The cozy interior of Beatrice's castle was illuminated by the golden glow of a flickering fireplace. A mismatched collection of furniture crowded the small living room, but Beatrice paid it no mind. She was sprawled across an overstuffed sofa, her head resting on a lumpy pillow.

"Finally," she muttered as her eyelids drooped. "Peace and quiet... again."

Within moments, her breathing softened, and she drifted into the carefree sleep of someone who didn't give a second thought to vaporizing a 2,000,000-kilometer radius.

But peace rarely lasted long in Beatrice's world.

From the shadows of the kitchen, a tiny figure crept forward. The gingerbread man was no taller than a teacup, with frosting eyes and a licorice belt. His gumdrop nose twitched as he sniffed the air, catching the tantalizing scent of sugary treats.

"There it is," he whispered to himself, spotting a magnificent cake sitting proudly on the counter. It was a towering masterpiece of layers, adorned with icing swirls and topped with a glistening cherry. "Jackpot."

As the gingerbread man climbed onto the counter, he licked his frosted lips and reached for the cake. Just as his tiny fingers touched the icing, the cake shuddered.

The gingerbread man froze.

The cake's cherry blinked. Then the entire confection sprang to life, spinning around to face him. Its layers shifted like jaws, revealing rows of razor-sharp candy teeth.

"INTRUDER!" the cake bellowed in a deep, booming voice.

"What the crumbs?!" the gingerbread man yelped, scrambling back.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

The cake lunged at him, frosting flying like projectiles. The gingerbread man dodged, flipping over a rolling pin that clattered to the floor. He grabbed a spoon as a makeshift weapon and swung wildly, blocking the cake's frosting tendrils.

The kitchen quickly descended into chaos. The cake roared, knocking over a stack of pots, and the gingerbread man darted between cabinets, trying to evade its relentless attacks.

The commotion woke Beatrice.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she groaned, sitting up on the sofa. "What now?"

She followed the sounds to the kitchen, rubbing her eyes. When she stepped inside, she found her enchanted cake mid-charge, frosting dripping like battle sweat, while the tiny gingerbread man held a saucepan lid as a shield.

"Alright, alright, break it up," Beatrice said, yawning as she waved a hand. The cake froze mid-pounce, trembling slightly, and then backed off, growling under its sugary breath.

Beatrice crouched down to eye level with the gingerbread man. "And who are you, little guy? You woke me up."

The gingerbread man adjusted his frosting bowtie, trying to look dignified despite the frosting smeared across his face. "Name's Rookie. I was following that giant gingerbread dragon until..." He hesitated, his gumdrop eyes flicking nervously toward Beatrice. "Well, until you obliterated him with your pinky or whatever. I got hungry, so I came here to look for food."

Beatrice stared at him, expressionless. Then she burst into laughter.

"You followed a dragon and decided to rob my kitchen? Bold move, Rookie." She stood up, stretching. "Alright, you've got guts. Or crumbs. Whatever. Here."

She grabbed a slice of the now-pouting cake and handed it to the gingerbread man. "Take this and don't bother my enchanted snacks again. They're moody."

Rookie held the slice reverently, his frosting eyes wide. "Really? You're not gonna... squish me or something?"

"Nah," Beatrice said, flopping back onto her sofa. "I respect the hustle. Just don't wake me up again, or next time, I'll eat you."

Rookie gulped, then nodded vigorously. "Got it. Thanks, uh... what's your name?"

"Beatrice," she mumbled, already drifting back to sleep.

The gingerbread man looked down at the cake slice in his hands. "Thanks, Beatrice," he whispered before slipping out of the castle, leaving the enchanted cake grumbling softly on the counter.

And once again, peace settled over Beatrice's little world. For now.