Chapter 194: Volleyball
Azalea was the first to dash toward the waves, laughter trailing behind her like the spray of seawater. Elreth was quick to follow, unwilling to let the green-eyed girl claim the spotlight. The two of them plunged into the surf, the water gleaming like shards of crystal around their forms.
What began as simple swimming quickly turned into a full-blown competition. Azalea kicked with sharp precision, slicing through the water like a fish, her strokes smooth and efficient. Elreth, unwilling to be left behind, powered forward with bold, aggressive strokes, her red hair streaming behind her like a fiery banner. They dove beneath the waves, resurfaced, and raced each other toward the buoy floating some distance away. Their voices rose above the crashing surf, trading sharp challenges and mocking laughter with each breathless advance.
Not far from them, Khione had quietly entered the sea alone. She walked slowly at first, the water lapping against her pale thighs, until she submerged herself fully. Her movements were unhurried, serene. While Azalea and Elreth fought for dominance, Khione simply floated on her back, letting the waves carry her slender figure. Her white bikini shimmered faintly under the sunlight, and with her silver hair fanning out on the water’s surface, she looked like some ethereal spirit of the ocean—detached, beautiful, untouchable.
On the shore, Blake had already claimed a lounge chair. He flopped onto it with a groan, tugging his sunglasses down over his eyes as though training had drained his soul entirely. Arms crossed over his chest, he let out an exaggerated sigh, clearly uninterested in joining the others.
"Lazy prince..." Azalea muttered when she spotted him from afar, only to nearly swallow a mouthful of seawater when Elreth splashed her in the face.
Meanwhile, Lux had taken to the waves with a surfboard in hand. His silver hair glittered under the sunlight as he paddled out with practiced ease, cutting through the sea like it belonged to him. Once he reached the swell, he stood gracefully, balancing with an effortless poise that spoke of long hours of practice. The board cut across the curling wave, spraying droplets of water around him as he carved sharp arcs along the rolling tide. He looked perfectly at home, every move smooth and controlled, as though the sea itself obeyed him.
Nero, standing on the shore, watched intently, crimson eyes following every turn.
"Tch. Show-off," he muttered, though there was more admiration than annoyance in his voice.
When Lux returned, board tucked under his arm, Nero smirked. "Alright, Lux teach me."
Lux raised a brow, then smirked right back.
"Try to keep up. Surfing’s not as easy as it looks."
With that, Nero followed him out. At first, he struggled—his balance wavered, his stance stiff, and more than once the waves sent him tumbling headfirst into the sea. Lux’s laughter carried across the water every time Nero resurfaced, hair plastered to his face, scowling. But Nero didn’t back down. Bit by bit, he improved, correcting his posture with Lux’s guidance. Soon enough, he was standing on the board, albeit shakily, riding his first small wave. The grin that stretched across his face at that moment was triumphant, boyish, almost uncharacteristic of him.
Further down the beach, Adam had chosen the straightforward approach. With powerful strokes, he swam far out into deeper waters, cutting through the waves like a predator. His compact, muscular frame moved with brutal efficiency, the sun glinting off the droplets rolling down his tanned skin. Unlike Azalea and Elreth’s playful race or Khione’s quiet drifting, Adam’s swimming was raw strength and discipline on display. Every movement screamed of someone who refused to be second to anyone.
From the shore, their voices and laughter mingled with the roar of the waves—the group scattered across the beach, each carving out their own moment beneath the sun.
The sun blazed overhead, casting golden light across the stretch of pristine sand. Waves crashed lazily in the background, their rhythm almost drowned out by the excited chatter and occasional curses of the group. After splashing, swimming, and racing each other across the water, the six of them—minus the ever-lazy Blake who had now buried himself halfway under a beach towel like some oversized hermit crab—decided to move their fun to the shore.
A volleyball net had already been set up not too far from where they lounged. The polished white sand beneath their feet sparkled like powdered diamonds, hot but pleasant. Nero was the first to grab the ball, tossing it lightly in his hand with a cocky grin.
"So? Teams?"
"Easy." Azalea crossed her arms, flipping her damp green hair back. "I’m with Lux."
"Wait, what—" Lux didn’t even get a chance to finish before Adam stepped forward, clicking his tongue.
"And I’m on their team. Better balance that way."
Azalea immediately whirled on him, narrowing her sharp eyes. "Tch, don’t drag me down, shorty."
Adam’s eye twitched. "Say that again, carrot head. I’ll crush you and the other team just to shut you up."
Already the sparks were flying between them, like oil poured too close to fire. Lux sighed heavily, shoulders slumping.
"Why do I feel like I’m babysitting instead of playing volleyball?"
On the other side, Khione and Elreth exchanged a long, tense glance. The air between them seemed to frost over for a moment, neither wanting to lose ground. But then Khione smirked faintly, her silver hair shining under the sun, and said in her calm, cool voice:
"How about, just this once, we work together?"
Elreth raised a brow. "Tch! Okay, Let’s crush them."
Their eyes locked, an unspoken truce forming like a temporary ceasefire in an age-old war. Nero, standing between them, almost sighed in relief.
"Thank the gods," he muttered, wiping imaginary sweat from his brow. If these two started bickering mid-match, we’d lose before the ball even touched the net.
And so, the teams were set:
Team One: Lux, Azalea, and Adam—unstable but talented.
Team Two: Nero, Khione, and Elreth—rivals united, with Nero stuck in the middle.
The ball was tossed high into the air, and the match began.
From the very first serve, the atmosphere shifted.
Azalea smacked the ball hard, sending it sailing across the net with enough force that even the sound cut through the air. Nero leapt, arms raised, but Khione was faster. With graceful precision, she intercepted, sending it back in a clean arc. Elreth followed up, springing into the air with fiery speed, spiking it downward with a cry that echoed across the beach.
Lux dove, sand scattering in all directions as he barely managed to save it.
"Azalea! Adam!" he barked, sending the ball back up.
"I got it!" Adam shot forward, his small frame moving with explosive power. He jumped and slammed the ball across the net, the impact sharp enough to sting the ears.
Khione was already there again, her movements sharp and efficient. She blocked, but the force pushed her back slightly, heels digging into the sand. Nero stepped in to support, knocking the ball to Elreth, who launched another devastating spike.
"Like hell!" Azalea hissed, sprinting forward. She leapt high, green hair whipping around her, and smacked the ball back so hard that even Nero flinched.
The sand cracked beneath their feet, the ball became a blur, and the tension skyrocketed.
The playful laughter from earlier had transformed into something else entirely: a fiery rivalry.
Every rally was explosive.
Adam and Azalea constantly argued mid-play—
"Don’t steal my ball!"
"You were too slow, shrimp!"
"Say that again, witch!"
Yet somehow, their chaotic energy worked. Lux’s calm and precise passes balanced their reckless attacks, turning chaos into something dangerous.
On the other side, Khione and Elreth moved like polar opposites drawn together—cold precision and fiery force, alternating between icy control and raw aggression. Nero filled the gaps, sometimes blocking, sometimes spiking, always working to keep up with his partners’ relentless pace.
At one point, Khione feigned a soft toss only to set up Elreth, who soared with her crimson hair blazing in the sunlight, her spike so strong it left a dent in the sand where the ball landed.
Adam snarled. "Not happening again!" He charged, launching himself so high it seemed impossible for his stature, and met Elreth in midair, the two clashing over the net in a fierce contest before Adam tipped the ball just barely past her fingertips.
Lux, wiping sweat from his brow, muttered,
"Why does this feel like a war zone instead of a game?"
The score climbed higher and higher. Sand clung to their legs, their arms stung from the repeated hits, and their laughter mixed with heated taunts.
Nero’s team grew more synchronized with every play. Khione’s calm strategy and Elreth’s fiery execution became a terrifying combo, their rivalry fueling them rather than tearing them apart. Nero grinned widely, crimson eyes sparkling—this was exactly the kind of chaos he loved.
On the opposite side, Lux played the role of stabilizer, smoothing over every reckless move from Adam and Azalea, his silver hair plastered to his forehead with sweat.
Finally, the deciding rally came.
Azalea launched the serve with enough force to make the ball whistle. Nero caught it and volleyed it to Khione. She tapped it lightly, a feint. The opposing team lunged forward, expecting a spike.
But at that exact moment, Elreth came soaring from behind, fire in her eyes as she struck the ball with her full strength.
The ball slammed into the sand just past Adam’s outstretched hands.
"Point! Game over!" Nero shouted, throwing his arms up.
Khione and Elreth allowed themselves a rare moment of shared triumph, high-fiving with begrudging smirks. Nero cheered, fists pumping in the air.
Meanwhile, Adam was already yelling at Azalea. "Why didn’t you cover that?!"
Azalea glared, hands on her hips. "You should’ve jumped higher, short stack!"
Lux just collapsed onto the sand with a tired sigh, muttering, "Never again... I’m not mediating for you two ever again..."
From his lounge chair, Blake lazily lifted his sunglasses, watched the chaos for three seconds, then muttered, "Idiots," before pulling the towel back over his face.