51 Feast!

After Cameron assigned the new members their dorm rooms, he immediately headed back to the main mansion and went straight to the kitchen. He's currently looking over the recipes he's going to cook for the feast. He needed to prepare early so that he'll have a lot of time for trial and error with the taste and whatnot.

He was studying one of the recipes when someone said "Ummm... Excuse me"

Cameron lifted his head to see a girl standing at the entrance of the kitchen, with a big smile.

"Hi! Sharon, right?" Cameron said with a smile.

"Yes Sir!" Sharon answered politely.

"What can I do for you?" Cameron asked as he walked over from station to station, getting ingredients and preparing the cookware that he'll be needing.

"I just would like to see if I could help with anything." Sharon said

"You know how to cook?" Cameron was pleasantly surprised

"I used to work as a house keeper in the Philippines, so I know my way around the kitchen, Sir!" Sharon answered

"That's great!" Cameron was beyond happy, because he needed all the help he can get. "Oh, and no need for the 'Sir'. You can just call me Cam, okay?"

"Okay.... Cam" Sharon nodded as she walks beside Cameron while tying her hair back into a bun.

Cameron was about to show Sharon the recipes that he's planning to make, when Shiro stumbled into the kitchen, startling both Cameron and Sharon. Shiro looked like a deer caught in headlights, still panting from the run he just had. He had the crazy idea of following Sharon, but his mind didn't go far enough as to what he's gonna be doing after he caught up to her. Now he is in an awkward position as both Sharon and Cameron starred at him.

"Shiro, what are you doing here? Are you here to help as well?" Cam asked, hoping that Shiro was there to help as well.

"Uhhhh..." Shiro didn't know what he got himself into, ending up in such an awkward situation. He tried thinking of a smooth way of getting out of the predicament but if he let this chance go, he doesn't know if he'll ever have the courage to speak with Sharon in the future again. So he decided to just go with the flow and see where it takes him. "Ummm..... Yeah" he nodded slowly.

"Awesome!" Cam exclaimed excitedly, while a huge smile appeared in Sharon's face as she clapped excitedly.

"C'mon, I was just about to explain to Sharon what we're gonna be cooking so you're just in time" Cameron told Shiro.

Shiro can't back out now, so he walked to the other side of Cameron and listen as Cameron explained what they're going to doing.

Cameron explained everything so fast that Shiro got so flustered while Sharon just took all of Cameron's instructions like a sponge and kept nodding enthusiastically. As they're about to start, Shiro stood in front of the marble counter with a chopping board and a knife on top of it. He was assigned to peeling and slicing duty, which wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. So he took the knife and did as he was told.

Cameron was bouncing some ideas with Sharon with one of the recipes when Cameron caught what Shiro was doing at the edge of his sight. Cameron turned his head fully to Shiro's direction, and his eyes widen in shock.

"Whoa!" Cameron shouted as he rushed to stop Shiro from what he was doing.

"What are you doing?!" Cameron asked Shiro

"What you told me to do" Shiro answered

"Which was?"

"To slice. Isn't that what I'm doing?" Shiro asked looking very confused as to what he was doing wrong.

Cameron was so dumbstruck by what was in front of him, that he was rendered speechless. Shiro thought that what he was doing was slicing, but everything on the counter before them looked like a bloody massacre. Then it struck Cameron.

"Shiro, have you ever handled a knife before?"

"Yeah, why?" Shiro said, still looking very confused on what he did wrong.

Cameron understood that Shiro had experience handling a knife; he was formerly a member of Master Egor's guild for goodness sake! But Shiro totally misunderstood the question.

"Let me rephrase that. Have you ever handled a kitchen knife before or better yet have you ever been in a kitchen before?"

"Uhhhh..... no" Shiro answered ruefully. In Master Egor's guild, they already have cooks who prepares their meals, so they only have to focus on getting stronger. Also they were never allowed in the kitchen. In fact they were never allowed to do anything except to train. Master Egor believed that having things like "hobby" and such, will distract his members and loose their focus on the main goal, which is "To get strong".

Cameron couldn't be mad at Shiro, because he was the one who let Shiro help. Cameron could just let out a sigh as he thinks of a way on trying to salvage the ingredients.

"I think it's not all that bad. He just needs some refining to do" Sharon said, still with a smile.

Cameron almost forgot that Sharon was with them, until she spoke. "Well that's an understatement" Cameron thought.

"I'll help him!" Sharon volunteered

Shiro was surprised and excited but he did his best not to show it. He'll finally have the chance to speak with her.

"Sure, but we don't have much time. So Shiro learn as much as you can, okay?" Cameron said, trying to stay positive and not let this bump in the road ruin his great day.

"Roger!" Shiro answered, feeling very thankful that he wasn't booted out of the kitchen and was given a second chance. He was motivated not to let Cameron down, all the more not to let Sharon down. He needed to show her his best.

Cameron turned so that he can attend to other matters, leaving Shiro with Sharon. Sharon fetched another knife in one of the utensils drawers, so she could teach Shiro how to cut and slice the right way.

"Okay, watch and learn, okay? I'll do it really slow and try imitating me." Sharon said as she picks up a potato and started peeling it.

Shiro watched closely and started imitating Sharon. After getting the gist of it, Shiro just naturally picked up the pace on his own.

"You're doing really good!" Sharon praised Shiro, when she saw him just doing it by himself and quick at it as well.

An incredible feeling rose in Shiro's heart when he heard the praise, that a smile lifted on the corner of his mouth. After fully peeling his first potato, Shiro lifted the potato to admire his handy work, feeling a sense of accomplishment.

"You're really a natural!" Sharon commended as she gives an approving nod to Shiro's work.

"I just learn fast, that's all" Shiro said humbly. "So what's next?"

"Okay! Now we slice." Sharon started slicing her potato slowly, giving time for Shiro to learn it.

After Sharon finished, Shiro nodded then started slicing as well. He was so natural, that even the hand placement is all correct.

"You're really good at this!" Sharon said, as she watched Shiro do his thing.

Shiro just smile because he was mostly used to being criticized and shout at. So receiving a compliment definitely is great kind of new to him.

After Shrio finished slicing, Sharon didn't hold back and continued with the next ingredient. They went to ingredient after ingredient, and Shiro just learned them all effortlessly like a pro and Sharon couldn't be more proud. She got more and more excited by the ingredient, that she ended up forgetting about helping Cameron and just kept peeling and slicing.

Both of them were working side by side quietly when Shiro spoke.

"Thanks by the way."

"It's nothing" Sharon replied

"No..... I meant, thank you for helping save friend. You know, from a while ago." Shiro said shyly. Another thing that he wasn't used to doing, showing gratitude. Because in Master Egor's guild, you don't usually thank that people that treats you like an insect.

"Huh?" Sharon was confused at first, then started remembering "Oh, that!" she said, snapping her fingers. "That was really nothing" Sharon just waved it off like it wasn't really a big deal.

"That was definitely something and I will be forever in your debt" Shiro said with all sincerity.

When Sharon heard the sincerity in Shiro's voice, she said "You really care for him, huh?" empathizing with him.

Shiro just nodded. To Shiro, Nadet and Ji Soo are his everything. When he was brought to the castle, his parent were killed by a Shadow and he was left an orphan. Growing up, the memory of how his parents died kept eating at him. He felt so guilty and powerless, that he started hating himself. He was angry at himself for being so useless and weak. That hate was actually the reason and what motivated him to join Master Egor's Guild. When he saw them fight it out in the Arena, he immediately made up his mind and decided to join Master Egor's guild the first chance he got. There he worked day and night with only getting stronger in mind. The wrong way of treating them didn't even bother him, in fact at some point it did motivate him. But as the time pass and he got stronger, in return he started sinking into a bottom less pit oblivion that's called depression, without him even noticing until it was too late. Yes! he was getting stronger but he started questioning himself everyday about what was his reason for living anymore. He started loosing his purpose in life and with that also comes the thought of his reason to live. He was so alone that he started getting suffocated. And with the constant verbal abuse that he's taking in everyday as he trained, only help messed him up more.

There finally came a time when he was completely on the brink of just giving up, until Nadet joined the Master Egor's guild. When Nadet first joined the Guild, he was so fragile that he kept being the target of bullies in the Guild. Shiro kept seeing Nadet being bullied day and night, until he had enough and decided to step in. After befriending Nadet, his reason and purpose to live started getting restored. He swore on his life that he would protect those precious to him and not let anything or anyone harm them.

"How is he by the way?" Sharon asked with concern

"He's recovering well" Shiro said with a small smile.

"That's great! Amazing actually!" Sharon said, happy to hear the good news.

When Shiro wanted to say something else to Sharon when Cameron spoke first, startling both of them.

"Wow! you guys got busy." Cameron said I amazement as he saw all the ingredients that were prepared by both Shiro and Sharon.

"What do you think, Shiro did a great job didn't he?" Sharon said, giving Shio a proud smile.

"He sure did" Cameron agreed "Honestly this is great!" he added

He examined all the ingredients, which includes the fruits, vegetables and even the meat. He saw that it was all prepared perfectly.

Shrio felt pride swell up inside him as he took the praise in, but in the outside he stayed humble and shyly said "Thanks!"

"Okay! So now that we got mostly everything ready, it's time to start cooking!" Cameron announced, looking very motivated.

The three of them work as a team very seamlessly. With Shiro's hunger to learn, he picked up everything there was to teach him and followed them all to a T. With Sharon knowing her way in and out of the kitchen, Cameron didn't have to worry about her and just let her do her thing. And with Cameron's leadership, everything turned out perfectly.

As they near the deadline, since both Cameron and Sharon could finished the rest of the dishes, he asked Shiro to prepare the dinning pavilion out in the back garden. After showing Shiro the correct placing of the plates and utensils, Shiro immediately got to work. Shrio was really the perfect person to do the job. He started fading in and out of the kitchen so quickly, finishing the job in record time and on his own as well.

As he faded in, in the kitchen after putting the finishing touches in the dinning pavilion, a wave of delicious aroma hit him, making his stomach rumble.

"I agree with your stomach!" Sharon said, looking very hungry herself.

Everything was finally prepared, and Cameron was ecstatic.

"Great job team! I couldn't have done this without both of your help!" Cameron said as stared at the food that they had just prepared. "I'm truly thankful to the both of you!"

"You're welcome!" Sharon said with a big smile "I could always help in the kitchen if you want"

"That'll be great" Cameron got even more exited "As matter of fact, to celebrate our victory today, I hereby officially welcome both of you to kitchen duty!"

"Yey!" Sharon clapped, looking so happy that she looked like she received a major award or something.

On the other hand, Shiro did decide to go with the flow and see where it takes him. So he decided to take it a little further and just continue to be swept by the flow. Besides, he was happy that he could spend more time with Sharon. Plus he thinks that he could definitely learn more form Cameron, so he was looking forward to it.

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All the Gifteds were greeted with an appetizing and delicious scent as they all walked into the dinning pavilion. Cameron, Sharon and Shrio all had a big smile on their faces as they watched all the Gifteds marvel at the feast that they had prepared.

"Whoa!" Jordan said breathlessly as he walks towards the table full of food.

"Wow! Those look good!" Alisa said as she enters the pavilion holding Andrew's hand.

"Is that a TURKEY?! Oh, I'm eating some TURKEY tonight!" Fleur said excitedly.

"Mmmmm... Yum!" One of the new Gifteds drooled at the sight of the food.

"I think i just died and went to heaven!" One of the Gifteds said with sparkling eyes.

"Alright!" Maria said as she clapped her hand, getting everyone's attention "Take your sits everyone!"

After everyone took their sits, Maria stood up, making every head focus on her.

"Tonight, we celebrate this glorious evening as we officially welcome all of our new family members into the Guild!" Maria said with a loud voice, making everyone erupt in cheers. "Tonight truly marks a night in history that we will always be remembered. All of us had gone through unspeakable trailials but in the end we are still standing and we are more stronger!"

*Applause-Cheers!*

"This Guild has a lot of rich history and culture that needed to be preserved, and it is with each and everyone of you and your presences that is keeping that history and culture alive! Thank you all for trusting this Guild, and I promise that I will help each and everyone of you grow to the best of my abilities"

*Applause-Cheers!*

"Also, join me in thanking the people who worked hard today in make the food that we are going to enjoy tonight; Cameron, Sharon and Shrio!"

Everybody erupted in cheers once again, while Shiro's friends just gave him an amused look.

"Without further adieu, let this feast begin!" Maria announced and every hungry Gifted stood so fast and raced to the food table.

As the night passed by, the mood in the pavilion is on a high. Everyone was enjoying and having a great time.

June was sipping some wine while listening to Jordan as he tells him about the battle that happened earlier in the Arena. June was laughing at how animated Jordan told the story, when he got a glimpse of Andrew whispering something to Alisa. June got curious as to what they were talking about, because they looked like they were planning on something.

As Alisa nodded to what Andrew said, they both stood up and went to the side of the pavilion that had a lot of space, which got everyone's attention.

"Uhhhhh.... Hi!" Alisa greeted everyone "Some of you might have already known us from the Arena battle but we're going to introduce ourselves anyway. I'm Alisa!"

"And I'm Andrew" Andrew waved.

"And we would just like to honor this special day with a performance." Alisa said

Andrew unclasped his violin case and put out his violin. Nodding at Alisa, Andrew started to play. As Andrew played the fist note, Alisa started dancing gracefully.

Andrew played his favorite piece "Rose Garden", which he also played in the Arena. Ice roses bloomed around the pavilion, enhancing the whole performance. Everyone was so entranced by the whole performance that they couldn't take their eyes away from Alisa.

As Andrew played the last note, the whole pavilion was so quiet but then erupted in thunderous cheers. Everyone deeply felt something in the performance that they couldn't help but give Andrew and Alisa a standing ovation. Even Maria was moved by the performance.

"Bravo!"

"That was amazing!"

"Woohooo!"

*Whistle*

"Thank you!" Andrew and Alisa said as they took their bow together.

After Andrew and Alisa took their bow, they headed back to their chairs and sat down while still being praised by everyone that they passed.

"That is truly an amazing performance!" Maria said, making everyone give Andrew and Alisa another round of applause.

After the applause slowly died down, Maria spoke which got everybody's attention "Now that we are reaching the end of this night, I would like to announce something very important. Tomorrow will be the start of our official training, and tomorrow will also held all of your first test. The Evaluations test! All of the details will be given tomorrow. So tonight all of you get some sleep and rest well!"

Everybody once again erupted in cheers. And with that, the feast has officially reached its end. Everybody started going back to the dorm house while June and the rest from Crystal Mist, returned to the main house.

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Maria's Guild,

Clinic

While everybody was enjoying the feast , something catastrophic is brewing inside the only patient left there. A black egg started to crack, letting out a destructive energy.

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Location:

Somewhere Unknown

A man in black coat was walking down a dark hallway when he felt something tingle his spine, making his stop in his tracks.

"Ohhhhhhh..... The egg is about to hatch! I wonder how much havoc will this little baby cause!"The man said excitedly, "Time to have a feast!" The man said as let out a sinister laugh as he continued walking down the dark hallway with a bounce on his feet.