Yulia had no idea she was playing a game of "Red Light, Green Light" with a god.

She hadn't even made it five hundred steps.

She wasn't running away; she was hunting.

Hunger had hijacked her brain. Her stomach roared, demanding a sacrifice of its own.

Eat first. Die later.

She pushed open a heavy oak door on the first floor of the main temple.

Her eyes watered. Racks of cured meat, sacks of flour, and jars of spices sat in neat, beautiful rows.

It was a cathedral of carbs.

Yulia almost cried. The last time she felt this emotional about food was during a three-day broccoli-only diet.

She didn't care when the dragon woke up. She needed a hot meal.

Ollie found her by following the smell of smoke.

"Stupid girl... what are you doing?"

The phoenix blinked. An hour ago, she'd been a pristine princess.

Now, Yulia Farislan was covered in soot, her white-gold gown stained with ash. She sat by a crackling fire, roasting a slab of marinated pork on the tip of a fine rapier.

Yulia used spices worth gold like they were common salt. She washed her grease-stained fingers in expensive wine, missing the simple luxury of a kitchen faucet.,

"Eat up." Yulia flipped a skewer. The spices were limited, but the meat was prime.

"Is your master ready to kill me yet? Hang on, let me pack this up.",

Ollie didn't answer. His small, emerald eyes were locked on the grill.,

Fat sizzled on the wood fire, dripping onto the embers. The skin on the beef turned a deep, crispy gold.

The aroma hit Ollie like a physical weight. He forgot his mission.,

"What... what is this magic?" Ollie leaned in, his beak inches from the heat.,

"Barbecue," Yulia grinned. "The kind of meat that makes you forget your life is a disaster.",

Ollie tilted his head. "A divine spell?"

Cooking in the

Farislan Empire

was primitive. Spices crossed oceans only to be wasted by chefs who didn't know how to use them.,

Yulia's basic modern skills looked like a miracle here. She waved the skewer in front of the phoenix's face.

"Want a bite?"

Ollie lunged. He hopped across the stone floor as the heat scorched his tongue, but he didn't let go.

The

Temple of Abyss

provided only the finest cuts for the dragon. The beef melted in his mouth, the outside crunchy and the inside dripping with juice.,

Ollie had never tasted anything this complex. He chewed frantically, despite the burn.

"It's magic! More! Give me more!" Ollie flapped his wings, circling Yulia.,

Yulia paused. "Shouldn't you be taking me back to your master?"

"No rush!

Caerus

said he's going to crush your skull or turn you into a specimen anyway. You're a dead woman!",,

Yulia pumped a fist. "Perfect!"

She wasn't trying to annoy the dragon, but if he was ready to end her loop, she was ready to help. Ollie polished off the remaining meat and begged for another round.

"No more. We shouldn't keep your boss waiting."

Ollie went silent. He'd never seen a human sprint toward their own execution.

"You aren't even going to fight it?" The bird looked genuinely concerned. "He's going to bleed you dry and hang you in his vault.",

Yulia poured milk tea into a glass jar. She couldn't find sugar, but the local tea and milk were decent.

"Hmm... which hurts more? Bleeding out or getting my head crushed?"

"Crushing! It's your head! It's messy and loud and terrifying!",

"Then bleeding sounds like the better deal."

Yulia handed the leftover tea to Ollie and skipped back toward the dragon's lair. She was done with this world and its lack of boba toppings.

Caerus

lay on a mountain of gold, his scales shimmering in the dim light. He looked up as the pair entered the cave.,,

"I'm back!" Yulia called out, her voice echoing. "Let's do the bloodletting. Wrist or neck? Wrist is cleaner."

Caerus stayed silent. He looked at the bird. "What is in your beak?",

"Da hooman... made a dwink!" Ollie mumbled around the glass jar.

The dragon narrowed his golden eyes. "She didn't run?",,

"Nope! She went for snacks!" Ollie flew in happy circles.

Caerus stared at her. Yulia bared her teeth, trying to look like a dangerous heretic.,

"That's right! I ate your food! What are you going to do about it? If you don't kill me now, I'll eat the rest of it too!",

Caerus didn't growl. He looked at her like she was an idiot.

"Bring it here."

Ollie froze. He tried to hide the jar behind a wing.

"Well?"

The bird whimpered and offered the jar, popping the lid with his beak.

Caerus sniffed the air. "What is this?"

"Milk tea," Yulia muttered, annoyed that the execution hadn't started.

"What is milk tea?"

Caveman. "Tea and milk. Boiled together."

Caerus looked at the brown liquid. It smelled of mountain herbs and cream.

Yulia saw him getting distracted and lunged toward the gold pile.

"Forget the tea! Where's the taxidermy? I'm ready! Let's go!"

"Tch."

Caerus clicked his tongue. A blinding golden light filled the cave, forcing Yulia to shield her eyes.

When she looked up, a hand held the back of her head. Her forehead pressed against his.

A man stood before her. His skin was pale, like mist on a holy mountain, looking both sacred and cold.

His eyes held the sun and moon, but zero human warmth. He was a block of ice carved from the peak of a god's mountain.

"Quiet," he said. His molten gold eyes locked onto hers.

His presence was heavy, a physical weight that made it hard to breathe. Even in this form, he was a god.

"One more word and I'll hang you outside. I'll let the wind dry you into a specimen on an empty stomach.",

Yulia froze. The bastard knew her weakness—hunger.

But she was a materialist. His beauty didn't mean a thing.

ORA ORA ORA!

Yulia lunged at his face, her fingers clawing for his eyes, practically begging for the kill.