The next morning, Kai woke to the faint aroma drifting through the shelter.
'That smells really good…' Kai thought as he confirmed that Mei had already left. He then swiftly changed his clothes and headed outside.
Amer was already in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up, working with the stockpile of rations.
On the counter lay stacks of MREs, instant noodles, various dehydrated meal packs, and protein concentrate packs, each carefully opened and mixed with fresh additions.
Amer had learned from Mila that plain rations were too bland for morale, so they had begun experimenting.
He boiled the dehydrated rice and noodles, adding wild herbs and leaves gathered from the nearby swamp edges.
A pinch of dried chili gave the stew a kick, while crushed garlic and onion powder transformed the protein concentrate into something resembling meat patties.
