Chapter 16: The Celestial Hot Spring

"What the fuck is that?!" I shouted over the noise echoing down the staircase. "Damara, are you okay?!"

She grabbed onto me tightly, tucking her head into my chest, her body quivering violently. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders, bracing us against the kitchen island as the floorboards groaned under a deep, grinding shudder.

Plaster dust drifted down from the ceiling, but just as quickly as the violent tremors had started, the manor settled back into silence.

My cellphone began vibrating furiously against the countertop, the sharp buzzing cutting through the quiet.

"Stay close," I murmured, keeping one arm securely around Damara’s waist as I reached for the phone with my free hand.

I tapped the screen, and the Harem System app popped up with a bright, pulsating pink and gold banner.

[ HOUSE UPGRADE COMPLETE: Tier 1 Expansion ]

[ NEW FACILITY UNLOCKED: The Celestial Hot Springs ]

[ ACCESS POINT: 2nd Floor Corridor ]

Ignis came trotting out of the living room, his mechanical head tilted at a slight angle with a duster tucked neatly beneath his arm. "Fret not, Sire. It appears the divine blueprints have simply executed their scheduled structural expansion. The foundation remains delightfully intact."

"Wait, you knew about this?" I huffed, exhaling the breath I’d been holding. "Why didn’t you warn us?! Ignis, I almost shit my pants, man."

"Sorry, Sire. Every time I tried to mention it, you walked away. I was unable to fully get your attention." He hung his robotic head. "I vow to do better from now on!" He proclaimed before slowly leaving the room.

My phone vibrated and chimed in my pocket. Opening it, I found a text from ???.

???:Hey Sam! Good job getting your first harem member. As a reward, the house has shifted, producing a door to another dimension. From the workout you two had earlier, I’m willing to bet this place will hit the spot. PS! There is one more surprise inside! Later!

"You’ve gotta be kidding me," I sighed, putting my phone away and turning to Damara. "Celestia says it’s a reward for us."

"She just texts you like that?" Damara asked as she read the message. "Surprise? What else could she have planned? Does that say hot spring?! Sam! We have to check it out..." Her ears continued to perk up as she rambled. "...I’ve never been to a hot spring before."

My gut dropped slightly as a memory flashed in my mind. "My mom took me to one. Just once before she got sick," I said, my voice slightly somber as the words came out. "She loved them a lot."

As I continued to talk, Damara placed her hand on my back and rubbed lightly. The calm touch brought me back down from the dark place the memory had tried to take me. Looking at her, I instantly snapped out of it.

"So, what you’re saying is, in the morning you’d like to investigate–"

"NO! NOW!" She yelled as she began pulling me up the stairs. "Why wait?!"

Letting myself get dragged, I began laughing at how crazy my life had become in just a few days. My anticipation reached a peak as we neared the top of the stairs. The upper floor had been changed. Where a normal door had sat on the far left, a large aquarium-blue door had taken its place.

"Well, that’s neat," I said, looking over the patterns inscribed on the door. "Do any of these mean anything to you, Damara? Looks like some kind of language..."

"I think it says, ’Stop inspecting the door and open me...’" She huffed in a deep, mocking voice, adding a few giggles onto the end before grabbing the handle. "I’m going in. You stay here if you’re too much of a chicken."

Flashing her an impish smile. "Have it your way, but I’m telling you. This Goddess definitely has ulterior motives," I explained, placing a hand on the door. "I guess let’s see what this is all about."

I turned the cool metal handle, and the door swung open without making a single sound. A wave of warm steam rolled out over our bare feet, carrying the rich, earthy smell of natural minerals and salt water.

Stepping across the threshold, our feet hit smooth, heated river stones.

The ceiling simply wasn’t there; looking up revealed an open night sky filled with a blanket of shimmering violet stars and twin moons casting a soft, dreamy glow over the entire landscape.

A wide, dark wood deck framed a sprawling network of natural stone pools, each filled with crystal-clear, blue water, illuminated from beneath by soft underwater lanterns.

Surrounding the terrace, towering cherry blossom trees swayed in a gentle, warm breeze, lazily shedding glowing pink petals that drifted down to float along the surface of the steaming water.

"Whoa..." I managed, the sight almost pulling the air from my lungs. "This is magic!" I shouted, yanking my clothes off maniacally as we walked toward the steaming pools. "Maybe she isn’t so bad after all."

"I told you there was nothing to worry about..." She paused for a moment. "Wait. Does that mean she saw us having sex?!" She shouted, her face turning red. "Perverted goddess," she huffed, sticking her tongue out at the sky. "Next time I’ll give you a show."

"Are you threatening a Goddess right now?" I said through my laughter. "Sounds like I should look forward to it either way."

She shot me a fast glance. "You keep being genuine, and there is far more than what happened earlier coming your way." She placed an exploratory toe into the pool. "Ohhh. It’s very warm. I’m getting in now!"

She stripped the rest of her clothes off before lowering herself into the crystal liquid. I couldn’t help but blush as her wet body glistened in the moonlight.

"Skinny dipping it is," I relented, stripping my own clothes off before stepping into the water. "Good lord, this feels amazing," I exclaimed before lowering myself further. "I could really get used to this."

"It is in your house. I’m pretty sure you can get used to it."

Thinking about it for a moment, my lips curled. "You’re right. Huh. Neat."

"Hello. Who’s there?" a small voice called.