Scented candles flicker, filling the air with the delicate aroma of fresh flowers. The healers and paladins on duty bustle about, preparing supper to be served at the dining hall. Evening prayers have wrapped up, and folks always seem to get peckish afterwards.

Normally, I’d be getting ready for bed right about now. But tonight’s different. Anna and I have a late-night study session planned in her room – we’re gonna figure out Sanctuary together! But before heading over to her room… I’ve made a little detour.

Consider this – studying late without a nice snack to munch on? Absolutely not! With that in mind, I’ve whipped up a modest supper for us – a plate of almond biscuits and two steaming mugs of hot chocolate! Simple but effective. These biscuits are pretty good on their own… but when you dip them into piping hot chocolatey goodness? It’s… heavenly.

It’s the best I can do with my… shall we say, limited culinary skills. My repertoire doesn’t stretch far beyond heating leftovers and whipping up instant noodles. Oh, and ordering takeout, of course! It’s the fuel I need to power through a late-night studying session.

Speaking of… I can’t help but miss the food back in my world. Sure, the restaurants and taverns here in Nisha serve nice food like burgers, fries, and fried chicken… but it ain’t the same. Less processed, less… familiar. For better or worse, it is what it is.

Oh well. No use dwelling on it. Maybe when I get back to my world… I’ll treat myself to a triple deluxe cheeseburger, double-battered and served on a stick with more mayonnaise than anyone should reasonably consume in a lifetime! I deserve that much. And uh… damn! Just thinking about it is making my stomach grumble.

For now, though, biscuits and hot chocolate will have to do. And it’s time to get moving!

Anna’s room is easy to find. I know the way by heart – up one flight of stairs, third door along the corridor of rooms for the paladins of the Order of Selene! Healers, including myself, stay in a separate wing of the Chantry – it’s where my guest room is as well.

This is my first time visiting Anna’s room in this timeline, though. I’ve been there countless times in the previous timeline, and now… I can’t help feeling a bit nervous. For all my power and mastery of the Healer’s sacred art, I’m still the newcomer in the Order despite the memories of another life swirling in my head.

Oh! Speaking of memories… I’ve got a little surprise tucked away in my blazer for her, but she’ll only get it if she takes her lessons seriously! We’ll see, eh?

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

“Anna? You in there?” I call out, balancing the tray in one hand and knocking gently with the other. “It’s me, Arisa!”

“Coming!”

The door opens to reveal Anna’s warm, demure smile. She’s dressed in frilly pink pyjamas, clearly ready for bed, while I’m still in my school uniform, Elizabeth strapped to my back. Compared to her… I feel a bit overdressed. Just a little.

“Oh my! Is that all for us?” Anna exclaims, her eyes lighting up as she spots the tray of goodies. “Well… the Codex Rinnah does allow for the occasional indulgence! Umm… especially after a long day…”

“Exactly!” I declare triumphantly. “First, we feast. Then we learn. Shall we?”

“Yes, ma’am!”

I follow Anna into her cosy room. It’s a tidy little space, decorated with shelves packed neatly with books and vinyl records, a weapon rack holding her gleaming blade, Ascalon, and a collection of hand-sewn plushies that seem to watch us with their crochet eyes.

Gosh. The room has such a warm, inviting vibe – like a neater version of my apartment back in my world! I like it very much. As I set the tray down on a nearby desk that Anna hastily clears… my eyes are drawn to a poster of Eris Aintree. Dressed to the nines in a flowing white gown, her brown hair and teal eyes exude a serene, timeless beauty.

“That’s her, Arisa…” Anna says softly, noticing my gaze. “Mom got it for me last year on my birthday!”

I nod, a bittersweet smile on my lips. This same poster was in her room in the previous timeline, promoting Lucia – Eris’ soon-to-be iconic album of ballads and songs. And uh… seeing Eris like this, carefree and untainted… breaks my heart.

“Umm… shall we?” Anna asks, her voice drawing me back as she gestures to the biscuits and hot chocolate with a shy smile. “I’ve been feeling a bit peckish since evening prayers…”

“Perfect!” I say brightly. “Eat up! You’ll need the energy to study hard. That’s an order from your Healer!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

We dig into the biscuits and hot chocolate… and they’re simply… amazing! The biscuits, soaked just enough in chocolatey goodness, are soft but not crumbly, bursting with flavour. Indeed, a match made in heaven!

But like all good things… it doesn’t last. Soon enough, there’s only one biscuit left.

“Go ahead, Arisa,” Anna says, her voice kind and cheerful. “It’s yours!”

“You sure about that?” I tease, pointing at that lone biscuit. “Look at it…”

“Ah…”

“Oho! Tempted now, Anna?”

“Umm… maybe?”

“Heh. Thought so!”

This little scenario feels oddly familiar. I’ve been here before many times – different food, different people… but always the same dilemma. Back in my world, sharing food was almost an art form. With the boys on the rooftop, eating takeaway takoyaki and fries… it was a free-for-all, fastest hands winning the day. You snooze, you lose. I like to think I won more often than not! With the Student Council, when we’d get dim sum from that high-class restaurant downtown… it was all about waiting till everyone else politely declined the last piece.

But what about us, Anna? What would we do? If I had to guess…

“Here you go, Arisa!”

I glance down at the half of the almond biscuit she’s pressed into my hand, the other half already dipped into her mug of hot chocolate and disappearing into her mouth. She smiles at me, sweet, sincere, and demure… and I can’t help but smile back as I savour my half.

Heh. Looks like I called it right!