NOVEL'S EXTRA: I Will Die at the Peak-Chapter 78: In the Stillness of Night [2]

Ravien slowly sipped his wine, noticing out of the corner of his eye that Asogi was still watching him. His gaze was distant, yet a faint hint of happiness shimmered in it.

He quietly placed his glass on the table, then grabbed the bottle again and poured himself another drink. As the deep blue wine swirled in the glass, he extended it toward Asogi. His eyes still carried that stillness, but this time, his voice was gentle—almost soft.

"Here," he said. "Have a glass. I’ve had enough already."

Asogi turned his head slightly to the side. The unexpected offer made him hesitate for a moment. He remained silent, but his ears twitched ever so slightly—a reaction subtle enough to go unnoticed, yet still tangible.

"Are you sure, father?" he whispered. "This is the last bottle. I don’t really need—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Ravien gently placed the glass in front of him.

"Just drink," he said calmly. "I’m going to the bath. Do whatever you want after that."

His voice was clear, leaving no room for objection. He stood up, slung the clothes Jiho had brought over his shoulder, and disappeared into the depths of the fortress. His footsteps echoed off the stone walls, then faded into silence.

Jiho and Asogi were left alone. The air seemed to thin out suddenly; the table under the dim light had lost its previous warmth.

Asogi slowly lowered his head and reached for the glass his father left behind. Without hesitation, he lifted it and downed it in one go. His expression didn’t change as the wine slid down his throat.

He placed the glass back on the table, leaned back, and turned his eyes to the stars, remaining still for a while.

Ravien walked through the inner corridors of the fortress. He couldn’t quite recall where the bath was, but he’d come across it while searching for his room earlier.

He walked quietly for a few minutes between the wide stone walls. The floor beneath was cool, the walls damp, but as he moved forward, he began to feel a faint warmth in the air.

Eventually, at the end of a low-ceilinged passage, he reached a simple door made of dark wood. Steam drifted lightly from underneath—it was clear Jiho had prepared the water ahead of time.

He grabbed the handle. The metal was warm. As he opened the door, a wave of dense heat washed over him. The steam hit his skin, and he had to squint. Then he stepped inside.

He took the clothes off his shoulder and placed them on a flat stone surface nearby. He looked around. The bath had a circular structure. A wooden platform stood in the center, with warm water pooled in stone basins along the edges.

Though the ceiling was low, the room felt spacious. Further ahead, under dim lighting, there was a large pool. Light steam rose from its surface, wrapping the room in thick, heavy humidity.

Ravien muttered as he scanned the room. "Simpler and more elegant than I expected... I should come here two or three times a week."

He picked up the purple soap that had been left nearby. It foamed lightly upon contact. As he rubbed it over his skin, purplish suds spread across his body, leaving behind a hard-to-define but pleasant scent.

Then he poured a few buckets of hot water over his head. The water relaxed his muscles and calmed his mind. He repeated the motion a few times.

But then, suddenly, he felt a faint movement beneath his scalp. At first, he ignored it. But when the sensation grew stronger, he reached for his hair. He felt something slide gently under the skin at his fingertips.

"Hey... little thing," he said as he scrubbed his hair. "I can’t keep calling you a parasite every time. You need a name... Hmm. Alright, Timmy. I’ll call you Timmy from now on."

The wriggling presence clung tighter to his skin, almost as if in agreement. Ravien shook his head slightly, then closed his eyes and poured water over himself again.

When he finished washing, he took a deep breath. Then, with slow steps, he approached the large pool. When he reached the edge, he carefully stepped in, sinking in up to his shoulders, and rested his head against the stone rim.

---

Elsewhere in the fortress, Asogi had already left and headed toward Ravien’s room. It was an instinctive pull, as if he was supposed to be there... When he pushed the door open and stepped inside, he paused for a moment.

The bed was occupied.

Juuhra lay on the left side of the room, head resting in his hands. His eyes were open but expressionless—neither fully awake nor truly resting.

Asogi muttered under his breath, "So you were here."

Juuhra shifted his gaze and spoke in a low voice, "Ah, it’s you... brother."

His voice was distant, devoid of emotion. Only words came out. He didn’t need sleep. Just lying down was less boring than doing nothing.

In the past, Asogi would have reacted with jealousy. Juuhra’s presence would’ve stirred something in him, made him feel overshadowed.

But that had changed. Recently, his father had been paying more attention to him, and because of that, Juuhra’s presence no longer held any weight. There was a quiet relief inside him—no more need for envy. Without saying a word, he moved to the other end of the bed.

They lay there in silence. Just waiting for Ravien to return.

---

Ravien had left the bath. He was dressed in the clothes Jiho brought, his hair slicked back. He walked through the stone corridor, trying to get used to the damp sensation on his skin.

His steps were heavy but relaxed. The warmth in his body still lingered, his thoughts wrapped in a soft haze.

His current capacity was much better than before. Though he was only at half capacity, the system reserve had increased by seven points compared to previous levels. A small, but consistent improvement.

When he reached his room, he pushed the door open slowly. A soft silence greeted him.

His eyes moved to the bed—and there they were, two silhouettes lying side by side.

Asogi and Juuhra.

They had already settled in. But the corner Ravien always used was still empty. He let out a deep sigh. The thought running through his mind was clear:

"I’ll need to enlarge this room... I don’t want to bother with assigning them separate ones. If any arguments or other nonsense start, I don’t want to deal with it."

He stood there for a moment, studying them. They didn’t move. Then he walked to his usual spot, laid his head on the pillow, and closed his eyes.

His sleep was more than simple rest. It was a deep military technique—designed to rapidly restore the body and silence the mind entirely. Ravien intended to sleep until morning without waking once.

As he sank into that deep sleep, the two brothers at the other end of the bed kept staring at the ceiling. Their minds were awake, their bodies still. They weren’t asleep.

They were just waiting for morning.