Bab 7: 07 Pancakes and Secrets
Zoe leaned back into the driver's seat, letting her shoulders slump as she took the most uneventful route possible back home.
Her eyes drooped a bit, not from boredom but sheer exhaustion.
Suddenly, a faint shimmer flickered at the edge of her vision.
She blinked hard, confused, thinking she was just seeing things from fatigue.
But when she looked again, the shimmer had grown, almost like a glitch hovering near her dashboard.
A soft hum accompanied it, buzzing low in her ears.
Zoe groaned. "Not now," she muttered, gripping the wheel tighter.
Her new magic, apparently, hadn't gotten the memo that she needed a break.
She forced herself to focus on the road, ignoring the flickering magic that seemed to pulse in time with her frustration.
It fizzled out after a moment, but the reminder hung in the air—her magic had a mind of its own sometimes.
Just one more thing to deal with.
That last run-in at the park had drained whatever tiny reserve of energy she'd had left, leaving her with an overwhelming craving for a sugar-packed breakfast.
Pancakes, a hot cup of coffee, and a blissful day of gaming once the server was back online—these thoughts were the only things keeping her foot on the gas and her brain from drifting into idle mode.
The quiet rumble of the car almost lulled her into a trance.
She blinked hard, focusing on the road and trying to shake off the day's craziness.
Reality, it seemed, was in no rush to cut her a break.
Zoe stumbled into her apartment, her feet heavy as she fumbled with her keys.
The door clicked open, and for just a second, she stood still, taking in the silence.
This was supposed to be her safe space, where she could forget about magic, monsters, and everything that came with being a threadweaver.
But lately, even her apartment felt like it was slipping away, just another place where magic could sneak up on her.
She sighed, letting the weight of the day settle into her bones.
It was like juggling two different lives, and both were constantly teetering on the edge.
Zoe noticed the scent of lavender cleaning supplies hanging in the air and the unmistakable sound of someone humming—badly.
"Afternoon, Zoe!" Mira's cheerful voice echoed from the kitchen, followed by the clatter of dishes.
Zoe cringed slightly at the noise, a pang of regret hitting her for calling Mira before she left the apartment, knowing she'd walk right into this chaos.
Mira was in full-on cleaning mode, her bright yellow gloves up to her elbows, scrubbing something with far more enthusiasm than necessary.
Her blue eyes sparkled behind her oversized glasses, and she beamed as if Zoe wasn't a walking, barely-functional zombie.
"Uh, hey, Mira," Zoe muttered, hanging her keys on the hook by the door.
She rubbed her eyes, hoping the exhaustion on her face would translate as a silent plea for quiet.
Mira, of course, was undeterred. "Guess what! My cousin Gavin just got chosen as a threadweaver! Can you believe it? He was over the moon this morning, talking about fighting monsters and everything."
Zoe froze for a split second. "Gavin... Gavin's a threadweaver?" she repeated, her voice cracking just a little.
Her mind instantly went into overdrive.
Gavin—the guy she just barely kept from becoming monster chow—was now part of this insane world?
Zoe clenched her jaw, pushing down the guilt.
She didn't sign up for this.
She wasn't a hero, wasn't the type to be responsible for saving anyone's life.
But somehow, this world kept dragging her deeper.
She forced a smile, trying to keep the panic from creeping onto her face.
"Yup! He's so excited," Mira continued, oblivious to Zoe's inner turmoil. "He said he even met another threadweaver already. Imagine that! Day one, and he's already making friends."
Zoe swallowed hard. "Huh. Yeah, imagine that," she managed, forcing her voice into something resembling casual.
She headed towards the couch, desperate to disappear into it, but Mira's voice followed her every step of the way.
"He's so lucky. I mean, not everyone gets to fight monsters and save people, right? Sounds like an adventure!"
Zoe flopped onto the couch and buried her face in a cushion, mumbling, "Yeah, real lucky."
She glanced over at the pancakes on the counter, remembering she still needed to check on them.
If she couldn't get some food and caffeine soon, she was going to end up the next monster's snack—threadweaver powers or not.
Zoe took a deep breath, rolling herself off the couch to check on the pancakes.
She ambled over to the counter, the sweet smell of syrup already starting to lift her spirits.
She opened the bag and flipped one of the pancakes, grimacing at the soggy mess that greeted her.
Only the dounuts from her DoorGrub order looked halfway edible, thanks to the two-hour delivery delay.
She put them aside and decided to make her own.
Mira, now elbow-deep in organizing the kitchen shelves, continued talking, her voice a mix of enthusiasm and curiosity. "So, Zoe, anything exciting happen today? I mean, besides Gavin's news, obviously."
Zoe paused, spatula in hand, and turned slightly to glance at Mira. "Nah, just the usual. You know, woke up, did some errands, nothing too exciting. Same old."
She gave a half-smile, hoping Mira would buy her sarcasm as the truth.
Mira laughed, shaking her head. "You always joke about the weirdest things, Zoe. I bet you'd be a great threadweaver if you wanted to."
Zoe turned back to the pancakes, but her mind wandered.
She was exhausted, trying to push through the day like everything was normal, but it wasn't.
As she stared at the batter, something flickered at the edge of her vision—a faint glow.
She blinked, but the glow spread, crackling softly across the surface of the pancakes.
"Not now," she muttered under her breath, waving her hand subtly over the pan, trying to dispel the magic before Mira turned around.
Zoe bit her lip, focusing on the pancake under the magic, taking a couple deep, slow breaths.
The glow fizzled, but the edges of the pancakes had already turned a strange, glittering shade of gold.
Zoe groaned inwardly, flipping them over to hide the evidence just as Mira looked up from her phone.
The last thing she needed was for anyone, let alone Mira, to think she was anything close to hero material. "Yeah, sure. I'd just snack my way through every battle," she muttered under her breath, her eyes narrowing at the batter.
Mira didn't hear her, thankfully, already moving on to ramble about some new cleaning technique she saw online.
Mira's phone buzzed, and she pulled it out with a grin. "Oh, it's Gavin again. He won't stop talking about that threadweaver he met." She scrolled through the message, her eyes widening. "He called her a 'lazy mage'! He said she was kind of... snarky, but helpful."
Zoe stiffened, keeping her focus on flipping her pancakes, but her heart pounded in her ears. "Sounds like quite the character," she said, her voice strained.
Mira's eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze flicking to Zoe. "You know, that kind of sounds like you, Zoe. Lazy, snarky... but helpful when you want to be."
Zoe forced a laugh, waving her hand dismissively, but inside, her thoughts were swirling. "Yeah, yeah. I'm sure there's plenty of lazy mages out there. It's not exactly a unique skill set."
How long could she keep this up?
Magic wasn't something she could just tuck away, especially with people like Mira around.
She wasn't built for this—deception wasn't in her nature, but what choice did she have?
It was either lie or get tangled in a mess she wasn't ready to face.
Mira kept staring at her for a moment longer, as if trying to piece something together, but eventually shrugged. "I guess. But if you ever decide to tell me you're a threadweaver, just know I wouldn't be surprised, especially with your CCO experience."
Zoe quickly jumped in before Mira could press further. "So, uh, these pancakes aren't getting any warmer, huh?" She started stacking them onto a plate, her voice a mix of forced cheer and impatience.
Mira blinked, distracted by the abrupt shift. "Yeah... guess they didn't survive the two-hour wait." She glanced back at her phone, distracted by another buzz.
Mira's eyes went wide as she read the message. "Oh, it's Gavin again," she said, her eyes scanning the text quickly. "He said the threadweaver at the park was apparently driving a 'dusty old duster' and gave him some attitude when he questioned it." Mira snickered, looking up at Zoe. "A duster? Sounds kinda like you, doesn't it?"
Zoe's heart skipped a beat, her fingers freezing over the stack of pancakes. She forced a laugh, hoping her face wasn't giving away the panic bubbling inside her. "Me? Come on, Mira, I can't be the only one in Warren driving a dusty old duster."
Mira raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Really? I dunno, Pplymouth dusters are a pretty rare ride."
Zoe swallowed and tried to change the subject again. "So, did Dark wipe the raid again, or what?" she asked, her voice a little too loud as she pushed a plate of fresh pancakes towards Mira.
Mira groaned, rolling her eyes as she sat at the table. "If that's his charm, then I don't want any part of it. We ended up finishing, but man, it was rough."
Zoe quickly decided to steer the conversation back to safer ground.
"So, uh, I know they're not Fluffy Pancake Stacks but at least theyre pancakes," she said, stacking her own pancakes on a plate and trying to change the topic as smoothly as possible.
She poured herself a cup of coffee, the rich aroma doing wonders for her mood.
Zoe took a seat at the table across from Mira, munching on a pancake while Mira jumped up to buzz around, grabbing the sugar-free syrup Zoe kept just for her.
She took a long sip of her coffee, appreciating the heat as it burned its way down her throat. "Ahh, good stuff."
"You and your hot coffee," Mira smiled, shaking her head as she held up the discarded Fluffy Pancake Stack bag. "Keep or toss?"
"I want the donuts," Zoe said between bites. These weren't as good as the soggy blankets Mira threw in the trash, but they satisfied her craving.
Mira set the donuts on the table before her and turned to her phone that just buzzed.
Zoe, not wanting any questions, quickly grabbed the donuts and tossed them in her snack vault just as Mira turned back. The snack vault gulped the donuts with a shimmer of light.
Mira blinked, eyes widening. "What was that?"
Zoe's heart skipped a beat.
She tried to act casual, waving her hand dismissively. "Uh, nothing. Just... a magic trick. You know, snack-saving magic."
She forced a smile, hoping Mira would take it as one of her usual sarcastic jokes.
Mira stared at her for a moment, then shook her head with a laugh. "You're so weird sometimes, Zoe."
"Yeah, tell me about it," Zoe muttered, grateful that Mira wasn't pushing further.
Mira suddenly did a double take, her eyes narrowing as she stared at Zoe. "Wait a minute... there's no other magic but the new threadweaver magic!" she said, her voice rising slightly.
Zoe, busted, froze with her fork halfway to her mouth, her mind racing for an escape.
Mira's face lit up, clearly thrilled. "Oh my gosh, it was you! You and Gavin—what a dynamic team! I'm so happy for you, Zoe. This is just like a real-life creature craze everyone's obsessed with on-line, but even better!"
Mira leaned in, her enthusiasm palpable. "I can't believe you didn't tell me sooner! You guys must have looked so epic out there. It's like you're both real-life characters from one of those games, but with actual monsters! Oh, this is so cool, Zoe!"
Zoe's face remained tense, and she forced a smile, her eyes twitching slightly as Mira continued to gush about the adventure, how it was all so exciting, and how Zoe was clearly destined for greatness.
Mira rambled on, comparing it to some virtual adventures and pointing out just how special it was to be chosen.
Zoe put up with it for about a minute, but the pressure building in her chest was becoming unbearable.
Mira's happy chatter filled the room like an echo she couldn't escape from.
"Mira," Zoe said, her voice dropping with a sharp edge, "if you keep this up, I'm replacing you with Sandy. You know how she is looking for work."
Mira's enthusiasm deflated instantly.
She swallowed, nodded, and without another word, dropped into the chair, her face a mix of reluctant acceptance and mild disappointment.
She picked up the fork and started on the cold pancakes Zoe had made for her, clearly submitting to the threat.
Zoe let out a sigh, watching as Mira's shoulders slumped.
The silence in the room finally returned, but it didn't bring her the relief she expected.
She pushed her own pancakes around on the plate, trying to ignore the growing pit in her stomach.
She hated threatening Mira with Sandy, but it was the only card she had left.
Keeping her distance from people was easier when they didn't know the truth.
Still, a part of her felt like she was constantly losing pieces of herself in the process.
The two ate their pancakes quietly, the tension only slightly fading.
Mira looked at Zoe and said softly, "You're my friend, you know. And if Gavin's involved in something dangerous, I need to know you're looking out for him."
Zoe paused, realizing that her attempts to distance Mira were failing.
She sighed deeply and muttered, "I'm not a hero, Mira."
But Mira gave her a determined look. "Maybe not. But you're something, and Gavin's counting on you. So am I."
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
Zanden
Zanden Hey everyone!
I had so much fun writing Chapter 7, "Pancakes and Secrets." This chapter was all about the quiet tension—how Zoe juggles her desire for a normal, snack-filled day with the chaotic reality that’s constantly creeping into her life. I really wanted to show her exhaustion, and how she uses humor and snacks to cope, even when things are unraveling.
Mira was such a fun character to bounce off Zoe here. I think her bubbly personality really contrasts well with Zoe’s sarcasm and reluctance, and I loved giving Mira moments where she almost, *almost* figures out what’s going on. And of course, Zoe threatening to replace Mira with Sandy was my favorite part. It’s her go-to nuclear option, but it also shows that she cares about keeping her friends out of danger—just in her very Zoe way.
This chapter also gave a hint of just how much trouble Zoe’s magic is giving her. She wants so badly to keep it all under wraps, but her magic has a mind of its own, reacting to her emotions in ways she can’t always control. The pancakes ending up golden and glowing was one of those moments where magic slipped through the cracks, a subtle reminder that things are getting harder to hide.
I hope you enjoyed this quieter but emotionally charged chapter! There’s more action coming up in the next one as Zoe has to deal with more than just soggy pancakes. As always, let me know what you think—your thoughts keep me going (and help me decide how much trouble to put Zoe in next!).
Thanks for reading, and see you in Chapter 8! It will go live the day after tomorrow.
—Zanden
Not going on break YAY!
I figured out what was going on & I am creeping ahead. Thanks!
Hadiah
-- Hadiah diterima Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone