Davin entered the dining room and walked over to his seat. The kitchen had prepared a feast for them that night. Eagerly, he picked up his fork and sampled a piece of beef. All it took was one bite, and he spat that out immediately as well.
It was horrendously bitter.
Davin sampled the fruit on the platter next to him, only to be met by that same bitterness in his mouth.
Refusing to give up, he grabbed the beverage Juan was about to have and took a swig from the bottle. Still, the bitterness assaulted his senses relentlessly. After a while, he groaned dejectedly. âChrist, is my life not bitter enough already? Youâve gotta be kidding me.â
He looked at Sheila and Nicole briefly before speaking. âDid the doctor say when my sense of taste will return?â
âNo, but he did mention something else. You didnât just lose your sense of taste, but he also warned us that you might experience some hallucinations.â
âWhat do you mean by, âhallucinationsâ?â
Davin was astonished at the revelation, staring at the two women dumbfoundedly. Suddenly, he saw Maya creep over to the potted plant, spoon in hand, only to begin shoving dirt into her mouth in large gulps.
âMaya, you canât eat soil!â
Maya only grinned at him and continued anyway.
âNicole, arenât you going to say something? Your child is eating dirt, for godâs sake!â
Nicole clenched her fists and pretended not to notice. She had a charade to continue.
âWhat do you mean? Sheâs sitting right here, eating her food. What is this nonsense about dirt?â
âSheâs right there, by the bonsai plant!â
He turned over to look at her again, only to see that Maya had disappeared.
Davin felt panic course through his veins. Was that a hallucination?
Maya then wiped her mouth clean and promptly returned to her spot at the dining table.
Davin looked at her in surprise. âMaya, did you eat dirt just now?â
Maya shook her head and pulled a face. âOf course not! Dirt canât be eaten!â
Davinâs face fell after hearing Mayaâs response.
He sat there, frozen in his seat as he tried to process what happened. When he looked up, he saw Nina sneaking over to a pillow on the sofa. She opened it and took out the fluffy white cotton, eating it with relish.
âNina, stop! You canât eat that!â
Kyle rolled his eyes and replied, âWhatâs wrong with eating shrimp?â
He then shelled another shrimp and put it on Ninaâs plate. âHere, have some more!â
Kyle behaved as if Nina was actually sitting there.
Davin was completely flabbergasted.
Am I truly hallucinating?
He refused to believe it, and made his way towards the sofa.
Nina had run away before he got there. Davin grabbed the pillow and opened it again to find nothing but cotton inside. Unbeknownst to him, Nina had already finished eating all the marshmallows hidden inside.
The pillow in his hands fell to the ground with a dull thud.
âItâs over, Iâm no longer right in the head!â yelled Davin.
Juan quietly helped him back to the guest room and asked him to have a proper rest. Davin could no longer think about eating after this whole debacle.
He just lay there on the bed, wide-eyed. Davinâs face was a mask of astonishment.
âMy sense of taste is gone. My brain isnât working right, so what do I have left thatâs worth living for?â
Davin sighed audibly, contemplating the meaning of his life. Suddenly, he sat up, realizing that something was off. Smoke filled the room, and a deep voice resonated.
âIf you donât want to live, youâre more than welcome to join me.â
There was something familiar about that voice. He rubbed his eyes and opened them again to find Evan standing in front of his bed, staring at him coldly.
âThis is a hallucination, right? I canât possibly be seeing Evan right now!â muttered Davin in a panic, his voice trembling.
âDavin Seet! You keep slacking off at work, and you only know how to enjoy yourself without giving back. Iâve come to take you with me!â
âEvan, is that really you?â
Davin blinked and rubbed his eyes. Even with all the smoke in the room, there was no mistaking Evanâs cold and arrogant face, yet it was different this time. He looked paler, and his body emanated a chill that made Davinâs blood run cold.
âThe Seet Group is being destroyed by you, and yet you dare address me?â roared Evan.
âEvan, please, I really canât do thisââ
âThen Iâll take you on a trip to hell!â
Suddenly, he saw a vision of a hot and barren landscape doused in fire being displayed on the wall near him. Davin witnessed men struggling to make it across, only to be scorched by the raging flames. The images were enough to leave him drenched in a cold sweat.
âEvan, I canât go with you now. Not yet! Our parents need me, and the company needs me!â