Two months after the trip to town, Theo stopped being able to pretend he was patient.
It wasn't a dramatic realization.
Patience slowly thinned, he noticed it in small ways. The way his eyes followed Hollis's hands more closely than before. The way his fingers twitched when flour dusted the table. The way lessons with Master Iven felt like preparation for something he still wasn't allowed to touch.
He was nine years old.
Ten in two months, and the house, the town all of them were starving.
Theo understood it better now that he'd seen the town.
He'd seen the baker selling smaller loaves for higher prices. Seen the way people counted coins twice before buying food. Seen the careful rationing disguised as normalcy.
House Oaten wasn't unique, It was just quieter about it.
Theo stood in the kitchen doorway, as he often did. Hollis was kneading dough taking his time to carefully handle it. His old hands pressed and folded with the kind of certainty that Theo envied.
There wasn't much dough, but still they way he handled it made you think it was a mound.
That was the part Theo couldn't stop noticing.
Even as Hollis's movements had changed, to be less generous and more precise.
Theo stepped forward before he could stop himself "I want to learn."
Hollis didn't stop kneading , "You are learning."
Theo shook his head. "Not like this."
Still, Hollis said nothing.
Theo swallowed, "I want to bake."
Hollis paused, the old cook exhaled slowly through his nose, "Your father said education first."
Theo gave a stern look, "Yes he did… and I started my education." Theo clenched his hands, "I'm not asking to bake for the house," he said carefully, "I just want to try, just once."
Hollis studied him, he knew it wasn't going to be 'just once' no way. If the boy succeeded he would expect to be able to help in the kitchen, if the boy failed, with his personality he would just keep pushing to do better.
Theo forced himself not to look away.
Finally, Hollis wiped his hands on his apron "One loaf," he said.
Theo's heart jumped, his face turning into a beaming sun ray.
"Not today," Hollis added immediately, "Tomorrow. If there's enough flour left."
Theo nodded quickly. "I'm sure with how amazing you are there will be."
Hollis snorted softly. "We'll see."
That night, Theo couldn't sleep.
His hands wouldn't stop moving beneath the blanket. Folding imaginary dough. Pressing air that wasn't there.
The next morning, Hollis handed him the flour without ceremony. It wasn't much, just a small portion, barley enough for a single boule.
Theo stared at it like it was something fragile.
"This is what we can spare," Hollis said. "Understand?"
Theo nodded, if he ruined it, it was gone.
No replacement and no second attempt… Just gone.
Theo stepped to the table, the wood was cool beneath his fingers. He'd watched Hollis do this a thousand times, he knew the steps.
Flour, then Water add the Mix, and knead.
Simple… Theo thought to himself.
Still Theo's hands trembled anyway, he ended up pouring too much water.
He could tell immediately, because the dough sagged, it was sticky and wrong.
Theo froze, it was fine… he could fix this, he just needed to add more flour.
But as he went to add the flour his hands started shaking from nervousness. Theo didn't understand if it was a self conscious thing or if he was just weak. He shouldn't be shaking and making these types of mistakes.
Now it was too dry, so he ended up trying to compensate, only to cause the bread to become uneven.
His breathing grew shallow.
Behind him, Hollis stood still and said nothing.
Theo kept going, he kneaded, folded,and pressed.
The dough resisted his smal hands as if to remind him that he didn't belong here yet.
His arms grew tired faster than they should have.
His hands lacked strength, the consistency and the confidence.
He shaped it anyway, It looked… acceptable.
Not good, but also not terrible.
Hollis nodded toward the oven.
Theo placed the loaf inside, closed the door and waited.
This was the worst part… waiting… Theo started thinking which lead him to start doubting himself.
What if he'd wasted it?
What if he wasn't capable?
What if all the watching meant nothing?
The oven ticked softly…time passed… and finally, Hollis opened the oven.
Hollis didn't say anything, he just stepped aside.
Theo stepped forward.
The loaf sat there, dark brown, deep cracks (not from over cooking), it was just wrong.
Theo knew before he touched it.
He picked it up anyway, It was too dense,too heavy, He cut it open… "sigh"… The inside was tight, thick and underdeveloped.
It was laughable to even consider calling it bread at all.
Theo stared at it "I ruined it," he said quietly.
Hollis didn't correct him, because it wasn't wrong, it was blantly true.
Theo swallowed , "I'm sorry."
Hollis shrugged, "well…That's baking, trial and error."
Theo laughed weakly. It didn't feel like enough. Not after using something the house couldn't afford to lose. Not after wanting it so badly.
Theo set the ruined loaf down carefully.
Like it might forgive him.
Far above, something shifted.
The God Who Remembered watched in silence, and beside him, the Goddess of Coin tilted her head.
"That's it, That's your chosen soul you picked?" She asked
"Yes, and he failed honestly," the god replied.
She laughed softly.
"He wasted resources."
"No..He learned their weight."
She didn't argue.
Because she understood the difference.
Below, Theo stood alone in the kitchen.
Small, frustrated but still determined.
The god reached out, not to fix, but to show acknowledgement.
Theo turned to leave… but then… Theo froze.
Something flickered at the edge of his vision.
Theo blinked and rubbed his eyes, but it remained
Words formed slowly. Carefully. As if testing whether they belonged.
[Condition Met]
Theo's breath caught.
He didn't move, Didn't blink, Didn't breathe, but then more words appeared.
[Failure acknowledged.]
His heart pounded.
[Intent confirmed.]
His hands trembled.
[Authority recognized.]
Theo whispered, "What…?"… Then the final line appeared.
[Culinary System — Initializing]
Theo stopped breathing, the ruined loaf sit behind him.
While the future waited in front of him, somewhere beyond sight there was someone who was finally paying attention.