"This kid really knows how to find me trouble."
Fang Zhou leaned back in his chair, fingers absentmindedly tracing his chin as the video call faded to black.
Mo-Riang… Xi.
He hadn't expected that shy little ink-wisp—always so terrified of returning to chaos—to come knocking on his door right before the New Year with a situation this serious.
Still, it wasn't all bad. Thanks to her, he'd managed to finish something… quite special. A little tool for Amiya. Not sure how she'd handle it, though. Or whether she was even the one meant to—
Click.
The door opened.
Kelsey stepped in, report in hand.
"This is the revenue summary for the first test phase of the Lungmen Sigmagia pilot program," she said, setting it on his desk. "If everything checks out, we'll be wrapping up our business in Lungmen soon... hmm? What's on your mind?"
She narrowed her eyes, sensing Fang Zhou had been caught up in something—not necessarily good. With practiced ease, she detoured to the bookshelf and reached behind a thick file, retrieving a small, round tin hidden there.
"Hey—!" Fang Zhou shot her a deadpan glare.
Too late. Kelsey was already pinching out a portion of the tea leaves and beginning to brew it, as if it were her office and not his.
"That's the last tin, you know. Once it's gone, it's gone."
He sighed, glancing at the report. Technically, the PRTS could've sent this directly. No need for Kelsey to bring it all this way—the Medical Department was halfway across the base. And wasn't this task normally assigned to Kal'tsit's assistant?
Where was Closure?
(Closure: Don't ask me! Kelsey suddenly told me she'd deliver the report herself and sent me off to the shop. I have no idea why.)
Well, he wouldn't complain. Kelsey delivering the report herself meant he didn't have to read it over a monitor. And Closure… well, she could enjoy her little break.
(Closure: There's a dog here!)
The report was thorough. Clear breakdowns of income, projected growth, market viability—it was easy for Fang Zhou to grasp the situation at a glance.
As he skimmed it, the room filled with the faint aroma of brewing tea. Kelsey handed him a cup just as he set the papers aside.
"You said that last time. And the time before that. Yet somehow, a fresh tin always appears on the shelf the next day," she muttered, brow faintly furrowed, her tone bordering on playful exasperation.
It wasn't anger. Not really. More like a subtle sulk—the kind you'd expect from someone pretending not to care.
Nice. That look suits her.
Ahem.
Fang Zhou coughed into his fist to hide the smirk and took a sip. The tea hit his tongue with a sharp clarity—bitter at first, then mellowing into a soft sweetness that lingered on the palate.
"I should never have brewed that cup for you in the first place," he grumbled halfheartedly, placing the cup down.
The report was mostly fine. Lungmen's sigmagia systems were rolling out smoothly, and several major companies—including Thunder Industrial—had already expressed interest in formal partnerships. They'd even proposed times for face-to-face negotiations.
The future was looking bright.
"We're doing well," he said aloud.
Kelsey was seated on the nearby sofa, flipping through a medical journal, tea in hand. Her legs were crossed, her posture relaxed—but her presence always demanded attention. Fang Zhou's eyes wandered slightly, unintentionally, to the curve of her—
Focus.
He got up, retrieved another folder from a side table, and handed it to her. "Here. Report from Amiya. She just sent it over."
Kelsey set the magazine aside and opened the folder. It took only a few seconds of reading before her catlike eyes sharpened into something much less idle.
"What's this about?"
He didn't need to ask what part she meant.
"Sui's agents attacked Lungmen?" she said, now fully alert. "That's no minor incident. Is the intel solid?"
Fang Zhou nodded.
"Amiya, Talulah, and Ch'en were out together when they saw it happen. A street attack—Mo-Riang leading a group of minor inklings. The big one was wearing oripathy armor. No doubt about it—inkspawn. And there's more. Pramanix is involved too."
Kelsey's expression turned grave.
Mo-Riang.
She flipped through her memory—not just this life, but the ones before. Her mind spanned the entire war-scarred history of Terra. The name settled in her thoughts like ash on snow.
"Xi," she said at last.
"The Eleventh of the Twelve Sui Avatars. A maker of illusory landscapes. Every brushstroke breathes creation."
She glanced down at the photos of the inkbeasts and nodded.
"Yes. That's her."
But…
"But Xi is timid by nature," Kelsey muttered, standing to peer out the tall windows of Fang Zhou's office. "She's always avoided the world. What would drive her from Mount Huiqi all the way to Lungmen—to attack, no less? It doesn't fit."
Fang Zhou remained silent, letting her puzzle it out.
Then, almost as an afterthought, he reached into the dimensional pocket at his waist and pulled out a watch head—one half red, one half white. The artifact shimmered slightly with dormant power.
"I never passed this along to the Yan authorities," he said. "Came about by accident."
Kelsey's sharp gaze flicked to the device.
"What are you planning?"
She tilted her head just slightly, an innocent motion—except Fang Zhou noticed her chin still had that bit of winter softness to it. The tiniest remnant of baby fat gave her normally elegant features a strangely youthful charm.
"You're staring."
"Just observing. Nothing inappropriate."
"Hmm."
He held up the device, deflecting the moment.
"You recognize this?"
Kelsey's eyes narrowed. "The driver head… for Nian?"
"More or less," he replied. "Call it fate, maybe. Right when things are escalating, we have the exact thing that might turn the tide. I'd say that's lucky."
He stood and headed toward the side door.
"Where are you going?"
"To do my job. I'm making some gear for Amiya and the others. This thing's bigger than it looks—and I did accept the request. I've got to see it through. I even whipped up some… let's call them enhancements."
"Enhance—what?"
"You'll see. I could use your help, actually. There's something I want you to witness."
February 7th, 1096.
"Any luck? Anything?" Talulah's voice echoed between alley walls.
For the past day, she, Amiya, and Ch'en had been scouring the area Xi was supposedly hiding in. Nian had claimed she could "sense" her sister somewhere nearby, using that vague and mystical bond between them.
But despite all efforts—even Governor Wei dispatching his Blackcloak agents—they hadn't turned up a single clue. No brushstrokes. No lingering ink. Nothing.
Talulah sighed and set down her lemon tea.
"Is that flaky dragon really trustworthy? Amiya, what's going on with—"
"That flaky dragon has a name," a familiar voice interrupted.
Thud. A folding fan slammed against the table.
Nian helped herself to Talulah's drink, took a long sip, and immediately grimaced.
"Ugh. Not spicy."
"Lemon tea isn't supposed to be spicy! That's mine! You owe me!"
"I'll buy you another."
Watching them bicker, Ch'en rubbed her temples. Somehow, Talulah—who led the entire Reunion movement with the gravitas of a revolutionary—always turned into a brat around Nian.
Honestly, she should record this and show it to Alina. Let the whole Reunion army see their leader squabble like a five-year-old.
Talulah suddenly hugged herself.
"Wait… why is my spine cold?"
Her tail twitched anxiously. Something unseen had crawled up her nerves, like a threat brushing against the edge of her consciousness.
"Because I was thinking something," Ch'en muttered, not looking at her.
"You were?! What were you thinking?! Tell me!"
"You're so annoying."
"You've changed, Ch'en! You used to like me!"
"[○?｀Д??○]?"
While they argued, Amiya watched with a quiet smile. It was nice—seeing them like this.
Then her expression sobered.
"Nian… are you sure Xi is here?"
The dragon blinked, frowning as she balanced her fan on her chin.
"You say she is, she is. You say she's not, maybe not. But I can feel her presence nearby. Huh?"
Her words faltered.
All four turned their attention to the cup on the table.
The lemon tea was trembling.
Slowly, it sprouted four tiny legs. The glass surface shimmered, and a grotesque lion-like face appeared on its side.
A vessel-beast.
Xi's creature.
Before anyone could react, the thing let out a low, rasping growl.
"…Found…you."