Luxy slammed her controller down on the couch.

"WHAT THE—HOW DID SHE EVEN SHOOT ME THROUGH THE WALL?!" she yelled, her voice cracking as the final kill-cam replayed her embarrassing defeat.

Her headset erupted with noise.

"Luxy, you sold, sis!" one of her teammates screamed.

"I didn't sell, you potato-brained clown!" she snapped back.

"Maybe if you actually aimed—"

"SHUT UP, KEV! I SWEAR YOU HAVE THE AIM OF A BLIND MOUSE!"

The insults flew both ways until the match screen faded to black. Luxy ripped off her headset and slumped on the sofa, breathing hard, still muttering curses under her breath.

"FUCKING USELESS! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO PUSH MY RANK WITH THESE IDIOTS?" She cursed even more feeling her anger bubbling up.

Her phone buzzed on the coffee table. She picked it up, looked at the notification—and her eyes widened.

"Oh crap," she whispered. Then, louder, "Ohhh nooo… I'm done. Oh noooo! nooooo!"

She jumped up so fast she almost tripped on the controller wire. Her face was pale and sweaty as she fumbled to turn off the TV and her GameboxPRO. "No no no no, not this! How did I miss the notification sound?" she muttered, sprinting to the door.

When she opened it, she froze.

Standing there was her angel sister, radiant and awkwardly smiling, wings slightly ruffled.

"...Oh. Uh, hey, sis," Luxy said, trying to sound casual even though her voice cracked halfway through. "What's up?"

The angel shifted her weight, looking down shyly. "I… I wanted to apologize."

Luxy blinked. "Huh?"

"For how I acted before. When I saw you and that human of yours…" she hesitated, her cheeks tinting pink, "...making out."

Luxy's entire body went stiff. "Ah…" She opened her mouth to explain, then stopped. Her brain screamed *deny it*, but her gut whispered *let it slide*.

"…It's fine," she finally said quietly.

Her sister's eyes suddenly sparkled. The awkwardness melted into a dreamy smile.

"Ohh, love~," the angel sighed, pressing her hands together. "Love can change everything! Even between a superior beings like us and a trashy human… oh, how romantic!"

Luxy blinked. "What."

Her sister twirled dramatically, wings fluttering as she clasped her chest. "Love conquers all! Just like in *Heavenly Hearts Season 3*! Love between the divine and the lowly! Such tragedy, such passion!"

Luxy buried her face in her hand. "Oh my god, she's been watching those K-drama channels again…"

The angel continued, completely lost in her fantasy. "Maybe your human will fight the gods for you one day! Oh, how glorious!"

Luxy sighed, slumping against the doorframe. "Yeah, or maybe I'll just die of secondhand embarrassment first but first I need to stay alive physically so I am leaving."

"Sister, make sure to spoon feed him! It will show your affection for him!" the angel shouted as Luxy was leaving the apartment, her face looking dreamy—almost as if she were excited herself.

***

Ren's gaze drifted downward, past the rumpled sheets and the faint wet marks still blooming on Silver's collarbone, until it settled on the part of himself that had, only minutes ago, been a raging, veined monstrosity. Now it lay half-soft against his thigh, the angry purple ridges faded to a dull, pulsing blue.

Silver followed his stare and let out a low, amused hum. "You're no longer in danger of dying, big guy."

Ren snorted. "At least not physically."

The words hung between them like smoke. Silver tilted her head, blonde hair sliding over one bare shoulder. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Ren clicked his tongue, the sound sharp in the quiet room. "Can't spill secrets to a woman who breaks promises the second they leave her lips, can I?"

Silver's smile was slow, catlike. She reached for the scrap of black lace on the floor—her panties—and stepped into them with deliberate grace, hips swaying just enough to remind him what had just happened. "I only asked because silence is boring," she said. "Your problems don't interest me."

Ren watched the fabric glide up her thighs and felt the last of the heat drain from his blood. "So," he said, voice rough, "do I finally meet this 'mutual friend' of ours?"

Silver paused, one thumb hooked under the waistband, and considered him. Night light from the cracked window painted silver bars across her skin even with the flickering tubelights. "Depends," she said at last. "Are you useful to us right now?"

Ren arched a brow. "You're not the one deciding?"

"Nope." She snapped the elastic against her hip. "I'm just the messenger. And the getaway car."

Ren leaned back against the headboard, the cheap wood creaking under his weight. His mind replayed the last twenty minutes: the way her body had gone slack the instant he'd pressed two fingers on her clit and worked on it, the way her pulse had fluttered like a trapped bird beneath his cock. He'd taken control without meaning to—like flipping a switch he hadn't known existed.

And she'd let him or she was just as weak as Ren.

That was the part that crawled under his skin.

"So," he said, forcing lightness into his tone, "what exactly is your power? You jumped into Lan territory, snatched me out from under Xinyue's nose, and not one guard so much as blinked. That's not normal."

Silver turned to face him fully. She wore nothing but those panties now, and the sight should have restarted the fire in his gut—but the fire had died down, curious instead of hungry.

She spread her arms. "Go on. Guess."

Ren's eyes narrowed. "Teleporting?"

"Cold."

"Mind control?"

"Fire. But no."

"Illusionist?"

She laughed, the sound bright and sharp. "You felt me, Ren. Every inch. That wasn't fake. You took control of my body..."

Silver dropped her arms and padded across the threadbare carpet until she stood between his knees. She smelled of sweat and jasmine.

"The best part," she whispered, leaning in until her lips brushed the shell of his ear, "is I don't have a power."

Ren jerked back as if slapped. "Bullshit."

"Ahaha!" She straightened, smirking. "You saw it yourself, how weak I am and how you took control of my body. I'm just a girl with good training and better lady with a powerful skill."

While Ren was busy trying to see what Silver's deal was, Amanda stood in the middle of the ruined living room, staring at the two women in front of her. Her golden retriever sat beside her, tail swishing anxiously, sensing the tension.

"What the hell is going on here?" Amanda demanded. "And what is Lan Meiling doing here of all people?"

Meiling, dressed in travel-worn clothes and still looking pale from her last injury, pushed herself up from the floor. "I'm not here to cause trouble," she said firmly. "I'm here to help."

Amanda narrowed her eyes. "Help? You should be in bed. Last time I checked, you could barely walk. Do mother know about you being here?"

"I don't care about that," Meiling snapped back. "I felt it. Something happened to Ren. My body reacted before I even knew what was going on. That's why I came here—only to find this mess." She gestured toward the broken door and scattered furniture. "We need to find him before something bad happens."

Amanda sighed, rubbing her temple. "You and your instincts with Ren again. You are always there when he is in danger."

Just then, footsteps echoed from the hallway. Misa appeared, her hair disheveled, eyes wild from panic. "Amanda! Where is this person you said was going to help us? We're wasting time!"

Her attention quickly went to Meiling and looked at Amanda once again. "For now she will stay with us...we don't have time to be arguing."

Amanda lifted a finger and pointed down at her side. "Here she is."

Misa blinked. "...The dog?"

"Her name is Grooty," Amanda said with pride. "She's not just a dog—she can track Ren's scent anywhere. But she needs something with his smell on it."

Without hesitation, Misa spun on her heel and bolted toward the bathroom. The sound of rummaging echoed through the hall. Meiling and Amanda waited in awkward silence, the only sound being Grooty's soft panting and the faint creak of broken wood underfoot.

Meiling crossed her arms, frowning. "So this is your plan? Let the dog do all the work?"

Amanda shot her a look. "You got a better one? My dog is no ordinary dog...she is well trained to follow criminals."

Before Meiling could answer, Misa came running back, holding a crumpled piece of clothing. "Here!" she said breathlessly.

Amanda took one look and nearly recoiled. "Wait—this is his shorts?"

"It's the strongest smell I could find!" Misa shouted defensively.

Meiling's eyes fell on the piece of fabric, and her face suddenly turned red. Her breathing quickened, almost trembling. She looked away quickly, clutching her chest.

Amanda noticed immediately. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Meiling said too quickly, refusing to make eye contact.

Amanda gave her a suspicious look but decided not to press. Instead, she crouched beside Grooty and held out the shorts. "Alright, girl. Do your thing."

The golden retriever leaned forward, sniffed deeply, then let out a sharp bark that echoed through the house. Her ears perked, nose twitching, she turned toward the door, muscles tensing.

"There we go," Amanda said, standing up. "She's got something."

Without another bark, Grooty sprinted toward the broken door, leash dragging behind her.

"Wait—Grooty!" Amanda grabbed the leash at the last second and was nearly pulled off her feet. "She's in a hurry! Let's go!"

Misa and Meiling rushed after her, both keeping pace as the group burst out into the street. "Keep up with me and get ready to fight if necessary because we are not going to solve this peacefully today."