Chili Powder

The sunlight streamed through the window, casting long beams across the room.

It was eerily quiet, save for the faint rustling of leaves outside.

Elijah was still sprawled in bed, face half-buried in his pillow, blissfully unaware of the chaos brewing just beyond his door.

The clock struck 10:00 AM.

Kieran, grinning mischievously, pushed the door open a crack, peeking inside.

Elijah was out cold, his chest rising and falling in the steady rhythm of deep sleep.

Kieran stepped inside, his bare feet making almost no sound against the floor as he tiptoed closer.

He paused dramatically, taking a deep breath. Then, with the force of a war cry, he screamed: "THERE'S A MONSTER!"

The effect was immediate.

Elijah bolted upright, eyes wide in panic. "What?! Where?!" His arms flailed as he tried to sit up too quickly, losing his balance and tumbling out of bed.

He hit the floor with a loud thud, tangled in his blanket, his face filled with confusion and lingering terror.

Kieran doubled over laughing, clutching his stomach. "Oh, man, you should've seen your face! Priceless!"

Elijah groaned, sitting up and rubbing the back of his head. His hair was a mess, sticking up in every direction.

"Kieran…" he began, his voice low and dangerous.

Kieran threw up his hands in mock surrender, still chuckling. "Hey, hey, don't be mad! It's your fault for sleeping in so late. I had to do something to wake you up."

Elijah shot him a glare that could have cut through steel. "There are better ways to wake someone up. Ways that don't involve yelling about monsters!"

"True," Kieran said, nodding sagely. "But where's the fun in that?"

Just then, the door swung open, and Visconti leaned against the frame, looking unimpressed. "What's with all the noise? People are going to think we're under attack."

Kieran grinned. "That was the point."

Visconti shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I swear, Kieran, one day you're going to get us all kicked out of here."

"I doubt it," Kieran said with a shrug. "The instructors love me. I'm their favorite troublemaker."

Elijah stood up, finally untangling himself from the blanket, and shot Kieran another glare. "You're lucky I don't throw you out of the window."

"Oh, please," Kieran said, smirking. "You'd miss me if I were gone."

"Would I?" Elijah muttered under his breath, heading toward the bathroom.

As the door closed behind him, Visconti raised an eyebrow at Kieran. "What's the real reason you woke him up? Don't tell me you just wanted to mess with him."

Before Kieran could answer, Elijah stepped out of the bathroom, his hair still damp, and gave Kieran a flat look. "Alright, why exactly did you wake me up by yelling 'monster' at 10 in the morning?"

Kieran, lounging on the couch like he owned the place, waved him off casually. "Because we need to go to the main building this afternoon. Around 12."

Elijah blinked, waiting for more.

When Kieran didn't elaborate, he pinched the bridge of his nose and inhaled deeply.

"You woke me up two hours early... for that?"

Kieran grinned unapologetically. "Because it's better to be prepared early. You know, punctuality is the mark of a responsible person."

Elijah stared at him, deadpan. "You? Responsible?"

"Hey!" Kieran said, mock-offended. "I have my moments."

Elijah stared at him, his face a perfect mask of calm rage. 'I swear, I'll kill him soon,' he chanted silently in his head, imagining several scenarios involving Kieran and a conveniently placed monster.

To distract himself from his murderous thoughts, Elijah clapped his hands together. "Fine. I'll cook."

At this, Kieran's face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. "Really? Yes! Finally, some decent food! You're the best, Elijah!"

Visconti, who had been quietly reading a book at the table, snorted. "You're just happy you don't have to eat your own cooking, Kieran."

Kieran gasped in mock offense. "Excuse me, I'm a culinary genius!"

"You nearly burned water last time," Visconti replied without looking up.

Elijah ignored their banter and headed to the kitchen.

He decided to make chicken curry—comforting, hearty, and, most importantly, an excellent vehicle for his evil plan.

Elijah rolled up his sleeves as he opened the pantry. As he gathered the ingredients, his eyes landed on the jar of chili powder sitting innocently on the spice rack.

A wicked smile curled on his lips.

He and Visconti had ridiculously high spice tolerances, but Kieran? Kieran was just average.

Perfect, Elijah thought.

Visconti entered the kitchen, immediately catching sight of Elijah's grin. "What are you planning?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Nothing," Elijah said innocently, holding up the chili powder.

Visconti smirked, quickly catching on. "Kieran?"

Elijah nodded. "Kieran."

Visconti leaned against the counter, crossing his arms. "Make sure it's not too much. I don't feel like dragging him to the clinic."

Elijah shrugged, grabbing the chicken and spices. He began prepping the curry, carefully adding the usual seasonings. But when it came to the chili powder, he added an extra spoonful. Then another. And just for good measure, one more

He made sure to mix it well, so it looked no different from the rest.

When everything was simmering, the rich aroma filled the dorm, making Kieran pop his head into the kitchen. "That smells amazing!"

"Sit down," Elijah said, waving him off. "It'll be ready in a minute."

When the food was ready, Elijah served it on the table.

"Finally," Kieran said, taking a big bite.

The first second, he looked like he was in heaven. The second second, his eyes widened, and his face turned bright red.

Kieran's eyes widened, and his face turned bright red as he began to cough violently. "W-What is this?!" he managed to gasp, grabbing his glass of water and chugging it down like his life depended on it.

"Chicken curry," Elijah said calmly, taking a bite of his own portion like nothing was amiss.

"What is this?! Did you accidentally spill the entire spice rack in here?"

Elijah calmly ate his curry, not a single bead of sweat on his forehead. "What are you talking about? It's fine."

He reached for more water, but Visconti, who had caught on, subtly slid the glass out of reach.

Visconti smirked as he casually took a bite of his curry. "Tastes fine to me. Maybe you're just weak."

Kieran glared at him, tears streaming down his face from the spice. "Weak?! I'll show you weak!"

Kieran pointed accusingly at Elijah. "You did this on purpose, didn't you?"

Elijah raised an innocent eyebrow. "What? Me? Why would I do such a thing?"

"You smiled! I saw you smile when you were cooking!" Kieran yelled, his voice cracking slightly.

Elijah took another bite, unfazed. "That's just my resting face."

Kieran groaned dramatically, slumping back in his chair. "I'm dying. This is it. My life is flashing before my eyes. Bury me in a mountain."

Visconti burst out laughing, nearly choking on his food. "You're so dramatic. It's just a little spice!"

"A little?!" Kieran exclaimed, pointing to his plate like it was some cursed artifact. "This isn't food; it's a weapon!"

Elijah smirked, finally letting a small laugh escape. "Consider it payback for this morning."

Kieran groaned again, flopping his head onto the table. "Remind me never to prank you again."

"Glad we're clear," Elijah said, his voice calm but smug.

Visconti leaned back in his chair, still chuckling. "This has been the most entertaining meal we've had all week."

Kieran glared at both of them, his mouth still on fire. "I hate you guys."