianyu, they also experienced the same strange feeling in their hands when they made physical contact with her, and just like Jianyu as well they disregarded it as well. 

All the while, a small smile formed beneath Nang Yai’s mask.