Emotional Turmoil is Not Designed for the Faint of Heart

Jinxia didn’t know what to do when she entered the apartment.

Seeing the two occupants sprawled on the floor was one thing.

Seeing Quinn on top of Jarel, sobbing into his chest, was another.

But neither compared to the woman she was holding.

Her jaw tightened.

“I don’t know what happened, but you two need to help me.”

That got their attention instantly.

They scrambled apart, hearts still racing - though whatever embarrassment might’ve followed vanished the second they saw who Jinxia was carrying.

They spoke at the same time.

“Aunty?”

Jinxia crossed the room and laid Sayang gently on the couch before stepping back.

Jarel and Quinn rushed forward, checking her - pulse, breathing, anything.

Nothing seemed wrong.

Which somehow made it worse.

Jarel looked back at Jinxia.

“What happened?”

She chewed at her fingernail, agitation bleeding through.

“I don’t know. She wasn’t answering the door, so I let myself in. Found her slumped at the table.”

A pause.

“There were two cups of tea.”

Jarel glanced at Quinn.

“The visitor?”

Quinn shook her head quickly, already overwhelmed.

“She didn’t tell me!”

Before anything else could be said-

A knock.

The sound cut through the room.

Jinxia’s head snapped toward the door, irritation flaring.

But Jarel spoke first.

“Come in!”

The door opened.

A woman stepped inside.

Jarel didn’t recognize her. Neither did Quinn.

Jinxia narrowed her eyes.

“Who are you?”

The woman smiled softly and gave a small, graceful curtsy.

She was around Jarel’s height, perhaps a little shorter. Middle-aged, with deep maroon hair and neat, modest clothing that suggested quiet respectability.

Normal.

Almost.

Then Jarel saw her eyes.

Red.

The same vivid red as Quinn’s. And Jinxia’s.

His breath caught.

She opened her mouth to speak-

But Jarel beat her to it.

“Are you Sayang’s friend?”

She nodded, still smiling.

“That I am.”

His heart pounded.

“Mahalina?”

Jinxia and Quinn both turned to him like he’d lost his mind.

But the woman only chuckled.

“Correct. How did you know?”

Relief hit him in a rush. He let out a breath.

“Your eyes. They’re red.”

Her smile faltered slightly.

“My eyes are red?”

Jinxia scoffed.

“Yeah, what’re you on about?”

Jarel blinked.

“…What?”

Quinn reached up and gently pinched his cheek.

“Are you okay?”

He frowned.

“Yeah. Why?”

She looked at him carefully.

“Because her eyes are brown.”

He turned back.

Looked again.

Still red.

Bright. Unmistakable.

He turned slowly to Quinn.

“Then what are yours?”

Jinxia answered for her.

“Green.”

He looked at Jinxia.

“And yours?”

Quinn answered this time.

“Amber.”

Jarel stared between them.

Then back to Mahalina, who had stepped further into the room, now only a few paces from Sayang.

He rubbed his eyes.

No change.

“…They’re all red to me.”

Silence.

A long, heavy silence.

Then-

Mahalina giggled, soft and knowing.

“That explains a lot.”

She waved a hand lightly.

“Well, I’ll return to my friend. If you don’t mind.”

No one stopped her.

No one could.

She walked past them, completely at ease, and knelt beside Sayang.

For a moment, everything felt… still.

Intimate.

She leaned down, her maroon hair falling like a curtain around Sayang’s face. One hand gently lifted the older woman’s chin.

Jarel’s breath caught.

She was going to kiss her.

But just before their lips met-

She vanished.

Gone.

Like she’d never been there.

The air snapped back into place.

No one spoke.

No one moved.

And then-

Sayang’s eyes opened.

She sat up naturally and blinked at the group, who were staring at her.

“Whatever are you all looking at?”

Jinxia pointed at the old woman.

“Aunty… Mahalina is living inside you.”

Sayang sighed.

“Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.”

She smiled warmly at Jarel.

“Sorry dear. But it was a lot of fun to watch you try to solve the mystery.”

He just nodded and stared. Processing this would take several days, he was sure of it.

Sayang stood.

“Well, if there’s nothing more needed from me, I’ll be in my apartment finishing catching up with my wife. Have fun, dear, dearie and dearest.”

She left without interruption. The door closed with a soft click.

Quinn fell to her knees and sighed.

Jarel collapsed onto the couch and groaned.

“Which of you two are going to explain that?”

Jinxia shrugged.

“Not much to explain. When Mahalina died, she possessed Sayang so they could stay together. Now they co-own Sayang’s body. That’s why I found her unconscious. Mahalina’s spirit got too far from her host.”

She frowned.

“What I want to know is why she ran.”

Quinn raised her hand.

“She probably got scared off by the presence of the Demon of Sloth.”

So that explained why Sayang hadn’t come out to greet him when he got home - the real Demon of Sloth had already been there. Watching.

Jinxia’s eyes widened.

“Your master visited? How did that go?”

Quinn smiled weakly.

“I’m free. I’m a failure… but I’m free.”

Jinxia grinned.

“Well I’ll be. Typical Sloth.”

Jarel leaned back, trying to piece everything together. He was starting to suspect the demons were using those sin names just so he could follow along - because whatever their real names were, he doubted he’d ever be able to pronounce them.

In the end, though, it didn’t matter.

His arms sagged.

Quinn stood slowly, walked over, and sat beside him - before promptly tipping sideways into his lap. He rested a hand on her head, gently stroking her hair.

Jinxia sighed.

“Well, I’m going to go order my husband to do the same. Enjoy yourselves.”

And with that, she vanished into nothing like usual.

Jarel barely reacted.

Time passed. Minutes. Maybe an hour.

Finally, he spoke softly.

“Quinn?”

“Mmm?”

“Want to get married?”

She shot upright, her tail thumping wildly against the couch.

“Now?”

He chuckled.

“Not now. But soon.”

She nodded rapidly.

“I would!”

He smiled, then reached into his pocket and handed her a small velvet box.

She took it carefully, opening it slowly. Then she turned it around so he could see inside.

“What’s this?”

He grinned.

“A symbol humans use to show they’re going to get married. You wear it on your finger.”

Her eyes sparkled. She lifted the ring, the light blue sapphire catching the fading light, and promptly slid it onto her pinky finger.

He laughed.

“No, you put it on your ring finger.”

Her eyes widened.

“So that’s why it’s called that!”

She quickly corrected it, then looked back up at him, beaming.

“So now we’re definitely going to get married?”

He nodded.

“Definitely.”

She didn’t hesitate.

She launched forward, giving him barely enough time to catch her before she bowled him over onto the couch. His shoulders protested faintly, but the softness beneath him made it bearable.

Not that he noticed.

Not when she closed her eyes and pressed her lips to his.

And he held her there, planning to never let her go.