Chapter eight: moving forward
Caelum stood at the door, staring at Iris.
"So? What do you want?"
The girl in the black-and-white dress clasped her hands together and smiled. "I'm sorry to bother you so soon again, mister, but I wanted to let you know something interesting."
'I don't want to know? Please leave me alone!' caelum almost said the words at her face.
Iris kept her bright smile. "The community has decided to host a big event next week! And guess what?"
Caelum's glared at her more intently. 'There it is!'
Iris continued, her enthusiasm seemed unwavering. "We're inviting as many kind-hearted people as we can to help out! You seemed so generous last time, so I thought.."
"I'm going out of town today," said Caelum.
Iris blinked twice. "...Huh?"
"Yeah, i probably Can't make it. Sorry." He, gathering his courage, shut the door in her face.
"Hello? Mister?" Iris called through the door.
"If you have an important trip outside the town, may I know when you'll be back?"
Caelum yelled back, "After a week!"
Hearing that, she felt disappointed, "Oh... alright then."
Caelum waited, listening for her retreating footsteps. Once he was sure she was gone, he exhaled in relief.
"That was close. I swear, these community people are relentless."
Shaking his head, he went to the bathroom. 'How did I even get roped into this? I don't even talk to my neighbors. I didn't sign up to be a community sweetheart.'
Foam gathered in his mouth as he harshly brushed his teeth.
'If I had known, that donating a single dollar would put me on some charity hit list, I would've just pretended I didn't have cash. Uh not like i have a lot of.' But soon, his thoughts moved to more important things.
His grip on the toothbrush tightened. 'That damm quill though...'
A familiar excitement bubbled up in his chest, his whole body felt antsy just thinking about it.
'If i can enter a painting... isn't it like a miniature world i myself created? That means...' caelum spitted his foam and grabbed the nearby cup of water.
After throwing the water and washing his face up, caelum looked at his reflection on the mirror.
"Yes, the possibilities are endless."
His face became aggressive as his mind raced. "Could I expand it further? Could I create an entire city or even future?"
He took a good final look at himself. "I look better than ever now."
After the wash up, he needed to eat something before diving into more near death experiments.
"Alright, let's see." Caelum grabbed his medicine pills packet and took one, after taking his medicine with cold water, his stomach started buzzing with anticipation.
he walked to the kitchen and yanked open his freezer, ready to grab something, His eyes scanned the contents.
Frozen meals, bags of vegetables, some chicken, and a suspiciously old tub of ice cream, some pizza slices. His freeze wasn't the most interesting one but it was quite Filled either way.
Caelum was reviewing all the items he could cook when he suddenly thought of a good idea
"Wait... Why would I even need these anymore." He reached inside, grabbed every single frozen item, and started carrying them to the trash can outside his apartment.
A pack of frozen dumplings-Gone, Leftover pizza slices wrapped in foil-Gone, mysterious meat he forgot about-Definitely gone.
As he tossed each item, he couldn't help but feel a strange sense of liberation.
"Lets get rid of them, all of them" he kept mumbling, watching the pile grow.
After clearing out everything, he dusted his hands off and shut the trash lid.
Walking back inside, he stretched before announcing brightly.
"From now on, let's just directly make food from all around the world." His face was filled with excitement.
"After all, I have the best chef, the quill!"
With that decision, he strode toward his desk, eager to test just how far his food creations could go.
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Caelum stepped into his room, locked eyes with the quill. "If this works, i will have a feast."
Tucking the quill under his arm, he grabbed his notebook and went down to the kitchen, there he strode back to the dining table, plopping down onto the chair.
He took his seat, flipped open the notebook, turning to a fresh page.
"Alright… first Let's start with some appetizer."
He put the quill to paper.
The lines started to form as smoothly as always, all the lines came together to form a majestic looking egg sandwich.
It looked like Soft, lightly toasted bread, with perfectly golden on the edges.
One could even see the Inside; a warm, fluffy egg omelet, folded neatly, with a layer of melted cheese dripping slightly at the sides.
He lifted the quill, the notebook shimmered. Then a perfectly crafted egg sandwich materialized with the plate before him.
Caelum's had a wide smile plustered over his face. He reached out, grazing the warm, toasted surface.
"Looks good enough…"
He lifted it, examined the slight crisp of the bread. Then, without hesitation, he took a bite.
When the flavors hit his tongue, his eyes fluttered shut.
"Hmmmm~"
The bread was soft, but with just the right amount of crunch on the edges. The egg was creamy, rich with a buttery taste, yet perfectly balanced with the slight tang of cheese.
It was picture perfect.
"...Holy shit, this is good." Caelum stared at the sandwich in his hand, he was utterly baffled. 'This is just too damn good to be an egg sandwich.'
Of course it wasn't just good, it was exactly the kind of egg sandwich he had envisioned.
Swallowing, he leaned back, gripping the sandwich loosely. "So that's how it works, huh?"
If he defined something as "perfect," then the quill would create it exactly as he imagined.
"The ones i make don't even compare to this." Caelum devoured the sandwich while comparing it to his own cooking.
After eating up, with renewed excitement, he picked up the quill again.
Next should be something to drink. His hand moved, and soon a steaming cup of freshly brewed coffee manifested.
The scent of the cofee alone made him thirsty. He lifted the cup, bringing it to his lips.
The taste was very bold and Strong. It was a deep, velvety coffee type taste.
It was the best damn cup of coffee he had ever had.
He aughed devilishly, "alright then, no need to hold back anymore, let's go crazy."
His hand flew across the pages.
A full breakfast platter manifested, containing; crispy bacon, golden hash browns, a side of perfectly seasoned sausages, a buttered croissant so soft it practically melted at the touch.
Each dish appeared in front of him, one by one, he tasted them. Every single thing was flawless.
The bacon was Crispy, but not overcooked. The hash browns were golden and crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. The sausages were Bursting with juicy flavor, seasoned to perfection.
Even the croissant, "goddamn it, what is this!" the croissant was flaky, buttery, and warm, like it just came out of the oven of a five-star bakery.
Caelum sat back in his chair, burping happily, looking at the empty plates.
His stomach was full, his body felt warm and satisfied. And best of all was that he hadn't spent a single cent.
"I won't have to worry about food ever again!" After god knows how much time, Caelum had a feast that satisfied his craving. Not just his hunger.
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Caelum glanced towards the pile of empty plates on the table, "...Right. There are these too."
He collected the dishes and carried them to the sink. As the cold water ran over his hands, he scrubbed each plate clean.
"Ugh. I shouldn't draw plates or extra stuff from now on." They were just an unnecessary hassle. He imagined them into existence along with the food, but he hadn't considered the cleanup. He would have to be more selective in what he created.
After finishing the dishes, he wiped his hands on a towel, then he started rubbing his belly. "I should take a walk outside."
Caelum grabbed his quill and notebook and went back to his room. Then turned toward his wardrobe.
'Yes. maybe a walk would help clear my mind and calories'
Pulling open the cupboard, he grabbed a warm hoodie and a pair of comfortable jeans. After dressing up, he pulled on his sneakers and checked his pockets; 'wallet, keys, phone all there.'
With a click, he locked his apartment door behind him and stepped out into the open air.
The streets were calm, bathed in the gentle glow of the late morning sun. A crisp breeze rustled through the trees, carrying the distant chatter of people and the occasional honk of a passing car.
Caelum tucked his hands into his pockets, walking leisurely .
His mind however, was in the same mess as it has been after he got the quill. It was far from relaxed.
'Now that I have decided to make food whenever I want… I have no reason to ever step into a grocery store again.'
It was a golden thought. He could already imagine the baffled expressions of store owners wondering why one of their regulars had suddenly vanished.
'Aren't i actually the dumbest person alive?If I can create food, then why stop there?'
He glanced down at the hoodie he was wearing. The fabric was slightly worn. 'I could definitely make clothes too.'
If the quill could manifest objects exactly as he defined them, then in theory, he could create any necessity.
His mind raced through all the possibilities he never thought before.
He could easily draw furniture, tools, even everyday appliances. There would be no need to go out shopping ever again.
Then, unconsciously, his thoughts moved toward something more crucial. "My meds."
'Could I… replicate my medicine too?'
He slowed his pace. On one hand, it seemed logical. If he could copy a dollar bill down to the most intricate detail and have it turn real, then medicine should, in theory, work the same way.
But on the other hand…
"What if I get something wrong?" Caelum asked out loud, startling a few passerby.
He clenched his fists. 'Medicine isn't something i can afford to experiment with. If even a single detail was off, it can have dangerous consequences on my body easily.'
Frustrated as it may, it can't be helped. "It's too risky."
As much as he wanted to test it, he wasn't reckless enough to gamble with his own life.
Still, the thought was formed and lingered. Would there come a time when he would be forced to take that risk?
A gust of wind passed through the street, tousling his hair as he continued walking.
The distant laughter of children caught his attention, and a small park nearby came into view. A group of kids were riding tiny bicycles, their carefree laughter filled the air as they chased each other around in circles.
For some reason, watching them brought a small, unexpected smile to his face. Which was something his past self probably wasn't capable of.
'They're so full of life.'
'So young, with endless days ahead of them. Their biggest worries probably revolved around finishing homework or sneaking in extra playtime before dinner.'
He had once been like that. Before all the worst things took over his life, before reality crushed any dreams of a long future.
His smile faded, and his steps slowed.
Caelum stopped and looked towards the children, a sudden and unexpected thought formed, it was the one he hadn't dared to think in the past.
"Would there be a way?"
His throat felt tight as he swallowed, his eyes were fixed on the children.
"A way to somehow save my life through this quill?"
The wind blew past him again.