Chapter 10: Culinary Deceptions and Unexpected Turns**
The sharp click of the door closing behind the departing officers seemed to echo in Klein’s ears long after they had gone. He stood motionless in the centre of his small apartment, his mind racing. The investigation, the deaths of Welch and Naya, the looming mysteries—it all swirled in a dizzying maelstrom of half-formed thoughts and borrowed memories.
A sudden chill ran down his spine. What if they were still watching? The paranoia that had been slowly building since his arrival in this world surged to the forefront of his mind. He needed to act normal, to maintain the facade of Klein Moretti. But what was normal for Klein?
His eyes fell on the small kitchen area. Cooking. That was something he could do, something that would appear ordinary to any prying eyes. **Routine**, he reminded himself, trying to steady his breathing. He needed to stick to it. With a deep breath, he moved towards the cupboards, his hands moving almost of their own accord as he began to gather ingredients.
As he worked, muscle memory from his life as Dipak took over. The familiar motions of chopping and seasoning provided a strange comfort, a link to a life that now felt like a distant dream. But as he reached for spices, the differences in this world became glaringly apparent. No turmeric, no cumin, no coriander—the staples of his Indian cooking were nowhere to be found. A slight pang of homesickness settled in his chest, but he quickly pushed it away.
[**Skill Improved: Culinary Improvisation (Level 2)**]
Klein paused, his hand hovering over an unfamiliar jar of local herbs. A wry smile tugged at his lips. *If I can’t recreate the flavors of home, maybe I can create something new—a fusion of the past and the present,* he mused.
With renewed determination, he set to work. The rich aroma of stewing mutton soon filled the small apartment, mingling with the earthiness of peas and the unfamiliar tang of local herbs. As he stirred the pot, Klein found himself lost in thought, the repetitive motion almost meditative. **Was he really blending in here?** The thought gnawed at him. Cooking felt too normal—too disconnected from the whirlwind of danger and mystery around him.
The sound of the door opening startled him from his reverie. Melissa's voice called out, tinged with curiosity, "Klein? What's that smell?"
For a moment, panic gripped him. *Think fast.* He hadn't prepared a story, hadn’t thought about how to explain the unfamiliar dish. But as Melissa appeared in the kitchen doorway, her eyes wide with surprise and interest, his mind raced and a story formed.
"I'm trying out a new recipe," he said, the lie slipping from his tongue with unsettling ease. "I found a book about foreign cuisines in the library and thought I’d experiment a little."
[**Skill Improved: Acting (Level 4)**]
[**Skill Improved: Deception (Level 2)**]
Melissa’s face lit up with excitement. "Really? That’s wonderful, Klein! I didn’t know you were interested in foreign foods."
Klein swallowed his unease, forcing a smile. "Yeah, I thought I'd give it a try." He gestured vaguely at the simmering pot. "This is, uh, called *Lamb Aroha*—it’s from a far-off island culture known for their unique use of herbs." The lie built as smoothly as the last, each detail carefully chosen to mask the strange mix of ingredients.
"Wow, it smells amazing," Melissa said, sitting down. “You’ve got to show me how to make it sometime.”
As they ate, Klein continued to spin an elaborate tale about his imaginary discovery of the dish in some fictional book. The guilt gnawed at him, but the genuine pleasure on Melissa's face as she tasted the meal eased the ache somewhat. She laughed and asked for more details, while Klein expertly deflected, keeping the conversation light.
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**Is this what I am now?** The thought came unbidden, but he quickly buried it. **No time for self-reflection,** he reminded himself. Lies were becoming easier, the act of maintaining this facade smoother. He had to survive in this world—morals could wait.
"This is delicious, Klein," Melissa exclaimed between bites. "You must show me how to make it sometime."
"Of course," Klein replied, the ease of his performance unsettling even to him. "Maybe after my job interview. Speaking of which, I should probably get back to my preparations."
As he cleared the dishes, a new notification pinged in his mind:
[**New Skill Acquired: Cultural Adaptation (Level 1)**]
The rest of the evening passed in a blur of studying and preparation. Klein pored over books and notes, trying to absorb as much information as possible about the position he was supposedly interviewing for. But as the night wore on, exhaustion began to take its toll. His eyes grew heavy, the words on the page blurring into indecipherable smudges.
**Knock, knock.**
Klein stirred awake, his heart pounding. He sat up, confused, disoriented—had he heard a knock or was it a remnant of some half-dream? He rubbed his eyes, blinking into the dim light of his apartment.
**Knock, knock.**
There it was again. A sharp knock at the door jolted Klein fully awake. As he opened it, he found himself face to face with Captain Dunn Smith, the police officer’s expression grim and determined.
"Mr. Moretti," Captain Dunn said, his voice crisp and authoritative, "we need you to come down to the station. We have some additional questions regarding the deaths of Mr. Welch and Ms. Naya."
Klein felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. In his fragmented memories of the novel, he couldn’t recall Klein being taken to the station. He tried to keep his voice steady.
"Of course, Captain," Klein replied, forcing a calm demeanor. "Let me just grab my coat."
[**Skill Improved: Acting (Level 5)**]
As they stepped out into the cool night air, Klein’s mind raced, searching for a way out of this unexpected turn of events. The street was quiet, almost unnaturally so, and Klein could feel the weight of Captain Dunn’s gaze on him as they walked towards the waiting police carriage.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted from a nearby alley. Shouts and the sound of breaking glass shattered the stillness of the night. Captain Dunn’s head snapped towards the disturbance, his hand moving instinctively to his weapon.
"Stay here," he ordered Klein, before rushing towards the source of the noise.
Klein stood frozen for a moment, his heart pounding in his ears. *This is my chance.*
Without allowing himself to think too much about the consequences, he turned and ran in the opposite direction, his feet pounding against the cobblestones.
[**Skill Improved: Quick Thinking (Level 3)**]
[**Skill Improved: Agility (Level 6)**]
He ran until his lungs burned, taking random turns and ducking through narrow alleys in an attempt to lose any potential pursuers. Finally, when he felt he could run no more, Klein ducked into the shadows of a small, dimly lit square.
As he leaned against a wall, gasping for breath, a strange sensation washed over him. The world seemed to shimmer and blur, like heat rising from sun-baked stones. When his vision cleared, Klein found himself back in his apartment, sitting at his desk as if he had never left.
He blinked in confusion. **Was it a dream?** His heart was still racing, his breath short, yet nothing had changed. The thought that perhaps it had all been some sort of premonition crawled through his mind.
**Knock, knock.**
Another soft knock at the door made him jump. With trembling legs, Klein rose and approached the door, his mind whirling with confusion and fear. As he opened it, he found himself once again face to face with Captain Dunn Smith. But this time, Dunn’s expression was neutral, almost bored.
"Mr. Moretti, I'm here to inform you that we have found some additional information."
In that moment, a flood of memories rushed through Klein's mind. He remembered reading this scene in the novel—the real scene, not the twisted version he had just experienced. The realization hit him like a physical blow: he had just lived through some kind of alternate reality or premonition.
[**Skill Improved: World Awareness (Level 4)**]
[**New Skill Acquired: Precognition (Level 1)**]
As Captain Dunn continued speaking, delivering the news that Klein already knew, Dipak’s mind raced. **What did this mean? Was my presence here causing ripples, creating alternate possibilities?**
With a mix of relief and trepidation, Klein invited Captain Dunn inside, knowing that this conversation—the real conversation—was just the beginning of his journey into the mysteries of this world.
---
```
Name: Klein Moretti (Dipak)
Age: 22
Sequence: Fool's Path (Sequence 9)
Spiritual Power: 65% [Slowly Recovering]
Strength: 6
Agility: 6 (+1)
Constitution: 7
Intelligence: 10 (+2)
Spirituality: 7 (+3)
Luck: ?
Skills:
- Acting (Level 5) [Improved]
- Authority (Level 2)
- Beyonder Abilities (Level 2)
- Beyonder Knowledge (Level 1)
- Culinary Improvisation (Level 2) [Improved]
- Cultural Adaptation (Level 1) [New]
- Deception (Level 2) [Improved]
- Fog Manipulation (Level 3)
- Gathering Management (Level 1)
- Genre Savviness (Level 2)
- Historical Analysis (Level 2)
- History (Intermediate)
- Investigation (Level 1)
- Mystical Identity (Level 1)
- Negotiation (Level 2)
- Novel Memory Recall (Level 3)
- Occult Knowledge (Level 2)
- Precognition (Level 1) [New]
- Quick Thinking (Level 3) [Improved]
- Self-Awareness (Level 3)
- Stress Management
(Level 2)
- Talisman Making (Novice)
- Tarot Knowledge (Level 1)
- World Awareness (Level 4) [Improved]
Condition: Shaken, Alert