Eyes of destiny-Chapter 35: First Day in the castle

"Edo, wake up! It's morning already!"

The boy lingered in a half-asleep state for a moment, but he knew exactly what was about to happen. He was familiar with this routine.

"Oh no, not this..." he thought in panic and quickly rolled to the right, trying to avoid what was coming. However, in his haste, he lost balance and fell off the bed with a thud, landing hard on his injured arm.

"Arghh!" he cried out as pain shot through his body like a red-hot knife. It felt as if someone was trying to rip his arm off.

At that exact moment, an elbow slammed down with force into the spot where his stomach had been just a second ago.

"HEY! What the hell was that?! Aghhh, and my arm...!" Edo growled, clenching his teeth, trying not to scream from the pain. "Can't you see I'm injured? I just landed on my damn arm!"

Leni, still sitting on the bed, looked down at him indifferently before letting out a sigh, as if she had just woken up from a nap.

"Not my fault you sleep for so long. You should've gone to bed earlier..." she said with a smile, shrugging. "Besides, even if something did happen to you, our doctor would just patch you up again."

Edo stared at her in disbelief, wiping his forehead with his good hand.

"Yeah, 'patch me up'..." he scoffed in frustration. "He literally told me last time that he wouldn't treat me anymore if I got myself hurt again..."

Hearing that, Leni visibly tensed. Her face lost its carefree expression, and something like guilt flickered in her eyes.

"Oh... A... Uh... I'm sorry... Really..." she muttered, nervously twisting her fingers. "I didn't know..."

Edo sighed, feeling his anger slowly fade.

"Alright... Apology accepted." He got up slowly, careful not to put pressure on his injured arm. "Just, please... Don't wake me up like that again, okay? Next time, I might actually get hit in the stomach..."

At his words, the girl chuckled softly and flashed a wide grin.

"Sure!"

For a moment, silence filled the room. Edo stretched, feeling his sore muscles protest. Then he glanced at Leni with a raised eyebrow.

"By the way, Leni... What are you even doing here? This is my room."

Leni looked at him as if he had just asked the most ridiculous question in the world.

"Well, your door was open, so I came in." she answered as if it was the most natural thing ever.

Edo blinked a few times, unable to believe what he had just heard.

"Are you serious?" he muttered, rubbing his temples. "Then again, I guess I shouldn't complain. You did give me this room in the first place..."

Shaking his head, he tried to focus on more important matters.

"Anyway, why did you come here?"

Leni was still sitting on the bed, but now she shifted her position, letting her feet touch the floor.

"Well..." she started, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "Back when you had your surgery, I wanted to wait until you woke up to show you around the castle. But it looks like you managed on your own..."

She paused for a moment before adding enthusiastically:

"But there are still a few things I want to show you! And most importantly—we need to get breakfast!"

She jumped up from the bed and headed for the door, leaving Edo momentarily stunned.

"I completely forgot about something so important..." the boy thought, feeling his stomach grumble in protest. "I haven't eaten in over three days..." I'm starving. And since I get free meals in the castle, that's just another reason to stay here!"

As Leni was about to leave, Edo quickly asked:

"What time is it? I need to remember when they serve breakfast."

"8:30." she replied, peeking through the doorway. "Alright, Edo, I'll be waiting outside. Get dressed and freshen up, because you're not going in your pajamas, right?"

Before the boy could answer, Leni had already shut the door behind her.

Edo glanced down at his clothes and sighed.

"Yeah... No way I'm going in pajamas..."

He walked over to the wardrobe, opened it, and grimaced.

"Of course... Everything's too big..." he muttered, flipping through the hangers. Most of the clothes were designed for taller people—after all, nearly everyone in this world was tall.

After a moment, his gaze landed on a sleek outfit hidden among the other garments. It was a white shirt, a black blazer, elegant trousers, and perfectly matching shoes.

"Well... Most people in the castle wear something like this, so... why not? It's better than my old clothes."

Grabbing the set, he headed to the bathroom.

The shower in this world had already surprised him before. It was a mechanism with two levers—one for hot water, the other for cold. Pressing either of them made water flow from the pipe above his head.

"Quite a practical solution..." Edo thought.

A few minutes later, he was ready.

***

"How long can you possibly take, huh?! I'm starving!"

Leni stood by the door, arms crossed, tapping her foot impatiently. Her black hair swayed slightly with each movement, and irritation gleamed in her eyes.

Edo let out a heavy sigh, adjusting the cuff of his blazer.

"It literally took me seven minutes..." he replied with a hint of annoyance. "I couldn't have gotten ready any faster."

Leni raised an eyebrow, eyeing him skeptically.

"You could've just gone in pajamas. That would've been faster!"

Before Edo could respond, the mage turned on her heel and started walking toward the staircase leading downstairs.

The boy frowned and hurried after her.

"I swear, one day—" he muttered under his breath, trying to keep up. "You were the one who told me to get dressed! Hey, wait up!"

But Leni didn't slow down.

"By the way..." she began, glancing at him briefly. "Why the fancy suit?"

Edo shrugged, glancing down at his outfit.

"Well, I didn't have any other option. Everything else was too big for me..." he sighed, remembering his earlier frustration with the wardrobe. "Besides, most people I've seen in the castle wear something similar, so I don't really mind."

Leni nodded as if his words made perfect sense.

"Got it." she said, flashing a wide grin again. "Well then, breakfast awaits!"

Edo's stomach let out a quiet growl.

"Yeah..." he sighed, placing a hand on his stomach. "With everything that's been happening lately, I completely forgot about eating..."

Saying that, he gave the girl a somewhat forced smile, but Leni didn't seem to notice.

***

As they descended to the lowest floor of the castle, the vast interior of the main hall unfolded before them. On one side stretched a colossal library, while on the other—an even larger dining hall. The high vaulted ceilings and massive stone pillars gave the place a truly monumental feel.

The moment they stepped across the threshold of the dining hall, Edo froze in place.

"Oh wow..."

Before him lay a sea of people.

The entire hall was packed with individuals from the castle—or rather, the fortress. Soldiers from various units, who normally stayed in separate quarters across the stronghold, were now gathered around long wooden tables, eating heartily.

It was a mix of personalities—noble-born mages in rich robes, ordinary warriors in more modest attire, and even beings Edo couldn't begin to name. Some had horns, others had tails, and a few belonged to races the boy had only ever read about in fantasy books.

Despite this diversity, the soldiers dominated the room—their heavy armor and swords reflected the light of countless candles, casting strange flickering shadows on the walls.

Leni smacked Edo lightly on the shoulder, snapping him out of his daze.

"So, Edo? Let's grab a table and start eating!"

The boy glanced around, searching for an open spot.

"Yeah, this one here is free. We can take it."

They sat at a small table for two, slightly off to the side, away from the densest crowd.

Leni propped her elbows on the table and grinned at Edo.

"Alright, I'll keep an eye on the table while you go grab some food. That's where you get it."

She pointed to a distant section of the dining hall where several long tables were lined up, covered with steaming platters of food.

Edo nodded and stood up.

"Alright, I'll be right back."

He made his way toward the food station, passing by people engaged in conversation and enjoying their meals. The air was already filled with the aroma of fresh bread, sizzling meat, and spices, making his hunger grow even stronger.

Alright... Maybe this world isn't so bad after all... NO! – he scolded himself in his mind – It's just stupid food, don't think like that!

Pushing away negative thoughts, Edo put everything he wanted onto his plate. Standing in front of the buffet, he took a moment to observe the variety of dishes. Warm scrambled eggs steamed from a massive pot, accompanied by fresh vegetables—juicy lettuce, fragrant tomatoes, and crisp cucumbers. A few slices of bread and a portion of cold cuts completed his selection. After a brief moment of hesitation, he filled his plate and returned to the table where Leni was waiting.

As he sat down and Leni went to get her portion, the pleasant aroma of food filled the air. "Maybe this place isn't so bad after all... he thought, taking his first bite. Damn... This is good..." he admitted to himself as he chewed. The vegetables tasted incredibly fresh, far better than anything he'd had before. The quality of the food here was truly impressive.

He started eating the scrambled eggs slowly. They didn't look particularly appetizing, but the taste... It was divine. This castle rocks...

"Long live Inormi!" he thought, reluctantly admitting that the kingdom's cuisine had just earned several extra points in his book.

But his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a familiar sight. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a figure leaving the dining hall—the lizard who had nearly killed him not long ago.

"Ugh... I forgot that he's a knight here too. And a strong one at that—the eighth court knight..." In an instant, his appetite vanished. The food that had tasted so good just moments ago suddenly became difficult to swallow. Instead of a comforting warmth in his stomach, he felt a tight knot, and a wave of unease washed over him from head to toe.

" So that's why I wasn't feeling hungry... My physical body is one thing, but my mind... I need to take care of it. If this keeps up, I'll either starve to death or go insane from stress."

He clenched his fists. I can't afford to use my power too often... "No, I don't want to use it at all. But do I even stand a chance of getting into Nolan's Fourth Division without it? I couldn't even wield a sword properly... Damn. I guess I'll have to use the eye during the admission test."

He had no choice. He couldn't let them kick him out.

"I have nowhere else to go... But here, at least, I have a chance to grow and find my way home."

As he sat there, lost in thought, the table suddenly shook under the weight of new dishes. Six enormous plates appeared before him, each piled high with food—twice as much as what he had on his own plate.

"Enjoy your meal, Edo!" a black-haired sorceress called out, plopping down across from him and digging into her food without a care in the world.

Edo stared at her with a mix of admiration and disbelief.

Follow curr𝒆nt nov𝒆ls on fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com.

"Uhh, Leni... Isn't that a bit much?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No! It's perfect, I haven't eaten all day!" she replied with her mouth full, swallowing a huge bite.

Edo sighed.

"Well, to be fair, it is morning... Never mind. Enjoy your meal."

"Why do you have so little on your plate?" Leni asked, eyeing his modest portion.

"I should be the one asking why you have so much!" Edo shot back.

"I don't know... You said you hadn't eaten in three days, so you should at least finish what you have. That's barely anything. Edo, are you okay?" she suddenly asked, her tone shifting to concern.

Edo looked at her. He saw genuine worry in her eyes. That unsettled him.

" I don't want anyone worrying about me..."

"Of course! See, I'm eating? Everything's perfectly fine!" he said with forced enthusiasm, shoving another bite into his mouth.

But it wasn't fine. It was really bad. His stomach clenched, and waves of nausea swept through his body.

"That's good, Edo... I was starting to worry something was wrong."

She smiled at him, and he returned it—a fake, forced smile.

"Give me a second, I'll be right back. I need to go to the bathroom."

***

Edo sat by the toilet, breathing heavily. Most of what he had eaten had just ended up in the sewer.

" I feel awful..."

His mind was a mess, like a dark cloud had wrapped around his thoughts, squeezing them into a chaotic jumble. He couldn't focus. One sight. One moment. And my body starts rotting from the inside.

"Shit..." he whispered, lifting his head. This isn't good.

It was a side effect of his power. A wound on his psyche that refused to heal.

Every time he used his eye, he saw the worst possible scenario. A vision of death... His own death.

It felt like something had its claws wrapped around him, suffocating him.

" Do I really want to use it just to get into this division?"

He stood up shakily and walked over to the mirror. He looked at his reflection. Pale face, dark circles under his eyes. I can't let them see me like this...

He turned on the faucet. Warm water streamed out. He cupped his hands and splashed his face, trying to bring some color back to his skin.

"Alright... Time to practice my smile."

He forced a wide grin, pointed his fingers at the mirror, and winked at himself.

"Perfect. Edo, ready for action."

He took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and walked out of the bathroom—pretending nothing had happened.