Breaking Bread

While Vesalius and Sofia enjoyed each other's company over a meal of delicious homemade food, N and Hiro were sound asleep in their rooms.

The previous night's workout had knocked them out quickly.

And just like Sofia earlier, Hiro and N were suddenly bombarded by the relentless ringing of the doorbell and loud knocking.

Slowly, N opens his eyes, expecting to see the familiar ceiling of the hospital, but then he remembers the hectic events of yesterday and his current situation.

Slowly, he gets up, sits down and sighs.

N was filled with emptiness as he wondered when exactly will he feel fulfilled. When is he going to get strong enough to not feel empty.

His thoughts had drowned out the chaos that surrounded him.

Suddenly, his stomach rumbles, pulling him out of his deep thoughts as the chaotic noise begins to hit him.

N stands up and takes a glance at Hiro, expecting him to be awake as well because of the noise.

Unlike N, Hiro remained asleep despite the noise.

N walks towards the door to see the person responsible for all this noise and what their purpose was.

He opens the door and finds Lucas standing outside, looking rather irritated.

One glance at N's appearance and Lucas was able to judge that N had just woken up.

In a disappointed tone, Lucas asked, "...Is Hiro still asleep?"

N nodded, confirming Hiro was indeed still in bed.

Lucas is a bit surprised, considering the ruckus he had made trying to wake them.

Lucas then instructs N to wake Hiro up and get ready for breakfast, adding a stern warning, "If you and Hiro aren't out in ten minutes, you're both going to miss breakfast."

Immediately, N replied, "Yes, we'll be out in five minutes," suddenly determined and motivated by the thought of not missing breakfast at Orion.

N closes the door and goes straight to Hiro.

N continuously shakes Hiro, calling out his name, "Hiro, please wake up."

Reluctantly, Hiro slowly opens his eyes and asks N, "What time is it?"

N replies, "It is currently 9:00 AM."

In a tired voice, Hiro asks N, "Why are you waking up me now, man? We can sleep for a few more hours." While slowly closing his eyes.

N tells him about what Lucas just said, "Lucas is standing outside, he said if we do not come out in ten minutes, we are going to miss breakfast."

Immediately Hiro's eyes open wide.

Much like N, Hiro does not want to miss breakfast at Orion, so he gets up right away.

Hiro tells N that he will be ready in a few minutes and then goes into the washroom.

Meanwhile N changes his clothes and does a few stretches.

By the time N is done with his stretches, Hiro comes out and is done washing up.

After N quickly washes up as well, they both leave and meet Lucas standing outside.

Surprised that they both actually did come out within five minutes, Lucas says to them, "Good to see both of you so motivated for breakfast here."

N and Hiro follow Lucas as he leads the way to Orion's breakfast hall.

They reach the elevator and Lucas presses the button to go one floor lower.

As the elevator doors slid open, N and Hiro were greeted by the warm, inviting atmosphere of Orion's breakfast hall.

The room was vast, with a high, vaulted ceiling supported by dark wooden beams that gave the space an old-world charm. Sunlight poured in through large, arched windows along the far wall, casting a golden glow over the room.

The light danced across the polished hardwood floors, adding to the room's rustic yet elegant feel.

The walls were adorned with a mixture of plants and artifacts, giving the place a close to nature feel.

Large, sturdy wooden tables were arranged in neat rows, each one long enough to seat at least twenty people.

The tables were covered with crisp, white tablecloths, and filled with people who were all finishing their breakfasts.

In the center of the room was an expansive buffet, the sight of which immediately caught N and Hiro's attention.

The buffet was a feast for the senses, offering an impressive variety of dishes.

There were baskets of freshly baked bread—crusty baguettes, soft rolls, and flaky croissants—alongside platters of assorted cheeses and cold cuts. Bowls of vibrant, fresh fruits—berries, melons, and citrus—sat beside trays of pastries dusted with powdered sugar.

The hot food section featured all the breakfast staples: crispy bacon, sizzling sausages, fluffy scrambled eggs, and golden hash browns.

The subtle hum of conversation mixed with the clinking of cutlery and the occasional laughter created a lively yet comfortable atmosphere.

N and Hiro exchanged a quick glance, their previous grogginess now entirely replaced by silent excitement and determination to eat a hearty meal.

Without wasting any time, they grabbed trays and headed straight for the buffet.

N's tray quickly filled with a mix of items: a stack of pancakes dripping with syrup, a pile of scrambled eggs, several strips of bacon, and a croissant for good measure. His eyes continuously darting around to see what else might catch his fancy.

Hiro, on the other hand, was a touch more methodical. He carefully selected a bit of everything, starting with the meats and moving on to the eggs and hash browns. His tray was soon loaded with food, but he still found room for a large glass of orange juice and a steaming mug of coffee.

Lucas, after making his own plate, some pancakes and fruit, looks up and is mildly surprised to see the enormous amount of food that Hiro and N had on their plates.

He lets out a small and quite chuckle as he thinks to himself about Emily, who is also a hearty eater.

The three of them made their way to one of the long tables and sat down.

As soon as they were seated, N and Hiro dug in with gusto.

Their forks moved rapidly from plate to mouth, barely pausing between bites.

Lucas leisurely ate his pancakes, as he watched them completely devour the massive amounts of food in front of them.

Between bites, Hiro mumbles, "Lucas, the food here is amazing. Praise the chef whenever you get time, alright?"

N nodded in agreement, too busy stuffing his face to say much.

As the minutes passed, N and Hiro showed no signs of slowing down. They went back to the buffet for seconds, resulting in a new mountain of food on their trays.

Lucas watched in disbelief as they continued to eat. He'd seen plenty of people eat a lot before, but this was on a different level. It was as if they hadn't eaten in days, and the sight of the two of them polishing off plate after plate was both impressive and slightly alarming.

After Hiro and N both finally finish their second serving, N looks at Hiro with the intent to go for and get some more.

Hiro lets out a laugh and says, "That's it for me dude. You help yourself."

N then goes to the buffet, for the third time, to fill up his plate again.

Hiro looks at Lucas and says, "Can you believe this guy? Can't believe he eats that much."

Lucas gets confused at the irony of Hiro saying that, since Hiro just finished a ridiculous amount of food himself.

N brings his third plate to the table and gets back to eating, while Hiro laughs, saying, "You're going to run Orion out of food."

Finishing off their meals with some coffee, N and Hiro lay back on the chair and let out a satisfied sigh. Finally done with their meals and happy.

It was a moment of normalcy in an otherwise tumultuous time, and Hiro were more than happy to indulge.

With their meal finally over, Lucas set his cup down and leaned forward, his tone shifting to one of seriousness. "Alright, now that you both are done. Let's get going. There's someone you both need to meet."

"Who are we meeting?" Hiro asked, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"You'll see," Lucas replied with a hint of a slightly devilish smile. "But I'll tell you this—he's not someone you want to keep waiting."

N and Hiro quickly got to their feet and followed Lucas out of the breakfast hall and into a different floor, with long and winding corridors.

As they walked, the atmosphere shifted. The warm, welcoming vibe of the breakfast hall gave way to the more austere and rough feel.

The walls here were lined with portraits of various important people and displays showcasing the history of Orion.

The lighting was dimmer, casting long shadows that added to the sense of gravity in the air.

Hiro couldn't help but feel a growing sense of unease.

Whoever they were about to meet was clearly someone of great importance, and the weight of that realization settled heavily on Hiro's shoulders.