Two weeks had passed since that night in the queen's castle and in Pierce's mansion. Inside the training hall, Aaron was practicing alone. His body had grown sturdier, his muscles stronger, his movements sharper. Sweat dripped down his face as he swung his blade again and again, the air whistling with each strike.
Finally, he paused to catch his breath.
Just then, Ashen entered the hall, holding a cup of water. He handed it to Aaron, who drank deeply before asking:
"What took you so long?"
Ashen hesitated. His face twitched nervously.
"Well… do you know the bathroom on the fourth floor?"
Aaron frowned. "Yes. What about it?"
Ashen scratched the back of his head. "Something small happened. I mean… really small."
Aaron's eyes narrowed. "Tell me."
Ashen gulped. "I… I broke the faucet. And the water kind of… exploded everywhere."
Aaron nearly spit out the water. "What?!"
Ashen quickly explained: earlier, Pierce and Kain had left the mansion disguised in cloaks, telling him to clean the bathroom, wash the laundry, and tidy the rooms. Ashen obeyed, but when he noticed the faucet dripping, he thought it would be clever to summon a spectral servant with strong hands to twist it shut.
The spectral hand twisted it all right—straight off the pipe.
Water gushed like a fountain, spraying Ashen in the face and drowning the bathroom. Panicked, he shut the door, abandoned the mess, fetched a cup of water from the kitchen, and came straight to Aaron.
Aaron dragged a hand down his face. "So now you want me to clean up your disaster?"
Ashen nodded desperately. "Please! Help me before the whole mansion turns into an indoor pool!"
Aaron smirked. "I'll help… but under one condition. You take three flicks to the forehead. From me."
Ashen froze. "Eh? That's cruel!"
"Take it or leave it."
Reluctantly, Ashen leaned forward. Thwack!
Aaron flicked him hard on the forehead.
"Idiot. Haven't you learned not to summon specters recklessly?"
"Owww!" Ashen rubbed his forehead.
Thwack! The second flick landed.
"You should've come to me immediately instead of making it worse."
"Aaah! Stop, it hurts!"
Thwack! The third flick.
"Never—and I mean never—summon a specter for something like this again. Understood?"
"Oww, ow, I get it!"
Ashen staggered back, clutching his forehead. But before he could recover, Aaron flicked him a fourth time.
"Wha—?! That's four! You said three!"
Aaron hoisted him up by the collar and started dragging him toward the stairs.
"That's for lying to me and leaving the water running, you fool."
Ashen yelped in pain. "You're heartless!"
When they reached the fourth floor, Aaron pushed open the bathroom door—and froze.
The floor was flooded, water rippling everywhere. The bathtub overflowed like a river.
"You really did it this time…" Aaron muttered.
Ashen laughed nervously. "Hehe… surprise?"
Aaron demanded something to plug the pipe. Ashen scrambled and handed him the cap of a bottle. Aaron shoved it into the faucet hole, and for a moment, the water stopped.
Both sighed in relief.
Then the cap popped free, bouncing across the tiles, smacking Ashen in the forehead, then Aaron's.
Before they could react, the water bubbled violently. A shape rose from the depths, forming arms, legs, a snarling face.
A monster of living water towered above them.
"Raaaaaagh!"
Ashen screamed, clinging to Aaron. "M-Master Aaron, what is THAT?!"
Aaron's face turned pale. "No way… a Water Beast?"
Ashen's jaw dropped. "Water what?"
"They're spirits that dwell in isolated lakes, able to change form, wielding water and ice. But… how is one here?"
The watery monster roared again, charging toward them.
Aaron grabbed Ashen and bolted out of the bathroom. "Run first, questions later!"
They ducked into a room on the third floor. The Water Beast searched outside, sloshing through the halls.
Ashen whispered, trembling, "How do we defeat it?"
Aaron replied, voice calm but sharp. "Two ways. Evaporate it with fire, or freeze it with icy winds."
Ashen blinked. "And how exactly do you know all this?"
"I read about it when I lived in Takuba. Knowledge saves lives."
"Fine, fine! But where do we get icy winds?"
Ashen suddenly perked up. "The storage room on the second floor! Remember? Kain caught a cold there last time."
Aaron's eyes lit. "That'll work."
He laid out the plan: lure the beast to the storage room, trap it, let the icy air do its job.
Aaron stepped out into the hall, shouting: "Hey, disgusting puddle! Over here!"
The Water Beast roared, surging toward him.
But Ashen was the one it ambushed from behind. He yelped and sprinted down the stairs, his spectral clone leading the way. The monster followed, mindless and furious.
The clone darted into the open storage room. The beast charged inside.
Aaron slammed the door shut behind it.
Minutes later, he opened it again. Inside, the Water Beast was frozen solid, encased in ice from head to toe.
Aaron grabbed an iron rod and shattered it into glittering shards.
Ashen peeked in, wide-eyed. "It's… gone?"
Aaron nodded. "Problem solved."
Together they burned the icy fragments, restored the bathroom, and cleaned the mess. Exhausted, they collapsed on the floor, panting.
"Next time," Aaron muttered, "don't ask me to fix your stupidity."
Ashen chuckled weakly. "No promises."
---
Meanwhile, far away in a private office, Pierce and Kain sat before an elderly man in his sixties. His hair was streaked with silver, his eyes sharp behind round glasses.
"Very well," the man said. "As headmaster of Schwain Academy, I'll conceal Aaron's true identity. He will enter under a new name… and even a new face."
Pierce bowed his head. "Thank you, Headmaster Schwain."
The man leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers. "But know this—hiding truth comes with consequences. The world won't stay blind forever."