Kael got another visit from Sarah that evening. Accompanying her was an older man whose voice he felt like he had heard before somewhere. He introduced himself as Dr. Chosto. They made sure that he was physically healthy by running him through a range of fitness tests and examinations. He seemed to be healing pretty well, and Dr. Chosto gave permission for him to start exercising again. The good doctor left shortly after.

Soon after, the two of them were alone in the garden again. They had talked a little for the last half an hour. A back and forth of trivial questions and even more trivial answers ensued. The longer their conversation, or lack thereof, continued, the clearer it became to Kael that something was troubling her. Questions half asked, only to abruptly stop and pivot to something else. She was dancing carefully around sensitive topics, making the conversation feel unnatural.

Kael felt touched by her concern. His previous intense reaction to a simple question seemed to have made her hesitate to ask the questions she really wanted to ask. It was understandable, caring, and painful for both of them. Without anything substantial to talk about, they ran out of topics to discuss, and their voices soon fell silent. Sitting in awkward silence for a few minutes, Kael decided to change the situation, and when he felt hungry again, he knew what to do. Standing up suddenly, he walked towards the house, asking her in the process: "Have you eaten yet?"

Forty-five minutes later, Kael sat down opposite Sarah, the table full of dishes he had prepared. While his dining partner looked a little shellshocked at the impressive display of culinary ability, Kael was hungry and decided to lead by example, placing food on his plate. Besides, he was hungry. She shook her surprise off and joined him just a few moments later. Reluctant her start might have been, but once she took a bite of the food, Kael could see proverbial stars blinking in her eyes. Happiness spread through his soul as he watched her eat.

The emotion stunned him. He had felt nothing but despair and hopelessness for a long while, unable to find the brighter side of his emotions. Could it really be that easy to be happy, he asked himself. He liked cooking. Liked learning about ingredients and cooking. The incidental tasty food was another plus. The drive to be useful to the people he cared about might have started it, but he had come to like the profession. This, however, was the first time he saw anyone other than his fellow employees eat his food. It was exhilarating, really.

With all of the joy he was getting from watching her eat, Kael focused less on his own meal. The breaded and fried pork cutlet seemed to be one of her favorites, and when he saw the lost look on her face when she realized that she had just eaten the last piece, he could not hold himself back. Laughing a little, he took a few slices of his own cutlet and placed them on her plate, narrowly avoiding execution by death glare for laughing at her. When their peaceful meal ended, the table previously full of food was empty. He had not yet learned how to make desserts, so they settled for a cup of tea in the garden.

The visit came full circle, ending as it had started, with Kael and Sarah sitting in the garden, quietly talking about nothing. She was clearly still cautious of his emotional state and gave him the time and space he needed to process his thoughts. Thankfully, the meal had lifted some awkwardness out of the silence.

It was already completely dark when Sarah left for the day. When Kael sent her off, announcing that she would return the next day. She repeatedly brought up the food he had cooked, making it painfully obvious that she wanted him to prepare another meal. Not that Kael was against the prospect of more cooking. Besides, seeing her lecturing him self-righteously about the importance of routine and rehabilitation, only to get him to cook for her again, was simply too funny.

They settled into a comfortable rhythm over the next few days. Sarah still avoided sensitive topics but began to talk to him about her time at school and whatever else was on her mind. He would meditate for most of the day and start preparing food when she returned from school. The awkwardness once present in their silence was gone completely. Instead, he felt comfortable just sitting quietly with her. Sarah was a fun person to be around, Kael decided. Intelligent, funny, empathic, and driven. And her pout was just downright adorable.

He was slowly starting to really like this girl. Considering all of the strange and uncomfortable consequences that would follow if he tried to pursue her, he was thankful for all the trouble that kept him too occupied to drool over his first love. He was simply not in the right state of mind for a relationship. Besides, he resided in a seemingly empty house belonging to her family for free. Considering the prices he had seen when looking for a cheap place to rent, they were clearly from two very different worlds. Regardless of how unlikely their friendship was, however, he would make sure to treasure it and their time together.

Kael’s health continued to recover, and he soon began to feel uncomfortable in his own body. His body felt sluggish and weak. At the same time, he felt jittery, struggling with his increasing amount of unspent energy. Cooking helped a little, but it was only a stopgap. He had only begun training somewhat seriously after his first encounter with Jason, but it had become such an integral part of his routine that, once he was reminded of it, he really missed it. So he asked Sarah if it was alright for him to run through the forest neighboring the house a little. A quick explanation later, she promised him to look into it. The twinkle in her eyes when she left that night made Kael wonder if he had just dug his own grave somehow.

The next day Sarah arrived much earlier than usual. Apparently, it was Sunday. Without much preamble, she shoved a duffle bag into his hands and ordered him to ‘go change’. The next thing he knew, Kael was pulling multiple sets of quality tracksuits and two pairs of training shoes out of the stuffed bag. They fit perfectly when he tried them on. There were also various hygiene products, towels, and even a bathrobe inside.

When he returned downstairs, changed, Sarah's eyes glimmered with excitement, and she physically began to drag him out of the building because he was, apparently, too slow. Excited and a little scared, Kael could only try to keep up. She led him through the small forest he had seen when he first awoke in his room. Through the gaps between the trees, Kael could see buildings, both big and small. From small gazebos with barely enough space to provide room for two to what looked like the back of an old mansion fit for aristocracy. In passing, he wondered where this estate might be located. It should still be inside the capital, going by the skyline, but where? That also brought up the question of who exactly owned all of this. He would have to ask Sarah about it one day.

Their way took them to a two-story building. The facade was mostly covered with glass, and through it, Kael could see a variety of machines he recognized from the restaurant's well-stocked gym. Inside, a few men and women their age were using the equipment, making this trip not only his first foray out of the house but also the first time he had seen another person besides Sarah and the doctor on the grounds. As much as he was interested in knowing more about Sarah and where he was, he was thankful that Sarah made a beeline straight towards the stairs.

The second floor greeted them with changing rooms, and Kael followed her instructions to change and then leave through the door on the other side. Hurrying to avoid making her wait, Kael quickly changed. The second door was easy to find, and after taking a deep breath, he opened it and stepped through.

What greeted him was more gym equipment and a central construction that evoked conflicting emotions and painful memories in him.