AN ENIGMA

The next day, Sponge and Vvh trained again, their swords clashing noisily as they traded blows, until Sponge eventually fell on her back, grateful for the snow that cushioned her fall.

"That was good; you're starting to get it," Vvh said as Sponge pushed herself back to her feet.

"Was it?" Sponge scratched her head, flushing lightly as Vvh nodded. She sheathed her sword but then remembered something. "That's right—the secret room! We could use it! I mostly cleaned the weird black dust off the door, and the breeze from outside has pushed out the stench from the room. We could possibly make it work," she said excitedly.

Vvh nodded, and Sponge led her back to the room. The torches on the walls were now lit, and the lantern in the corner flickered to life. Vvh glanced at them before turning to Sponge. "You handled the fire," she remarked.

"If it helps us, I can do it," Sponge shrugged, flushing slightly at the fact that Vvh had noticed it. She watched as Vvh entered the room, taking in the surroundings and eyeing the beds. "There are a lot of beds. They could be from the previous miners," Sponge said, standing next to Vvh, who tilted her head.

"The beds are pretty much clean—they don't even look used. But I made sure there wasn't any dust on them," Sponge explained as Vvh inspected them. "We can transfer our things here, then," Vvh suggested, and Sponge nodded in agreement.

She quickly dragged all their belongings into the room, placing them in a corner before pushing the beds together to create a larger one, aligning them against the wall.

Behind her, she heard Vvh toss a coin into the air, her nail striking it with a satisfying sound. Sponge turned to her, gesturing proudly at the makeshift bed. "What do you think? We now have a big bed," she said, but Vvh only cast it a brief glance.

"So we share a bed?" Vvh asked, and Sponge felt her cheeks flush. Turning back toward the beds, she realized Vvh was right; she had effectively pushed them all into a single line. They were, indeed, sharing a bed now.

"There's a lot of space, though," Sponge replied, but Vvh merely hummed in response. Sponge had anticipated her to order her to separate the beds, giving them each their own space.

But Vvh didn't say anything.

Sponge took that as another win.

—

The nights were cold. Vvh had made a fire inside the room, but Sponge still felt the chill seeping under her skin and into her bones as she curled up on her side. Although she shared a bed with Vvh—a bed large enough to fit ten people—Vvh was nowhere to be found once again. Sponge theorized that she might have gone back to town, and worry gnawed at her, recalling what Vvh had said about it.

Knowing she couldn't sleep, Sponge decided against simply closing her eyes and hoping for rest. Instead, she ventured further into the cave to mine for ores, the room being farther from the entrance but a path she remembered well.

Equipping her chisel and hammer, she discovered more magic ores deeper inside. The air was thick and hard to breathe, though she didn't have the luxury to ponder why. The cave felt like a gold mine—no pun intended—filled with countless ores embedded in the walls.

She glanced down at the blue ore in her hand, its glow illuminating her face. Something felt off about it. "Mmm, this is—huh," she murmured, inspecting it closely. The glow was strong yet somehow weak, and as she turned it over, she noticed a black crack running through its middle.

Her brows furrowed in confusion. She could feel the magic within it, but it felt diluted, as if she were listening to a sound muffled by distance. Running her thumb over the crack sent an involuntary shiver through her body. She had never seen ores with such strange imperfections, nor had she been taught about them. Perhaps she had simply forgotten; her interest in her father's lessons on ores had been fleeting.

Somehow, she wished she had listened more carefully to understand the problem at hand. Hesitant to include the cracked ore with the others, she grumbled, "It's still an ore."

She had worked hard for it—there was still a chance to sell it. Unless, of course, the buyer noticed the crack. Sponge hoped they wouldn't. She buried the flawed ore beneath the others. After finding that one, she discovered a few more with similar cracks.

Some even had black tints that reminded her of a strange soot—the same substance plastered over the door to the secret room. Sponge regarded them suspiciously, but she tossed them into her pouch to examine later.

When she returned to the room, she found Vvh sitting on the bed, looking as if she were meditating. For a moment, Sponge stared before clearing her throat awkwardly. "I do not own the room; just enter," Vvh said, causing Sponge to flinch in surprise.

"I was just—being respectful… duh," Sponge replied, grinning slightly as she hopped onto the other side of the bed, watching Vvh turn to her. "Do you want to join me?" she asked, her eyes widening.

Meditation was Vvh's thing; she had never really taught Sponge how to do it or invited her to join before. This was the first time Vvh had asked Sponge to meditate with her. However, meditation wasn't really Sponge's style—she wasn't accustomed to staying still for long.

"Well… I mean, okay," Sponge shrugged, scooting a bit closer to Vvh and crossing her legs like she did. "Meditating can help you clear your mind," Vvh said. "Close your eyes, listen to your breath, and soon you'll hear your heart beating."

And that's what Sponge did. She closed her eyes and tried to listen to her breathing.

Keyword: tried.

She could hear nothing—well, she could hear the door creak, the wind from outside slipping into the cave, and the open door swaying loudly against the stone wall. Sponge bit her lip, squinting her eyes as she glared at the door.

"I don't think this is for me," she grumbled, rubbing her face and turning toward Vvh, who had been quiet all this time. "Try again. Learning how to meditate can help you calm down during high-stress times," Vvh said. Sponge sighed but nodded, ready to try once more.

Closing her eyes, she inhaled through her nose and breathed out through her mouth. She repeated the cycle, feeling herself relax—relaxed enough to fall asleep sitting up. Surely Vvh wouldn't mind if she took a nap, right? The thought almost made her giggle; Vvh would definitely be annoyed.

She resisted the urge to yawn as tiredness crept in. Walking around the cave and mining ores wasn't easy work. She could really use a nap right now. She had never experienced such fatigue before, but somehow, after meeting Vvh, she found herself feeling more exhausted than ever.

Today felt particularly draining. Sponge had never considered herself sluggish, yet she had felt that way all day. Mining ores seemed like a chore, and walking felt like treading through water. Maybe it was the cold that made her feel this way. But then again, she hadn't felt this in North Korea; even when sick, she could run from their shed to town without issue.

Sponge wasn't one to theorize much; theorizing meant uncertainty, and she preferred to distinguish facts from speculation. Something strange was happening—she just didn't know what it was yet. Sometimes her gut churned as she walked around the cave. 

Though it didn't last long, it made her nervous, especially with the cracked ores she had found today. It had only been days since they arrived here, and while she often ignored her gut feelings—most of which were hit or miss—this time felt different.

She could blame the cold, but something else was off.

"Have I not said that meditating is for clearing your mind and relaxing? Not filling it with anxiety?" Vvh's voice pierced through Sponge's consciousness. She opened her eyes and turned to Vvh, who was looking at her.

"I—I wasn't," Sponge stammered.

"I can hear your thoughts," Vvh retorted. Sponge slumped, shrugging slightly. "Sorry, I don't think I'm cut out for meditating. I can barely stop my mind from running," she said, casting a sidelong glance at Vvh before turning her head away.

Vvh fell silent, almost making Sponge think she had gone back to meditating.

"What is on your mind? Tell me," Vvh prompted, and Sponge blinked in confusion. Vvh rarely asked her about her feelings.

Somehow, Sponge felt strange. Perhaps she had become accustomed to Vvh being aloof, someone who wouldn't care about trivial things like emotions.

For a moment, Sponge's lips flapped like a fish out of water.

Vvh looked away. "It's getting late. Rest first, then we can talk about it tomorrow." She glanced at the bag Sponge was trying to fill with ores before nodding. "You did well today. Take a rest tomorrow—if not, try practicing the forms I've given you."