Charles sank through the water with Kaira, his heart pounding faster by the second—th-thump-th-thump.
’How can this lake be so damn deep!?’ he thought, feeling his air slipping away.
Despite his instincts screaming to swim upward, the truth was Charles couldn’t swim.
’Are we gonna die like this!?’ he shouted in his mind. ’Hey, do sothing!’
But seeing Kaira just letting herself be carried, doing nothing—’Crap.’
Charles fought to stay calm, reminding himself panic would only make things worse.
’Gotta think fast!’ he urged himself.
Swimming wasn’t an option, and apparently, relying on Kaira wasn’t either.
’Best bet is to hit the bottom and push off to jump up...’
It was a risky plan, but the most viable one he had. Plus, it’d let him test his powers more.
As they descended, Charles prayed they wouldn’t run into so monster in the deep.
The thought of a giant fish or sothing worse lurking in the dark made him shudder—brrr.
The lake was far deeper than it looked from the surface.
Through the crystal-clear water, Charles could see smooth, moss-covered rocks on the bottom, faintly lit by the twilight filtering from above.
The waterfall, still pounding at one end of the pool—boom-boom—created a gentle current, pulling water toward a tail-like outlet, a narrow channel carrying excess water sowhere beyond the lake.
Bubbles floated around them, and tiny silver fish darted in schools, ignoring them completely.
’This is like a giant aquarium...’ Charles thought, trying to distract himself from the fact he was seconds from running out of air.
Finally, his feet hit the bottom—a firm mix of gravel and stone under his toes.
’Alright... showti.’
Wasting no ti, Charles bent his knees and launched upward with all his strength, propelling himself and Kaira toward the surface.
The water resisted briefly, but the force of his jump shot them up fast.
"Haaa!"
Charles gulped air as they broke the surface—splash—coughing as rain pelted his face.
Kaira, still in his arms, took a deep breath too, her hair plastered to her face.
But before they could stabilize, they sank again.
’Damn it!’ Charles thought, frustrated. ’Not enough power?’
Noticing Kaira wasn’t fazed by drowning—eerily calm, just letting him carry her—Charles adjusted her into a more comfortable hold, gripping her waist to keep her from slipping.
’Okay,’ he thought, steadying himself ntally. ’Gotta aim better and push harder.’
This ti, since they were alone, Charles decided to tap into his electric power.
Focusing, he felt a tingle in his legs as a spark of energy coursed through him—zzzt.
He bent his knees again, but instead of aiming straight up, he targeted the shore, where solid ground was closer.
With an explosive push, he leaped, the electric surge amplifying his strength, launching them out of the water like a cannon shot—whoosh.
"Agh!"
Charles landed on his back on the shore—thud—with Kaira on top, taking the impact to shield her.
The ground was wet and slippery, but at least it was solid.
"It worked..." Charles gasped, panting as rain continued to fall—shhhhh.
Kaira, still atop him, sucked in a deep breath, her face inches from his.
Charles felt the warmth of her breath, mingled with the scent of rain and a faint trace of chocolate lingering on her skin.
She sat up, straddling him, her pink-tipped breasts glistening with water droplets, fully exposed.
Charles tried not to stare, but it was impossible to ignore, especially with her weight pressing against his groin.
’This feels... way too good,’ he thought, embarrassed.
Kaira gazed at him, her eyes sparkling with excitent.
"That was insane!" she said, grinning wide. "I didn’t know you could do that! How’d you pull it off?"
Charles, still catching his breath, looked up at the sky to avoid getting lost in her naked body.
"Just... winged it," he said, trying to sound casual. "Had to get us out before we drowned."
Kaira laughed, leaning closer.
"What? You can’t swim?" she teased.
Charles grunted, trying to ignore the pressure of her body on his.
Suddenly, an uncomfortable question word into his mind, one he couldn’t shake.
’What if she does this with other guys?’ he thought, a pang of unease hitting him. ’Stripping, sitting like this... is this normal for her?’
The rain kept pouring, soaking them further, and Charles decided to tackle it head-on.
"Hey, Kaira," he said, eting her eyes. "How many guys do you... do this with?"
Kaira blinked, clearly confused.
"Do what?" she asked, frowning.
Charles gestured awkwardly at their position.
"This," he said. "Stripping, sitting on soone like this... all of it."
To his surprise, Kaira’s cheeks flushed red. She looked down, stamring.
"Uh... well," she said, visibly nervous. "In the clan, group bathing’s... common, you know? But ... honestly, before I t you, I was kind of a loner. I was all about climbing ranks, training, so I didn’t have ti for... this."
Charles raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
’Then who were those brown-tunic guys eyeing her red shoes?’ he thought.
"So you don’t do this with others?" he asked, just to be sure.
Kaira shook her head, still blushing.
"No, not really," she said. "I don’t just go around stripping for anyone, if that’s what you’re thinking."
Charles let out a laugh, so of his tension easing.
"Alright, alright," he said, raising his hands. "Just trying to get the lay of the land. This is... new to ."
Kaira looked at him, her expression more serious.
"What about you?" she asked, crossing her arms. "Got friends you do stuff like this with?"
’What? Does she think I’m gay?’ Charles thought, stifling a chuckle.
He sighed, shrugging.
"Nah," he said dryly. "Until a few days ago, I was basically a servant. No one respected , let alone invited to... this."
Kaira went quiet, processing his words.
As she opened her mouth to reply, a sound cut her off—sploosh.
Soone surfaced from the water, gasping for air.
Charles and Kaira whipped their heads around, freezing at the sight.
A girl erged from the lake, her long blue hair cascading over her shoulders, shimring under the rain.
Her deep blue eyes were almost hypnotic, and her soaked blue tunic clung to her athletic fra, accentuating her curves.
She swam effortlessly, moving like the water was her natural elent.
But when her gaze landed on Charles and Kaira, she frowned, her expression stern yet curious.
"Who are you two?" she asked, her voice firm but calm.
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