“Help! I’m the Chosen One (and I Didn’t Sign Up for This)!”

The morning after their enchanted hot spring adventure, the group awoke in a quaint inn at the edge of Twilight Springs. The rooms were cozy, the air smelled like freshly baked bread, and everything seemed peaceful. Too peaceful.

Kazuya stretched and yawned, stepping out of his room to find Mika sitting cross-legged in the common area, sharpening her dagger.

"Morning," he said cautiously.

Mika gave him a look that could cut steel. "Don't."

"Don't what?"

"Don't act like you didn't snore so loud last night it scared the innkeeper's cat," she shot back.

Kazuya's face turned red. "I did not!"

"Oh, you did," Lyria said, walking in with a cup of tea. "I thought a bear had broken into the inn. I was ready to grab my bow."

Breakfast of Chaos

The innkeeper, an elderly woman with a perpetual scowl, set out a hearty breakfast for the group: eggs, bread, and something called "mystery stew."

"What's the mystery?" Fergus asked, already spooning it into his mouth.

The innkeeper glared. "You don't want to know."

Fergus paused mid-bite, then shrugged. "Tastes fine to me."

Kazuya poked at his plate, clearly nervous. "Is it just me, or does this stew keep... moving?"

Lyria leaned over to inspect his bowl. The stew let out a tiny burp.

"Yep, I'm out," Kazuya declared, pushing the bowl away.

The Great Pillow Incident

After breakfast, the group decided to rest before heading to their next destination. Fergus, however, had other ideas.

"Guys, look what I found!" he said, bursting into the common area with an armful of pillows.

"What are you doing?" Mika asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Starting a pillow fight, obviously!" Fergus shouted, launching a pillow straight at Mika's face.

Mika caught the pillow mid-air, her eyes narrowing. "You just declared war, Fergus."

The Battle Begins

Within seconds, the common area was a warzone. Pillows flew in every direction, feathers filled the air, and the innkeeper's cat yowled as it darted for cover.

Mika was a one-woman army, expertly dodging and throwing pillows with deadly accuracy. Fergus, laughing maniacally, dual-wielded pillows like swords.

"Take that!" Fergus shouted, hitting Kazuya square in the face.

"Really?!" Kazuya yelled, grabbing a pillow and joining the fray.

Lyria, ever the opportunist, climbed onto a table for higher ground. "Prepare to be vanquished!" she declared, pelting everyone with an alarming number of pillows she seemed to summon out of nowhere.

A Chaotic Climax

The battle reached its peak when Fergus tripped over a chair, sending him flying into a pile of feathers. Mika, seeing an opportunity, leaped onto the table where Lyria was perched.

"This ends now!" Mika shouted, throwing a pillow with such force it knocked Lyria off the table—and onto Fergus.

"Oof! Watch where you're landing!" Fergus groaned from beneath the pile.

"Victory is mine!" Mika declared, raising her pillow triumphantly.

The Aftermath

The group lay sprawled across the common area, covered in feathers and laughing uncontrollably.

The innkeeper stormed in, her scowl deeper than ever. "What in the name of all things holy happened here?!"

"Training exercise," Kazuya said quickly.

"Pillow monsters," Lyria added.

The innkeeper glared at them, then pointed to a broom. "Clean. Now."

As they begrudgingly started cleaning up the mess, Fergus grinned. "Totally worth it."