Chapter 34: Similar Style
"Noel? You don't seem like you're from around here … But it's nice to meet you." Zaara offered her hand and helped the girl up.
Noel kept her head low and said nothing.
Zaara crouched slightly, "Where's your mom and dad? Do you know where your home is?"
Noel gave a slow shake of her head.
Suddenly—"Gu gu!"—a strange noise broke the quiet moment. Zaara instinctively looked down at her stomach, but quickly realized the sound had come from Noel.
She was hungry.
Zaara turned toward her chubby friend, who was still staring blankly at the chimera toy, her eyes full of confusion. "Zoya, can you make two pieces of bread?"
Without a word, Zoya nodded. A faint glow shimmered in her hand, and two pieces of warm bread materialized. She handed them over without breaking her gaze from the toy.
Zaara offered the bread to Noel, who accepted it and devoured it hungrily, as if she hadn't eaten in days.
"If you can't find your parents, I'll take you to Teacher Zirak," Zaara said gently. "He can help you for sure."
Noel didn't respond. Instead, the chimera bent down, carefully gripping her collar with its jaws and placing her on its back. Zaara gracefully leapt up, aided by a subtle essence pulse. Zoya snapped out of her daze and followed, though she nearly lost her balance. Zaara caught her wrist just in time.
With all three girls aboard, the chimera dashed through the city streets, swift as wind. When they reached the restaurant, it shrank back to its toy form, motionless. Zaara slipped it into her backpack.
"Teacher Zirak, I'm back!" she called out even before stepping inside.
"Zaara, quiet down! You'll disturb the customers," a waitress scolded lightly as she opened the door.
Zaara gave an apologetic smile and bowed politely. "Sorry, Aunty Amna."
Inside the Few Spices Restaurant, Zaara led the others to the main chef's office. Zirak was seated behind his desk, buried in a thick cooking book, eyes narrowing in focus. When he looked up and saw the girls—dust-covered and tired—his mouth twitched beneath his white robe.
Zaara launched into her story with enthusiasm, detailing everything that had happened.
As she spoke, she didn't notice the subtle shift in Zirak's expression. The calmness in his eyes grew colder, and sharper. He had already made up his mind—those thugs would not see another sunrise. Antiarena City was large, but it wouldn't take him long to find them.
When Zaara finished, he turned his attention to Noel. "Do you remember anything?" he asked. "Where you came from? What your place looked like? A number, maybe?"
Noel slowly shook her head again. Her silence sank the room into brief stillness, also sending Zirak into deep thought.
Then—grrrrrrrr. Three stomachs grumbled at once.
Zirak sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Alright, alright. But look at the state of you three. Go wash up first. Zaara, lend your spare clothes to her."
Soon, the trio was seated at a round table in the dining area. The comforting aroma of spices and fresh bread filled the air. Around them, other customers ate and chatted softly. It felt warm and safe.
Zoya leaned toward Zaara, still staring at the backpack. "Zaara … can I borrow your toy for a few days? I promise I'll return it in three days."
Zaara smiled and pulled out the chimera. "Here. But it's just a toy, you know. I found it in the Illusory Mirror House."
Zoya took it carefully, examining it from every angle. No matter how she turned it or what she pressed—it really did seem like an ordinary stuffed toy. Had she imagined it moving?
She glanced toward Noel, who sat quietly with her hands in her lap, like a porcelain doll carved from pink jade. She hadn't spoken a word since they arrived.
Still unsettled, Zoya turned back to the toy, running her fingers along the stitching. There has to be something ...
Soon, the food arrived—hot and plentiful. The three girls dug in with wide eyes and wide appetites. Though they tried to keep their manners in check, they showed no mercy to the food. Every plate was left spotless, each cup polished clean.
The laughter and chatter of the restaurant filled the background as the strange new trio shared their first real meal together.