A brief hush fell over the room — a moment of still silence. Even those who had already known the truth found themselves struck dumb when it finally became real, unfolding right there in front of everyone.
Then the silence shattered, and what burst through in its place was a wave of joy, bright and full of welcome.
"Jie-jie!"
Yu rushed ahead of everyone else, calling out her name with barely contained delight — but the next instant, she lurched forward and passed right through, her arms closing on empty air, her body cutting clean through Jie.
Jie turned to her with a helpless smile and said softly:
"Yu, I'm only a soul right now — I can't hug you back the way I used to.
"We'll save that for later."
Yu blinked, then looked at Jie, who thought for a moment before adding:
"But I won't be leaving again. And coming back for real — that's only a matter of time."
Yu broke into a grin and gave a firm nod. "Mm!"
The rest of the operators came forward. Ling gave her wine gourd a shake in Jie's direction and said, "What a shame, though — I was looking forward to having a proper drink with you. A rare occasion like this calls for it."
"We'll get to that later, Ling-jie. And you really should watch yourself — don't go overboard." Jie said with a resigned look. Then she caught Jun's gaze and gave her a small nod of acknowledgment.
"Congratulations, Jie-jie."
Yi pressed his hands together in a mock bow, teasing her with a grin that he was using to cover the emotion welling up in his chest and the stinging at the tip of his nose — and then he felt a smack land squarely on his back.
He spun around to find that it was Ji who'd hit him, and for a moment, he forgot all about being sentimental:
"What was that for?!"
Ji opened her mouth, closed it, and thought hard. She certainly wasn't going to admit that she'd gotten swept up in the moment and reflexively smacked number eight.
Finally, she said: "I was going to say that first."
Yi's eyes went wide. He pointed at Ji, then pointed at himself — and what followed next was exactly the kind of scene everyone had come to expect from those two.
Watching the two of them bicker and scuffle, Jie let out an involuntary laugh. Then she noticed that Shu had come to stand beside her, and the two of them watched Yi and Ji go at it together.
"Feels familiar now, doesn't it, Third Sis?"
Shu turned to Jie with a grin. Jie laughed and nodded. "It does. Waking up to everyone making a ruckus like this — it's really something."
"And knowing Yi, he'll probably come running over to you later to tattle on Ji. Whether Ji actually did anything or not is a whole other question." "It really has been so long since I've seen everyone like this."
As she spoke, a smile settled over her face. She glanced over toward the back of the group where Xi was hanging well behind everyone else, and gave her a little wave — only to watch her shrink back even further. Jie wasn't quite sure what to do with that.
In the end, Nian gave Xi a firm push from behind and sent her stumbling to the front. Xi twisted around to glare at Nian's grinning face, and her irritation flared up all over again.
But Jie was already looking at the two of them, looking for a long moment — and at last, let out a slow breath.
"Long time no see, Xi. And Nian."
"Mm... long time no see, Third Sis."
Xi dropped her head and murmured back. Jie answered warmly, and before long, Nian was cheerfully herding Xi around again until Xi finally hissed at her, and only then did Nian stop.
It was then that Jie finally looked up and met Chongyue's gaze.
"Third Sister. You weren't here last time I came — good to finally see you in person."
Chongyue said it with a quiet smile. Jie smiled back in kind. Then Chongyue paused, turned something over, and spoke:
"Speaking of which — where exactly are we?"
"This is Thirteen's place. He calls it the Mingzhou."
Jie brushed a strand of hair back and continued: "While we're here, you don't need to worry about Sui matters or Sisuitai for the time being.
"Sisuitai might come asking questions eventually, but not here. And as Thirteen said — if anyone wants to come by and gather in the future, this place will be available. He's setting aside a few rooms specifically for everyone to rest in."
"Thoughtful of him. But if this is his place, where is he? And where's Wang?"
Chongyue exhaled and glanced around with a searching look. Jie considered for a moment, then smiled.
"Want me to take everyone to find them?"
——
Meanwhile, far removed from the warmth filling the ship's cabin, Anthony — inhabiting his Stand body — sat across a go board in a quiet side room, staring at the game for a long moment.
Then he looked at the white stones Wang had demolished beyond all recognition, pushed the board away, and said with flat exasperation:
"You could be in there reuniting with your family, and instead you dragged me in here to play go. What is wrong with you."
Wang said nothing, simply placed one final stone to officially end the game, then finally looked up and gave Anthony a proper look.
"You're the same. You're not out there with them either. You're the one who told me there was a quiet room in here."
"Can't a man fish in peace?"
Anthony shot back immediately — but then he pressed his fingers to his brow and sighed.
"Forget it. I'm not playing another round with you. Go board's trash. I'm going fishing."
"You can fish here?"
"Not quite the way you're imagining."
Anthony said it with an expression that was hard to read.
Honestly, now that this game was done, Anthony had been planning to disappear quietly. This Stand-avatar of his wasn't in any trouble, and dropping in on a Sui family gathering wasn't forbidden, but he was an outsider — a barely-known borrowed face. Waltzing into someone else's reunion under those circumstances would kill the mood.
As for Wang, though — that was more complicated.
Anthony looked up at him, and his eye twitched.
"Honestly? You are being incredibly awkward about this."
He gave the silent, brooding Wang a flat look and said:
"I'm not comfortable around them either," Wang said at last, breaking his silence. "The big moment right now is Jie reuniting with everyone. I don't want to sour the mood."
"Translation: you're scared to go." Anthony gave him a look. "At least I've got something resembling an excuse. Stop dressing up your nerves in noble reasoning.
"Just say you're scared, say you don't want to. Why do you need so many layers on it?"
After he said it, Anthony let out a long, helpless sigh. Wang turned the stone over in his fingers, sat in silence for a while — and finally exhaled.
"Maybe you're right. How does the fishing work? Teach me, if you've got the time."
"Won't be idle much longer."
Something seemed to reach Anthony — some faint sense of it — and he paused, then shook his head.
Wang stared at him for a moment, then looked toward the door.
The next instant, they heard hurrying footsteps in the corridor outside.
"Come on, come on — I know those two are definitely in here!"
A familiar voice rang out, bright with excitement, nothing like its usual calm. Wang startled on instinct, then turned to look at Anthony.
But Anthony had already gotten to his feet, and was quietly backing toward the wall — wearing a smile that was directed squarely at Wang.
"Enjoy yourself. That's all I'll say."
Wang hadn't even had time to say anything before the door burst open with a kick, and a voice rang out:
"Wang! Get out here!"
It was as though some instinct rooted deep in his blood suddenly made itself known.
Wang's head snapped around — and there they were: ten operators, with Chongyue at the lead and Long Paopao cradled in her arms, pouring through the doorway all at once.
Jie's soul drifted to his side first, and fixed him with a look that was doing its best to be stern:
"You are unbelievable, Second Brother! Everyone has been looking for you!"
"We said reunion — how does a reunion work with someone missing? Come on, come on, move it — Yu's going to cook for everyone. What are you doing hiding in a closet?"
"I—..."
"Say something!"
Chongyue gave a short bark, and before Wang could put together any kind of protest, Ji and Yi had each grabbed one of his arms and were physically hauling him out the door at a run.
At that moment, Jie turned and looked over at Anthony, blinking:
"Can I borrow one of the rooms?"
Anthony smiled back. "Of course. The rooms in the lower cabin aren't in use yet — they're free for whatever you need."
"Perfect. Then you're coming too."
Jie said it warmly and cheerfully, and Anthony blinked — then let out an awkward laugh and took half a step back:
"Ah — maybe I'll sit this one out. I should go check how David's work is coming along."
"No. You're coming. You're Thirteen of the Sui family now — did you forget?"
Jie said it with a smile. Anthony paused for a long moment, and in the end, seemingly unable to find a single usable comeback, he let out a quiet sigh — and then, with a helpless nod, followed Jie and the others into a large room.
And so two unresurrected dead men stood just outside the circle, watching as everyone threw themselves into the work around them.
Yu set up the cookware she'd brought and arranged the ingredients; Shu went to help her. Ji and Yi were on the other side of the room, bickering loudly as they wrestled a table into place.
Xi was sitting to one side being pestered by Nian, wearing the expression of someone who had given up on life, her eyes drifting around the room taking in the scene.
Ling was drinking, laughing loudly and pointing at someone across the room — and then all of a sudden, Nian's voice came out in a yell:
"Who's playing the kazoo?!"
Anthony, watching all of this, finally lost his composure and laughed. Then he turned — and found Jie's smile right there beside him.
"Take a rest, now and then."
Jie glanced at Anthony and said it lightly. "You've been doing a lot. Everyone in the group can see it."
"It's not that I'm tired, though."
Anthony shook his head, started to say something, then stopped — and at that moment, Xi appeared right in front of him, as though she'd spotted something worth tormenting and locked on hard.
After a long moment of staring, she suddenly said: "You're Thirteen, right?"
"Yeah, that's me."
"Call me Jie-jie."
Xi puffed out her cheeks, holding his gaze as if she was psyching herself up for something.
Before Anthony could even answer, Jie had already started laughing.
"I'm not really used to calling anyone Jie-jie, to be honest."
Anthony shook his head with a helpless look. "And honestly, you should work on that shut-in habit of yours first before you start demanding things."
"Doesn't matter. Call me Jie-jie!"
Xi grumbled — and just then, Yu's voice rang out across the room as she hoisted up a pot:
"Food's ready! It's not New Year's yet, but come eat — it's a reunion dinner!"
There was laughter, teasing, noise in all directions as everyone found their seats. When the Sui operators had all settled in around the table, Anthony got swept along with the current and ended up in a seat too, planted right between Yu and Jie.
"How are you feeling?" Jie turned and asked.
Anthony thought about it. Then he gave a quiet sigh.
"If I'm being honest... it's not bad, actually."
He said it — and found that a smile had found its way to his face. "I don't have much experience with things like this. But thinking it over, I can't say it's bad at all."
"Just treat it like home. Same as in the group."
Jie said that, and Anthony gave a small nod, still smiling. "I'll do my best. Once everyone's back — especially once I'm back."
Yeah. He thought to himself.
After all, once he was back, he'd need a life of his own, wouldn't he? If he was only coming back for the sake of coming back, there wouldn't be much to look forward to.
He'd need things — relationships — that he could enjoy and lean on once he was alive again. Something to hope for when that day finally came.
And wasn't this already pretty good?
Anthony watched the Sui operators laughing, squabbling, making their usual mess — and at last, he smiled for real.
"I suddenly feel a lot more motivated to chase that resurrection."
In the end, with Yu watching him expectantly, he lifted his chopsticks, picked up a bite, and put it in his mouth.
"So? How's the cooking?"
Yu asked. Anthony looked over the full table — the dishes, the bright expressions on everyone's faces — and took a moment before he answered:
"I haven't had much, but I imagine it's wonderful."
Still can't taste anything, huh.
He chewed on flavorless food and let the thought settle inside him.
This was only a Stand-body. No sense of taste. And his true self was a soul — no sense of taste there either.
Resurrection. I really do need to come back.
Sitting there at the gathering, thinking of the joy that waited on the other side of revival — all the ordinary things a living person could enjoy that were still beyond his reach — Anthony felt his resolve sharpen.
Then he watched as Wang, somewhere in the middle of everyone's noise and laughter, finally seemed to let something go — a long, slow release — and quietly became part of it.
Anthony chewed his tasteless food and glanced sideways at Jie.
"Happy with how it turned out?"
"Yes. Getting to see everyone like this — truly rare. It was worth the trip."
Jie nodded, then turned to Anthony. "Thank you."
"I should be the one saying thank you."
Anthony shook his head, narrowed his eyes, and looked out across the Sui family.
Things are going to be a lot more convenient on the Grand Flame side from here on out.
He had plenty of feelings about the warmth in the room right now — but at the end of the day, he still needed to figure out how to turn this into points.
He'd made the connection. When it was time to reach out again, he could ask for help.
Things are slowly getting better.
So Anthony sat there, running the numbers in his head, and waited out the rest of the gathering. Before he knew it, every dish on the table had been cleared.
Everyone gathered their things, made promises to meet again next time, and then — just ahead of the incoming storm that would be Sisuitai's reaction — phase-teleported back to their respective beacon points.
For his part, Anthony had the Stand-body escort Wang and Jie back to the ancient temple.
The brief gathering was over. Anthony — seated on the toilet — finally opened his eyes and let out a long breath.
Well. He'd managed to sort out his own affairs, at least. With any luck, the Grand Flame side would be getting a few more temples added to the network soon.
Come to think of it, I haven't checked the group chat in a while.
That thought brought him to open the group chat — and the moment he did, he saw David's frantic stream of @mentions from over an hour ago.
[Let Night City Burn: @White Holy Throne I caught something! I caught something!]
[Let Night City Burn: I got a bite! I actually got a bite!]
[Let Night City Burn has shared an item screenshot]
[Item · Singularity Technology Artifact · Glass Window]
[White Holy Throne: ?]
[White Holy Throne: Holy — what the hell did you fish up?]
____
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🔥 New history: Samsara Game: Starting in The Long Dark with My Waifus
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