HEADSPACE

The cave was large, with many tunnels that could lead to whatever treasures the miners had found. Sponge lingered close to the entrance, the last place she wanted to be was lost in the labyrinthine depths. She knew she was bad with directions, and getting lost in this kind of cave could mean death.

Even if she managed to find her way back, it would mean punishment from Vvh. So, as much as she wanted to explore the mines, she'd rather avoid both getting lost and facing Vvh's wrath.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sneeze, followed by a drained groan as she held her nose. She grabbed an ore from the wall and dropped it into her pouch. Then, she placed her chisel against the stone and began to chip away carefully.

As she worked, her mind wandered to Vvh. She tended to leave the cave more often than Sponge did. Perhaps it wasn't just the cold that bothered her—was there something else? Sponge grumbled to herself; Vvh had always been the silent type. She never replied, but Sponge knew she was always listening. Still, Vvh was closed off. Despite knowing each other for months, Sponge didn't know much about her beyond her skills as a fighter and a bounty hunter.

Shouldn't Vvh reveal something personal after all this time?

Suddenly, Sponge realized she had wandered much deeper into the cave. Dust hung in the air, illuminated by her flashlight. She coughed, choking on the stale air, and waved her hand side to side to clear it.

Glancing over the encroaching darkness of the tunnel, she cleared her throat, feeling a scratch in her throat. Turning back to the wall, she carefully pried another ore off the surface before making her way back to the entrance.

Vvh was nowhere to be found. Sponge rolled her eyes, dropping the pouch full of ores to the side. Her hands ached, and her back throbbed from all the crouching and stretching she'd done to reach the ore.

She needed a break—and the cold seeping through the entrance of the cave wasn't helping at all. Grumbling, she wrapped her arms around her torso and rubbed her sides to warm herself.

She hadn't even noticed her teeth were chattering until she heard Vvh's voice. "You're supposed to feed the fire for warmth," Vvh said. Sponge flinched in surprise, turning to her—she was sure she heard her neck crack in the process. "V-Vvh! You—You're back… um, yeah, I forgot," she stammered, her eyes drifting to the fire as Vvh bent down to pick up more wood from the side, throwing it into the flames and causing them to flare.

Sponge couldn't help but flinch again, her body unconsciously leaning away from the heat as Vvh watched her, silent.

Vvh took a seat on the other side of the fire. Sponge shot her a flustered look. Vvh stroked the fire with a stick, and the silence irked Sponge slightly.

Turning her gaze away from Vvh, she stared into the flames. "I lost my home to the fire," she blurted out before she could stop herself. She watched Vvh freeze, the stick held above the fire. With a sense of disconnection, Sponge observed as the stick caught flame.

Vvh pulled it out and easily waved the fire away.

"Sorry… didn't mean to say that—I just want to… uhm, explain why I don't handle the fire much," Sponge said, motioning to the cot a few steps away from the flames.

The heat barely reached her now; she was sure she had moved her cot a little too far from the fire. At one point, she could feel its warmth, but now it was almost non-existent.

Vvh silently lowered the stick she had been using, leaning back against the cave wall, her head tilted down—perhaps lost in thought once again. "You don't have to explain," she finally said, just as Sponge felt herself starting to nod off—the cold making her drowsier than ever.

Sponge blinked the sleep away and sat up, realizing she had begun to lean back. "It's—uh, fine. I think you should know anyway—you're basically my teacher," she mumbled, slightly embarrassed.

Besides, she wanted Vvh to know. She already trusted the other woman with her life; why not share her story too? Apparently, Vvh didn't agree, as she remained silent.

Sponge absentmindedly twirled the lace of her hoodie, a nervous habit of hers. Neither of them were talking, and Sponge usually tended to talk people's ears off. But it was much easier when the person you were talking to responded.

Vvh, however, seemed to lack that ability.

"Where were you? You didn't tell me you were going out," Sponge asked.

"I took a trip to the town—you were right; something is wrong with them," Vvh murmured, her voice low.

Sponge nibbled her lower lip, glancing over at the entrance. The sun had set, and darkness was creeping in. "What did you see?" she asked. "I haven't been back in town since yesterday; I might go tomorrow to sell more ores."

"It's hard to say yet, but many children there show signs of not being in the right headspace," Vvh replied, crossing her arms. Sponge's eye twitched, narrowing slightly.

Right headspace? What does Vvh mean by that?

"I don't get it. Are they—depressed or something?" Sponge tilted her head. Vvh let out a small breath, muffled under her mask. "No, different… perhaps drug use."

Sponge's eyes widened in surprise—drugs? In this strange, unknown town?

"That's weird. What kind? And children, of all people?" Sponge asked, firing off too many questions. Vvh shot her a glance that clearly said to slow down.

Sponge offered a nervous smile. "Sorry."

"I don't know what that is yet. I suggest you not go to town anymore; I don't want anyone handing you anything that might connect to that," Vvh cautioned.

"How do we sell these things then? We're stuck here; we don't have much gold in our pockets," Sponge said, eyeing the pouch full of ores at the side.

"There's a town miles away. What I suggest is we hoard multiple ores and then head there to sell them all," Vvh proposed. Sponge nodded; it seemed like a good idea. It could also mean focusing on getting more magic ores so they could leave this place for somewhere warmer.

"Yeah—I like that idea very much," Sponge agreed.

"Good, it's not like you have a choice," Vvh replied.

Sponge scoffed playfully, rolling her eyes.

—

Turns out there was a room in the cave. It wasn't noticeable until Sponge accidentally came across a wooden door. 

The layer of dust on it was so thick and dark that it seemed more like soot than ordinary dust. Sponge had to scrape it away with her bare hands, coughing a few times as the smell hit her.

By the time she cleared the door, her hands were covered in a soot-like substance. As she pushed the door open, a strong odor assaulted her senses. She gagged, inadvertently smearing soot across her nose while trying to pinch it shut against the stench.

"What the fuck," Sponge coughed, unlatching the flashlight from her glasses and pointing it inside the room. Her beam revealed multiple beds and a lantern that was no longer lit.

Sponge scanned the room. Everything looked new—so why was there dust on the door? She coughed again, convinced she could even taste the odor, which made no sense. Stumbling back to the entrance of the cave, she spotted Vvh flicking a gold coin in the air, performing tricks.

Quickly, Sponge dashed outside to scoop up a handful of snow, then returned to the cave to let it melt, washing the soot from her hands and face.

She looked up to find Vvh staring at her, perhaps waiting for an explanation.

"I think I found a secret room," Sponge said.