I Can Hear You: Two Worlds Apart

Chapter Eight: Beneath the Surface

Lydia stepped forward reluctantly, her body screaming in protest with each movement. The cold hands of the triplets were strangely comforting, despite the eerie harmony of their motions. They guided her through the ivy-covered door, and the air seemed to shimmer and warp as they passed through the threshold, transporting her into another space that felt entirely detached from the room she had just been in.

The first thing Lydia noticed was the heat. It rolled over her like a gentle wave, instantly soothing the tightness in her muscles and the ache in her ribs. The chamber they entered was filled with mist, the air thick with warmth and the soft scent of lavender and something more exotic that she couldn't quite place—something earthy and ancient, like the ground after a rainstorm in a forgotten forest.

The floor beneath her feet was warm stone, smooth and polished, and the walls around them seemed to pulse with a faint, golden light that emanated from tiny crystalline structures embedded within the rock. It gave the entire room a soft, ethereal glow, like a dreamscape come to life.

In the center of the room was a large, sunken bath, its waters shimmering with an iridescent sheen that reflected the golden light from the walls. The surface of the water rippled gently, as if stirred by an invisible breeze, and steam rose from it in curling tendrils that danced in the air. It was more than a simple bath—it looked like something out of a myth, a sacred pool meant for gods or creatures of unimaginable power.

The triplets guided Lydia to the edge of the bath and began to undo the ties of her tattered clothes with a precision that was almost mechanical. Lydia flinched at their touch, but they worked quickly, peeling away the layers of dirt and blood-streaked fabric with a kind of detached efficiency that left her feeling both vulnerable and exposed. She opened her mouth to protest but stopped short when she caught a glimpse of herself in the reflection of the water.

Her own face stared back at her, pale and gaunt, with dark smudges beneath her eyes. Her body was bruised and battered, her skin mottled with purples and blues, and her ribs were wrapped in a makeshift bandage that was barely holding together. She looked fragile—more fragile than she had ever imagined herself being. She had never seen herself this way before, and the sight of her own vulnerability sent a chill down her spine, even in the warmth of the room.

The triplets remained silent, their expressions unchanged as they gently guided her into the water. The moment her skin touched the surface, Lydia gasped. The water wasn't just warm—it was alive. It pulsed with energy, a soft hum vibrating through her body as the warmth seeped into her bones. It was as if the water itself was working to heal her, the pain in her ribs slowly dulling, the tension in her muscles easing as the water enveloped her completely.

For a moment, Lydia closed her eyes, letting herself sink into the sensation. She could feel the heat working its way through her body, unraveling the tight knots of pain and fear that had been building inside her since she first arrived in this strange, impossible place. It was as though the bath was drawing the tension out of her, washing it away with each ripple that lapped against her skin.

The triplets moved with a fluid grace as they began to wash her, their long fingers working through her tangled hair and over her bruised limbs. Lydia felt like she should be embarrassed—this was the kind of thing that should have made her feel small and helpless, being bathed by these strange, ethereal creatures. But instead, she felt calm. The triplets worked in perfect harmony, their touch gentle, almost reverent, and their silence comforting in a way she hadn't expected.

Her mind, however, refused to quiet. The questions she had been avoiding since she arrived here came flooding back, now that her body was no longer consumed by pain. Where was she? What was this place? And why had this creature, Ichimarou, brought her here?