Story 409: Whispers Beneath the Glow

The warmth of the glowing pool seeped into Rook's muscles, unwinding knots of tension he hadn't realized he was carrying. For a fleeting moment, the weight of the world lifted, replaced by an almost dreamlike serenity. Around him, the others had similarly succumbed to the healing aura of the bathhouse, their weariness dissolving in the soothing embrace of the water.

But Rook's mind never rested entirely. Beneath the surface calm, a shadow lingered.

“Something’s off,” he muttered under his breath. The subtle ripple he'd noticed earlier still gnawed at him. He opened his eyes and scanned the room. Ghost was perched on a stone bench at the edge of the pool, his arms still crossed, his sharp gaze fixed on the ornate ceiling. Shadow, meanwhile, was half-submerged, her head resting on the pool's edge, a rare smile softening her usual sharp edges. Bulwark, eyes closed, seemed lost in a trance, his chest rising and falling with steady breaths.