Re:of life-Chapter 41: A Peaceful Evening… Almost

1

"Finally!" Ronan shouts, practically sprinting toward the water, preparing to jump straight into the steaming bath.

"Ronan! Are you trying to get us kicked out?" Orin snaps, genuinely questioning his behavior.

"Dumbass," Farren mutters.

"Idiot," I add.

Ronan skids to a halt on the stone-hard ground, nearly losing his balance. "My bad..." He sighs before sheepishly adding, "I kinda forgot you're not supposed to run or splash..." With that, he reluctantly starts walking toward the bath instead.

With the commotion settled, the four of us approach the water, feeling the heat radiate into the air. Standing at the edge of what feels like heaven, we sink in unison, the warmth rising from our toes to our necks as we try to submerge as deeply as possible into the comforting sensation.

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We all let out a long sigh of relaxation as the warm water soaks into our skin. It's the perfect moment to unwind, and after a day of fighting, it feels even better. The tension in my body melts away, the ache in my legs disappears, and even the pain from the scars left by the wolves fades into the healing water.

It's almost hard to believe I'm here right now. It feels like I'm somewhere else—like heaven... Yes, this feels just like when I died. When I died in Japan. My body is completely weightless, floating in the warmth, with only my mind half-functioning, lingering between reality and something beyond.

The hot spring is all ours, its stone edges blending naturally into the landscape. Tall wooden walls enclose the space, with only a simple divider separating our bath from the one where Sela and Althea are.

Above us, the sky glows in shades of vibrant orange and pink, the colors reflected in the drifting clouds as the sun begins to set behind the mountains. Lanterns cast a soft, golden light over the bath, their glow dancing on the surface of the water. A thin layer of snow rests on the rocks at the edges, the contrast between warmth and cold only making the moment feel even more surreal.

"This is it... Yeah, this is life. This is what it's all about..." Ronan murmurs, slumped against the edge of the bath, eyes half-closed, barely moving. He looks like a corpse that found peace in hot water.

"I know, right? Hot springs are the best... I feel like I could stay here for years. Just empty my brain and live here forever..." Farren responds, sounding completely out of it, as if the heat has fried whatever was left of his senses.

"I have no idea what you mean by 'empty your brain,' but sure... I agree," I murmur, nodding along. Whatever nonsense they're saying, I'm too relaxed to argue. Though... does Farren even have a brain to empty?

"Yours is already empty, so no worries there," Ronan replies casually, not even opening his eyes.

"Huh? Oh yeah, right..." Farren agrees without a second thought. Wait... is he actually that dumb, or is he just playing along? Sometimes he's too stupid to function, but then, once in a while, he actually makes sense. What's up with that? I'll never understand that guy.

"I think I'm losing brain cells just being around you two," Orin mutters, voice dripping with exhaustion. Hopefully, he means them and not me... right?

"Great, come down to our level, man," Ronan says with a lazy grin. At this point, he has to be acting dumb. Yeah, Ronan isn't that stupid... right?

"I'd rather not, to be honest," Orin replies firmly, sinking even deeper into the soothing heat.

"You do you, I guess..." Ronan mutters back, letting himself slide down as well.

The quiet settles for a moment—until a voice cuts through from the other side.

"Agh...! This is the beeest!" Sela shouts, her voice full of bliss. A brief pause follows before she continues, her tone melting into pure relaxation. "Althea, we're coming back here again, right? Let's go as many times as we can... Actually, forget that—I'm staying. I'm never leaving. Yeah... staying is definitely the best choice."

"Yeah, this really is heaven... I wouldn't mind staying forever," Althea sighs, sounding even more relaxed than usual. "Sadly, we can't... but let's at least stay for a while today—maybe an hour or three."

"Aww... fine..." Sela mumbles in response, her voice soft and content.

2

"Hey, be quiet! You can't let them hear us..." Ronan whispers to me and Farren as we creep up to the wooden wall, trying to find even the smallest gap to peek through.

Orin, as expected, is too relaxed to care. He doesn't even acknowledge what we're doing, lying on the grass like he's half-asleep. Or maybe he really is sleeping... Either way, that's good for us.

"I might have an idea..." Ronan mutters, then turns to me with a serious look. "Kaito, can't you use that water ball spell thingy to pierce a small hole through the wall? It's not that thick, so it should work."

"I guess, but is that really a good idea? If it breaks through, they'll see the hole and know we're here..." I whisper back.

"Sure, but if you control it right—make it so that the moment it pierces through, it just drops straight down—then they won't notice. As long as they aren't paying attention, it should work."

Are we really doing this? If we get caught, Althea's going to kill us. I already know how this is going to end... but hey, might still be worth it, right?

"Fine, I'll do it. You two stand back."

I raise my palm and begin casting the spell, forming a small water ball—just enough to pierce through without making a mess. Now for the tricky part... The force has to be perfect. Too much, and it'll fly straight through and make a sound. Too little, and it won't even pierce.

With the spell ready, I release it.

The water ball shoots forward, slipping cleanly through the wood. But then—

Plop.

...Damn it. I hear the faint splash as it hits the water on the other side. Maybe I put in too much force.

Ronan grins, leaning in eagerly. "Hey, Kaito, can you see anything?"

Oh, I see what he's doing. He just doesn't want to be the first one caught.

I sigh and put my eye to the hole, adjusting my angle to get a clear view through the steam.

Sela sits there completely relaxed, arms stretched behind her, as if she doesn't have a single care in the world. Meanwhile, Althea... she's sinking into the water, her glare sharp enough to cut stone.

"What are you doing?" Sela suddenly asks, tilting her head. She's watching Althea, not even bothering to cover herself.

Althea shoots her a glare. "What do you mean, what am I doing? That's what I should be asking you!" Her voice carries irritation as she sinks lower, only half her face now visible above the water.

Hearing where they are, I adjust my view slightly.

Sela... Yeah, she really isn't bothered at all. If only the steam wasn't in the way—

And Althea? She's looking right at me. Half her head submerged, eyes locked onto mine like a predator catching its prey.

Wait. Did she just—

Before I can react, the water suddenly surges. A moment later—bam!

A jet of water blasts through the hole, hitting me directly in the eye.

I'm launched backward, landing flat on the ground with a grunt. My hands fly to my face, covering my stinging eyes.

"What happened?" Farren and Ronan ask at the same time, staring down at me in confusion.

A furious voice erupts from the other side.

"Dumbasses! Get close to that hole one more time and you'll be dead!"

Peeking just above the water, Althea glares at us with murder in her eyes.

Ronan, the reckless idiot he is, doesn't even hesitate. He moves up to the hole immediately.

"Alright, my turn." He leans in, ready to look through.

"Oh...! Thei—"

Before he can even finish his sentence—BOOM!

Another shot of water blasts through, knocking him straight to the ground.

On the other side, Althea quickly pulls her arms up to cover herself again, seething with rage. Sela, meanwhile, hasn't moved an inch. She's still sitting there, watching everything unfold like she's casually enjoying a play.

"Pervert! You're dead!" Althea's voice screeches through the air.

Ronan rolls on the ground, groaning as he clutches his face. "Fuck! What the hell was that?! I didn't even get a good peek..." He sighs as he pushes himself up.

Althea, fuming, sinks deeper into the water until only the top of her head is visible. Bubbles rise up, popping furiously as if they're boiling from her sheer rage.

Sela finally speaks up, her tone completely casual.

"Oh, I get it now! That's why you guys were whispering! I thought you were just plotting something dumb again." She pauses, tilting her head. "Huh. Guess I was still right."

She leans back, stretching lazily. "Well, at least you had the guts to try. If you had seen anything, I think Althea would've drowned you for real. Though... I can't say she won't kill y'all."

A long, sharp glare from Althea is all it takes to make even Sela shut up for once.

I lie there, still covering my stinging eyes, already regretting everything. I didn't even get a single good glance...!

"Where did Farren go?" Ronan asks, glancing around, already accepting that all three of us are doomed—but Farren is nowhere in sight. "The hell are you doing, Farren?" he mutters as he finally spots him, lying in the hot spring with his head tilted back, eyes closed, pretending he never saw or heard anything.

"Betrayer..." I mutter, shooting him a glare.

"Yeah... If we come out alive, Farren's up next," Ronan adds, staring at Farren as well.