0030. Chaos in the Kitchen

30: Chaos in the Kitchen

The kitchen was in utter disarray. A pot boiled over on the stove, the counter was littered with spilled flour, and Lyra was frantically waving a towel near the window, trying to disperse the smoke from something that had clearly been overcooked—or burned entirely.

"Lyra! I told you not to add water to the hot oil!" Arin's voice rang out, exasperation clear as he attempted to salvage the dish.

Lyra huffed, glaring at her brother. "And I told you not to keep the oil so hot in the first place! How am I supposed to cook like this?"

Nile stepped into the chaos, his eyes widening at the sight. "Uh… Do you two need some help?"

Arin froze mid-stir, his eyes narrowing. "You? Help? Can you even cook?"

Nile shrugged, stepping closer. "Not really, but I can follow instructions."

Lyra perked up immediately. "Great! You're hired!" She thrust a knife and a bundle of vegetables into Nile's hands before Arin could protest.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Arin held up his hands, eyeing the knife in Nile's grip warily. "Do you even know how to chop vegetables without chopping your fingers off?"

"I think I can manage," Nile said, carefully examining the vegetables. He had seen Veena chop vegetables countless times, and while he had never done it himself, he figured it couldn't be too hard.

Lyra grinned, taking advantage of Arin's hesitation. "See? He's willing to help. Stop being so bossy."

With a resigned sigh, Arin stepped back. "Fine. But if he ruins the stew, you're cleaning up after him."

Nile took a deep breath and began chopping, his movements slow but deliberate. Lyra hovered over him, occasionally pointing out when a piece was too big or uneven. Arin muttered under his breath about amateurs ruining everything but begrudgingly focused on the stove.

Surprisingly, as the minutes passed, the chaos began to subside. Nile's chopping, though not perfect, was passable, and Lyra's enthusiasm seemed to stabilize as she directed him.

"You're not bad at this," Lyra admitted, watching Nile line up the chopped vegetables neatly.

"Thanks," Nile replied, a small smile on his face. It felt strangely satisfying to contribute, even in something as simple as cooking.

Arin, still grumbling, glanced at Nile's work and reluctantly nodded. "Okay, that's… decent. Now toss them into the pot carefully. Don't spill."

As Nile followed the instructions, the three of them gradually fell into a rhythm. The earlier tension melted away, replaced by a sense of camaraderie as they worked together. Lyra cracked a joke about Arin being a tyrant in the kitchen, and Nile chuckled despite himself.

For a brief moment, it felt like they were just ordinary kids, enjoying the simple task of making a meal together.

By the time the stew was ready, the kitchen had been cleaned up, and the air was filled with the warm, savory aroma of a home-cooked meal. Lyra ladled the stew into bowls, her earlier frustration replaced with a sense of pride.

"See? We make a great team!" she declared, setting the bowls on the table.

Arin snorted. "Yeah, sure. Just don't forget who actually saved the stew."

"Details," Lyra said dismissively, sticking her tongue out at him.

Nile laughed softly, feeling a warmth in his chest that had little to do with the food. For the first time since meeting the siblings, he felt like he was truly a part of something—a fragile but genuine bond that had been forged in the chaos of the kitchen.

As they sat down to eat, Jessica wandered in, drawn by the smell. She raised an eyebrow at the sight of the siblings and Nile laughing together.

"Looks like I missed all the fun," she said, taking a seat.

Lyra grinned. "Don't worry, there's plenty of stew left!"

Jessica glanced at the bowl in front of her, then at Nile. "You helped with this?"

Nile nodded, a hint of pride in his voice. "Yeah. I even chopped the vegetables."

Jessica smirked. "Well, let's hope you didn't poison us."

Nile rolled his eyes, but the teasing was lighthearted, and the atmosphere remained relaxed as they ate together.

After dinner, Lyra and Arin offered to handle the dishes, much to Nile's relief. Jessica decided to explore the rest of the house, her curiosity getting the better of her.

The house was larger than it appeared from the outside, with multiple rooms filled with relics and curiosities. Jessica wandered through a library lined with dusty books, a storage room filled with strange tools, and finally, a small study that looked like it hadn't been used in years.

As she examined the shelves, her fingers brushed against a faded journal. She hesitated for a moment before opening it, her eyes scanning the pages. The handwriting was unfamiliar, but the content caught her attention—it was a series of notes about cultivation techniques and theories, written in meticulous detail.

Jessica's curiosity deepened as she flipped through the pages. "This… might be useful," she muttered to herself, tucking the journal under her arm before heading back to the others.