One of the many perks that came with her role as a personal sushi chef to an incredibly wealthy, powerful socialite was the luxurious travel accommodations. All of which were provided at no cost, and every imaginable need or desire was made available with the click of her fingers. 

Granted, Ichika personally did not care much for frivolous displays of wealth. Neither did her one and only client; Satsuki rarely cared for the ‘finer’ things in life unless it was masterfully prepared sushi. Regardless, she did enjoy a trip to the spa every once in a while on her client’s private plane. The warm waters were mixed with a generous amount of soothing essential oils and floral fragrances in the hot, misty room.

Ichika let out a content moan as the tiny, nearly imperceptible hands of perhaps sixty tiny specks worked tirelessly into her sore muscles. She had to be careful not to squish any, since the little angels were sprawled all across her naked form. Each masseuse attended to a different part of her in carefully organized teams. 

Numerous groups were needed simply to massage her aching feet, with a few wedged in between her toes to soothe the small muscles there as well. The rest were spread out across her torso and legs. Per her request, they spent extra care around her forearms and hands. As a chef, those muscles in particular became sore over the course of a day. 

Unable to help herself, she let out a long sigh of relief as the specks managed to completely relax her previously tense back. Her toes scrunched around some of the specks there, and she felt their bodies press against the slightly bulbous flesh. Ichika opened one of her eyes ever so slightly to see how they would react, and observed the specks remain completely calm despite what she imagined was a very uncomfortable experience; to be grappled by her enormous toes.

What will you do if I just don’t let you go? She thought mischievously and kept a firm grip around the young man she had perfectly wedged between her big and second toe. He felt quite nice to the touch, and in Ichika’s opinion he was quite pleasant to look at, with firm ridges etched into his stomach from hours of intense exercise in steamy hot spa rooms treating clients hundreds of times his own size. Neatly trimmed black hair and smoky dark brown almond-shaped eyes. If he was not a speck, Ichika imagined he would have been quite tall as well.

But of course, he wasn’t a tall strapping young man who could sweep her off her feet. He was just a few inches from head to toe. Completely powerless and at her utter mercy to do whatever she pleased with. She had complete power over him, and they both knew it. Specks such as this were ultimately completely expendable. Easily replaced by any number of other servants who existed solely for pleasure. 

He did not make any protest as she prevented him from continuing his assigned task of massaging her immense body. Nor did he look particularly bothered by the seemingly bothersome treatment he was receiving, in the form of her toes squeezing him tightly. Ichika observed that he simply seemed to accept his place without any complaint. Such was the fate of any speck who spent enough time in the Amrita Corporation… Eventually they simply accepted it. 

Aoi, the head masseuse in charge of the specks, seemed to notice the special attention that the young man at Ichika’s feet was receiving. She strolled closer towards the chef and with her strong, powerful fingers began to work some more oils into her back. As she did so, the specks expertly moved away from the affected area, lest they be uncaringly squished into pulp. 

She glanced at the speck Ichika had taken an interest in. “He is a cute one, isn’t he?” Aoi said in a voice just barely above a whisper as she pressed her thumbs into the soles of Ichika’s feet. “One of my newest additions, but he’s become one of my favorites very quickly.”

“Does he have a name?” 

“Hmm… Perhaps he did at one point. I go through these little ones so quickly that I can hardly keep track of them.” Aoi replied with a shrug as she began to personally massage Ichika’s feet.

That was a curious statistic indeed. To think of just how many people existed for the sake of pleasure. Easily replaceable things. Whether they were designated as ingredients in her sushi rolls, or as personal massage therapists deemed expendable even if crushed beneath a client, their lives were all equally worthless. 

Well, maybe they aren’t entirely worthless. He’s such a cutie. Ichika thought as she regarded the unnamed speck, who still retained a blank expression. “Does he speak Japanese?”

“Well enough to understand instructions. Those that fall behind get squished, you see.” Aoi replied. “If you like, I can have him serve you in other ways, since you seem to like him so much…” The woman offered with a devilish smirk.

Ichika smiled widely. “I would very much appreciate that.” She agreed and watched as Aoi reached down and tenderly plucked the speck from between her toes.

He gave no resistance, but there was a delicious bit of hesitation in his eyes when he saw his destination. Aoi slowly moved him upwards, and Ichika spread her legs slightly in order to accept him. The masseuse held him just above Ichika’s womanhood and began to lower him towards the slit. 

Just before she could feel his delectable touch, there was a knock on the door. Ichika groaned and called out for whoever had disturbed her to identify themselves, whilst Aoi patiently waited for the response as well.

“Satsuki-sama requests three rolls for her supper before we land. One eel, one salmon, one tuna with microspeck toppings and a bowl of miso soup.” The slightly muffled voice of the servant informed them. “Your student has been informed.”

“Ugh… I shall be in the kitchen shortly. Tell Hina to prepare the rice.” Ichika said crisply, then heard the man go away at the door. She sighed and began to rouse from the spa. “Unfortunately, it appears I will have to return to this later.”

“Very well, I shall have him ready for you in your room when you return, Ichika-san.”

“Thank you. And please come up with a name for him as well, he’s very cute and I want to enjoy him for quite some time.” 

Satsuki gazed out the window of her private plan to look at the majestic skyline of Tokyo. The city of her birth was home to many of the world’s tallest buildings, created over time as a result of the second largest economy in the world right after China. Brightly colored lights illuminated the otherwise dark sky, so brightly even the stars were not visible while in a plane. 

Less than twenty minutes after she had ordered them, her sushi chef arrived with the rolls she desired. She sniffed the air and arched her brow elegantly, then raised her hand for the young woman to remain still after she set the food down. 

There was a distinct smell of lavender in the air once Ichika strolled into the room. Moreover, her complexion seemed especially bright, and her posture considerably more relaxed than usual. “I did not realize that you were just in the spa.” Satsuki remarked, then indicated towards the seat across from her. “I apologize for having dragged you away. Please, sit for a moment and share a cup of tea with me.”

“I’m honored.” Ichika said with a respectful bow before she slid into the cushioned seat across from Satsuki. 

Her chef’s eyes remained fixated on the rolls that she had prepared. All of them were expertly crafted; not a single grain of rice was out of place and each individual piece of fish was perfectly portioned to be equal to the rest. The rolls were perfect in every imaginable way and topped with a unique delicacy that Satsuki enjoyed greatly. 

Ichika watched as Satsuki used her fingers to pick up a roll close to her, where she carefully admired her creation. On top, there was a wriggling microspeck tied down to the roll with a band of seaweed. His movements were slow, weak. Just before he had been attached to the seaweed, Ichika had marinated him in a special sauce she had perfected over the years.

After several forceful dunks which filled his lungs with the pungent, aromatic mixture of spices, most were too feeble to put up much of a fight. However, now confronted by the immensity of a massive woman’s open maw with her pearly white teeth hanging over him like stalactites in a cavern, adrenaline forced his body to at least attempt a futile last stand.

It was a pointless effort, for Satsuki tossed him into her mouth and smashed him into pulp between her molars, each one many times bigger than his skull. His body mixed with the seaweed, rice, fish, and marinade. “Hmph… You’ve truly outdone yourself this time, Ichika-san.” Satsuki said and wiped her lips with a nearby napkin. “This is delicious.”

“Thank you, Satsuki-sama. It’s a pleasure to cook for you.”

“Although I am curious about something… One of the assistant chefs mentioned that you never taste your own work before you serve it.” Satsuki stated conversationally. 

To her credit, Ichika did not outwardly seem unsettled by the observation. “I have absolute confidence in my skills as a chef. I have never considered the need for me to taste a roll before it is served.”

“Oh? That’s very interesting, I have never met a chef who did not taste their own food.” Satsuki said somewhat condescendingly. “While I admit your sushi is the best I have ever had, I also wonder if it could somehow be improved. Good chefs taste their food and refine their palate, to ensure absolute perfection.”

“I understand. In the future I will be sure to taste every dish that I serve.” Ichika promised.

Even though I know perfectly well that you don’t want to consume specks, I have no doubts in my mind that from this day onward you will change that little habit of yours. Satsuki thought, and took another bite. 

This speck was a bit bonier than the last, and there was a satisfying crunch from between her teeth when she bit into him. Satsuki licked the blood from her lips and passed Ichika a cup of hot tea.  

Some people who served Satsuki had completely lost their sympathy for those who wound up on her plate. Or crushed underfoot. To them, she was simply a goddess who enjoyed her status and could do whatever she pleased with their worthless lives. Then there were those like Ichika, who deep down understood that every speck was a person.

A unique individual with their own story, their own thoughts and dreams. Their own lives. And despite that they could not completely dehumanize the people turned into food, pets and toys, individuals like Ichika still sliced them into ribbons regardless. As a result of a single off-handed comment in a conversation like this, Satsuki had no doubts that she would follow through with her promise to devour specks.

To Satsuki, that was a far greater demonstration of absolute loyalty. Any person could be a mindless drone that worshiped a god and kill worthless things. It took a special degree of absolute obedience to go against personal morals without question. 

Sometimes I wonder which one of those I am. Satsuki thought, as she changed the subject to engage in a more relaxed conversation with her trusted subordinate. I suppose it doesn’t matter, so long as the omikami’s wishes are fulfilled. 

Her phone buzzed, and she glanced down below the table to read a simple text message from an unknown number:

“Takano has not reported in. We believe she has been compromised.”

Satsuki stared at the text for several moments before she gingerly tucked the phone back into her pocket. That was a terrible shame, perhaps it had been a mistake to not withdraw her the moment the objective was complete. Keiko had been a useful asset after all, but Satsuki supposed even the best trained spies could get sloppy. 

Unfortunately, that now left her blind in regard to the status of Eren Klein. The little devil had been a useful tool so far, he had been a catalyst in helping Satsuki complete her objective. There was only so much heartbreak a kitsune could experience before they snapped altogether, and Jisoo was likely riding that edge already. Sooner or later, she would unleash her true potential, and it would be the Northern Chinese who would feel her wrath. 

“Are you alright ma’am?” Ichika said, after Satsuki removed her glasses and rubbed her tired eyes. 

Satsuki dropped the spectacles to the floor, then promptly flattened the glasses into powder beneath her heel. “It’s not easy always putting on a show. I am just happy to be home.” She remarked. “Although I imagine I’ll have work left to do… I believe the plane will descend soon. Please, go back to your spa treatment before the pilot asks us to remain seated.” 

Eren woke up suddenly, face-down in a bed thoroughly dampened by his own sweat. He looked around frantically, his eyes blurry and unable to focus on anything even in the brightness of the late afternoon sun that illuminated the miniature bedroom constructed specifically for him. 

His long hair was drenched in moisture and clung to his cheeks and upper chest like wet ropes, and to his disgust he realized that a bit of drool from when he had been asleep had matted it together in a bundle next to his lips. With a groan he threw off the stuffy blanket that was bunched up around his legs, then stumbled out of bed where he promptly collapsed onto the floor.

He groaned in discomfort and tried desperately to regain his equilibrium. His stomach felt like it had been twisted inside out, but there was nothing for him to regurgitate onto the bedroom floor. However, it paled in comparison to the terrible headache that pierced deep into his skull like a knife. 

“What was that dream?” Eren muttered aloud, saliva dripped from his mouth onto his hands. With his forearm he wiped it away from his cheeks and forced himself to stand up. He had never felt so physically disoriented; it was hard to think, much less stand and walk around. 

Finally, he managed to reach the bathroom and shoved the door open. Hunched over the sink, he turned on the faucet and began to thoroughly knead water into his face and hair. It was sloppy work that quickly had the entire sink counter and some of the floor wet from water that dripped down his bare chest and back.

He was no stranger to nightmares. Although he never quite got used to them, they had never caused him to have a reaction quite as severe as this. Eren thought he could almost feel the pain in his body. The fear of the endless dream made his heartbeat faster just by trying to remember the details. 

Normally he would have had Jisoo to curl up next to in a time like this. 

Safely tucked away near her soft, warm chest where she could nestle him close to her heart. It was the one place in the world where he felt truly at ease. Like nothing could hurt him. How many weeks had passed since she had left? Or was it months? Days? The dream had felt so real that he could not even tell what day it was anymore. 

Alas, Jisoo was not there. She had left after she apologized for… something. Eren could not fathom what she had apologized for. It had been a dumb argument; one he was fairly certain that had started because of poor communication on his behalf. But perhaps that was a part of the dream as well? 

No, that could not be right either. If she had still been here, then he would not be in the speckhouse that she and Grace had procured for him on Christmas. So that meant she was still gone because of his mistake. They had not spoken since that moment. Had he not tried to call her and make amends? 

After a few more minutes, Eren relented and stepped away from the sink. He took several deep breaths and slowly walked towards the towel rack and yanked the nearest one from it to rub his face furiously. When he opened his eyes and looked at his reflection, he could see nothing wrong with his own image in the mirror. 

In his nightmare, someone had brutalized him for what felt like months. His mind could not quite make out their face, nor their voice. He only knew that it was a woman, from the shape of her body which seemed to stretch on for miles. Her cruelty had known no bounds, and her creativity in the art of torture had been almost impressive. 

The pain felt real, Eren thought. When he looked at his arm, he could picture it bent backwards out of shape by a pair of fingers twice the length as his own body. If he focused hard enough, Eren could imagine quite easily what it felt like to be stepped on by a giantess who wanted nothing more than to break him utterly beneath her heel. 

Numbly, Eren exited the bathroom and passed through the bedroom until he came to the front door of the speckhouse. He did not care that he was dressed only in his underwear, he just needed to take a walk and clear his head. Everything was so foggy, and even minutes after he woke up, he still felt perturbed by the dream. 

By instinct, his body knew how to descend the side of the dresser cabinet where his speckhouse was kept. This was the guest bedroom in Grace’s house. She gave him his own room, but for obvious reasons he could not make use of any amenities thousands of times his own size, so the speckhouse was kept on top of the cabinet. 

His computer monitor was set-up in the corner, currently on the desktop where a screensaver of him and Jisoo fluctuated with other pictures of them. From their time in Norwich to more recently after their arrival in China. 

It’s nearly two o’clock? Eren realized from a glance at the time on the computer screen, which in the distance emanated light like a gargantuan billboard. Breakfast was usually served very early, since Grace liked to get a large meal in before she went to the gym. Yuxi would often wake him up to see if he wanted anything in particular. 

It was strange though, since she had not come to check in on him that morning either. 

Eren reached the base of the cabinet and began to trek across the floor towards the hallway which led to the living room. The entire time he continued to try making sense of why he felt so uneasy, even after he was awake and now aware that everything had just been a terrible nightmare. 

Some time had passed between now and when Jisoo had left. He had not taken her departure well, but the longer she was gone the worse he felt. Why on earth had he ruined what they had? Weren’t they supposed to be getting married? Why had he thrown all of that away? 

He had just passed the threshold of the hallway and stepped into the living room close to the kitchen when the door at the other end of the home swung open. Thunderous footsteps followed which he recognized, and he turned slowly to see a tattooed giantess covered in a thin film of sweat dressed in a set of tight-fitting athletic wear stroll inside. 

For some reason, Grace’s arrival, which would normally be a happy occasion for Eren made his legs feel weak. She continued to walk in, her eyes fixated on her phone as her massive sock-clad feet stomped closer towards Eren. He should have announced his presence, but Eren could not find his voice and instead fell to his knees. 

Grace’s footfalls grew closer. She was oblivious to his presence, with a headphone in one ear and her thumb rapidly tapping random parts of the screen as she typed up some kind of text message. It was only after her enormous foot, around the size of a city bus pressed Eren into the hardwood did she realize something was terribly wrong.

If Grace did not have superhuman reflexes, she likely would have squashed him beneath her insurmountable weight before she even knew what she had done. Fortunately, the moment she felt the outline of a tiny human trapped beneath the underside of her sole and the floor, Grace let out a gasp and withdrew her massive foot immediately away from Eren who remained on the ground. 

The giantess blinked several times in befuddlement to see him there, before her face contorted into a mixture of shock and confusion. “Eren?! What the hell are you doing on the ground? Why didn’t you say something?!” She shouted in concern and dropped her phone to swoop down and pick him up.

Despite her immense size, Grace was incredibly gentle with him and he felt no discomfort while carefully kept inside of her enormous hand. Her fingers coiled around him protectively, as if she was worried at any moment if he was not kept safe, he might be harmed by some unknown force. 

Her eyes, filled with concern and slight anger to see him so recklessly on the ground directly within the path she had taken to walk, softened once she noticed his expression. “What’s wrong? You’re all sweaty and I can feel you shivering.” Grace mused. “Is everything okay?” 

“...I… I h-had a terrible nightmare.” 

Before she met Ren, Maddie had never really considered herself to be much of a movie buff. As a matter of fact, she could not recall the last time she had ever found the time to go to a theater and watch something. Perhaps when she was a little girl and her grandfather had taken her to see the latest popcorn flick popular with kids her age.

Now, Maddie watched anywhere between five or six movies every day on top of many popular shows. Her roommate/owner had a subscription to practically every streaming platform on the planet, and special software which allowed her to browse selections from other countries with subtitles. 

Since she had nothing better to do, Maddie usually spent most of her spare time, which was to say essentially all day long, either on a couch cushion watching on the massive flat screen the size of a football field, or at Ren’s personal computer where she could manipulate the settings more easily. It was easier to jump around the keyboard than to fiddle with a remote at her size. 

I wonder if this is what vacation feels like. Just sitting around doing nothing all day. Maddie thought and nibbled on a humongous baby carrot the length of her entire body. Due to her slight weight gain since they had started to live together, Ren had taken away her favorite snacks and replaced them with plain vegetables. 

Maddie begrudgingly accepted the change to her diet, if only because she still remembered Maeve’s off-handed comment about her ‘soft pudgy tummy’ many months ago. 

Not once had Maddie even attempted to escape whenever she was left alone by Ren. Even though she had gone through her head countless times exactly what she would do if she so wished, she frankly did not see the point. She had seen with her own eyes how specks were treated by the outside world. Not a single person would stop to help her, and absolutely nobody would believe her insane story that she used to be a normal person that shrunk. 

The most likely outcome would be her being killed by some random person, and when stacked against the current alternative which was to simply sit on her ass all day and watch movies, she had no desire to become a fugitive wanted by the most powerful organization in the world. Whenever she was logged into any of Ren’s accounts, every call was monitored, and she could only communicate with people in the same organization or network. None of them would likely be of any assistance.

Also, it wasn’t like Ren was all that bad. 

Sure, she had an insufferable god-complex, but Maddie simply avoided the topic altogether whenever they spoke. Beneath her arrogance and complete apathy towards human life, which the giantess considered asinine, Ren was a surprisingly relaxed person and was pretty easy to get along with. Only occasionally did she ever ‘order’ Maddie to do something mundane, like a foot rub or massage.

Hundreds of specks live off meager rations in the wilderness every day, unsure if they’ll live to see the next morning. Maddie thought as she munched on another mouthful of carrot. How can I justify running away when I’m sure any one of them would happily trade places to live like me? Watching movies in a nice air-conditioned apartment all to myself with so much food I have to go on a diet because I’m getting pudgy.

Ren’s monitor received a notification banner in the top right of the screen, which Maddie lazily glanced at. It took her a few moments to do a double take then stare back at it in utter shock at what it said. 

Incoming call from Jisoo Chen.

During the lengthy monsoon season, travelers and city-folk tried to stay dry by using umbrellas and raincoats whenever they dashed from building to building. Children splashed about in the rain while adults hurried to nearby restaurants to grab lunch as the midday arrived.

Amongst the crowds of people all dressed in coats to keep dry, Jisoo lost her sister almost immediately. She vanished into the quaint little city they had stopped at, and even with her training Jisoo could not find her. 

To be able to shrink herself and navigate a city like this so easily… I really wish I could have picked up on that skill before we left. Jisoo thought remorsefully as she hunched closer to the sheltered payphone and listened to it ring. She only had a bit more loose change on her to pay for calls, so she really hoped the eighth attempt would yield results. 

In modern times, publicly available charging stations were a common sight even in small towns. Just in case your phone was dead, or you had lost it and needed to make a call, there was also a cell phone locked to a wire which you could use while your phone was charging. It came with some basic functions like call or text, and several apps such as rideshare applications.

Moreover, a user could log into the system with any one of their email addresses to access a list of all their contacts, and more importantly to a recipient they would appear with their own caller ID as opposed to an unrecognizable name which most people ignored. Jisoo thought they were nifty, especially on the rare occasions when she was younger and needed to call her adoptive sister because her phone died. The only downside was you had to use change to access the features.

Mercifully she heard a click which signaled her call had gone through. “Hey-a Ruiwen! I hope you’re doing well~?”

“Where the hell have you been this entire time?!” An irate voice shouted into the receiver.

That wasn’t Ren, but Jisoo immediately recognized the voice and winced slightly. Of course it was her. “Hello Madeleine.” She greeted in English. “I’ve been away for a few months on some personal business. But I’m back in China now and am trying to get my bearings.”

“You didn’t answer my question!”

“Look I only have a few minutes to talk, I’m kind of in a rush and I think the train will be here in less than an hour.” Jisoo replied. “I wanted to call Ruiwen and ask if you and Eren were still in contact. But since I’ve got you on the phone, I guess I can just ask you directly.” She pondered.

There was a crack of thunder. The weather only seemed to be getting worse and it was rather difficult to hear Maddie speak. “I tried calling him a few times, but it went straight to voicemail whenever I tried.” Jisoo said and glanced around to make sure nobody was around. “Did he block my number?” She pressed.

More silence.

Come on Madeleine… Just do me this one favor and help me out. Jisoo thought in exasperation. “If he doesn't want to chat with me that’s fine. But the next time you see him could you please pass on a message?”

“…I haven’t spoken with Eren in months.” She heard the voice reply in a considerably quieter tone. It was not necessarily kinder, just softer as if Maddie did not want anybody to hear her either. Odd. “Two weeks after you left, I lost contact with him.”

“Lost contact? What do you mean you lost contact?”

“He used video chat a lot and we would speak for hours at time, then he started to use only text messages for a while because he said he needed to go somewhere to clear his head. Afterwards he explained that Grace had taken him to a luxury resort in Hawaii to recover from the break-up.” Maddie said, still in the ominous hushed tone as before, she spoke quickly and did not leave Jisoo any time to cut in. “But I thought something seemed fishy about it, so Ren went to go investigate. I think Eren is in trouble and Grace didn’t want anybody to find out about it, so she came up with a bullshit story about him being in Hawaii. I think Grace is hurting him, but Ren didn’t believe me-!” There was a sudden slam in the background. 

Jisoo thought it sounded like a door opening quickly, but whatever it was caused Maddie to go silent. “Madeleine? Is everything alright?” She asked. “I just heard a noise on your end.”

“I think Ren just got back home from her trip up north.”

“Put her on the phone, I need to talk with her.”

Of all the times for her to be back… Maybe with Jisoo’s help we can find out what really happened to Eren and Maeve. Maddie thought and glanced over her shoulder towards the bedroom door that led to the rest of the small apartment. 

She was about to call for Ruiwen as loudly as her tiny body could muster, when she heard another set of footsteps. Then another. Then several more that filed inside of the apartment. 

“Hello? Are you still there?” Jisoo’s voice asked from the computer speakers. Something felt very wrong, Maddie was not certain why but the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. 

Perhaps it was the time she had spent as a speck that made her more sensitive to threats. “Something isn’t right, Ren didn’t come home alone.” Maddie replied in a whisper. “Stay on the phone with me, I’m going to put you on mute so nobody can hear you.” She explained and hopped on the two keys to silence Jisoo. 

Quickly, Maddie changed the tabs the computer was on away from the video chat application. In the corner of the screen, she could see the icon that assured her that while she was still in a call that could be heard, it was less obvious that anybody was listening in on the other end. 

Right as she swapped back to the movie screen that she had been on before Jisoo called her, a familiar figure appeared at the door. Maddie spun around on her make-shift bean bag with an aloof expression, which she noted contrasted Ren’s stone-like face. 

Something was definitely wrong. “Hey Ren! You’re back a bit sooner than I expected.” Maddie said conversationally and glanced towards the computer behind her. It looked as if she was inspecting the clock on the screen when the movie was paused, when in actuality it was the icon which confirmed her microphone was still active. 

Jisoo could still hear everything on the other side wherever she was. “How was your flight? Did your mother have anything to say about Eren?” She continued and tried to remain calm as the giantess slowly walked towards her. “I… Couldn’t help but notice it sounded like some more people came home with you.”

“I didn’t have much of a choice.” Ren said quietly. Her eyes never once left Maddie. “Sarah Lin sent them back home with me.”

“Hmm? Why would she do that?”

“...They’re here to make sure I complete my mission. It was a mistake to have left Philadelphia so brazenly.” Ren replied calmly.

Mission? Maddie felt her heart skip a beat, and once more she looked at the computer to make absolutely sure that the call was still active. She noticed Ren furrow her brow and looked up at the screen quizzically. “S-Sorry I just wanted to make sure this wasn’t a movie you haven’t seen yet.” The redhead lied with a nervous giggle. “Wouldn’t want you to see a spoiler.”

“You were right.” Ren cut in suddenly, and she let out a long sigh that blew over Maddie like a gentle breeze. For the first time the giantess seemed sad, almost remorseful over something. “About everything.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You know.”

Yeah, but I need you to come out and say it so Jisoo hears it. Maddie thought in exasperation and thought quickly. “So Eren is really in trouble then? Grace is doing something bad to him and lied about him being in Hawaii so Jisoo wouldn’t find out?” She spoke as smoothly as possible, despite the awkwardness of the phrasing. “Sarah Lin told you?”

“It wasn’t like she just came right out and said it… But I know what she meant in our conversation. She mentioned that Eren was being ‘healed’, which is to say re-educated. At a guess Grace must have taken it upon herself to do it but made up the Hawaii story so nobody would find out.” 

“To keep the truth from Jisoo?”

“If she found out that Grace had tortured her cute little boyfriend, I’m sure she would have freaked out.” Ren remarked in affirmation. “It’s been four months. Grace is one of the most talented torturers in the clan, by now Eren is long gone. He’s likely been completely reprogrammed, and I doubt Jisoo will ever know.” She stated. 

Well, she does now… Maddie thought and resisted the urge to smirk. If that was not an outright admission of guilt, nothing was. “I guess that’s it then. There’s nothing more that we can do~.”

“Maeve is alive.” Ren interrupted and looked away in shame. Maddie blinked and felt her body go numb as the words hit home. “She was caught not long after you hid her. At a guess, Grace used her as collateral and ordered her sent to China for re-education as well. It’s what I would have done if I was her.”

“S-She’s alive…? This entire time she’s~!”

“Yes. She’s alive and I doubt Grace has any plans to kill her, you can rest easy knowing that both of them are going to be okay. Their minds have been reshaped and they’ll live long happy lives in bliss.” Ren promised and took another step forward. “Do you understand me Maddie? You can rest easy knowing they are both okay. It’s over. Everything will be just fine now.” She said reassuringly.

Maddie felt the joy from moments ago crack and fracture. Her veins turned to ice and she instinctively took several steps back away from her ‘friend’ who stared down at her ominously. “I-Is it okay for you to tell me all of this?” She asked. “I understand some things have to be kept a secret.”

“I wanted you to know. I didn’t want you to go without knowing that your friends were alive and well.”

“Ren please, I-I don’t know what you’re planning to do but whatever it is~!”

“You’re really smart Maddie. Too smart for your own good.” Ren said as a tear began to roll down her cheek. “Sarah Lin knew you were a threat after a single conversation. With how much you know… It’s too big of a risk to let you live any longer even as a pet.”

“I’ve never once tried to escape. This entire time you knew you could trust me with phones, computers, and time to myself because you knew I wouldn’t try anything.” Maddie said, her voice pleading as tears began to well-up in her eyes as well. 

Ren shook her head. “I… I tried to talk her out of it. Please, if nothing else believe me when I say I did everything I could to convince her you could be spared.” She muttered. “You’ve been marked for death. They want me to be your executioner as a proof of loyalty.”

“You can leave me in the wilderness. Drop me off in the Jefferson Commune and nobody will ever know! Not a single person will ever know you didn’t kill me.”

“Those specks know your face, Maddie.”

“Then some other Commune! There’s lots of them in New England! Ren please, they don’t have to know! I swear I’ll disappear and you’ll never hear from me again!” Maddie continued to beg, now on her knees. 

Ren wiped the tears away from her eyes. “Sarah sent a squad with me to verify your death. I’m supposed to deliver your corpse to her.” She explained. “The people with me are her men meant to ensure I don’t do exactly what you suggest.”

“I’ve seen you bend steel with your bare hands! What could a few thugs do to you?!” Maddie shouted. “Y-You can save me! I thought we were friends!”

“No we fucking aren’t!” Ren screamed back with enough force to send Maddie flying back several inches, where her body rolled across the keyboard. She marched forward and forcibly grabbed Maddie, her fingers coiled around her so tightly it was impossible to breathe, much less speak. 

The dark-haired giantess had tears freely falling down her face from eyes red with fury as she continued. “Have you forgotten who you are?! You’re my prisoner. My fucking pet. How dare you think we could ever be friends?! You aren’t even a damn person.”

“Then why are you crying?! Why didn’t you just crush me the very second you walked into the room?!” Maddie managed and forced herself upwards within Ren’s fist so she could expand her lungs enough to speak. “Ren please! I know you don’t want to kill me, so you don’t have to! I can see it in your eyes that you don’t want to do this, you just said you fought to save me! You don’t think of me that way, so stop trying to convince yourself that you do.”

“Stop making this harder than it has to be… Please. I-I don’t have a choice.” Ren said, her voice weak as her grip loosened around Maddie’s body. “I have to do this.”

“You don’t. You can do whatever you want.” Maddie pressed. “You’re a xian. A demi-goddess. Sarah Lin is just a normal person like me on a power-trip because she thinks she can boss you around. Why should you have to do what she says?!” She reasoned. 

Ren looked away and remained silent for a few moments. “You can’t manipulate me that easily Maddie.” She said with a sigh. “I’m sorry. I really am but this is how it has to be.”

“R-Ren, please~!”

“I’ll make it quick. You won’t feel a…” Ren suddenly trailed off as her eyes flicked upwards at the computer screen, which she had not realized had swapped back to a different tab when Maddie rolled across it earlier by accident. 

It was back to her texts through one of the messenger apps, where the screen clearly showed that she was in an active call although the other side was muted and could not speak, although they could hear the entire conversation. 

Ren’s face went bone white in abject horror when she read the name of who was rapidly sending texts in all capital letters in a desperate attempt to grab her attention away from Madeleine. “A-Aunt Jisoo?” She muttered in disbelief as the angry texts continued to roll in from her muted cousin. “W-What is…?”

“She heard everything, she called right before you got in. I guess your phone is still on airplane mode huh?” Maddie said softly, as Ren began to tremble. “Ren… What will Jisoo do if you kill me? Sure, me and her may hate each other but I’m also one of Eren’s best friends. And after everything you just said I think you’re going to be on one hell of a shit-list. What would the Amrita Corporation do if they found out you fucked up so badly? Again?”

“I…” Ren stammered dumbly and dropped Maddie out of shock, where she landed harmlessly on the table near the keyboard. Tears were flowing from her at a renewed pace as the world began to collapse all around the giantess.

Maddie dusted herself off and rose back to her feet. “I suggest you have a quick word with her, for your own sake.” She said threateningly and hopped on a pair of keys to unmute the microphone.