The Healing Waters
Ah... I feel incredibly comfortable. That sense of peace and languor you get while floating on the water's surface, gazing up at the sky, wraps around my entire body. Should I sleep a little longer...? It feels like I just woke up, but it's been so long since I've felt this pleasant drowsiness. No matter how much I'm pushed around by the President and the team leaders, unable to even get a proper word in... the only one who ever calms me down is... Harpy. Harpy... Harpy... Ah, the moment I recall our outing together and realize our return time is almost here, I snap my eyes open and try to let out a cry, but no sound escapes my mouth.
"Ah, mmph... mmph?"
The unidentified liquid filling not only my vision but also my mouth is blue—I can tell from the lighting beyond and how everything around me glows with that same hue. What is this...? Where am I trapped right now? Can I even breathe?
"Mmph...?"
The thought of suffocation crosses my mind, but strangely, I don't feel like I'm choking. Though the liquid's alien texture fills my nose and mouth, fresh air keeps flowing in through my windpipe. Squish, squish... I stretch my fingers, clench them, and repeat the motion. What kind of sensation is this? It's like jelly—soft and yielding—yet it doesn't break or crush. It slips freely between my fingers and refills every space without gaps. If I were somehow shrunk down and buried in Harpy's cleavage, it might feel just like this.
'How adorable... the way you're wriggling about... just like a baby...'
"?!"
A voice comes from somewhere—I can't tell where. The gentle, languid tone of a mature woman startles me, and I whip my head around, but beyond this massive, unknown liquid mass enveloping me, all I can see is the glow of the lights.
Could I swim my way out? Ah...?
'You want to leave, I see... How disappointing. I'll let you out soon, so don't worry, dear.'
Soon after, a gurgling, bubbling sound fills the space. The liquid mass around me swirls and carries me somewhere. I feel the lights growing sharper as I'm pushed forward at high speed.
"Puhah...! Cough, cough!"
With every cough, clumps of blue liquid spill from my nose and mouth. They move on their own, gathering back into a mass and slowly crawling toward the spot I just emerged from. Following them with my gaze, I turn around... and for a while, I can't even close my mouth to speak.
It's a woman. A long-haired woman sitting down. Yet even seated, her head nearly reaches the ceiling, which must be well over twenty meters high. Her hair, her entire body, glows with a calm blue light like a lake, and beyond that, she's transparent—almost like a living work of art.
'You look surprised... What should I do? I want to comfort you, but... will you be scared if I come closer...?'
The form of her abundant, naked body ripples naturally, as if alive. I realize without difficulty that the voice I've been hearing belongs to this enormous woman before me. After all, in this sealed space, there's no one else but her and me.
"..."
Did I just come out of her? My mind can't keep up with the sudden situation, and I even wonder if I'm dreaming.
".. Counselor!"
At the sound of the door opening and a familiar voice, I turn my head. Before I can even see her face clearly, she rushes forward and pulls me into a tight embrace. Feathers drift down gently in front of my eyes. Someone's light-brown hair presses against my shoulder, carrying a pleasant scent. And most of all, that warm, full sensation pressing against my chest... it's similar to the gentle feeling I experienced with my whole body just moments ago, yet clearly different—neither cold nor slippery.
"Harpy...?"
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... Sniff, sob..."
"Uh... It's all right."
As I wonder why she's suddenly clinging to me and apologizing through tears, the memories I had forgotten finally return. My back had been bleeding quite a bit. Reflexively, I reach behind me, but there's no scar or anything unusual, and it doesn't hurt at all.
"The treatment must be finished."
"Ah, Team Leader."
Normally, the clown mask wouldn't be a welcome sight, but given the bewildering situation, I'm actually grateful she appeared so quickly.
"I can tell you're happy to see me, but would you mind putting some clothes on first?"
"Ah...?"
Only after fumbling to catch the bundle of clothes she tosses my way do I realize I've been completely naked this whole time. With Harpy still clinging tightly to my neck and refusing to let go, I somehow manage to get dressed. Then I turn to the Team Leader to ask what's going on.
"Team Leader, right now... where exactly am I—"
"First, say thank you to Undine."
"Huh?"
Undine? Undine... I've heard that name somewhere before.
'There's a new recruit here. I don't want to cause Undine any unnecessary trouble by overworking her.'
It was probably during that tense exchange between the Team Leader and the Field Team Leader. I look at the enormous woman once more.
"...!"
At some point, she has tilted her head slightly, smiling at me. That transparent smile ripples beautifully under the lights, leaving me speechless again.
Plop... When she extends her hand and touches her index finger to the floor, blue clumps ooze from the tip and move on their own, forming familiar shapes.
Thank you for the thanks is fine.
'No need to thank me. Hehe...'
The letters are so clear that my surprise only grows.
'I enjoyed it too... Thank you for the meal.'
...I don't quite understand the latter part, but I thank her anyway. It seems I received help from her.
"This is Undine, a friendly entity of Risk Level 6. She's a slime-type being with an extremely amicable ego toward all living creatures, excelling at purifying contamination and healing wounds. We often receive her assistance like this."
"Undine..."
"If you ever get injured again in the future, as long as you're not dead, she can heal any wound or illness. You'll be receiving her help quite often."
The story I'd heard on my first day here—about how the facility would treat everything as long as you didn't die—seems to have been true after all. But Level 6? Harpy's containment level is the lowest at Level 2, so this is four levels higher. From what I've heard about purifying contamination and healing wounds, she doesn't seem particularly dangerous, and the Team Leader even emphasized how friendly she is... So why is she kept this far down? Given that risk levels are supposedly determined by danger, questions naturally arise.
"You seem to have doubts about why Undine is on Level 6, don't you?"
".. Yes, well... she seems incredibly kind."
'Hehe...'
"It's rare to find a friendly entity as kind as Undine. But if you can't refuse her gentle kindness... you might end up becoming one with her. So please be careful."
"Excuse me?"
Becoming one? The Team Leader continues explaining, as if she didn't expect me to understand right away.
"She doesn't understand why humans cling so desperately to bodies that are always suffering from wounds or illness."
"..."
"If there's a wound, she'll try to fix that imbalance first. But once the body is perfectly healthy, she'll see aging as the next thing to resolve and start breaking it down."
"And if that happens..."
"Then only your consciousness will remain, hazy, and you'll become one with her for eternity."
Does that mean... melting my body? As someone who was just inside her moments ago, the words send a chill down my spine.
"Don't be too scared. Because Undine is kind, she won't melt someone's body without their consent."
.. That's a relief, but—
"However, for other living beings who can't properly express their will... the story changes a little. That's why we have no choice but to keep her here."
"Is it all right to say these things in front of her?"
"There's no need to deceive or hide anything. Undine actively communicates and interacts with us. We explain our circumstances, accommodate her needs, and in return, we receive help like this."
I almost found myself resenting whoever threw me in there. But then...
"So... was I injured somewhere?"
"Hmm~ It looks like you and Harpy were embracing and doing some rather intense exercise. I don't know the reason, but you must have held her too tightly—her claws ended up digging deep into your back."
"..."
That must have been serious, but for now, I focus on gently patting Harpy's back as she continues sniffling against me. In that final moment, when it felt like our minds had connected in a completely new way and we both lost ourselves... Harpy, who had been so careful not to hurt me, must have made a mistake after all. Since we were clinging to each other with all our strength, it's not strange that her sharp claws pierced my back. In fact, it's more surprising that my back wasn't shredded earlier during our encounter. Even while we were both overwhelmed, Harpy had been trying to stay conscious, worrying about her claws the whole time. All to avoid hurting me...
"Sniff... Sob, Counselor... I'm sorry..."
But in the end, she lost consciousness at the last moment, and her unfocused claws dug into my back. I must have passed out without even feeling the pain, and when I woke up in the morning and pulled my hand away, the plug was gone and the blood started flowing—that's how I can piece it together now. After forcing all the moisture out of my body last night and then losing blood on top of it, it's no wonder I blacked out.
"It's all right, Harpy. Really, it's fine. If anything, this is my responsibility... But,"
I slowly peel her arms away and spend a long time patting her shoulders as she bows her head, tears dripping down. Then I finally notice her hands—both wrapped thickly in bandages, rounded into clumsy little balls.
"Harpy... what's this?"
"..."
Since Harpy keeps her lips tightly shut and doesn't answer, the Team Leader explains instead.
"Ah, well... Harpy kept trying to break off her own claws. We had no choice but to wrap them up like this to calm her down. Once she's settled, you can unwrap them for her, Ung-ssi."
"Harpy? Why would you do something like that...?"
"Sob... Waaah... I'm sorry..."
When my voice rises in surprise at the news that she attempted self-harm, Harpy bursts into tears again.
"No, I'm not scolding you... But what if you get hurt? Promise me you won't do it again."
".. Uuu..."
I know exactly why she's hesitating with that worried, anxious expression even though I'm the one making the request, and it gives me a headache. Because I got hurt, her trauma must have been triggered again. Thankfully, her desire to stay with me outweighs everything else, which is why she's clinging to me so pitifully right now.
"It's not like broken claws bleed, but the facility tries to avoid altering a containment subject's natural form unless it's absolutely necessary."
I'm the one who drove Harpy to lose control and caused this situation. If I leave it like this, she'll definitely blame herself and fall into depression, so I need to do something to ease her guilt. After thinking it over, I come up with a solution.
Thwack!
"Hngh?"
I flick my finger against the center of her white forehead, making a clear sound. Even though I didn't use much force, her head jerks back slightly, and I immediately feel guilty. I blow on it gently and pat her shoulder.
"..?? Uu?"
Harpy stares at me with wide, startled eyes. I soften my voice as much as possible.
"With that, let's call it even for hurting each other. And I know you didn't mean to hurt me on purpose, so don't blame yourself too much, all right?"
".. Y-yes..."
The sight of her nodding while clutching her forehead with those round bandaged hands—startled by her first-ever forehead flick—is so adorable I could die.
"Just like how you felt bad because I got hurt, I'd feel terrible if you got hurt too. You don't want that, right?"
"I was... wrong..."
".. It's fine. I'll take the bandages off now... Here, give me your hands."
While I untie the bandages on Harpy's hands as she obediently holds them out, looking reassured, the Team Leader—who couldn't wait and had sidled closer—whispers teasingly into my ear, her voice dripping with amusement.
"My, how affectionate you two are."
".. Ahem, ahem."
"The President said to bring Harpy along once treatment was finished, so shall we head up now?"
A summons from the President... and with Harpy in tow, I have a feeling I know exactly what this is about.
'See you again next time~'
Whether she knows what's on my mind or not, Undine bids me farewell in her usual leisurely manner. I turn back for a moment, bow my head once more, and then head toward the President's office with a sense that what must come has finally arrived.