*Yawn*
"I'm so tired~"
"Fuck Julia, stop complaining."
"You talk too much, redhead. Don't you want to carry me?"
"You're the one whining all the time, you little pest, shut the hell up."
And here we go again…
My eardrums are going to explode.
It's only been two hours since we resumed our journey, and Julia's constant whining is driving me crazy. Judging by the others' expressions, they're suffering just as much as I am.
Suddenly, as I took another step forward, a strange sensation washed over me, like my body had touched a bubble of water.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
The sky became clearer, the vegetation more lush, the sun brighter. Tiny circles of light floated around aimlessly, giving the environment an ethereal, almost divine look.
I heard Amélia let out a heavy sigh,
"Fuck, I've had enough. What the hell is this again?"
Klaus frowned and spoke in a deep voice,
"Let's proceed carefully. I don't know what's going on, but it's probably not good."
He's such a buzzkill, but he's right—this overwhelming beauty doesn't inspire confidence, especially after the horrors we've already encountered.
Besides, I hate the light.
We continued to delve into this fairy-tale-like forest.
For some reason I couldn't explain, I felt tense. I had the sense that a predator was stalking us, ready to pounce at any moment.
I pushed aside some branches and came face to face with an incredible sight:
A shimmering lake stood at the center of a heavenly-looking landscape, birds chirping and singing everywhere, multicolored flowers swaying with the gentle spring breeze, tiny balls of light dancing in rhythm.
And in the middle of it all, at the center of the lake,
Three women of indescribable beauty, so perfect it felt almost wrong.
Faces beyond compare, hair of a nearly translucent blue shade, their naked bodies seemed carved from the purest marble. Their eyes sparkled like precious stones as they looked in our direction.
I felt... inferior, unworthy of existing in their presence. Just laying eyes on these divinely beautiful beings felt like blasphemy.
One of the women gestured toward us, beckoning us to come closer.
I had a very bad feeling.
They floated to the lake's edge, sunlight reflecting off the water, adding a majestic aura to their already magical figures.
Before I even realized it, I was already walking toward them, as if my legs were being controlled by someone else.
Their ethereal voices echoed through the vastness of the clearing,
"Ô noble travelers, we welcome you to our garden. May you rest at your leisure before resuming your journey."
Oh, what exceptional kindness!
Klaus spoke on our behalf, bowing his head before the sublime fairies,
"We thank you for your hospitality. We won't trouble you long."
Strange, Klaus didn't usually speak so eloquently, was this his true personality?
"Please do, noble heroes."
The fairies turned and dove into the center of the lake, leaving the five of us alone.
Julia looked incredibly happy, her blue eyes sparkling brightly,
"Awesome! This is paradise, we could stay here forever!"
It didn't sound like a bad idea, but more importantly… I could finally take a bath!
I undressed without sparing a glance at my companions and stepped into the refreshing water. The temperature was perfect.
God, I needed that.
I let out a long sigh.
My shoulders relaxed, my senses dulled as I closed my eyes, enjoying the only moment of relaxation I've had since... since when, again? I couldn't remember. I didn't even know if I'd ever felt this relaxed.
I glanced at my four companions, who were staring at me strangely. Were they seriously still gawking at me every chance they got?
"What? I'm not allowed to take a bath?"
Amélia pointed at me, her face slightly red—was she hot or something?
"Jesus, have you no decency? You could've at least asked if it bothered us!"
What is this witch even going on about?
"I do what I want. Why should it bother you that I'm washing up? You should be thanking me!"
"Fucking animal."
Ethan frowned,
"The problem isn't that you're bathing, Cain. The problem is that we're not all men here."
I thought he was smart. Was I wrong?
"Yes, I noticed that, Ethan. Thanks for the update."
He waved dismissively like he didn't care. I think I offended him.
Klaus stepped in,
"What they're trying to say is that you shouldn't be naked in front of women."
"Why not?"
"Let's just say… it's not proper."
I didn't get it. Aren't we all human? I know men and women have different bodies, but why be embarrassed about it? It's just flesh.
I suppose my upbringing—if I can even call it that—was a little... different from theirs.
But whatever, I don't care. She could just close her eyes if it bothered her that much.
I was ready to return to my moment of peace when a small hand grabbed my shoulder.
Julia. What did she want now?
She was biting her lower lip, an indescribable expression on her face. She looked… sad? Hurt? Strange, considering her usual cheerful personality.
"Can you turn around, Cain?"
Why did she want—
Oh.
I had almost forgotten.
Those damn scars.
I gently pushed her hand away.
"No."
She didn't insist and sat a few meters away, her blue eyes fixed on my back, knowing full well I'd come out eventually. Well, if that makes her happy. As long as she stops bothering me.
I looked down at my chest. Several long scars were still visible—one running from my left pec to my solar plexus, another drawing a line from my right hip to my left, and one more on my left flank.
I remembered very clearly what they had done to me. I wasn't under anesthesia when they laid me on that freezing metal table and sliced me open like a piece of meat. I don't remember the pain—thankfully. That must've been my brain's defense mechanism to stop me from going insane.
But the scenes were crystal clear in my memory.
That day, they removed parts of my body—or should I say "replaced" them. I never knew why they did it, but it doesn't matter. I'm alive, and more importantly, those sons of bitches aren't.
I leaned on the edge of the lake, using my arms to lift myself out. My still-wet black hair fell into my eyes—I really should get it cut someday.
I got dressed again under Julia's watchful gaze. It was annoying.
"Did you see what you wanted?"
"…"
She didn't reply, turning on her heel to rejoin the other three. I followed shortly after.
I sat down next to them, sitting on the ground. Countless flowers, each more beautiful than the last, swayed in rhythm as if greeting us.
I felt at peace, a feeling totally foreign to me. Even Klaus had a small smile on his lips, which looked odd on his rugged face.
Ethan spoke up,
"We should leave soon. The tower isn't far anymore."
The tower? What was he talking about?
Amélia smacked his shoulder,
"Are you insane? We should stay here forever, this is paradise!"
Ethan frowned,
"What do you think, Klaus?"
"Isn't it obvious? Why would we leave? And what tower are you even talking about, Ethan?"
He clicked his tongue, then muttered,
"Shit."
*
Hours passed, and we were still in the same position, watching the perfect landscape, the sun standing still like a statue.
But Ethan kept fidgeting, like he was looking for something. Couldn't he just stay here with us?
"Hey, the model, why don't you come relax a bit? It's nice here."
He didn't answer. It was starting to piss me off. Why couldn't he just sit down and chill? That's why we came into this forest in the first place.
I had a strong urge to break his legs to calm him down. Why keep resisting the goddess's hospitality?
Huh? Since when did I believe in the Godess?
Whatever, I believed now, and that's all that mattered.
*
Ethan had noticed something was wrong from the beginning. From his companions' lack of awareness to their refusal to leave, they had even forgotten why they were here in the first place.
Some sort of psychological magic seemed to be at play.
He was a scientist—his life had been filled with all kinds of experiments and endless calculations since childhood. Was that why he wasn't affected by the strange spell or whatever it was?
Even Klaus, whose mind seemed made of steel, had succumbed—probably the work of those androgynous creatures he saw when they first arrived.
And the worst part? He had tried to leave, but a thin membrane blocked him, like a barrier that only allowed entry, not exit.
For hours he'd searched the whole area, hoping to find a way out or something to break the enchantment—but nothing. The only unexplored place left was the lake.
He sighed.
"Of course."
He had suspected it, given that the women had gone into it—but he didn't like it one bit.
Ethan approached, trying to see through the water, but the lake seemed unfathomable. He couldn't even see the bottom.
He had only one option left—the worst one.
To call out to the things that had trapped them here.
He had no other choice.
Standing tall, eyes fixed on the darkness beneath the surface, he called out:
"Show yourselves, lake fairies."
Ripples formed at the center of the lake, and three otherworldly beautiful figures emerged.
Ethan clicked his tongue.
He hated them.
They embodied perfection—it was revolting.
Just looking at those things made him want to vomit.
To him, something perfect was an abomination—it meant nothing could improve it. It was the end of all things. He could run all the tests and experiments in the world—"perfection" couldn't be improved. It was boring beyond belief.
And disgusting.
A fanatic scientist like him had only one desire, to reduce that so-called perfection to nothing.
Each of the three forms smiled, their movements perfectly synchronized as if all three bodies shared a single mind.
"What is it that you desire, traveler?"