Yun dragged his thumb over a wall of glossy photos for what felt like an eternity. The screen was split into three sections: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He skipped the first two and went straight to the dinner section.
The category bar sat pinned at the top: Popular, Noodles, Rice Bowls, Soups, Appetizers, Drinks. Each category was filled to the brim with names Yun had never heard of, as well as options. So many options.
He gulped and threw a glance at Yves.
"What's my limit?"
Yves looked up from his own display menu, confusion contorting his face. "... Limit?"
"Oh."
Yun clutched his chest, almost tumbling out of his chair. He barely stopped his fingers from trembling. "You don't say…"
Wouldn't you know it… the benefits of awakening Severin's Curse.
Turning back to the menu, he continued to scroll. He clicked on the Popular tab first, just to see what the normies ate.
The first thing he saw was a burger: two meat patties garnished with these green leafy things — they were called veggies, if he remembered correctly — and sandwiched between two pieces of bread, oozing some golden substance.
Just one tap, and he added it to the cart. Maybe just one more.
Next up: a "burrito". What a weird name. There was a tag underneath it reading, "Pre-break era special!" so that explained it.
A lot of lost languages from the pre-Break era sounded strange. Yun's own name was one of those weird-sounding ones; that's why he chose it.
He remembered growing up being called baby, then kid, until he decided on a name for himself at seven years old.
I should be focusing on the food right now.
He decided to skip over the burrito and browse the other sections. After a couple more minutes of relentless tapping, even getting three versions of lemonade, he was satisfied.
The cart total for the entire table sat at the bottom of the display: "4137.67 mrc."
"Severin's mercy," Yun whispered. Anything over a thousand marcs was enough to give him a heart attack, but Yves didn't even bat an eye. Back in the Hollows, that amount of money could decide whether he ate for a month or spent a month starving.
After Yves paid, the server retreated into the cafe. As they waited for the food, Yun leaned against his chair.
Yves sighed, "Will you sit upright? You're now a representative of Descendant Society—"
"What a funny thing to say," Yun cut him off.
"What? Is it too much to ask a Divine to be… you know, divine?"
"You're preaching to the wrong congregation."
Yves's cheeks puffed full of air as he turned away. "Whatever. I'm just saying… people are watching you now."
They sat in silence. Eventually, Yun beckoned to Yves, snapping his fingers.
"Will you answer my question now?"
Yves opened his mouth, but before he could speak, a group of servers arrived.
"In a moment."
The servers each carried a broad tray balanced against one shoulder.
"Careful," one muttered as he lowered the first plate onto the table.
Yun took a second to admire the sheer size of the burgers. The menu was a bit misleading in its presentation, not that he was complaining.
Two thick patties sat beneath a glossy bun sprinkled with seeds, melted cheese spilling over the sides. Crisp slices of green and tomato peeked out from beneath the meat, while a heap of golden fries filled the rest of the plate.
Another server set down a bowl of noodles swimming in a rich brown broth. Its aromatic steam curled straight into Yun's nose. Beside it came a rice bowl piled with grilled slices of meat glazed in a dark sauce, an egg with a bright orange yolk resting on top.
Various pastries of different shapes and colours soon filled the table. Who would have thought something as simple as bread came in so many forms?
The soup followed, then the drinks, which were three tall glasses of lemonade. One pale yellow, one cloudy pink, and the last one bright green.
The servers lingered for a heartbeat, eyeing the amount of food crammed onto the table. They looked unsure whether all this food was meant for two.
Most of it was meant for one, actually.
"Enjoy your meal, Divines."
As soon as they were gone, Yun reached for a burger.
He turned it over once in his hands, studying it from every angle. The bun was warm enough that he could feel the heat through his fingers.
Yves had already started on his noodles.
Yun took a careful bite.
Surprisingly, it was soft enough to sink his teeth into without resistance. Eating bread usually demanded some level of effort from him.
Juices ran across his tongue, followed almost immediately by the sharpness of onions, the crunch of lettuce, and something tangy from the sauce. Before he could decide which flavour he liked most, the melted cheese tied everything together.
He stopped chewing.
"..."
Yves glanced up with his eyebrows raised. "Well?"
Yun swallowed and paused for a second.
"... It's alright, I guess."
He took another bite, much larger this time, and before he knew it, the first burger was done.
While still chewing its last remnants, Yun grabbed the second one and devoured it. The fries disappeared next.
After almost choking, he reached for the lemonade.
He frowned after the first sip.
"Sour."
Yves looked over, a smile creeping up.
"That's lemonade for you. Try the other ones."
Yun grabbed the pink glass next. He swirled the drink in his mouth, attempting to identify its taste.
"Sweeter, right?"
Yun nodded in response, reaching for the green one.
He nodded to himself.
"They're all so different."
Yves wiped off a bit of broth that had stained the corners of his lips.
"I would hope so."
"Hm."
Yun picked up the rice bowl next.
The meat had been sliced thin enough to fall apart with almost no effort. The sauce clung to every piece, soaking into the rice beneath it. He broke the egg open with his chopsticks, watching the yolk spread through the bowl before mixing everything together.
One mouthful became two, and then three, until nothing remained.
Then he remembered the noodles.
The broth was rich, carrying the smell of garlic and spices. He lifted a bundle of noodles with his chopsticks, slurped them in, then immediately reached for another.
He made sure to sure to alternate with the bread, just so nothing is left behind.
For several minutes, the only sounds at the table were clinking cutlery, quiet slurping, and the occasional sip from one of Yun's three lemonades.
Yves finished his bowl first. He looked across the table at the ravenous Spark laying siege to the dishes in front of him, then at the crowd of people that had gathered to watch them. His face quickly tinted red.
"So embarrassing. Don't forget that we have places to be."
Without looking up, Yun pointed his chopsticks at him.
"I'm working on it."
A moment later, Yun leaned back in his chair and let out a long, satisfied breath. He savoured the feeling of satisfaction and the unfamiliarity of a bulging belly.
He gave Yves a short wave. "Give me a minute."
Yves grunted in frustration, mumbling under his breath, "Priestess's orders… Priestesses order…"
Yun ignored the kid, choosing to stroke his belly and stare at the ceiling of the upper floor instead.
Who would have thought...
He thought about the missing days. The torrent of memories that flooded back to him after conquering the First Vision.
There wasn't much time to waste, was there?
"Okay." He stood up, beckoning to Yves.
"Let's go to the Stone District."
***
The warm radiance of everglow was replaced by the soft silver glow of moonfire, signalling the approach of night.
Tranquil light blanketed the East Wing in a faint blue-violet hue, while ribbons of everglows scattered across the Districts like constellations. The aerial view from the transit car was truly breathtaking.
It was a shame that Yun couldn't fully take it in.
Before leaving the terminal, he had to beg Yves for a pair of round frame sunglasses. Thanks to the overwhelming amount of information he received from his Trait-enhanced vision, he had to obstruct his eyes somehow, at least until he learned how to filter the data.
There was that, and the fact that his mind was occupied at the moment.
The meeting with that person was drawing closer the higher the transit car climbed towards the Stone District, and Yun was feeling nervous, to say the least.
Since Yves refused to hold any kind of conversation with him anymore, his mind occupied itself with thoughts of the three missing days, and the despair that came with them.
He sighed, muttering under his breath, "What did I get myself into?"
***
- The Missing Days -
- Day 1 -
Yun was slumped against a wall in an alleyway, surrounded by refuse bags dripping wet with garbage juices of unknown origin. The alley was permanently shrouded in the Stone District's shadow — as were the rest of the Hollows — illuminated only by the various flickering shop signs and cheap, repurposed everglows.
Four other young men with stern expressions loomed over him, three of them brandishing wooden bats. As a runner for a prolific drug ring, such a situation was an occupational hazard for Yun.
What he didn't expect was to be cornered by his own coworker.
Steadying his quivering voice, Yun addressed the men in front of him.
"All this just to corner a child half your size?"
He flashed a bloodstained grin.
"Where's the shame?"