She was looking at me, and then she subtly tilted her chin toward the window. Toward the jungle.

  Right.

  The children. I had slipped away earlier, and it was almost time for the foraging group to return. If I wasn't with them when they got back, my cover was blown.

  "I have to go back to the jungle," I said quickly, edging toward the door. "I’ll be back soon!"

  Before Nora could question me, I slipped out into the humid afternoon air and started running.

  The wind hit my face as my tiny legs sprinted down the dirt path. I was about halfway to the foraging grounds when I spotted two familiar figures ahead, Oliver and Pete, working near the treeline.

  I slowed instantly, my heart jumping into my throat.

  If they caught me out here alone, they’d take me straight back to the children. Then they’d realize I had lied to Nora about letting the kids know about me going back to the Hut earlier. Oliver would be furious. And honestly, he’d be right to be.

  I moved off the main path, slipping behind the thick, mossy trunks. Quiet. Careful.

  I pushed mana into the band on my wrist.

  Vwoom.

  The world dulled into a warped silence. Colors bled into a greyscale haze, the kaleidoscope effect taking over my vision. I was invisible.

  I took three careful steps forward.

  Crunch.

  A dry twig snapped beneath my boot. In the muffled silence of the artifact, it sounded like a firecracker.

  My heart slammed against my ribs. The sudden spike of panic severed my focus, and the mana flow flickered.

  For a split second...

  Pop.

  The distortion vanished. I was completely visible.

  Pete was already looking directly at my spot. His eyes locked onto mine.

  Oliver, hearing the snap, began to turn his head. Slowly. Inexorably.

  Pete spoke first. His voice was low, casual, and perfectly timed. "Look at the bark on this Ironwood, Oliver. See the striations? Looks like a bear was marking territory."

  Oliver’s head stopped mid turn. He shifted his attention away from the trees where I stood and stepped toward the trunk Pete was pointing at, examining it closely.

  Pete didn’t look in my direction again. He just gave the absolute slightest flick of his fingers behind his back.

  Go.

  I didn’t need to be told twice. I surged mana back into the bracelet.

  Vwoom.

  I slipped deeper into the underbrush, my pulse hammering in my ears. Pete had seen me. And Pete had covered for me. I didn't know this side of pete. Honestly he was cool.

  I ran the rest of the way, dropping the invisibility just before I reached the clearing. Silas spotted me almost immediately.

  "You’re right on time," Silas called out, waving me over. "Patrol says let’s head back."

  We walked together toward the village. Oliver and Pete merged with our group along the way. When Oliver was busy scolding the twins for wandering too far, Pete caught my eye and offered a slow, deliberate wink.

  He then launched into a loud, generic lecture about the dangers of the forest and the importance of "sticking together as a team," which was exactly the kind of thing Pete would say. I couldn't help but smile.

  As we neared the village center, the group of children dispersed, peeling away toward their respective homes. Soon, it was just Oliver and me walking up to the Hut.

  Before we even opened the door, we heard the shouting.

  "Don’t tell me later I didn’t warn you!" Elder Harlan’s voice boomed through the wooden walls. "Last time you took in strangers, it was bandits! Who will it be this time?!!"

  The door swung open, and Elder Harlan stormed out, nearly knocking me over. He scowled at Oliver and marched away without another word.

  Inside, the atmosphere was tense. Nora was sitting beside Lyra, offering her a fresh cup of water. Lyra’s hands were trembling so badly the water rippled.

  Oliver frowned, stepping inside. "What happened?"

  Nora exhaled softly, rubbing her temples. "Elder Harlan heard that we helped and took in another stranger. He thinks we’re being reckless. Putting the village at risk."

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  She looked sympathetically at Lyra. Lyra lowered her eyes to the floor, her shoulders hunched.

  "I never meant to bring trouble," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I should leave."

  Nora placed a firm hand over Lyra's shaking ones. "You are not trouble, Lyra. You are staying."

  Oliver nodded slowly, though his eyes were clouded with thought.

  I watched them, my mind racing. Lyra had said she signed a slave contract with a dwarf. Would the dwarf come after her? Could he track her through the jungle? Was Elder Harlan actually right to be paranoid?

  No, I decided. We did the right thing. She’s innocent. Before anyone could diffuse the tension further, the door burst open for the second time that evening.

  "Are you kidding me right now? Who do you think you’re playing at?!"

  Calista strode into the room, vibrating with indignation. She didn't even glance at me, Nora, or Lyra. She locked onto Alicia like a heat seeking missile and marched straight to her desk.

  She slammed a heavy cloth bundle onto the table. The wood groaned under the impact.

  "How dense can you be?" Calista snapped, her flawless elven features twisted in annoyance.

  Alicia didn’t rise to the bait. She simply picked up her quill, pointedly ignoring the outburst, and gave a subtle tilt of her head toward Nora and Lyra.

  "Not here," Alicia murmured. "The empty room."

  Calista’s jaw tightened. She looked around, finally noticing the audience, and huffed. She turned and marched toward the side room.

  As she passed me, Alicia finally spoke up. "Vivian. Those are yours."

  She pointed the feathered end of her quill at the bundle.

  I stepped forward, but Nora was faster. She carefully untied the thick cloth and pulled back the folds.

  What lay beneath gleamed in the candlelight.

  At first glance, they looked like short swords. But the edges were smooth, and the metal was perfectly flat and wide.

  Skewers.

  Perfectly forged, wide silver skewers. Their handles flared into delicate, tree like designs, vines twining upward in elegant, interlocking spirals. Even in the dim light of the hut, the metal shimmered with an unnatural luster.

  Oliver picked one up, testing its weight. His eyebrows shot up.

  "These are silver," he murmured, running a calloused thumb over the vine engravings. "And enchanted. Rhys spent real money on these."

  Rhys. The Head Chef of the Elendor Academy. Calista’s brother.

  Why would Calista, an elite Academy instructor, act as a delivery boy for cooking utensils? Unless... Alicia had deliberately involved Rhys just to provoke her. To force Calista to acknowledge my existence and bring us back into her orbit for their ridiculous wager.

  Probably.

  Still, I couldn't suppress my grin. With these, I could finally cook Kubideh properly. The meat wouldn't spin and fall into the fire. I just wished we had the right meat. Last time, the venison had been okay, but the texture was slightly off. It needed to be beef. Fatty, rich beef.

  The door to the side room flew open again.

  "You’re bluffing!" Calista’s voice rang out. "That cannot possibly be true!"

  She stepped back into the main room, her chest heaving, and immediately fixed her piercing gaze on me. Her eyes narrowed into thin, dangerous slits.

  "I do not believe," she said slowly, enunciating every syllable, "that you, a human toddler, can conceptualize dishes that my brother, a master of the culinary arts, approves of."

  She folded her arms, her robes pooling around her.

  "But... if you can prepare something entirely new. In front of me. With ingredients that I can verify." Her lips curved into a faint, challenging smirk. "Then I will admit you are a capable cook. And perhaps, not entirely useless."

  Alicia stood in the doorway behind her, leaning against the frame, watching me with open amusement. She fully expected me to accept the challenge.

  Honestly? I wanted revenge for every boring lecture Alicia had dragged me through. But more importantly, this was an opportunity. Calista had resources.

  "I’ll need ingredients," I said evenly, matching her stare. "And equipment."

  Alicia waved a hand lazily toward her expansive storage cabinets. "Take what you need from my stock."

  I walked over and began searching through the glass jars and wooden bins.

  "Split peas," I announced, pulling a jar down. "Some of these. Eggs. Tomatoes. And onions."

  I turned back to the arrogant elf.

  "And Mrs. Calista will arrange the rest, yes?"

  She faced me fully, chin raised. "Name it."

  "Leek," I said. "A plant. Long, green stalks. Mild onion flavor."

  Nora brightened immediately. "Oh, I know where those grow near the river! I’ll gather some first thing tomorrow."

  "And a chicken," I continued.

  Silence.

  Calista’s expression shifted from haughty to confused.

  Oliver blinked, scratching his beard. "What... is a chicken?"

  I stopped. I stared at him.

  "It’s a bird," I explained slowly. "Can't fly. Two legs. Red comb on its head. It has white meat."

  They exchanged blank looks.

  "There is no bird by that name," Alicia said carefully, her eyes narrowing as she analyzed my expression.

  "Where did you hear about this 'chicken'?" Oliver added, looking concerned.

  The room suddenly felt very small.

  "No chicken?" I whispered.

  They all shook their heads.

  This can’t be, my mind screamed. I can live without modern plumbing. I can live without the internet. But I cannot live without chicken!

  A faint, triumphant smirk tugged at the corner of Calista’s lips. She clearly thought I was making up imaginary ingredients to get out of the challenge.

  Panic setting in, I pivoted. "And cows? You have cows, at least, right? Beef?"

  Alicia frowned deeper. "We have pigs. Goats. Sheep."

  "No cows?!" I demanded, my voice rising in pitch. I started frantically gesturing, describing them.

  Oliver hesitated, looking at me like I had bumped my head. "Well... there are bulls. And Minotaurs. But Minotaurs are dangerous monsters. I’ve never seen one myself."

  No chickens. No cows.

  My world tilted on its axis. The foundational pillars of my culinary existence were gone.

  Calista’s eyes sharpened. She had found her angle. He’s making things up, her expression practically screamed. He's a fraud trying to escape.

  The others avoided my gaze, clearly uncomfortable with my sudden outburst over imaginary animals.

  And then...

  "There are many birds in the forest," Lyra said quietly.

  All eyes snapped to her. She had been crying just moments ago, but now her voice was steady, her posture straight.

  "Couldn’t you use one of the wild fowl instead?" Lyra asked, looking at me practically. "Some of them have white meat, just like you described."

  It was a practical, direct solution.

  I took a deep breath, recentering myself. I nodded slowly.

  "Yes. A forest bird with white meat will do."

  Calista studied me for a long moment, clearly disappointed that I hadn't forfeited, but she nodded curtly.

  "It can be arranged," she said at last.

  "And I need something to grind meat with," I added. "Not chop. Grind. Into a paste."

  Dinner was a quiet affair after the dramatic afternoon. Nora made a simple stew, and Lyra helped clean up before excusing herself to rest in the back room.

  Calista turned toward the door, her cloak billowing behind her.

  "I will bring the items soon. Be ready, child."

  She swept out of the hut and flew away.

  The house gradually settled into an uneasy, flickering quiet.

  But as I lay on my mat, staring up at the thatched roof, my mind wasn't on the cooking challenge anymore. It wasn't on the skewers, or Calista, or the tragic lack of poultry.

  Tomorrow, in the jungle, I was going to experiment.

  If I could figure out how to safely use the monster slime cores to absorb those particles... if I could accelerate my core growth without tearing my channels apart like Oliver had...

  Then everything was going to change.