The two of us were panting, breaths sharp and uneven, but Mei was still practically bouncing on her toes, fist pumping the air as the shimmer of her transformation ebbed away.
“I—I won!” she declared, her eyes gleaming with unshaken confidence and a barely veiled arrogance. “You really aren’t very fast, are you?”
I staggered back in mock injury, clutching at my chest. “How could you say that? Not everyone’s blessed enough to turn into a little kitty-cat.”
Her mouth fell open, and without so much as a heartbeat of hesitation, she shot back. “It’s not a cat! I changed into a very rare kind of panther!”
I gasped theatrically, dragging air into my lungs and still wondering how this girl could call our mad dash through gnarled woods, across stumps, and over a sheer wall of stone close. “How much farther? I don’t see your place.”
She tilted her head, expression caught somewhere between triumph and mischief. “We’re here. Why else would I be celebrating?” she asked, already strolling forward.
“Cause you’re a little menace?” I muttered.
She shoved me with surprising force, enough to make me stumble back a step. “And you’re a sore loser.”
I gave a rueful nod, not bothering to deny it. Hardly a lie anyway. Still, no matter how I squinted, all I saw was the same endless sprawl of forest. Mei moved past me with a spring in her step, snatched up her share of the bags—another unfair handicap in our so-called race—and then… simply vanished with another few steps.
“What…?” I breathed, blinking hard.
I lingered, scanning the tree line with mounting suspicion, trying to piece together what in the world just happened. Mei had vanished before, but there had always been a telltale shimmer. This time? Nothing.
“What are you waiting for, Peter?!” her voice rang out ahead, disembodied but unmistakable. “Just walk through. There’s a barrier that hides this place.”
I decided not to ask why the former champion, current champion too, needed to hide her home. Instead, I retraced her steps.
On my third stride, a ripple shuddered across my body, and the world peeled itself open. Before me stretched the lush garden, and beyond it, the home revealed itself exactly as I remembered. “That’s… pretty neat,” I murmured.
Mei nodded so vigorously her hair bounced. “Dad hired some of the best builders for this place. It’s got all sorts of cool tricks.”
We crossed the threshold together. Inside, silence greeted us. No sign of anyone else, so we drifted toward the dining area and settled there.
Mei began unpacking her clothes, spreading them across the table as she plucked at stray fuzz with painstaking precision. “I had fun today,” she admitted, her voice lighter than usual.
I mirrored her, setting out the garments she’d gifted me. Even if I repaid her with lessons, it was impossible to gauge the full weight of her generosity. Clothes that could endure explosions? They couldn’t be cheap. “I did too.”
She smoothed a thin, white dress across the tabletop, pressing her violet stone against the seam of a pocket. “It would go well on this one.”
Color coordination wasn’t exactly my battlefield, so I only nodded with the grave air of someone pretending deep thought. “I bet it’ll look nice.”
For a moment she was quiet, though her gaze kept flicking toward me then to the robes I’d laid out, dark with sharp, bright hems. Each time her eyes lingered longer, sharpening with some unspoken thought.
“What?” I finally groaned, throwing up my hands with a long sigh.
She jerked her head away as if she hadn’t been staring in the first place. “Nothing… Just—”
“Just what?” I pressed.
“You shouldn’t touch it… you know… with your—” She faltered, cheeks heating as she stumbled over the words.
I broke into laughter, the sound easing the tension that had curled between us. “Come to think of it… after purification, I never bathed.”
Her eyes widened, and she gasped in exaggerated horror. “Is that what that smell has been? I was trying to be nice, but it’s been pretty bad.”
I lifted my arm and gave a cautious sniff. Honestly, it wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been with the other elements. Fire felt different, like it had scoured me from the inside out, leaving me more purified than anything before.
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
“Gross,” she whined, scrunching her nose. “Don’t do that.”
My laughter deepened at her dramatics. “Where’s your bathing room? I’ll try on the clothes after.”
“And burn Rojin’s old ones,” she muttered under her breath as she stood. “Follow me.”
We left our belongings behind and wandered through the silent halls of the house. Doors eased open and swung shut behind us on their own. After a couple of minutes, she stopped and gestured toward a wooden sliding door. “This is it. Towels are inside. Left side is the bath, right’s where you can wash yourself.”
The door slid aside at my touch, revealing a small chamber that branched into two adjoining rooms. A stand lined the wall, several woven baskets stacked neatly on one side.
“You can put your clothes there,” Mei said, pointing at the baskets before spinning on her heel. “I’ll get cleaned too, so take your time.”
I nodded, watching her vanish around a corner. “Thanks.”
She flicked her hand in a wave, and then she was gone.
The door clicked shut behind me, and I turned to undress, setting my clothes into one of the baskets before stepping through the already open doorway into the bathing area.
The flooring shifted beneath my feet, transforming into smooth white tiles, squared and gleaming, with a drain at the center of the long chamber. Four shower heads lined the wall, each accompanied by a neat cluster of bottles.
I squinted at the array, but without any clue what was what, I simply twisted the knobs until the water hit a tolerable heat and grabbed a random container, squeezing a generous portion into my palm.
It had been far too long. The realization of just how grimy I truly was hit me like a weight, and I scrubbed myself with ruthless precision. Scouring every nook and cranny, working soap into my hair and over my body twice just to be sure.
By the time I shut the water off, a deep sigh slipped from me, muscles slack with relief. I padded back out, a towel draped around me, but stopped when my gaze caught on the baths.
The next room’s floor bore the same tiled stone, but beyond it sprawled a vast single pool that dominated the chamber. Steam curled upward in lazy sheets, clinging to the walls before escaping through a wooden vent that funneled it outside.
Luna won’t mind the water, right? Not like either of us are bothered by this kind of heat anymore.
Without another moment of hesitation, I slipped in, easing my body into the steaming pool. My breath hitched at the sudden heat, skin prickling, until the tension melted away and a long groan reverberated through the chamber.
Inside, Luna stirred, her form unfurling from her quiet cultivation and purification. I like this place, she murmured, her leaves wilting just slightly, stretching in comfort.
I mirrored her, sinking deeper into the water, letting my body grow weightless. Yeah… pretty soon we’ll be heading back to the others though. Maybe I can get you some new food.
She shifted faintly, answering with the calm ripple of thought. That would be nice. Eating through you was interesting, too. I wouldn’t mind trying it again… even if it was a little strange.
I chuckled, trying to imagine what drinking blood must have tasted like from her perspective. But then again, I didn’t have to imagine. I could experience it if I really wanted. Still, I decided firmly: I was more than fine never living as a vampire rose or blade of grass ever again.
I drifted further into relaxation when something inside me tugged. It wasn’t a physical pull, but an undeniable presence thrumming in my core. Even Luna startled.
The heck was that? she demanded, suddenly taut with alertness.
Another pulse echoed through my Inner Realm, reverberating deep within, and even Wyrem finally stirred, grumbling awake in clear agitation.
Peter, something is stirring inside your black-hole, Wyrem grumbled, his tone edged with irritation rather than concern.
I stiffened, muscles tightening as I closed my eyes and let my awareness slip inward, responding to both Luna and him.
I’ll check. I think it’s the soul bound in the tentacles, I explained, though unease threaded my words. And Wyrem, I wouldn’t mind talking about why you’ve been so quiet lately, too.
Wyrem gave a languid spin in his usual spot, curling in on himself before settling with deliberate nonchalance. We’ll talk again soon then. Once you’re back with the snake, wake me. I’ll explain everything. No need to worry about disturbing me.
The casual dismissal caught me off guard. If Wyrem wasn’t even pretending to posture, then whatever this was had weight. I didn’t press him further. Instead, I let my consciousness plunge fully into the Inner World.
“Hello?” My voice echoed into the void, swallowed by endless darkness. I waited, straining for any reply.
The silence stretched, then fractured sooner than before. A voice answered, clearer now, no longer muffled by fatigue. It was smooth yet ancient, deep but carrying the faint croak of something weathered by time. “I’ve been calling for a while. Were you able to hear me this time?”
The sound resonated differently, steadier, carrying an unsettling calm that only underscored its age.
“Well, that’s good,” the soul continued, spilling words as if a dam had broken. “It’s nice to finally speak with someone again. It’s been so long I can’t even remember. You know, it’s terribly difficult to hold a conversation with only yourself. I tried with my clansmen, though, staring at them hardly counts as speaking, does it? And flying for centuries with a psychotic monster at my side offered… less than ideal companionship. Meeting you was a relief, you know. Sleeping with all those eyes constantly on me was unbearable. Can you imagine? After being accustomed to endless slumber, suddenly finding even rest uncomfortable? Quite something, really. There was this one time—”
“Please.” I cut through the rambling torrent. “We’ll have plenty of time for stories later, but I’d like answers if you can. Why is this happening? Why are you helping me? And why have you been showing me your memories?”
The soul faltered, a murmur rippling through the void. “Shown you…?” His voice carried puzzlement, as if turning over an unfamiliar word. “I didn’t show anything to you… did I? Hmm. Maybe I—” The sound wavered, drifting back into distracted thought before snapping into focus again. “Anyway. I can explain the rest.”