Three weeks.
Three long, chaotic weeks in Mythica, and sohow, it wasn't the dragons that were driving to the brink.
No, it was the unicorns.
Every day like clockwork, they arrived at the food court. And every day, they stole my lunch.
At first, I tried to fight back—grabbed my tray, ducked under tables, even attempted to eat my al while standing. But Mythica's food court rules weren't exactly... flexible.
The first ti I tried shoveling my food down while standing, an alarm went off louder than a dragon's roar. It was so jarring I spilled my entire drink on the floor.
They slapped with a warning notice, a 50 MC fine. Apparently, eating while standing was a direct affront to the "proper dining etiquette" that existed in this world.
Then there was the ti I tried to sneak my lunch out of the food court, thinking maybe I could dodge the unicorns and eat in peace sowhere else.
Nope.
A magical barrier shot up out of nowhere and knocked my tray straight out of my hands. It was like the food court had eyes everywhere.
That's when I saw the sign.
The one with the ominous words that haunted my dreams.
No Food Should Be Taken Outside The Food Court.
I was slapped with another warning. Another fine. 50 MC. All because I tried to save my chicken nuggets from a bunch of greedy, glittering unicorns.
But hey, I couldn't bla them too much. I had learned the hard way why the rule was so strict. There had been an "incident" once, where a staff mber tried to bring his lunch back to the office, and well… he ended up as the lunch. A manticore mistook him for its next al. Nice, right?
But the unicorns, oh, they were sothing else entirely.
There was Sparkles, their charismatic leader. Silver mane, sharp gleaming horn, eyes that practically scread, I'm about to take your lunch, and you're going to love it.
He wasn't just any unicorn. He was THE unicorn, the one all the others followed with a mix of awe and fear.
Every ti I set my tray down, there was this mont of almost unbearable anticipation. I knew what was coming.
The winds would pick up, the air would crackle, and before I could even dig into my fries, I would hear the unmistakable clip-clop of hooves.
At first, I tried everything to stop them. Running, hiding under tables, throwing my food over my shoulder in a desperate attempt to make a break for it. Nothing worked. Sparkles had beco my lunch nesis.
Today was no different. I made my way to the food court, Eldrin by my side. He looked like he was trying to suppress a grin, but his eyes gave him away.
"You know," he began, as we walked, "you're becoming a bit of a legend around here."
I shot him a glare. "A legend? How? By getting my lunch stolen every day by unicorns?"
He chuckled. "Hey, no one has lasted as long as you. You've beco a kind of mythic figure."
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, sure. The intern who can't even eat his lunch in peace."
Eldrin raised an eyebrow, his grin widening. "No one else has lasted three weeks. Respect, man. Respect." Content originally cos from novel·fire
I let out a sigh. "Well, that respect isn't going to keep from starving. I need my lunch today, Eldrin. I'm starting to think unicorns are going to be my downfall."
"You got this," Eldrin said, giving a slap on the back that nearly sent flying forward. He took a sharp left toward the taco line, leaving to face my lunch-stealing destiny.
I stepped up to the counter, the harpy cashier offering a cheery smile as she handed my tray. "Good luck today, Carl!" she chirped.
"Thanks," I muttered, eyeing the plate of grilled chicken and fries. I tried to tell myself I was going to eat it all, every bite. I wasn't going to let Sparkles ruin again.
I picked a table in the center of the room, under the glaring eyes of every employee and creature in the food court. Maybe visibility would keep the unicorns at bay. They wouldn't want to risk getting caught by an audience, right?
I set my tray down. The familiar sll of grilled chicken filled the air, and for a second, I dared to feel hopeful.
And then it happened. The wind kicked up. I could practically hear Sparkles' hooves before they even started tapping on the floor. There was a faint glint of light, and my lunch was officially under siege.
Five unicorns. Sparkles at the front, his silvery mane glittering like it was made of stardust. He led his team, flanked by his loyal band of hungry followers. There was no escape.
Sparkles' eyes locked on . And for the briefest second, I thought I saw a flicker of sothing in those eyes. Maybe it was… curiosity? Who knows. The next mont, he stomped once, signaling the others to form their periter around .
I sighed. "I get it. You win. Again."
Sparkles tilted his head, and the other unicorns shifted, waiting for my next move. His eyes narrowed just slightly, the horn gleaming. But there was sothing else, too. Sothing softer. He didn't imdiately charge forward, not like usual.
A thought struck . A risky one. I could fight for my lunch, but I'd probably lose. What if I tried negotiating?
"Wait," I said, raising my hands in a peaceful gesture. "I want to negotiate."
The unicorns paused. The air stilled.
Sparkles didn't imdiately lower his head. Instead, he just stood there, silent, his horn glowing faintly as he studied . His followers waited, practically trembling with anticipation.
"I get it," I continued, trying to steady my voice. "You like my lunch. And honestly, I'm not going to survive another week without eating. So here's my offer. I'll buy extra food every day. You get your own portion, and I get to eat. No more stealing. It's a win-win."
There was a long pause. I felt my heart race. Would this work? Or would I end up as the next victim of unicorn hunger?
Sparkles blinked. Slowly, his head lowered just a little, as though he was genuinely considering my words.
Then he snorted, a sound that I could only interpret as agreent. He nodded, signaling for the others to back off.
With trembling hands, I quickly divided my lunch in half, offering half of my grilled chicken and fries to Sparkles.
I thought for a mont, rembering sothing Eldrin had said about unicorns being territorial. Maybe giving Sparkles more than half would do the trick. I pushed a little extra to his side.
Sparkles examined my offering for a mont before giving an approving nod. Then, with a triumphant neigh, he zapped his share of the food and leave, his followers following suit.
For the first ti in three weeks, I was free to eat my lunch without interference. I could hardly believe it.
And then, from the corner of the room, I heard it.
A slow clap.
I glanced up to find Eldrin, grinning like a madman. His phone was already out, recording the mont. He wasn't alone—several other staff mbers had begun clapping too, joining in the applause.
I had done it. I had negotiated with unicorns.
My phone buzzed. I picked it up to see a ssage from Eldrin:
Eldrin: "Congrats, Carl. You're officially the first person to successfully negotiate with Sparkles. Big deal."
I responded without thinking:
: "Is it really a big deal?"
Eldrin: "Apparently, yes. No one's ever managed it. Sparkles is notoriously stubborn."
I sat back, allowing the applause to wash over . It was surreal. But then a new reality dawned.
I had just beco the food court's official "unicorn caterer." It wasn't exactly the heroic mont I had envisioned when I first got here.
As I chewed my soggy fries, I groaned. "Did I just beco a lunch shuttle for unicorns?"
A shadow fell over my table. I looked up, only to see one of the senior caretakers grinning at .
"Looks like you're the first to make a lunch treaty with the unicorns," he said with a chuckle. "Think this'll set a precedent?"
I gave him a deadpan look. "I think I've just dood myself to unicorn catering for the rest of my internship."
He laughed, clapping on the shoulder before walking off.
I sighed, rubbing my face. But as I sat there, finishing my al, I couldn't help but wonder. If negotiating with the unicorns was my biggest challenge so far, what was waiting for next?
I had a feeling I wasn't done with the chaos of Mythica just yet.
And sohow, that thought made my stomach twist with both dread and excitent.
What would I face tomorrow?
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