Hot water trickled slowly over Kael's body, washing away dust, dried blood, and the accumulated weight of the day. Steam filled the spacious stone bathroom, rising in lazy spirals to the high ceiling. He rested his hands on the edge of the tub, his head slightly tilted forward, feeling the heat penetrate muscles that still remembered the impact of the blows exchanged hours before.
And yet… there was no pain.
No bruises. No residual tension.
He ran his hand over his shoulder, then his flank, testing. The skin was intact, firm, as if the combat had been just a distant memory.
"...Too strong," he murmured, almost to himself.
It wasn't pride. It was bewilderment.
His body was reacting too quickly. Healing too quickly. Adapting with an efficiency bordering on the unnatural. The new mana organ, the reorganized chaos, all of it… still didn't quite fit into his mind.
He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath.
Then he heard it.
A soft sound.
Almost imperceptible.
