Eros’s aura simred, his loathing palpable. Lord Leung wasn’t just a criminal. He was a parasite. And Eros’s hatred for him was a fire that would not be extinguished.
Eros’s voice was calm, but it carried the weight of sothing far darker.
"If you are going to kill him," he said, eyes narrowing, "then just give him to . I have a special place for him."
Yu Xi turned to his grandfather, his eyes still faintly glowing. "I don’t see why you can’t take him with you."
Eros nodded, and for a fleeting mont, a glint of sothing sinister flashed in his gaze.
Later, when they told Jian Rui, he agreed without hesitation. Handing Lord Leung to Eros was handing him to the devil himself. Whatever tornt Yu Xi had inflicted was nothing compared to what Eros could do.
Lord Leung was a small fry in the grand sche, but he had earned obscene wealth trafficking supplies to the underground labs. And who knew how many won and children had been swallowed by those places, their lives destroyed for profit. Half of Eros’s empire had been built on supplying those networks, and he knew exactly how deep Leung’s corruption ran.
When they had first interrogated him, Leung had downplayed his role. He claid his companies only made a handful of deliveries. But once Yu Xi made him give up his insurance, the truth spilled out. The number of shipnts was far greater, the scale of his cris staggering. If they could prolong his suffering, then why not?
Eros was pleased. His lips curled into sothing that was not quite a smile. "Xi Xi," he said, "you need to get a health check. Your energy levels will be low for a while."
Yu Xi nodded, his fury finally ebbing into exhaustion. He left for the dical bay, his uniform still torn and bloodied.
Eros followed, but when he sat down beside his grandson, his face was already disguised. His features were altered, his aura masked.
***
The garden was quiet except for the faint hiss of Jian Wei’s cigarette and the occasional rustle of leaves in the evening breeze. Jian Ci stood a few steps away, watching him, frustration simring beneath his calm exterior.
He had tried everything. He had tried bribing Jian Wei with his favorite snacks, dangling rare books, even resorting to emotional blackmail and pitiful looks. But Jian Wei remained unmoved, his expression carved from stone.
"Wait for Yu Xi and dage to co back," Jian Wei said flatly, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke. His mood was written all over him, heavy and sour, like the smoke itself.
Jian Ci’s jaw tightened. "You know, sotis I feel like I am not part of this family at all. You guys hide things from like I am so fragile porcelain doll, like I would shatter at a single word."
Jian Wei turned his head, eyes narrowing. " But you are fragile."
Jian Ci blinked, stunned. "What is that supposed to an?"
"You aren’t well," Jian Wei said, his tone blunt but not cruel. "Any slight emotional fluctuation and you will regress."
Jian Ci’s chest tightened, his voice rising. "Oh, so now I am a burden to you?"
Jian Wei shook his head, smoke curling from his lips. "No. That’s not what I ant."
But Jian Ci’s anger had already taken root. "No, no—that’s exactly what you ant. Everyone’s just icing out, keeping in the dark."
He spun on his heel, his footsteps sharp against the stone path as he stord away.
Jian Wei didn’t move. He didn’t call after him. He just stood there, cigarette burning low, his silence heavier than words.
Everyone worried about Jian Ci. He had been frail since the day he was born, and though he had grown stronger over the years, the shadow of illness never left him. His brothers, Yu Xi, even Seraphyne herself all carried the sa vow: never tell him anything that might shake him, never risk the emotional shock that could send him spiraling back into regression.
But Jian Ci didn’t understand that. To him, their silence felt like betrayal.
He walked back into the house, his footsteps heavy, and made his way to his mother’s sanctuary. Seraphyne’s projection was nowhere to be seen. Jian Ci threw himself onto the couch, frustration spilling out in his voice. "Ma, I know you are playing dead."
A shimr of light flickered, and Seraphyne’s projection appeared beside him, her form soft and luminous. She sat down next to him, her expression gentle but knowing. "You fought with your brothers again?" she asked.
Jian Ci turned his head sharply. "You all have been hiding things from , and you ask that?"
Seraphyne sighed, her shoulders dipping. "They were just worried you wouldn’t take it well. They wanted to verify it first before telling you."
Jian Ci sat up, his eyes narrowing. "Verify what?"
Seraphyne tilted her head, studying him. "Let ask you sothing."
Jian Ci frowned. "Ask what?"
Her voice was calm and deliberate. "How do you envision the person you want to spend the rest of your life with?"
Jian Ci blinked, confused. They had had this conversation before so why was she asking again now?
"Why are you asking that again?" Jian Ci whispered, his voice tight.
Seraphyne’s projection only smiled faintly, her eyes shadowed with secrets she wasn’t ready to share.
Jian Ci leaned back against the couch, his voice quiet but steady.
"Like we talked about before—it’s still the sa thing."
Seraphyne’s projection tilted her head, her luminous form flickering faintly. "Okay," she said softly, though inside she made a decision. She would leave certain truths out, focus only on what mattered most.
Her tone shifted, heavier now. "That night... when you had an episode."
Jian Ci didn’t need clarification. He already knew which night she ant. His chest tightened. "Yeah. What happened?"
Seraphyne’s eyes lingered on him, her voice deliberate. "If I tell you, you aren’t to leave this house until your older brother cos back."
Jian Ci’s stomach dropped. The warning made him more anxious than the mystery itself. "I promise I won’t leave," he said quickly.
But Seraphyne didn’t trust his word. She was already preparing to initiate the sanctuary’s shutdown protocol, locking him inside if necessary.
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