"~" is for start of flashback, "." is for the end of the flashback.
HADES DIPS HIS body in the large tub filled with warm water, he then sinks himself down until his hair was wet. He remained underwater, and decided to open his closed eyelids. The warm water was clear and soothing, his glowing green eyes can be seen.
These days, he bathes only after dinner, and exactly when his eyes would glow green. It was convenient that he had his own washing area in the room, it was one of the most convenient furniture here. He also has a wooden curtain, that's wide and tall enough to cover the area. He recalls seeing one like this in Livia's room, Rufus had also mentioned that he had his own washing area.
His dorm room was just like his room back in the Novak Manor. It looked and felt as if it was a small house for one person, dark and lonely. He then shuts his eyes close. This night, he could only think of one person.
~
"Dwayne! Older sister's here for a visit," hearing a lovely and gentle voice, the young boy turned to see. His face naturally brightened at the sight of his twin siblings, Slate and Linnea. "How have you been?" she asks, and she became surprised a second later when her sickly younger brother, jumped off from his seat after closing the book he was reading, and ran to them as if it was nothing.
"Sister Lin! Brother Slate! I missed you!" the little Dwayne was full of energy, and smiling brightly with his arms raised. Slate immediately moved in front of Linnea to catch Dwayne, and carry him up as if he was holding a fragile paperweight. Dwayne was tiny for his age, but in the past two weeks that they haven't visited, Dwayne had grown more than just a few centimeters.
"You're still weak, Dwayne. Don't suddenly run like that, or you'll trip," Slate warned, while Dwayne smiles widely.
"Don't worry, Brother! The medicine is working! I feel really energized today!" the little Dwayne says, while the twins glanced at each other in awe of such a news. It's only been two weeks since he started taking the medicine, and Dwayne's making a rapid recovery.
Feeling her heart flutter at the sight of her recovering baby brother, Linnea couldn't hide her softened smile. "Why don't we celebrate then? I brought with me some ingredients. I'll bake you any dessert you're craving for today," she says.
"Wah?! Really?! I want a soufflé!"
"Hahaha, then hold your horses, and patiently sit tight okay?"
"Where's Clementine?"
"Oh, she's watering the plants!"
As promised, Linnea had cooked soufflé for all four of them, and of course, she included Clementine, who was back from her garden chores. They had a small chat over the quick dessert, basically catching up with each other, and with Dwayne doing all the talking. The twins listens to him as he talks nonstop about the books he found incredibly fascinating.
Their little Dwayne was never a chatterbox, if anything, he's as silent, and as calm as a damned rock. Even when he was an infant, he barely cried! As he grew, he begun to talk more, only when necessary though. He was extremely introverted, a worse case than their eldest sibling, Morado.
"Ah! Sister Lin," Dwayne calls, and Linnea hums in response. "Why do you cook? I know you eat less, thus it's not about how you like to eat," he asked a silly question, which made Linnea chuckle a little, even Slate found himself smiling at his words. However, Dwayne was serious about his question. He was reading a philosophical book a while ago.
"The way your eyes shine while eating my sweets is adorable, and it makes me happy and full enough, Dwayne," she responds, while Dwayne was confused, he pouts the next second.
"But that doesn't answer my question," he says, Linnea could only laugh at his adorable sulking face.
"When you grow more, you'll understand what I meant," she says as she plays with his healthy black hair.
"But I'm curious now!"
.
'Father, Mother, and Sister Pearl considers me as a born genius for my level-headed mannerism, and intellect… however, I wouldn't be any of that if I hadn't read the books in that tower. I was also impatient, and ignorant at some point that I couldn't even understand what Sister Lin had meant', Hades thought to himself. He sat back up, pushing his head out of the warm water.
"Suddenly… I'm craving for soufflé," he mutters to himself, as he chuckled. Soufflés were his favorite breakfast meal when he was a child, and he would also have Linnea cook it for him whenever she would visit. Her desserts were always his favorite treats to eat, and it hasn't change until now. "I should whip myself up some tomorrow," he mumbles to himself again.
After washing himself up, he leaves the tub, and dried himself with a towel. His pajama pants sufficed as a nightwear for tonight, he simply didn't have the energy to strip his clothes away again tomorrow. As he lied down on his bed, Linnea had never left his mind, and he wonders why. Perhaps, it's because she was the first to stop her visits? Because she was the first to 'leave'?
He doesn't know why, but he doesn't see reminiscing about her as a bother. If anything, it would fuel his wrath to a perfect extent where he can show no absolute mercy to his enemy.
THE NEXT MORNING, Rufus was about to knock on Hades' door, but his eyes caught a note sticking at the door. 'I'm at the kitchen…' is what it says, which extremely confused Rufus. He had to check it with his reading glasses if what he read was right. He still strides to the kitchen after.
The rooms were empty, probably it's because their seniors have their habit of waking up early to exercise in the morning, or simply sleeping through the morning without having an ounce of care for their classes.
'What in the world could he be doing in the kitchen?' Rufus thought to himself as he arrived at the kitchen. There, he saw his eleven classmates sitting at the chairs, and watching Hades cook by himself. He wore a beige apron over his uniform, and had the white flowing hair in front of his face tied up in a short pony tail. He was simply placing a tray in the , and yet, how does he manage to look like a sculpture of art?
Out of his curiosity, Rufus walks over to Hades to ask, "Are you cooking some omelet?" Hades then shook his head in response.
"I'm making soufflé, want some too?" he asks his friend, without turning to him. Although he didn't look like it, Rufus was surprised to see this side of Hades, he never thought he could cook. Then, again, he is a commoner, it's possible that his parents had taught him, but a soufflé?
"Didn't know you could cook as well," Rufus made a comment, and remained standing on a safe distance. "Is there any specific reason why you cook?" While Hades beats the eggs, he couldn't help but laugh at Rufus' question. It's nothing special, however, it remind him of his young ignorant self.
"It's a loved hobby, and a great skill to satisfy my cravings," Hades answers with honesty, and not only Rufus but the others were in awe of Hades' smile as he uttered those words. He looked genuine for a moment, as if he wasn't that monster who took down his seniors yesterday.
Seeing his expression, and hearing his words… reminded him of someone from the past… a woman who had genuine fascination towards cooking. Suddenly being reminded of the gone, Rufus smiles hopelessly. 'Ah, if she had a younger brother my age, he'd turn out just like Hades', he thought to himself.
"Then can you cook my share too?" Rufus asks, but Hades glares at him.
"Help me out if you want some, I'm already baking worth our whole class," Hades says, and Rufus glances at his classmates. 'Ah, that's why they were here, he thought, as he rolled his eyes. He reach out to the side to take an apron, however, just as he was about to wear it, he saw a familiar face.
"Liv," he utters her nickname in surprise. "What brings you here?" he asks, and walks to her in a hurry. Livia didn't stop from walking, and closed their distance with a warm embrace. Their classmates had a surprised and amused reaction, while Hades was confused at Livia's strange actions.
"She's not drunk, right?" Hades asks out of utter confusion, he knows well that Livia's not one to hug Rufus or someone out of the blue. As he glanced to Rufus' reaction towards Livia's sudden hug, he became more confused as Rufus seemed to have an answer to why.
Rufus sighs, faces the group, and said, "Turns out I'll be skipping class today. Please tell the professor I'm sick." He had a small smile on his lips, before the two leaves the group without another word.
"What's wrong with those two?" Alonso mutters to himself, while Hades shrugged his shoulders. Something was wrong with Livia, and Rufus knows about, he can handle it.
After all, they're childhood friends.