Chiaki sat quietly in the warm bath, steam curling gently around her as her mauve hair was tied in a loose bun, a few strands clinging to her flushed cheeks. Her blossom-pink eyes, half-lidded and thoughtful, lingered on the subtle waves in the water. A small rubber duck bobbed lazily nearby, untouched.
"This is getting out of hand..." she murmured, exhaling softly as she leaned back against the tub's edge. "I thought a bath would help... ease things up, calm me down." Her voice trailed off as her fingers lightly skimmed the surface, distracted by the warmth hugging her skin.
Her cheeks deepened in color. "I don't even know why I'm like this. I keep thinking about it… the way I acted, the way I felt. It was so sudden. My heart won't stop racing." She brought a hand to her chest, feeling it rise and fall. "I... I think my body was too excited about something, wasn't it?" she whispered to herself, almost afraid to say it aloud.
She turned her gaze away, embarrassed, her breath coming just a little heavier now. "Ugh... seriously, what's wrong with me today...?"
There was still no clear answer as to why Chiaki felt so consumed by the sensations coursing through her. Her mind remained rational, but her body defied it—responding on its own, dragging her into a whirlwind of conflicted emotion and unshakable tension.
"Whatever... I'll be fine once it passes," she muttered, trying to reassure herself. "Still... it's like there's something I want to do. But no way—I'm not letting it take over. I just have to hold back." She inhaled slowly, exhaled through her nose, and leaned her head back against the tub, closing her eyes in a fragile calm.
"Think about something positive... anything. That should help settle me down…" she whispered to herself. But even with that hope, a quiet voice followed in her mind. "This feeling is just too strong... There has to be a reason for it. But why me?" Her thoughts shifted. "Shanya said something about this before too… I hope she's managing better than I am."
At that very moment—far from calm—Shanya burst into her room, stumbling forward before collapsing onto her knees. Her cheeks were flushed, her breathing heavy and uneven.
"Wh-What the hell is goin' on…?" she gasped, gripping the floor. "Again—damn?! This crap's hittin' me outta nowhere!" Her voice trembled with frustration. "It's way too intense… way too sudden. There ain't no way this is just random!"
Meanwhile, in the largest room of the house, Temoshí, Stitch, and Phoebe sat together in a calm silence.
"Hey, Stitch," Temoshí spoke up, glancing between the two. "Have you been feeling... off lately? Or maybe you, Phoebe? Because honestly, I feel completely fine."
Stitch and Phoebe exchanged glances before turning back to him. Phoebe gave a small shrug. "I'm feeling normal. She seems fine too," she said, nodding toward Stitch. "But I'm not so sure about Chiaki." Her eyes drifted toward the bathroom door, a quiet sigh escaping her lips. "It's like I can sense something's off, but I can't quite put my finger on it."
Temoshí rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully. "You don't think she might be going through, y'know… something hormonal? Like, arousal or something?" Stitch asked, lowering her voice slightly. "It's weird to say, but it might explain that strange tension. Still... even if that's the case, this feels like something way stronger than what's normal."
"Arousal...?" Phoebe echoed, suddenly covering her mouth in shock. "You think she's... no way!"
Temoshí, meanwhile, looked uneasy, his brows furrowing at the thought. "Even if that's the case, the kind of... reaction she had didn't feel natural. It was too intense. There's got to be something behind it—some kind of trigger or ability at work. But Dr. Hugo doesn't have any powers, and I doubt anyone here would've done that to her on purpose."
It was a troubling theory, and the room grew quiet with the weight of it.
"What really has me thinking," Phoebe added, "is how Chiaki reacted when she was near you, Temoshí. She looked completely overwhelmed—like that feeling hit her all at once just from being around you. And well... you two are pretty close."
Temoshí remained calm, his voice steady. "Even if it has something to do with me, it still doesn't feel right. That kind of response isn't normal. Something caused it—something external. We need to find out what it is. I doubt it was Hugo's medicine... so there's gotta be something else at play."
While Chiaki tried to stay composed in the bath, something unseen stirred around her. Faint ripples formed without cause, and a quiet, eerie giggle echoed through the misty room.
Unaware of the translucent arms lingering nearby, Chiaki shivered as a sudden chill danced along her skin. "This again…?" she muttered, glancing around with growing unease. "No way... nothing's here—right?"
Her body tensed when she felt a strange pressure around her leg, like something gripping it—not painfully, but firm. In a flash, her leg was pulled slightly upward, slipping her posture deeper into the water.
"W-What's going on?!" she gasped, struggling to stay balanced. Her heart raced as she tried to move, but her limbs felt heavier—guided by some force she couldn't see or fight.
The air around her thickened, and that haunting voice whispered faintly again, as if circling her ears, "Such confusion… you still don't understand, do you?"
Chiaki clenched her fists. "Who's there?! What do you want?!"
The pressure faded as fast as it came, leaving her alone once more—but the bath felt colder than before. The silence that followed was louder than any whisper, and the unanswered questions weighed on her like stone.
Chiaki's heart raced as the strange, unseen presence continued to toy with her. The water rippled, but she couldn't make sense of what was happening. Her body trembled slightly, caught in the grip of something she couldn't see or understand. The feeling of fingers brushing across her skin made her skin crawl, like invisible hands skimming over her legs, tracing delicate patterns she couldn't escape.
"What is this...?" she whispered to herself, trying to steady her breath. She gripped the edge of the tub, feeling the smooth ceramic under her fingers as she attempted to calm herself. But every time she thought she'd regained control, the sensation would return—an unsettling, delicate touch that felt too real for something so intangible.
The invisible hands seemed to shift, pulling her legs lightly in different directions. Chiaki clenched her teeth, forcing her limbs to move, but the invisible force was stronger, as if it was toying with her, guiding her body as if it were a puppet. She gasped and splashed water over the edge as she tried to pull herself back together.
"Who... or what is this?! Stop!" she breathed, looking around wildly, her mind racing for an explanation. But there was nothing, only the soft echo of her own breath and the surreal feeling of being manipulated by an unseen force.
Her mind swirled, and for a moment, it felt as if the room had become smaller, the air thicker. The invisible force seemed to guide her into a deeper state of confusion, making her question what was real.
Chiaki's heart raced as she felt the mysterious presence in the room. The water around her seemed to ripple unnaturally, and though she couldn't see anything, there was a sensation—like unseen hands brushing against her, too gentle, too deliberate.
"W-What is this?" she stammered, trying to steady herself as her mind raced. The once calm, soothing warmth of the bath had turned oppressive, almost suffocating.
Her hair was suddenly tugged to one side, a gentle yet persistent force pulling it back as though trying to reveal something—or someone—she couldn't see. Her body tensed in response, feeling the pressure of something intangible, but with no explanation for its cause.
"Where are you?" she called out, her voice echoing against the walls of the bathroom, but the room remained eerily silent.
The strange sensation seemed to grow more intense, unsettling her further. She moved her arms in an attempt to break free of whatever was holding her attention, but there was no one there. It was as if the air itself was playing tricks on her, weaving around her and leaving her more and more confused.
"This… isn't normal. What's happening to me?" she whispered to herself, eyes darting around in search of something she could grasp onto. Yet, the room remained still, the tension growing by the second.
Chiaki's breath quickened as she tried to regain control of herself, still feeling the strange, invisible hands that lingered around her. The warm water splashed softly, masking the unsettling voice that seemed to come from nowhere.
"What's happening to me?" Chiaki muttered, her heart pounding. "Huh?! Wh-What?"
The voice spoke again, softer this time, almost as if it were trying to comfort her. "You're experiencing something new, something... powerful, Chiaki. You're feeling a connection to your own body that you've never felt before. It's not just arousal—it's a shift in how you perceive yourself, your senses."
The voice continued, its tone gentle but enigmatic. "This sensation is your reality, Chiaki. One that links you to parts of yourself you may not fully understand. It's an opening—a window to the deeper parts of you that are usually hidden. The question is: Are you ready to embrace this lust?"
Chiaki's thoughts swirled in confusion and hesitation. "What do you want from me?"
The voice chuckled lightly, though there was no malice. "All I want is for you to recognize what's stirring within you. The rest is up to you."
To be continued..