"Jian. Hey. Wake up."
I crouched beside him, lightly patting his cheek. No response. Another slap. Still nothing. With a sigh, I raised my hand and smacked him harder.
"Gah—Lili?!" His eyes snapped open, wide with panic, his voice both groggy and accusatory.
"Yes, me. Now get up," I said, my tone as sharp as the sting I'd left on his cheek.
He groaned theatrically, throwing an arm over his face. "I was dreaming of paradise…"
"Well, paradise is over. Up. Now."
Grumbling under his breath, he dragged himself into a sitting position, his hair sticking up in chaotic spikes.
Straightening, I turned to the rest of the room with a polite smile. "Everyone, meet Kiyel—our newest member."
That got their attention.
"Nooooooo!" Julian wailed, collapsing onto the floor as though struck by lightning. His hands clutched his hair, his expression a mask of exaggerated despair. "Why, Lili? He's just a child!"
"Enough!" I snapped, delivering a swift kick to his side. He rolled over, clutching his ribs and mumbling, "It's all over…"
Nyx, curled up under a blanket, growled without lifting his head. "I don't care who he is. Just shut up and let me sleep." His perpetually grumpy tone, paired with his disheveled hair and sleepy glare, made him look like a disgruntled cat.
In the corner, Keios sat with his back to the group, his long hair cascading over his shoulders in soft waves. He didn't even glance our way, as detached and unreadable as ever.
Yen, leaning casually against the wall with his arms crossed, regarded Kiyel with an impassive stare. "Are you sure about this?" he asked, brushing off Jian, who had crawled over to cling to his leg like a desperate child.
"Y-Yes?" Kiyel stammered, his shoulders stiffening under Yen's gaze.
Yen tilted his head slightly, his silence and expression made Kiyel fidget nervously.
From across the room, a sleepy chorus interrupted the tension.
"Hello."
"Hi."
"Goodnight."
Soh and Juh, the twins, stumbled in unison toward a wall, their arms slung around each other for support. Without warning, they walked straight into it, collapsed onto the floor, and immediately began snoring.
Kiyel blinked, wide-eyed. "Are they… always like this?"
"Worse," I muttered under my breath.
"Are they mentally unstable?" Kiyel whispered, leaning toward me with genuine concern.
Before I could answer, Jian shot up dramatically, pointing a trembling finger at Kiyel. "Run, kid! Run while you still can!"
"Tch. Idiots," Leon muttered from her perch in the corner. Her androgynous features were framed by loose, effortlessly stylish hair, her sharp eyes brimming with quiet disdain.
"Ah, here's a sane one," I said with a smirk, gesturing toward Leon. "Kiyel, meet Leon. He identifies as a man."
Kiyel hesitated, then extended a tentative hand. "Uh… bro?"
Leon didn't move, his icy stare making Kiyel lower his hand awkwardly.
Suppressing a laugh, I cleared my throat. "Alright, enough introductions. Kiyel, you'll bunk with Jian for now."
"What?!" Jian threw himself back onto the ground, clutching his chest like he'd been mortally wounded. "I told you to run!"
"I'll… just take the couch," Kiyel offered hastily, clearly reconsidering every decision that had led him here.
Yen shrugged. "Suit yourself."
"Goodnight, everyone," I said softly, taking Yen's outstretched hand as we stepped out of the room. His fingers brushed against mine, his touch unexpectedly warm against my cold skin. He paused, gently cupping my hand to warm it, his movements deliberate and tender.
My heart fluttered, my cheeks burning. How was I still not used to this side of him?
-----
The next morning, I found the group gathered around Kiyel like vultures circling a fresh kill. They loomed over him as he slept on the couch, their expressions ranging from curiosity to outright mischief.
"He's our youngest now," Nyx muttered, arms crossed and lips curled into a disapproving frown.
The group nodded solemnly.
"Admit it, Lili," Julian teased, his grin as sharp as a fox's. "You kidnapped him, didn't you?"
They all nodded in exaggerated agreement—even Yen, who raised his coffee mug in a mock toast to my supposed crime.
"For the last time," I said, glaring at them, "he chose to follow Yen here."
"Poor kid," Jian sighed dramatically.
"Dumb kid," Nyx added, shaking his head like a disappointed parent.
Keios finally broke his silence. "Wake him up."
Before anyone could act, Kiyel's eyes fluttered open. He bolted upright, his gaze darting nervously between the faces looming over him. "Uh… good morning?"
Nyx, already walking toward the dining table, threw a hand over his shoulder. "Come on. Breakfast."
-----
The table was a chaotic feast of steaming rice, grilled meat, and stacks of bread. The twins were still sprawled in the corner, snoring in harmony, while everyone else dug into the food with varying degrees of enthusiasm.
"So," Jian began, leaning conspiratorially toward Kiyel. "Do you have any idea what we do here?"
Kiyel hesitated, his fork hovering mid-air. "I… think so?"
Jian's grin widened. "That's right. We use our bodies to satisfy the desires of women."
Kiyel choked on his tea, sputtering as his eyes widened in horror.
"Jian!" I scolded, glancing at Yen, who was calmly peeling shrimp for me. "Stop lying to him."
"What?" Jian said innocently, shrugging. "I'm not lying."
Nyx rolled his eyes, flicking a piece of bread at Jian. "You make us sound like common whores."
Leon, ever composed, added smoothly, "We use our talents to entertain. It's not as sleazy as he makes it sound."
"Talents?" Kiyel asked, visibly confused.
"I sing," Leon said, brushing a strand of hair behind his ear.
"I play instruments," Jian said proudly, puffing out his chest.
"I write poetry," Keios offered, his tone serene as he sipped his tea.
"None for me." Nyx shrugged.
"And the twins?"
"They run the games," Jian said, gesturing toward the snoring pair.
"And the young master?"
"He runs the place," Jian said, his tone turning mockingly reverent. "All the boring stuff—numbers, funds, logistics."
"And Lili?"
"She's the boss," Jian said with a wink. "The one who keeps us all in line."
Kiyel's gaze shifted to me, uncertainty flickering in his eyes.
I smiled faintly, focusing on my food. "Shrimp, please," I murmured to Yen, who quietly placed another peeled one on my plate.
After a moment of silence, I finally said, "We're assassins."
The table froze. Kiyel stared, his fork suspended mid-air.
"Don't worry," I added, flashing him a reassuring smile. "We only take jobs that vanquish evil. Sundays, we gather intel from the Soul Seeker House. The rest of the week is for training and missions. It's not as bad as it sounds."
Kiyel nodded slowly, his grip tightening on his fork. "Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me this."
"Don't mention it," I said sweetly. "If you betray us, we'll just… take care of it."
"What?"
"Nothing. Eat your food."
For a moment, I couldn't help but smile at his nervous but earnest demeanor. In this chaotic family, he was like a younger sibling—wide-eyed, naive, but oddly endearing.
"Careful," Jian whispered to Kiyel, pointing at Yen and me with his fork. "Those two? They're the ones you really need to watch."
I narrowed my eyes at Jian, and he grinned sheepishly, stabbing a piece of meat and placing it on Kiyel's plate.