"Whom have you brought along with you, Phils?" the old woman asked, squinting her eyes to see who else stood beside him.
"Prince Sam…" she whispered hesitantly, lowering her head immediately. "It's an honor to have you here, Your Highness."
"No, no, please don't bow," Prince Sam said quickly, flustered. "Your neck might get stiff."
The old lady smiled faintly. "Well then, come inside. Or do you plan to stand outside all night?"
We stepped into her small wooden house. There were no royal luxuries here—only things made of natural materials, simple yet full of warmth. The air carried a serene silence that made my heart feel light.
"By the way, Phils," the old woman said kindly, "you haven't told me—who's this young girl with you?"
"This is Wellness," Phils said with a gentle tone. "She's like my little sister. And one another thing Miss Emmy," he continued, talking to the old woman, "I brought this dress. Please help her wear it."
"What? Me?" I asked, startled. "Why do I need to wear that? It looks so short—it'll barely reach my knees!"
For a moment, the room went quiet.
"Prince Sam, stay here," Phils said finally. "I'll show Wellness the place."
"Alright," Sam replied, stretching his legs casually.
Phils took my hand and led me through the back door.
The moment I saw it, my eyes widened. "Wow! This is… a natural hot spring!"
"Yes," Phils said with a smile. "Beautiful, isn't it?"
"It's amazing! I've never sat in a real hot spring before." I said with the joy.
"Well," Phils said, scratching the back of his neck, "there's one little problem."
"What problem?" I asked curiously.
"This spring is shared by both males and females—it's the only one here. But don't worry, it's private."
My excitement instantly crashed. My happiness drooped so fast, Hearing this from him, all my enthusiasm seemed to fall down from the sky to the ground. "No way! You both go ahead and enjoy. I'll stay out—it just feels… awkward."
Phils chuckled softly. "Listen, Wellness. The steam here is so thick, no one can see anything. And that dress only goes a little above your knees, right? You can sit quietly in that corner, and we'll stay far away on the other side. You can leave before us—no problem at all. What do you say?"
I hesitated, my cheeks warm. But this was such a rare moment—who knew when something like this would happen again? My life was full of danger; at least this one evening could belong to peace.
"…Alright," I said quietly. "But I'll wear the dress myself."
"Of course," Phils said with a gentle smile. "You're not a child." He softly placed his hand over my head.
"But what about you?" I asked, pouting slightly. "You're not going to wear anything?"
Phils made a face. "yuck! What kind of thought is that? you dirty minded!"
I burst out laughing, covering my mouth.
"Don't worry about anything," he said kindly, brushing my hair aside.
I changed into the light dress and slipped into the steaming water. The warmth embraced me completely—it was soothing, like the air itself was alive. I loved heat; it made me feel safe. I sank lower, letting the water cover everything except my nose and eyes. Even though I was fully dressed, the thought of them nearby made my heart flutter awkwardly.
"Well..., Wellness has already gone in, you two may join her now," the old lady said from outside.
"It's been so long since I came here," Prince Sam said cheerfully as they entered.
"Wait," Phils said quietly, scanning the mist. "I don't see Wellness."
"She must be in the corner you showed her," Sam said. "Oh look—there's even a frog between us!"
"A frog?" Phils frowned. "Where?"
He pointed toward me. "There! That one!"
Phils chuckled softly. "Oh, you mean that frog?" He looked straight at me.
Sam grinned, closing his eyes dramatically. "By the way, Wellness, did you see my six-packs? Pretty cool, right? Only a few people get to see them!"
I said nothing.
"She's completely ignoring you," Phils whispered with a smirk.
"This warmth feels heavenly," Sam sighed, sinking into the water. "Oh, and Phils—looks like we have Wellness's towel."
Phils took the towel from Sam's head's and placed it on his own head.
Meanwhile, I sat peacefully in my corner, eyes closed, feeling the world fade away. For the first time in ages, I wasn't thinking about battles or pain—just the sound of bubbling water and my heartbeat.
When I opened my eyes again, Phils was right in front of me.
"I told you not to come here!" I snapped.
He didn't respond. His voice was calm. "Turn around."
"Why should I?" I said sharply.
Phils smiled faintly, then gently took both my shoulders and turned me around himself. Gathering my hair, he twisted it into a bun and said softly, "The water is too hot. It can weaken your hair. Keep it tied."
He lifted the towel from his own head and placed it gently over mine. Then he just stood there, looking at me quietly.
"Why aren't you leaving?" I asked, frustrated.
"There are so many scars on your body," Phils said quietly.
I froze.
"If these wounds are from your childhood," he continued softly, "they won't ever truly heal. What happened to you in the past, Wellness?"
I lowered my eyes. "I… don't want to talk about my past." I said with calmness.
"There are things you're hiding from me," Phils said. "You don't need to hide your pain. You can tell me anything."
"Yes," Sam's voice echoed softly behind us. "We know your past is like a bad dream. But if you ever want to share it—we'll be here."
"Why are you both here?" I cried, tears filling my eyes. "Go back to your side! Just leave me alone. I don't want to talk about it!"
Prince Sam came closer and gently patted my head. "Phils always makes kid's cry, doesn't he?" he joked softly, trying to lighten the moment.
"Anyway, Wellness," he said kindly, "forget what just happened. I wanted to tell you about my own training journey. May I?" prince sam said with smile.
My tears slowed, and curiosity flickered in my eyes. "You trained with the same master I'm going to, didn't you?" I said with curiosity.
"Yes," Sam said, smiling faintly.