The faint hiss of water filled the room, steady and calming. Steam rolled lazily across the walls, curling into soft trails that vanished against the ceiling lights. Trafalgar sat half-submerged in the bath, arms resting along the edges, his dark hair undone and slicked back. The faint bruises along his shoulders were already fading — pale skin almost too flawless for someone who'd spent the past weeks fighting monsters.
He glanced down at his reflection in the rippling surface. Not a single scar. Not a single mark.
'Guess that's thanks to you… my little shiny baby armor,' he thought with a smirk. 'Doing great work out there, huh?'
For once, it was quiet. No lectures, no nobles, no blood. Just heat, silence, and the smell of the oils drifting from the water. He sank a little deeper, closing his eyes — until something flickered above his hand.
He sighed. With a light pulse of mana, the Shadowlink Echo shimmered above Trafalgar's palm — a faint glow hovering in the misty air.
