The words dropped like a thunderclap, freezing everyone in place. Raphael and Ethan went silent. Kaivan blinked, utterly stunned, trying to process what he'd just heard.
But Thivi only smiled mischievously, her blue eyes glinting with amusement. "Oh? So you want to bathe with Kaivan too?"
Felicia's face turned crimson. "W-What?! That's not what I meant!"
Thivi giggled, refusing to let up. "Sure, sure. Just admit it, you want to bathe with him too."
Felicia opened her mouth but no words came out.
Kaivan sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose, trying to wash away the embarrassment flooding him. "Wait, it's not what you think..." His voice trailed off, but it wasn't enough to stop the growing fire of curiosity.
Raphael and Ethan both turned to him, eyes sharp with accusation. Cornered, Kaivan finally gave in. "That time... I forgot to lock the bathroom door. Thivi just walked in. I still had my underwear on, but she started undressing, only wearing her bra, and…" He stopped, choking on the awkwardness of his own explanation.
Ethan squinted. "So you didn't bathe together, but... you were half-naked together?" His flat tone cut deep. Raphael pressed his fingers to his forehead, trying not to laugh.
"Hey, Kaivan," Raphael said, smirking. "Taking a warm bath with a cute girl, your life's turning into a drama, huh?"
Ethan chuckled while Kaivan groaned, ruffling his hair in frustration. "Ah, it's not like that! It's hard to explain!" he protested.
Despite the tension, the mood began to ease with laughter. Raphael leaned back with a teasing grin. "It's just a misunderstanding," he said. "But this story... we'll be laughing about it for years."
Ethan nodded. "Yeah, you'll have plenty of funny stories after this."
Kaivan let out a resigned sigh. In the middle of the chaos, he still felt something warm, this noisy, ridiculous group was his home.
In the kitchen, Thivi and Felicia helped Kaivan's sister, Kira, and his mother prepare dinner. The smell of spices filled the air, comforting and rich.
Thivi, as lively as ever, chopped vegetables with bright energy. "With some extra seasoning, this'll taste even better!" she said, stirring the sizzling pan.
Felicia, calmer and more focused, kept a sharp eye on the cooking process. "Don't turn up the heat too high. The flavor and texture have to balance," she instructed.
Thivi glanced at her with a sly grin. "Wow, you're so serious. You sound like a professional chef."
Felicia snorted softly, though the corner of her lips curved slightly. "Someone has to make sure this food is actually edible, right?"
The two of them, once at odds, now found an unexpected rhythm, working side by side in quiet harmony amidst the warmth of the kitchen.
In a corner of the city, inside a nightclub, neon lights flickered, purple and blue reflecting off dark walls crowded with bar patrons' shadows. Cigarette smoke and the scent of alcohol hung heavy, silent witnesses to secret conversations drowned in half-empty glasses and murmurs.
Two figures sat tucked away in a booth. Through the thin veil of smoke, their faces carried a mix of pride and barely concealed hatred.
"Hahaha, it's almost funny, your little anarchist group crushed by a bunch of teenagers," said the woman in formal attire, her voice a song threaded with sarcasm. She toyed with her cocktail glass with slender fingers, savoring the reaction on the man's face across from her.
The man, William, took a slow sip. The warm brown liquid slid down his throat. "Ha. That was only one group," he answered, calm but sly. He studied the woman and offered a crooked smile. "Besides, this was your idea. If you hadn't asked for it, I wouldn't have bothered to poke around in people's dreams and scramble their minds."
William's gaze sharpened. His words were not merely taunts, they hinted at a deeper plan.
Suddenly, someone cut through the crowd. A tall woman with a decisive posture entered, parting the throng like a blade through butter. She didn't need to shout, her presence alone commanded the room.
"Sir, these are the infiltrators from the cult," she reported, sliding photographs across the tabletop to William. Her gloved fingers smoothed the papers as the neon light painted half her face into shadow.
William took the photos with one hand and scanned the images: Kaivan, Radit, Ethan, Felicia. The youths' faces held something dangerous to him, hope. William hated hope.
His smile faded. He leaned back in his chair and slowly swirled his drink. "Which one of them uses the Omnicent?" he asked, his voice suddenly sharp like a hunter scenting blood.
The room's atmosphere shifted; laughter and background music dimmed under that single question. William looked at the woman across from him with an expression that sealed the moment: this was no longer play.
"Vella, let me handle them. Lend me your people," he urged, the words a soft push loaded with intent.
Vella exhaled and rose from her seat. She grabbed the blazer draped over her chair and fixed William with an icy stare. "Do as you please," she said flatly. "But if you drag me into this, I will kill you. I have more important matters than chasing after those kids."
Without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked away, leaving William with plans that only grew sharper in his mind.
On Kaivan's Porch, a Warm Night Shadowed by Threats
The night breeze brushed gently through the air, carrying the scent of damp earth and rustling leaves. On Kaivan's porch, three young men stood in silence, their light conversation occasionally breaking the quiet. Dinner was ready inside, yet the air felt heavy, something still lingered unfinished.
Kaivan stood with his hands in his pockets, eyes fixed on the star-studded sky. In the dim light, his face was unreadable. He turned slightly toward Raphael beside him and asked softly, "Hey, any movement from those terrorists since that day?"
Raphael exhaled, folding his arms as his gaze drifted far away before answering, "No. After the explosion, they vanished. The rest... disappeared without a trace."
His words dropped like stones into a still pond. Yet the weight in their chests remained.
Ethan, who had been quiet all along, rubbed the back of his neck. "You think what happened back then won't turn into something worse?" he asked softly, his eyes narrowing as if searching for a darker truth.
Kaivan didn't respond. He only drew a slow breath and looked up at the sky, as if seeking answers hidden in the stars.
Then, like sunlight piercing through fog, Thivi's cheerful voice called from inside the house. "Come on! Dinner's ready!"
They exchanged brief glances before nodding and stepping inside. Tonight, there would be laughter and shared meals. Yet beneath the warm glow of the house lights, they all knew, the storm never truly went away.
As they gathered in the dining room, the aroma of home-cooked food wrapped around them like comfort. Felicia and Thivi moved swiftly, arranging dishes with care, while Kira and Kaivan's mother welcomed them with serene smiles. Amid looming dangers, this simple moment felt precious, a fragile peace worth holding on to.