The hot springs felt like stepping into another world. Steam curled zily into the air, and the natural rock walls around the pool offered complete privacy. The shimmering water glowed faintly in the moonlight, adding an almost magical quality to the scene.

  But none of that distracted me from the very pressing issue at hand.

  “No towels,” I said ftly, staring at the empty wooden shelf near the entrance.

  “Yup,” Fi replied, already peeling off her gear without hesitation. “It’s an immersive experience. Or whatever Kaelion called it.”

  I crossed my arms, feeling my face heat up. “No towels, Fi.”

  “So?” she said, removing her clothing from her avatar self and then stepping toward the water without a hint of self-consciousness. “It’s not like we haven’t seen each other naked before. Well, technically, these are our avatars, so it’s not even really us.”

  “That’s not the point!” I hissed, clutching the edges of my tunic.

  Fi grinned at me, already sliding into the water. “Rex, Kiera. Nobody’s here but us. And trust me, you won’t even care once you're in.”

  I sighed, gncing around one st time to make sure no one was watching. Then, with my cheeks burning, I removed my clothes from the HUD and slipped into the spring. The heat hit me immediately, easing the tension in my shoulders and making me let out an involuntary sigh.

  “Told you,” Fi said, smirking as she floated zily in the water. “It’s worth it.”

  Fi sighed, sinking into the water until only her head was visible. “No corrupted monsters, no boss fights, no grumpy Devon breathing down our necks. Just peace.”

  I eased into the water, feeling the heat seep into my muscles. “It’s nice. Almost makes you forget about everything.”

  “Almost,” Fi said with a smirk. Then, she leaned back, stretching her arms along the pool's edge. “Though I gotta say, I didn’t expect to see you so... uninhibited, Kiera.”

  I blinked at her, confused. “What do you mean?”

  She wiggled her eyebrows. “You know. No towels. Au naturel. It’s like the game’s way of forcing a bonding moment.”

  “Yeah, it’s pretty great,” I admitted, sinking until the water touched my chin.

  “Good,” Fi said, grinning. “Now come on, Kiera... Come Py with me.”

  I froze, my eyes widening as my brain immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion. “W-What?”

  Fi blinked, then burst out ughing, spping the water's surface. “Oh my God, your face! I meant the water, you perv!”

  I turned bright red, gring at her. “You did that on purpose!”

  “Maybe,” she said, smirking. “But seriously, lighten up. We’re supposed to be rexing, remember?”

  I sighed, the heat in my face rivaling the heat of the spring. “You’re impossible.”

  “And proud of it. Just rex more, Kiera. You’re way too wound up.”

  “Gee, thanks,” I said dryly, rolling my eyes.

  “No, seriously,” she said, floating closer. “You’ve been carrying, like, a mountain of stress tely. It’s not healthy.”

  “Well, sorry for worrying about things,” I shot back, though there wasn’t any real heat in my voice.

  Fi’s grin widened, a mischievous glint in her eye. “You know, there are other ways to relieve stress.”

  I blinked at her, my brain stuttering to catch up. “What are you—”

  Before I could finish, Fi swam closer, her hands resting lightly on my shoulders. “Rex, Kiera. I’m just trying to help you unwind.”

  Fi’s fingers moved to my neck, her thumbs pressing gently into the tense muscles. I froze for a moment, unsure of how to respond, but the sensation of her touch quickly melted my hesitation.

  “See?” she said, her voice soft and teasing. “You’re already loosening up.”

  “This is weird,” I muttered, though I didn’t pull away.

  “Is it, though? It's only weird if you make it weird,” she said, her fingers working down my shoulders. “Just let me help.”

  I sighed, leaning back slightly as the warmth of the water and Fi’s surprisingly skilled touch began to lull me into a state of rexation. “Fine. But this doesn’t mean I’m not still mad about the no-towels thing.”

  Fi ughed, the sound light and genuine. “Noted.”

  Her hands drifted lower, brushing over my arms and sides, her movements slow and deliberate. Her touch was pyful, but there was a level of care in it that made it feel less like a joke and more like... well, something else.

  “You’re blushing,” Fi said, her grin unmistakable even in the steam.

  “No, I’m not,” I said quickly, even as my cheeks burned, giving myself away.

  “Oh, you totally are,” she teased, leaning closer. “And here I thought you were supposed to be our little group's cool, composed leader.”

  “Fi,” I warned, though the ughter in my voice betrayed me.

  “Rex,” she said again, her tone dropping slightly. “I’ve got you.”

  Before I could respond, Fi leaned in, her lips brushing against mine in a soft, fleeting kiss. My heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, I froze, unsure what to do. Then she pulled back, her grin widening as she studied my reaction.

  “There,” she said, her voice low and pyful. “How do you feel now?”

  “I—” I stammered, my brain struggling to catch up. “I don’t know?”

  “Good,” she said, her hand trailing lightly on my leg beneath the water. “Because I’m not done yet.”

  She leaned in again, her lips meeting mine with more intent this time. The kiss was warm and surprisingly gentle, her teasing nature repced with something that felt... genuine. My heart raced, the heat of the moment blending with the heat of the spring.

  When she finally pulled away, her face was close to mine, her breath brushing against my cheek. “You’re cute when you’re flustered,” she whispered, her grin returning.

  “F-F-Fi,” I said, my voice shaky but steadying. “W-W-What was that?”

  “Rex, Kiera,” she said, her teasing tone back in full force. “I’m just pying around. You needed to unwind, and this was way more fun than whatever everyone else is doing.”

  “You can’t just—” I stopped, my words faltering as she leaned forward again, her face inches from mine. My face betrayed me again. The burning heat returned to my cheeks as I remembered the way her lips fit into mine, how soft they were like they were made of a cloud.

  Her lips hovered near my ear as she whispered, “Just kidding.”

  I gaped at her as she pulled back, her ughter bubbling up as she leaned against the pool's edge. “Oh my God, your face. Absolutely priceless.”

  “Fi!” I spshed her, my embarrassment only making her ugh harder.

  “Hey, I’m just saying,” she said, still grinning. “If I were into girls, I’d totally sleep with you. But, y’know... strictly dickly. I’m all Mason.”

  Her words trailed off as her cheeks turned bright red, and she quickly looked away. “Uh... forget I said that.”

  I couldn’t help but ugh, the tension in my chest finally easing. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

  “Thanks,” she mumbled, her embarrassment making her seem almost shy. Then she smirked again. “But seriously, if you tell him, I’ll kill you.”

  “Deal,” I said, still ughing.

  ?????°???°?????

  “So,” I said, changing the subject as I leaned against the edge of the spring. “What about you? You’ve been in this game as long as I have, but I feel like I barely know you outside of... well, you being you..and being a tease.”

  Fi smiled faintly, her usual pyful energy softening. “Not much to know, honestly. Just a nerd trying to survive senior year.”

  “Senior year?” I echoed. “Like... high school?”

  “Yep,” she said, popping the “p.” “Last year—the big one. Eighteen turning nineteen, yes, consenting adult here you can breathe. The year of ‘decide your entire future now or live with regret forever.’ Or at least that’s what my parents keep telling me.”

  I frowned. “That sounds... intense.”

  “Understatement of the year,” Fi said, resting her chin on her knees. “They want me to pick a college, a career, a whole freaking life pn. But I don’t even know what I want for lunch half the time, let alone what I want to do for the rest of my life.”

  I stayed quiet, letting her words hang in the air. For all her joking and teasing, it was clear this weighed heavily on her.

  “That’s why I py this game,” she continued. “It’s my escape. Here, I don’t have to think about SAT scores or application essays or how disappointed my parents will be if I don’t pick something ‘prestigious.’ I can just... be me.”

  I smiled softly. “I think you’re pretty great, Fi. Whether you’re here or out there.”

  Her grin returned, a little brighter this time. “Thanks, Kiera. That means a lot. Really.”

  “So what about Mason?” I asked after a moment. “You two seem close.”

  Fi chuckled. “Oh, Mason? He’s a total jock, literally.”

  “Yeah? I figured as much,” I smirked. “But how do you know him?”

  “We grew up together,” she said, her tone fond. “Same neighborhood, same schools, same everything. He’s always been... well, Mason. He’s always been the golden boy. Football star, prom king, the whole cliché package.”

  “And he never... you know, gave you a hard time? For being different?”

  “Not once,” she said firmly. “He’s always been the guy who stood up for me when others didn’t. Even when we were kids, and I was the weird girl with the braces and the Pokémon backpack, he never treated me like I was less than him. That’s why we’re still friends, even in here.”

  I nodded a soft smile on my face. “That’s nice. You don’t see that kind of loyalty often.”

  “Yeah,” Fi said, leaning back again. “Mason’s a good guy. A little dense sometimes, but his heart’s in the right pce. A big ol’ teddy bear.”

  I smiled. “Sounds like you care about him a lot.”

  Fi’s cheeks turned slightly pink. “Yeah, well, don’t go getting ideas.”

  I sank into the water, letting it rise to my chin. Fi, of course, had no such reservations. She stretched her arms along the pool's edge, her grin as wide as ever.

  “Alright, Kiera,” she said, her voice dripping with mischief. “Now that we’re here, we should py a game.”

  “A game?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. Already wary since her st attempt to ‘ease my tension,’ “What kind of game?”

  She smirked. “I don’t know. Truth or dare?”

  I groaned. “Fi...”

  “Oh, come on,” she said, spshing water at me. “Lighten up. This is supposed to be fun. Or are you too chicken?”

  “I’m not chicken,” I said defensively.

  “Good,” she said, leaning forward slightly. “Truth or dare?”

  I hesitated, feeling a mix of nerves and curiosity. “Truth.”

  She grinned. “Do you think Ethan’s hot?”

  I sputtered, the heat in my face rivaling the heat of the water. “What? That’s not—Fi!”

  She burst out ughing, leaning back against the rocks. “Oh, you’re too easy, Kiera. Way too easy.”

  As the ughter died, Fi’s pyful grin softened into something more mischievous. She floated closer, her green eyes glinting in the faint light.

  “You know,” she said, her voice low, “you’re actually pretty hot yourself.”

  My eyes widened, and I instinctively moved back a little. “Fi, what are you—”

  She didn’t stop, her movements slow and deliberate as she leaned in, her face inches from mine. Her hand came to rest lightly on my leg beneath the water, sending a jolt of nervous energy through me.

  “Everyone loves you, Kiera,” she whispered, her voice soft and teasing. “How could they not?”

  Her lips barely brushed mine, and my heart skipped a beat. For a moment, I froze, unsure of what to do. Then she pulled back, her grin returning as she whispered:

  “Just kidding.”

  My face turned bright red as she ughed, leaning back against the rocks. “Oh my God, AGAIN, your reaction! Priceless!”

  “Fi!” I spshed her, mortified. “What is wrong with you?”

  “Nothing,” she said between giggles. “It’s called having fun, Kiera. You should try it sometime.”

  “Fi,” I groaned, my face still burning.

  Fi turned to me after a long silence, her eyes curious. “Alright, Alright, all jokes aside, now that we got all that out of our systems… It’s your turn to tell me what’s been eating at you, Kiera?”

  I hesitated, my stomach twisting. “What do you mean?”

  “Come on,” she said, nudging me with her elbow. “You’ve been acting all... weird around Ethan. Something happened, didn’t it?”

  “It’s…complicated.”

  She waved her hand in the air. “Complicated is my middle name. Now spill the tea.”

  I swallowed hard, debating whether or not to tell her. But the warmth of the water, the openness in her gaze, and the weight of the secret I’d been carrying all combined to make me spill.

  “I... I used one of my abilities on Ethan,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “I charmed him. And things... got out of hand and…and…gosh I’m so stupid.”

  Fi’s eyebrows shot up, but she didn’t interrupt. I told her everything—how it had happened, how I’d felt afterward, how I was terrified of anyone finding out.

  When I finished, my face burned, and I couldn’t bring myself to look at her.

  “Well,” Fi said after a long moment, “that is... complicated. But you’re not stupid, Kiera. You made a mistake. And from the sound of it, you did it to protect us. Ethan isn’t holding it against you, right?”

  “No,” I said softly. “He says it’s just between us.”

  “Then trust him,” she said firmly. “And trust Devon and Selene too. They’d understand.”

  “Would they, though?” I asked, my voice cracking. “I’m not so sure.”

  Fi leaned forward suddenly, her hand resting on my leg. Her voice dropped to a whisper, her eyes locking with mine. “Kiera, listen to me. I meant what I said: Everyone loves you. You’re the glue holding us all together.”

  Before I could respond, she leaned closer, her lips almost brushing mine. My heart raced, my face turning crimson. Then, just as I thought she was about to kiss me, she whispered with a smirk: “Just kidding.”

  I gaped at her as she ughed, leaning back into the water. “Oh my God, you should’ve seen your face! Priceless!”

  “Fi!” I spshed her, my embarrassment only making her ugh harder. “Come on! Seriously.”

  “Sorry, sorry!” she said between giggles. “I couldn’t resist again. But seriously,” Her face dropped the smiles, and her eyes showed a serious gleam. “Devon knows and understands you like you know yourself, and Selene will never hold anything against you. They will understand and know that you tried to help, but your Succubus side just got ahead of itself. I mean, come on, ‘world-shattering anomaly breaker’? That’s kind of a big reason. So, tell them. They won’t judge or think any less of you.”

  Hearing her say that, I believed her. They loved me for me and would understand. Besides, we all promised better trust and communication as a couple.

  When we exited the spring and re-equipped our gear, it felt like a new person. Fi threw an arm around my shoulders as we headed back toward the guild hall, her grin as wide as ever.

  “Don't you feel much better after that? This is why you need me around,” she said. “To keep you from turning into a stress ball.”

  I smiled my cheeks still a little pink. “Thanks, Fi. For everything. But do any of those stunts again, and I will push you into the next cliff drop we cross and sell all your gear."

  “Geez, touchy. But fine, fine, no more flirting and temptation jokes. You got it, boss,” she said with a wink. “Now, let’s get back before Devon wonders where we are."