"Body Starvation" is an illusory trick used by torturers on their victims or by survivalists. It is a process where the mind and body are deceived—whether through a spell or hallucinations—into thinking they have consumed a large quantity of food without experiencing the side effects of overeating. This leads to an overindulgence in eating behavior.
Once the illusion is dispelled, the body realizes it never actually ingested what it believed it had consumed, resulting in Body Starvation. Consequently, the body begins to demand the food it was led to believe it had eaten. The quantity of food demanded is proportional to what the body thinks it consumed, or even more.
If these cravings are not satisfied, the body starts to consume itself. It begins with the vital energy that supports life; for most people, this is magical power or mana, which is completely depleted first. The body then turns to its fat reserves, followed by muscle, and ultimately, bone. Once this process is complete, the only remnants left will be a husk of a body, with only the digestive organs remaining."
— Excerpt from "The Anatomy of Body Physiology"
El Right, Titan's clone on the right, was stunned by what Latte had just revealed. However, some things didn't seem to add up. When they had entered to give Helen the food, she appeared not to be deprived of Divine Force but rather overflowing with it.
Titan might not fully understand the ongoing conflict between Helen and Father Cyrius, but one thing is certain: their rivalry is quite petty. As El Right descended the staircase and Titan ascended, they met at the midpoint, where El Right shared the information he had just obtained, which left Titan equally confused.
Entering their chamber with another set, Helen was almost finished with the previous set she had brought in, her cravings having calmed down for a bit. There, Titan asked, "What happened during your meeting?"
Stuffing her face, Helen began to speak. "For starters, your father dumped a bucket of water on me just to wake me. Not wanting to be outdone, I changed my attire to that of Ceres, and…" Her words trailed off as Titan interrupted.
"Wait, wait, wait. How could you have changed into that of Ceres when you were in Jutus?" Titan demanded.
"But we weren't in Jutus; we were in the Dreaming," Helen replied.
"Sorry for the interruption. Please continue."
"Where was I again? Ah, yes," she said, snapping her fingers. "After changing my attire, I summoned Ceres. By planting the flowers of chaos, I was able to summon them using the chaos and disorder present within my Justice, earning me 3 points in total. It was hard to keep a straight face while I told Cyrius I was unaware of the chaos and disorder within justice." She paused for a moment, gulping down some water before continuing. "While we sat for tea and snacks, a heated debate ensued between Ceres and Cyrius. Not wanting to participate or even listen in, I began to indulge myself with the ever-refilling tea and snacks, but that was the trap. The first round was an allure, the second was to keep me grounded, and the third was to contain me, and I fell for all of it. That was when your father had me, casting the illusion on me, and so I kept eating. That'll be 3 points for Cyrius." She reached out her hand to collect the set Titan was carrying, which he handed over without realizing.
"However, I wasn't satisfied with what I had done, and then a great idea struck me." She took a bite of the whole chicken. "I began siphoning Divine Force from Cyrius in large chunks without him noticing. Normally, he would have caught on, but with Ceres present, he didn't. This raised my points to 4."
"So this is the reason you're overflowing with divine force right now. Still, if he had caught on, you would have shriveled up by now. And in the worst-case scenario, you might have died."
"But he didn't catch on, and even if he had, nothing serious would have happened to me. Remember, Titan, even though most Avatars are mortals, I'm not; I can go for decades without eating or drinking. I simply do it not to forget the sensation, as I have for some other things. Titan, please update the score sheet—add 4 to mine and 5, no, 6 to your father's."
"I thought it was 3 for Father Cyrius; how did it turn into 6?" Titan asked.
"If you factor in my current situation, the uproar in the city, and the hefty payment we owe for everything—when I say everything, I mean from my personal savings—that would round it up to 6."
Titan materialized the score sheet to update, but found it already updated. However, Helen's numbers and the update didn't match. He showed it to her. "Your father underestimated me; add 2 to mine."
"And what about the 3 for Father Cyrius?" Titan inquired.
"He's saving that as a Get Out of Jail Free Card for when Teleute confronts him. Mark my words, Cyrius, I'll get you," she said, her lips curving into a strange smile that radiated a sinister aura, giving Titan another scare. The events of the morning had left Titan traumatized. "Titan, let's tour the city after I'm done here. I heard the greatest artificer lives here." Titan nodded meekly.
Three days later, Helen and Titan found themselves at the Northern Train Station in Melt. "We've arrived, Titan. We'll be meeting Selene and Larile at Garza after we're done here." As they exited the train station and stepped onto the streets, Helen remarked, "I can smell the money. I remember the last time I came to Melt with one of my previous assistants. It was just a small town back then, but now it's a bustling trade city."
This statement prompted a question from Titan, one that a man should never ask a woman. "Helen, how old are you?"
Helen resisted the urge to smack Titan, maintaining her composure as she questioned him. "Why do you ask of such, Titan?"
"On our train ride, I read a pamphlet that said Melt was a small town six decades ago. Yet you still look so young."
"Titan, do you want to be in a relationship?"
"No, not really," Titan replied, confused by the sudden change in subject.
"If you ever want to be in a relationship with a woman, don't ask her age. Especially if you want to keep whatever attraction you've created. But with a man, I can't help you with that. That's between you and him. Do you understand?"
"Understood. Never ask a woman her age."
"Oh boy," Helen muttered, covering her face with her arm and shaking her head. "Now, place your ID over there. We're requesting a carriage to the Cyritus Hotel, the one run by the church that worships your father."
"I might not know much about the outside world, but isn't an inn the same as a hotel? Why do Melt and some other cities differentiate between them? The inn we stayed at in Nammy and in other places is called a hotel here."
"Now that you mention it, I can see your point," she said, placing her hand on her chin as if in thought. "Beats me. Now go request a carriage; I need to sleep." Titan hurried across the street to do as Helen instructed. He quickly secured the carriage and hurried back to Helen, who was already leaning against her luggage, nearly asleep on her feet. The moment the carriage arrived, Titan knew his first duty was getting Helen horizontal. He gently guided her to the carriage door, helped her inside, and placed her on the cushioned bench where she immediately curled up, already in a deep sleep. With a sigh, Titan climbed in, confirmed the destination, and settled in for the ride.
What just happened hit Titan like a ton of bricks. Didn't she say that the last time she was here was six decades ago? he thought to himself. Then how does she know all this? It doesn't make sense. Well, a lot of things she says don't make sense either. He sighed again. I'm too tired for this, and it's already nighttime. It's better to get some shut-eye.