Chapter 53- Is it edible or not?

Chapter 53: Chapter 53- Is it edible or not? "Why are you staring at me like that? Do I have drool marks?" Eva asked, covering her face. "Um...you want to eat this egg." Julian pointed at the egg, hoping sleep clears from her eyes at his question. Eva looked at the egg...? Her mind was filled with question marks. "Yes, I want to eat it. It’s my reward for passing that inhumane test." She got off the couch to go to the chef herself. "Do you like peppers in your fried eggs? Hmm...I should tell him to make egg fried rice, then add in some meat." Eva murmured absently to herself and was about to leave the room with the egg. But was dragged back by helpless Ethan, Julian was left so speechless by her words to even laugh. Eva raised a brow at Ethan’s actions for pulling her back. "Didn’t the voice explain to you about the contract beast egg?" Ethan asked, his expression serious as he guided her to the seat. "Contract beast egg?" Eva asked confusion written clearly on her face. Julian plopped beside her, a helpless smile curling on his lips as he flicked her forehead. She was the only one who thought of eating her contract beast. Eva covered her head and shot Julian a glare before she caught sight of the egg from the corner of her eyes. ’’Is it edible or not?’’ Eva asked her only concern right now. Julian facepalmed. ’’Didn’t the guardian tell you anything?’’ They waited for her response. Eva thought very hard before she remembered what that voice said and repeated it word for word. ’’It said the beast egg would be given to you; you’re tasked with a great responsibility to—’’ Eva scratched her hair with a dazed expression. ’’The rest is blank.’’ Ethan and Julian immediately understood. The Guardian did its job, but the fault lay with Eva for not listening. ’’Listen well, I’ll explain.’’ Ethan turned to her, making sure he got her full attention before telling her everything concerning the egg. When Ethan was done, Eva noticed something, ’’did you both get the egg as well? Is it in your living space? Show me, show me.’’ Eva’s tone was filled with excitement at the thought of the three of them having a living space. How many edible monsters will they rear? Her hands rubbed together anxiously as she stared at them, hoping for a positive answer. Seeing her this anxious, they nodded, but excitement cooled a bit by Julian’s words. ’’My space can’t hold living things except for my contact beast. I haven’t checked its size yet.’’ Ethan realized he hadn’t checked his. They fell into silence as they mentally assessed their spaces. Eva perked up immediately at the thought of her space. They both saw a huge warehouse which was wide; by estimation, it was from the length of the scientists’ building to their house. They were surprised and satisfied—there was no need for them to carry a space bag; this was more than enough. Eva was happy for them as they broke the news. She couldn’t wait to show them her own, ’’Let me show you mine.’’ She held their hands and whispered ’enter’ and they appeared in another location. Ethan and Julian were stunned by their surroundings, Ethan couldn’t help but squat and pick up a handful of sand. Feeling the grittiness of the sand, the space became real to him and his expression changed. Julian felt the breeze against his skin and knew the sight was very real and the trees showed things could be planted, making his expression change. ’’Eva, I hope you haven’t told anyone about your space,’’ Ethan said, his tone serious. Eva turned back to see their stern gazes and quickly shook her head, and they sighed in relief. ’’Don’t let a single soul know that your space is different,’’ Julian warned seriously, he and Ethan shared the same thought—if others knew what treasure was in her hands, they would want to control and own her. Eva nodded firmly. In an apocalyptic world where food was expensive, a space that could grow without labour costs was a treasure. ’’Alright, I’ll be careful. So, what beast should we raise here?’’ she asked, resting her chin on her hand in deep thought. Suddenly, a hand pressed on her head, and her cheeks were squeezed out of shape. ’’Aren’t you scared? We could cage you and make you work like a slave, now that we know your secret. Eva fled from their hands. ’’I trust you both, and I could imprison you in my space to work for eternity—becoming free labour.’’ Eva felt the idea was fantastic, and an evil laugh broke out in her mind. ( mwahaha ಥ‿ಥ ). Julian felt goosebumps at her gaze, while Ethan wished he had gotten a living space so he could keep Eva closer to him. "That’s not going to happen. Remove those strange thoughts from your mind." Julian patted her head ruffling it, and quickly dodged when her hands stretched to hit him. "What are you going to plant here?" Ethan asked feeling it would be a waste just to raise animals. Eva recalled the seeds and fruits she’d packed for them and brought them out of her space bag. "This is very crispy and sweet on the inside, try it." Eva placed the red fruit in their hands and rummaged through her bag for other fruits and meat. Ethan and Julian’s hands were full when she was done bringing out the things she got for them. Their hearts felt warm at her thoughtfulness, "I also brought something for you." Ethan was the first to say, but stopped not knowing if his space would affect hers in a way. "When we go out, I’ll hand it over to you." Eva’s eyes shone brighter at his words, Julian didn’t want to be left out, "I packed lots of meat back for you." Eva snapped her head toward Julian, and seeing he wasn’t joking, she quickly grabbed them and left her space. That morning, Eva’s plate was filled with glistening meat, and her mouth was already busy chewing. "Don’t throw the seeds away." Eva reminded them and focused back on her food. They watched her eat, the air around them warm as they fell into a comfortable silence with their utensils clicking on the plate. A stark contrast to such warm air was Selina, who was facing her self-doubt after the light hadn’t been turned on. Her hands were wrapped around her legs, fear of the unknown filling her, "No, I can’t just stay here. I need a strong backer. I need them." She dropped her hands, insecure of the darkness; the water tax had increased. She was running thin on funds and wasn’t sure she could pay for her rent and air. With the reality of her situation, she regretted not having a relationship with her former husbands. They could have been a good help in situations like this. She quickly dressed and left the house. Boarding a bus, she gave them a familiar address.