"Cordis!"
As the shout rang out, Cordis saw a beam of light flying toward him. As it drew closer, he could clearly make out five figures rushing his way.
"Gon, Killua?"
Before Cordis could get a good look at who they were, the beam had already landed in front of him.
The hot spring was shrouded in mist so thick that Gon and the others could not make out his figure at all.
There was a splash of water, and the dense mist before them slowly began to clear. Gon rushed forward without even waiting for it to disperse. Killua had originally wanted to play it cool, but when he saw Gon charging ahead...
Besides, they had not seen Cordis in nearly a month. They had never been apart for this long before, and there was no way he had not missed him. In an instant, Killua rushed forward too, looking pitiful and wanting a hug.
But he had barely taken a few steps before he crashed into Gon's back as Gon abruptly stopped in his tracks.
Rubbing his head, Killua complained, "You idiot! What did you stop for all of a sudden?!"
Gon did not answer. He stood there with his mouth hanging wide open, his face full of disbelief. Seeing this, Killua followed his gaze.
There, kneeling stark naked in the hot spring, was a woman with long silver hair whose face was almost identical to Cordis's. He spread his arms toward the two boys, nearly half his chest exposed above the water, his fair skin flushed faintly pink from the heat.
Cordis was already prepared to welcome them into his arms, but the two simply stood there as though they had lost their minds. Just as he was about to go over and check on them...
Three