"Let's goooooo!" With a burst of exhilaration, Owen let out a shout while his fists balled up tightly. The grueling training had reached its long-awaited conclusion, and with it came the end of their agony.
"I feel you." With a light-hearted laugh, Issac extended his hand to give Owen a congratulatory pat on the shoulder.
"We're going to party like crazy today!" Owen declared as his head swiveled toward the rest of the group. "You guys said so!"
"Yea, after I wash up," Ellia mumbled, her body already in motion as she prepared to leave for their dormitory.
"Same..." Aerie nodded in agreement with Ellia's statement, and her face contorted slightly at the mention of their lack of cleanliness.
It had been three long weeks since they had last washed, excluding the times when they had plunged into the salty embrace of the ocean.
The mere thought of warm water and fragrant soap was enough to send shivers of delight through both Ellia and Aerie's bodies.
There was four hours lift till midnight, so they had plenty of time.
"Then I'll take the boys to the open baths. You can stay in the dormitory." William said, and both Ellia and Aerie nodded.
"Note that tomorrow is the ranking test, so sleep early," James suggested before he teleported away with a blur.
"Sleep early?!" Owen had a look of disbelief, "Fuck no We've been in hell for three weeks straight, and you're telling us to sleep?! Hell no!" With a fiery fury burning in his eyes, he thrust his arm forward, extending his middle finger high into the air, aimed at the spot where James had stood only moments before.
"Don't worry," Ellia spoke as she walked off. "I'll be sure to order some top-quality meat."
"Huh? Really?!" Owen turned to face Ellia, and his eyes transfixed upon her as if she were a divine goddess descended from the heavens. "As expected from a Nobel!"
"Just say thank you." Mike smacked Owen on the back of his head.
...
As Ellia and Aerie walked into their dormitory, Ellia snatched a clean white towel from a drawer and headed inside the bathroom. "I'm going in first," Ellia said to Aerie.
Ellia stood inside the serene bathroom, pondering whether to cleanse her body with a brisk shower or indulge in a luxurious bath.
"Sorry, Aerie..." Ellia mumbled as she felt a bath was too good to pass up.
As Ellia filled the bathtub with steaming hot water, she hesitated for a moment, realizing she didn't want to sully the pristine water with her dirt and sweat. And so, with a graceful motion, she peeled off her clothes, unveiling her flawless, ivory skin to the warmth of the room, and instead, decided to slide her lithe form under the refreshing shower, letting the water cleanse her body from top to toe.
As Ellia eased herself into the soothing warmth of the bath, her body enveloped by the liquid comfort, the ambiance was shattered by the sudden sound of the door clicking open, causing her to freeze in place.
"Aerie?" Ellia called out, hoping to get a response.
Slowly, the door creaked open, revealing Aerie standing before her in nothing but a white towel that clung to her curves like a second skin. Her clothing had disappeared, leaving her bare and vulnerable before Ellia's gaze.
'Hmm?' Ellia's mind was only left with thoughts of confusion, leaving her bewildered and unsure of what to do or say. So she simply squeezed her eyes shut and turned her gaze away. 'Where are her clothes?'
In a sudden and unexpected moment, Ellia's eyes flickered open, only to behold the sight of Aerie's towel slipping from her grasp and fluttering down to the ground. The world seemed to stop spinning for a split second as Ellia's heart stuttered and skipped a beat, her mind racing to process the surreal image before her.
'Ah... fuck...' Ellia thought with a sigh as her body sank deeper into the bathwater.
"Ian..." Ruth's voice was suddenly heard deep within Ellia's mind. But for some reason, it felt like Ruth was looking at Ellia weirdly.
'You think I'm the source of the problem here...?!' Ellia shouted inwardly, pleading for innocence.
"Sure... sure..."
'Urghh...'
With the sound of the shower cascading down around her like a curtain of rain, Ellia felt her discomfort growing by the second. With a desperate urge to escape, Ellia sank deeper into the bath, closing her eyes and plunging her face beneath the surface of the water.
Just as Ellia thought she had found a moment of peace, a sudden jolt of awareness shot through her body, causing her to gasp for air as she resurfaced from the water. With a gasp, she found herself face-to-face with Aerie's bare bottom, only three inches from her startled expression.
"H-hey?!" Ellia called out. "What are you doing?"
Aerie didn't utter a word and sank into the bathwater, as she glided gracefully into the bathwater, her body sliding in between Ellia's legs with fluid ease. Before Ellia had a chance to react, Aerie had already nestled her head into the curve of Ellia's breasts, her breath tickling the sensitive skin as she lay motionless against her.
"Ian..." Ruth spoke in a condescending tone.
'You shut up! You're not helping! You think I can chase her out naked?!' Even with the furry of shouts, Ellia was throwing inwardly, her outward demeanor remained calm.
"Aerie..." Ellia called her, her eyes still closed shut.
"Yes?" Aerie answered.
"...Never mind," Ellia was just about to chase Aeire out, but she decided to keep it in.
"It says here that you're getting excited." Ruth bluntly spoke.
'Shut up...' Ellia was too exhausted to answer properly.
"You're probably thinking of raving through her pure body, completely taking advantage of her like an hungered beast."
'Hey! That's too far now! Who do you take me for? She's like a daughter to me!' Ellia shouted while frailing her body which startled Aerie
"W-what's wrong, Second Lieutenant?"
"Ah... nothing." Ellia stopped, then rose from the bathwater, her body glistening in the soft light that filtered through the bathroom window.
She moved to snatch up a white towel, wrapping it tightly around her body as she strode out of the bathroom.
"That was close." Ellia's face was flushed, her mind racing with a torrent of thoughts and emotions that threatened to overwhelm her.