SEEING GHOST OR THE PAST?

Strangely, Sponge did not find her pouch, nor did the walls look like she had mined them when she returned to the same spot she had been at a day ago. "Fuck? Am I… going crazy or something?" Sponge grumbled, the ache in her throat and head not helping her. She could feel her anger simmering—hot and boiling.

"Stupid fucking cave, I swear—" Sponge muttered, quickly grabbing an empty pouch from her pocket and tying it tightly around her waist, making sure it was secure this time before returning to her mining. This time, she didn't see any ores with black cracks.

Sponge rubbed a hand over her forehead, staring at the ore in her hand, rotating it and checking every corner. "I don't get it—I was sure… God… what's going on?" she mumbled to herself, lowering her head and closing her eyes. She let out a breath, only to choke on the stale air again, coughing harshly as if gravel had been thrown into her throat.

She cleared her throat, the pain making her breathe harshly. It took her a while to catch her breath—she was sure her face was red from coughing so much. This was probably a sign for her to stop and just train with Vvh. She turned around, but her boot snagged on something. Letting out a confused noise, she looked down, straining her eyes at the light. Eventually, she gave up and opened the flashlight clipped to her glasses.

"A… mushroom?" Sponge mumbled to herself, crouching down to stare at it. For a moment, she just looked at it before touching it with a finger. Then she started patting it with her hand, letting out a small giggle before plucking it from the ground and walking back to their room.

Once inside, she dropped her pouch into her bag and examined the mushroom under better light. It looked like a normal mushroom; she knew they tended to grow inside caves. Sponge felt her stomach rumble as she stared at it, her mouth salivating at the memory of her mother making her creamy mushroom soup on a particularly bad day when she had been sick all day.

Sponge swallowed and sniffed slightly, ignoring the ache in her heart from the memory. With a sigh, she thought, so much for a trip down memory lane.

Instead of wallowing in her sadness, Sponge decided to leave the cave, hoping Vvh was nearby. Thank goodness she was.

Vvh turned toward Sponge, who had just exited the cave with one hand holding her sword. Vvh stopped and said, "You're sick." Sponge only shook her head.

"I can't handle being inside the cave… I'll go crazy," she chuckled as Vvh shook her head softly. "Come—I'll train you," Vvh said, and Sponge brightened up, a smile spreading across her face.

The training went smoothly; Vvh hadn't sent Sponge to eat the snow. It was almost as if she was taking it easy on her. Sponge huffed, letting out a breath and wiping an arm over her forehead to clear away the cold sweat.

"Are you going easy on me? Or am I just imagining things?" Sponge smirked as Vvh stared at her.

"Perhaps it's your fever-addled brain," Vvh tilted her head, her voice almost amused. Sponge grinned back, letting out a bark of laughter.

"I am not sick! I swear it's just a cough," Sponge huffed, rolling her eyes.

Suddenly, the snow picked up—a strong gust of wind caused the snow to swirl around her, blocking her vision for a moment. Sponge squinted; she could barely see Vvh now.

"Spongey," a familiar voice whispered.

Sponge turned around in confusion. The voice was familiar, and the way it was said… it was. "Ji-Ho?" she murmured, but then the wind stopped, and she saw Vvh once more, staring at the sky with her arms crossed, as if disappointed the wind had interrupted their chat.

Sponge, however, was still in shock. She was sure she had heard Ji-Ho—or had she?

"Training can be continued tomorrow," Vvh cut into her thoughts. Sponge flinched slightly at the interruption. It took her a moment to process what Vvh had said. "Yeah—yeah, we can train tomorrow again," Sponge murmured, still looking around in confusion.

—

Vvh was most definitely asleep—though Sponge wasn't too sure. She could see the other lying on her side; Vvh might just be refusing to move or acknowledge Sponge's restless tossing and turning throughout the night.

Sponge couldn't sleep and didn't know why. She groaned silently, her head pounding—perhaps it was her stuffed nose or the painful rumbling of hunger in her stomach.

They had eaten bread and apples, but it hadn't been enough for Sponge. She wanted to ask Vvh for more, yet felt shy and a little ashamed to do so, knowing it was partly her fault that they had so little gold in their pockets.

Sponge knew Vvh wouldn't throw mistakes in her face repeatedly—once was enough for the other woman. Still, it made her feel guilty to ask for more.

Her gaze drifted to her bag in the corner of the room, where she had hidden the mushroom. Eating a raw mushroom seemed disgusting, but it was that or continue to endure her stomach's rumbling.

Carefully, Sponge stood from the bed, thankful that the metal frame didn't creak—maybe it was just new. She tiptoed over to her bag and pulled out the mushroom, staring at it intently as her stomach rumbled.

Sniffing it, she thought it didn't smell like something that shouldn't be eaten… Not that she knew which mushrooms were safe. She stared at it again before taking a small bite from the top, examining the white flesh before chewing.

Sponge's face curled in uncertainty as she chewed. It didn't taste bad per se, but it felt like she was biting into styrofoam. The flavor? Hard to explain—neither good nor bad, just a bit in between.

She took another bite when her stomach rumbled again, eventually finishing the mushroom and silencing her hunger pains. After swallowing the last bite, she let out a silent burp.

Almost giggling, she was startled when Vvh asked, "What are you doing up?" Sponge turned quickly, letting out a small scream.

Vvh stared at her, sitting up with her arms crossed. Sponge stood up, feeling like a child caught with her hand in a cookie jar. "Uhm... hi! Good evening! Just checking things out. I thought I forgot my hammer and chisel out there," she said, waving a dismissive hand.

She rushed to the side of her bed, grinning nervously. Vvh probably sensed the lie, but there was no way Sponge would admit she had eaten a whole mushroom because she was hungry—she wasn't that primitive! Just very, very hungry. A midnight snack could never hurt, right?

Vvh cocked her head, and Sponge was sure she was glaring at her under her mask. "Sleep," she ordered.

"You don't sleep," Sponge retorted, sounding like a petulant child.

"Did I ask?" Vvh shot back as Sponge pouted.

"That's not fair! You're not my mom," Sponge grumbled, not noticing Vvh freeze at her words. Quickly, Sponge flopped onto her back, arms crossed, glaring at the stone ceiling.

Beside her, she felt Vvh move, swinging her legs off the bed. "I am not your mother... but I am your teacher. If you pass out during training, it will not be my fault for your refusal to take care of yourself," Vvh said, and Sponge's glare slowly faded as she turned to see Vvh's back.

"I—" Sponge blinked, sitting up slowly.

Vvh remained silent.

"Sorry—I didn't mean to say that. I guess I just don't want you to treat me like a child," Sponge said, scratching her head, a frown on her lips. Vvh turned her head slightly but didn't fully face her.

"With that attitude? I may as well call you one," she replied before standing up and leaving Sponge alone.

Sponge frowned, her expression dropping.