Chapter 9
The Parfait's Poison
Anya witnesses the devastating effects of the Valpyr's influence through the parfaits on someone close, solidifying her resolve to act.
The air in our small kitchen, usually thick with the comforting scent of baking bread and Anya’s mum’s famous stew, was now heavy with something else. Something cloying and sickly sweet, like overripe fruit left too long in the sun. It was the smell of blueberry parfaits. Not the usual, delightful aroma that made my stomach rumble, but a corrupted version, laced with a tang of despair. I’d noticed it before, a subtle shift in the sweetness, a whisper of wrongness that made my teeth ache. But today, it was undeniable.
My younger brother, Leo, sat at the table, his face pale, his eyes glazed. Beside him, a half-eaten parfait, its once vibrant purple layers now murky and dull. He’d always loved Anya’s parfaits. They were her signature dish, a beacon of normalcy in this topsy-turvy world after the 11/11 Awakening. But something had changed.
“Leo?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper. “Are you feeling alright?”
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