I'm a believer...

***

CHAPTER 21:

THE SECRET OVEN

As soon as the elevator doors closed, I turned to Tarben. "You didn't have to do that."

"No, I didn't," he replied without objection. "But I wanted to." He pressed for the second floor among the rows of buttons.

"Why?"

He took a deep breath. "Because I'm so over these shallow, smart asses having an opinion about everything when they're actually clueless about it all!" He glanced sideways at me and frowned. "And... you really need to eat something. You look like you're about to faint."

I wasn't expecting such a response. "Th-thank you," I stammered. "Actually, angel Ria said she would send something to my room."

"Meh," Tarben scoffed. "We can do much better than that."

Meanwhile, the elevator had stopped, the door opened, and Tarben gestured for me to proceed down the hallway. I stepped out onto the second floor. We walked along the corridor, with Trouble still in Tarben's arms, showing no signs of wanting to get down. We turned toward the left wing of the mansion and walked a little further. When we reached a door shaped like a teapot, Tarben stopped.

"You can't share what you're about to see with anyone," he warned.

I thought he was serious until I caught the smile playing on his lips. As soon as he opened the door, the smell of warm cake filled my nostrils. I followed him into the room. Inside, it was dimly lit, except for the moonlight streaming in through the windows, and it grew even darker as Tarben closed the door behind us.

"Watch your step," he said, but before he could finish his sentence, I had stepped on something soft and let out a squeal. Startled, I jumped back, bumping into a ball and losing my balance again. Tarben's hand was instantly on my arm, preventing me from falling or doing something even more foolish.

"Stay still until I turn on the light, okay?" he said.

I could hear the amusement in every syllable that came out of his mouth. If I were him, I'd have fun with someone as clumsy as me too. I followed his instructions, cursing myself internally. Soon enough, a solitary light flickered to life in a distant corner of the room. Then another joined it, followed swiftly by more. Before I knew it, a constellation of stars hung above us, as if they were strung on a string.

I took a cautious step forward into the room. Now that I could see where I was going, I hadn't caused any more accidents. Still, I was cautious because the room was filled with all kinds of toys, large or small. Plush bears, dolls, cars, trains, toy soldiers, puzzles... As soon as Tarben set Trouble down, my cat leaped after a bouncing ball and disappeared among the shelves.

"Before you ask, we're not here for the toys," Tarben said.

As he turned away, I hurried after him, not wanting to lose sight of him in the vast room. We wound our way through shelves towering up to the ceiling, resembling a maze. Just after we passed a cabinet brimming with porcelain dolls, Tarben came to a halt in front of me, stretching his arms wide.

"Ta-da..."

I craned my neck over his shoulder to see the space in the middle of the cabinets. It was... a kitchen. But a miniature one. Everything was a toy. The oven, the refrigerator, the vegetable rack, the table in the center, surrounding chairs... I watched in amazement as Tarben made his way to the counter. He knelt down by the oven.

"So, tell me, what are you craving?" he asked. "What would you like to eat?"

I looked at him suspiciously. He must be teasing me. When I remained silent, he shrugged and pressed his palm against the oven door.

"I say... let's start with a nice loaf of bread. Something hot and crispy."

This time, it was my turn to laugh. Tarben was asking what we wanted to eat while kneeling in front of a toy oven that couldn't even reach his waist. He was like a giant baby who had missed the chance to play house by fifteen years. But when the pink light shone from behind the oven's glass door, my laughter caught in my throat. At the same time, an incredible smell filled the room. I watched in awe and horror as Tarben opened the door and pulled out a huge loaf of bread.

"Not bad, huh?" Tarben said cheerfully.

As he set the bread down on the toy table, I leaned in to inspect it, poking the loaf with my finger. In every aspect — the smell, the shape, the texture, the steam rising from it — it seemed like a real loaf of bread.

"Ho... how did you do that?" I asked, turning to Tarben.

He shrugged. "I have no idea. Must be something the Dorm does. You just say what you want to eat, and the kitchen provides."

"Anything?" I exclaimed, widening my eyes.

My reaction amused Tarben. "Go ahead, tell me," he said challengingly. "What do you want to eat?"

I pondered for a moment. Dozens of options ran through my mind, but I couldn't settle on any of them. "Pizza," I said. "No, wait, french fries. Hamburger and french fries. No no, hold on. Should I go for cake? But first, something salty. Hmm..." I pushed the possibilities a bit further. And suddenly, the perfect thing popped into my mind. "My mom's soup!" I exclaimed excitedly.

Tarben wasn't expecting that, and he seemed pleasantly surprised by my choice. "Alright," he said, turning back to the oven and repeating, "Olive's mom's soup!"

I waited eagerly; my lower lip caught between my teeth. Trouble sat between my legs, equally curious, watching Tarben like me. When the pink light shone from behind the oven door, we both held our breaths. As soon as the familiar scent hit my nose, my mouth involuntarily watered. Tarben took the soup out of the oven and placed it on the table.

When he lifted the lid, my heart skipped a beat. It was silly, but I couldn't stop the tears from welling up in my eyes. Longing pierced through me like an arrow. Everything I had lost, everything I couldn't find, everything I had struggled to reach seemed to be in that pot. It was like a slap in the face, reminding me what I was fighting for and why I couldn't afford to give up if I failed.

"Hey," Tarben said. "Are you okey?" The cheerfulness in his voice had disappeared. Now he was scrutinizing me carefully.

I hastily wiped away the tear that trickled down my cheek. "Yes, I'm sorry. For a moment... I was just..."

I didn't need to continue. Tarben understood. "Come on, let me serve you," he said. As he pulled out a toy chair for me to sit on, I chuckled at my own state, despite the urge to cry.

"Are we really going to eat here?"

"I'm offering you the finest meal in the Dorm, and you're still complaining?" Tarben teased.

He had taken two plastic bowls and spoons from the toy cupboard and placed them on the table. He filled two scoops of soup for both of us, cut a big piece of bread for me. When he sat down on my opposite, my chuckle turned into laughter this time. My eyes were still wet, and I must have looked ridiculously funny, but it couldn't get any more absurd than this.

Tarben was much taller than me, so he opted to sit on a large toy bin instead of a chair. He was so close to the ground that he had to stretch his legs out. He took a sip of soup with his plastic spoon, and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Wow... Whatever this is, I'll be asking for more of it every time."

I wasn't sure if he genuinely liked it or if he was trying to lift my spirits, but his enthusiasm was contagious. I took a sip of the soup. My eyes closed, and all my senses were locked onto the warmth sliding down my throat. Our home, our kitchen, our broken-legged table, my family gathered around that table... It was strange how a sip of chicken broth contained all those memories.

When I opened my eyes, Tarben was watching me. His raised eyebrow seemed to inquire about my opinion of the soup. The soup was wonderful, but it had done more than just fill my stomach.

"Thank you," I said.

My eyes were watery again, and he noticed. He set down his spoon. His head dropped for a moment, as if pondering what to say next, then his gaze swept over the table. When he looked at me again, his expression was serious.

"You know this is a wonderful thing, don't you, Olive?" he asked. "Being able to miss someone, having someone to miss..."

"I..." I had never thought about it like that.

"Do you know why many souls here don't care?" he continued. "Because they have nothing to go back to. You're different from us. Stay that way."

This time, my gaze fell to the soup. Tarben was right. I had always criticized others, accusing them of being indifferent. The reality could be very different. You're different from us, I repeated his words in my mind. From us... Did that mean he didn't have a home to return to either? I looked at him with curiosity, but he didn't give me a chance to ask.

"Blue mentioned you have a boyfriend," he revealed, as if disclosing a secret. "He must be pretty amazing if you're this eager to reunite with him." His cheerful tone had returned; he was trying to lighten the mood again.

I nodded and smiled. "Davon..."

"Davon," he repeated, scooping up another spoonful of soup. "Tell me, what's this Davon like?"

He probably didn't care about who Davon was. He was probably just trying to make me happy. He was probably right that talking would make me feel better. So, I started talking. About Dav, my family, my school, the exams, my dream of going to university... As I spoke, my sadness dissipated, and excitement returned.

Tarben was periodically going to the oven and bringing new treats to the table. He never interrupted me, asked new questions with interest, and somehow rescued me from my pitiful state of mind. As we transitioned from dessert to tea, I thanked him once again.

"I've been rambling all night. You probably regret inviting me here." I said with a sheepish grin.

Tarben shook his head as he took a spoonful of pudding. "On the contrary... I haven't talked to anyone about life in a long time. I must say, it's refreshing."

He grinned. I couldn't help but smile back. Maybe I owed the Dorm a thank you for bringing him into my life. Perhaps it wasn't as malevolent as I thought.

"Olive," Tarben said, his tone becoming a bit more serious. "Regarding Mars..." He paused for a moment, contemplating his next words. "Don't let him dampen your excitement, okay?"

The joy drained from my veins as I remembered Mars. I pouted. "Would you like to tell that to the authorities who paired me with him?"

He frowned. "I can't do anything about the authorities, but as for Mars..." A sly, cunning, mischievous smile danced on his lips. "Maybe... I might know how to rein him in."

The spoon slipped from my hand. Leaning forward eagerly, the toy chair beneath me squeaked.

"How?"

Tarben extended his spoon to me, as if imparting a lesson. "What's the one thing Mars cares about in this life the most?"

I didn't even need to think. "Girls?"

Tarben chuckled. "That's true, but no girl is as important to him as his music. Mars lives for his compositions, his songs, his concerts. So... he won't allow anything to threaten his music."

"Are you suggesting I break his guitar?" I asked, dead serious. My seriousness elicited laughter from Tarben.

"That's an option, but we can try less damaging methods first," he suggested.

His expression was like he was plotting a heist, and I couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement. As he leaned in, I leaned closer. Then Tarben began to explain what I should do next.

***

Tarben is a cool guy. Whoever agrees and wants a Tarben in their life, put an emoji here!

As we got the tactics from him, we all know what's coming next. Get ready for a bitter sweet war among Mars and Olive as our stubborn girl is not someone who easily gives up.

So, let the chase begin! 

See you next time, EC.