CHAPTER 153: SUMMER VACATION’S PLAN

Back in his room, Nero wasted no time before heading straight into the bathroom. The night training’s exhaustion clung to his body like an unseen weight, and the promise of hot water was too inviting to resist. He turned the tap, the steady rush of water filling the tub, and undressed with quiet efficiency.

Steam began to cloud the mirror, blurring his reflection, but not before it revealed the sharp outline of his physique. His body, sculpted through years of relentless training and countless battles, was neither too bulky nor too lean—rather, it was refined, a balance between strength and agility. Each muscle seemed carefully carved, like the work of an artist chiseling stone, taut with power yet fluid with motion. Scars marred his skin, faint lines and jagged traces crossing his chest, arms, and shoulders—silent stories of struggles survived, each one proof of the battles he had fought and the enemies he had overcome. They didn’t diminish his figure, but instead gave him a raw, undeniable presence.

Sliding into the bath, the heat enveloped him, soothing the tension in his muscles as he exhaled deeply, the sound almost a sigh. Droplets of water clung to his skin, tracing the ridges of his abs and the grooves between muscles before vanishing into the surface of the bath. He leaned back against the smooth edge of the tub, letting his mind drift for a moment as warmth seeped into him.

But what drew the eye most was not his musculature or his scars, but the tattoo etched onto his back. Beginning from the center of his spine and winding upward toward the right side of his neck, the mark pulsed faintly as though alive. Its intricate lines and strange, ancient pattern seemed to shimmer subtly whenever the water rippled. And lately, he had noticed something unsettling yet undeniable—the tattoo was becoming more vivid, its edges sharper, almost glowing with hidden energy as his strength grew.

It was a mystery that clung to him just as fiercely as the mysterious nine stars and the vortex with something sealed within. Something that wasn’t merely etched onto his flesh, but woven into the very essence of who he was. Another secret waiting in the shadows of his own existence, something he would one day have to uncover.

For now, though, Nero closed his eyes, letting the bath water swallow both his weariness and his thoughts.

After stepping out of the bathroom, steam still clinging faintly to his skin, Nero ran the towel across his damp hair until it dried to its usual unruly state. He slipped into a pair of black underwear, leaving his upper body bare. The faint sheen of water on his skin highlighted the lean ridges of his muscles, the faint scars across his chest and sides standing out like pale strokes of history. Each mark told a silent story, and though he never paid them much attention, they added weight to his quiet presence.

He didn’t feel sleepy. Instead, he sat back against his bedframe, phone in hand, intending to scroll through the endless current of information to pass the time. But just as his thumb hovered over the screen, a crisp notification chimed—the flashing banner revealed an incoming message.

Unlocking his phone, his gaze fell on the familiar chat group. Created by Adam, the dwarf prince himself, it was the group that tied together the four of them—Nero, Lux, Blake, and Adam. Adam had been the one to spark the latest conversation.

[What are you up to, you young’uns?]

Blake replied almost instantly with nothing more than a furious emoji. Even through the phone, his laziness and annoyance could be felt, the daemon prince staying true to his character.

[Nothing in particular. I’m about to sleep. Do you have something to say?] (Lux)

[Mee too.] Nero typed, though in truth he felt nowhere near sleepy. He had other plans for the night.

Adam continued:

[Well, you know because of what happened, the school decided to give us one week of summer vacation, right?]

[Right. I heard it.

] (Lux)

[Mee too. Do you have some plan?] (Nero)

Blake lazily dropped a dozing-off emoji.

[Well, I think we should organize something. Some summer activity somewhere to have fun. What do you say?] (Adam)

[Huh! I think it’s a nice idea.] (Lux)

Nero paused for a moment, staring at the suggestion. He had never done anything like that before. A summer activity... with friends. It felt oddly new, yet the thought stirred a quiet excitement.

[Sure, count me in.] He finally typed, sealing his agreement.

The only one left was Blake.

[Count me out. I have plans.] (Blake)

Adam, as if expecting that very answer, pounced with a grin Nero could almost imagine.

[I knew you’d say that. I already spoke with your elder brother. He gave his permission for you not to come home. Said having fun would be good for your health.]

Blake erupted in fury, sending a storm of angry emojis. Adam, laughing, answered with a mocking lmfao. Nero and Lux couldn’t resist joining in, spamming laughter emojis as well. The teasing drove Blake to the edge until, finally, with reluctant silence, he accepted his defeat.

Once their fun at Blake’s expense settled, the discussion shifted toward their vacation’s destination.

Lux, always calm and precise, typed before Adam could even throw in his idea.

[Why not come to our duchy? Angel’s City.]

Nero’s eyes lingered on the name. Angel’s City, also called the White City, a dazzling jewel by the water, second in beauty only to the capital. He had never been there before. The thought alone stirred curiosity.

Adam quickly voiced his agreement. Nero, after a brief pause, did as well. Blake, naturally, stayed silent.

[It’s decided then. The quarantine will be lifted tomorrow, so we should prepare to head to Angel’s City. Our dear Lux’s home. The White City. It will be great if we had some beautiful women accompany us.]

Adam ended with a lecherous emoji.

Lux immediately countered with a facepalm emoji.

[I’ll try inviting Elreth. She’ll want to bring Azalea along, though.]

The subtle jab was aimed at Adam, who promptly sent an annoyed emoji.

Nero’s turn came almost without him realizing it. His fingers hesitated over the keyboard before typing:

[Ah, I’ll also try asking Khione to come along.]

The group froze for a moment, then Lux’s reply came, dripping with surprise.

[I didn’t think you were that close to her. She didn’t even share her contact info with any of us, despite growing up together.]

Adam immediately blew up.

[Tch! I hate you, little Nero!]

Nero smirked faintly and decided to push him further.

[Me? I love you to death. So much I want to lock you up and make you produce only great equipment for me.]

Lux chimed in smoothly:

[Wow, such a good plan. Maybe we should team up and actually do that.]

Even Blake, who rarely indulged, joined the mockery.

[Nero, nice idea. We shall do it.]

Adam exploded in indignation.

[You lot! What do you take me for?]

The three of them answered in perfect synchronicity.

[A hopeless dwarf, only good at producing great equipment!!!]

[Fuck you all. I’mma smash yer heads.] Adam replied furiously.

The others laughed so hard they could almost hear each other through the screen. The teasing went on until, finally, one by one, they closed the chat. Blake likely went to sleep first, followed by Lux. Even Adam must have lazily drifted away into slumber annoyed that he who prided himself as the Teasing King ended losing tonight to bunch of young’uns, well his age wasn’t different from the other three. While humans can live as long as Dwarves, Elves or Daemons, their lifespan mustn’t be underestimated, the stronger the longer you can live, the strongest almost have the same exact lifespan, this the matter for another time.

But Nero didn’t. He set his phone down and leaned back, staring at the ceiling, the faint echo of laughter still lingering in his chest. Then suddenly, his expression stiffened.

"...Ah, damn it."

He facepalmed, groaning at his own stupidity.

How could he forget something so simple? Even if he was a novice in human relationships, even more hopeless when it came to women, he knew one basic courtesy: when you exchange contact info with a woman, it’s the man who should message her first.

And he hadn’t.

Scrolling through his phone, Nero’s thumb hovered for a moment before stopping at the fifth contact—Khione. He didn’t hesitate this time. Opening the messenger app, he quickly typed out a message.

[Hi, Khione.I hope you’re doing well.Sorry for contacting you so late. I’ve been busy getting dragged here and there by Adam, that’s why I’m only reaching out now.]

Having spent enough time around Adam and the others, Nero had picked up a few things from them—chief among them, the art of shameless excuses. The lie rolled off his fingers naturally, and yet a faint pang of guilt made him mutter a silent prayer for Adam’s soul.

At that exact moment, Adam, who had just laid down and was drifting toward sleep, suddenly shivered. A cold, inexplicable chill raced down his spine, making him sit up halfway.

"Why do I feel like something terrible is about to happen...? Tch, maybe it’s just because that annoying elf might tag along for vacation." He convinced himself of that, brushed it aside, and went back to sleep.

Meanwhile, in the quiet of the girl’s dormitory, inside a certain room filled with a faint scent of soap and lavender, the Ice Queen herself sat hugging her oversized teddy bear, her damp white hair brushing against her shoulders. The faint ping of a notification rang out.

Her eyes instantly snapped to her phone, and before even realizing it, she had lunged for it, swiping the screen open with an eagerness that completely betrayed her usual stoic self. She read Nero’s message so quickly it was almost frightening.

When her crimson eyes finished scanning the short text, the corners of her lips curved ever so faintly—a smile she herself didn’t notice. But soon her expression shifted back into her usual stoicism, though her heart was racing.