Sol snapped out of his thoughts, surprised. His gaze flickered between the bartender and the dish. "What do you mean?" he asked, curiosity piqued.
The old man smiled knowingly as he placed the drink beside the dish. "This isn't just any meal, kid. This pairing can only be found in the Luminara District, and those who partake in it never walk away the same. It reveals something to the person eating it—something different for everyone. Some see glimpses of their past, others witness visions of what may come, and a few... well, let's just say they discover truths they never even knew they were searching for."
Sol blinked, his intrigue deepening. "That sounds... impossible."
The bartender chuckled, shaking his head. "A lot of things here are. But the one thing all who've had it share is this: no one comes back the same, and everyone walks away with something they never knew they needed, let alone existed."
Sol leaned forward slightly, his curiosity impossible to contain. "What about you?" he asked. "What did you see?"
The old man just chuckled, shaking his head. "You wouldn't understand unless you saw it for yourself."
Sol finally stopped asking questions, his heart pounding as he looked down at the drink and dish in front of him. They looked incredibly appetizing, almost as if they were inviting him in. His pulse thudded loudly in his ears as his mind raced, wondering what exactly he would see.
The old man seemed to hear his heartbeat. He was about to reassure Sol, tell him there was no need to be afraid—but the words got stuck in his throat when he saw the pure thrill and excitement in Sol's eyes. A huge smirk stretched across the kid's face, his hands practically itching to dig in. It threw the bartender off.
Most first-timers hesitated, some even panicked at the idea of facing the unknown. It was always the same reaction—cautious, uncertain, maybe even a little afraid. But this kid? There wasn't a single ounce of fear in him. Just pure joy.
The bartender's opinion of Sol went up even higher.
Around the bar, the usual chatter had quieted down. The regulars, who had all experienced the dish before, turned their attention to Sol. They knew exactly what was about to happen. Each of them had walked away changed after tasting it. Some had found answers, others had gained clarity, and a few had seen things that defied explanation.
Now, they were all curious—how much would this kid change after his experience?
Sol took a deep breath, steadying himself. Then, with unwavering excitement, he reached for the dish and drink. The moment the first bite touched his tongue, a sensation unlike anything he had ever felt surged through him.
It tasted like everything and nothing at once—like the vastness of the universe had condensed into a single moment of flavor. Sweet, bitter, warm, cold, familiar, and alien, all crashing together in an impossible symphony.
His fingers tightened around the glass as he took a sip. The drink was just as overwhelming, sending a chilling but invigorating sensation down his throat, expanding in his chest like a burst of stardust.
His pupils shrank to needlepoints as the whites of his eyes overtook them, his body shuddering involuntarily before going completely still. Time seemed to pause around him as if reality itself was waiting for his mind to catch up to what he had just ingested.
The silence didn't last long.
Someone in the bar suddenly clapped their hands together and shouted, "Alright! Bets are open! Five minutes to put your wagers in or regret it later!"
The entire bar erupted into chaotic chatter as patrons clamored over each other to place their bets. Some confidently wagered that Sol would piss himself the moment he woke up. Others insisted he'd pass out immediately. One particularly excited gambler argued that he'd want to go back to his vision, just like the poor souls who had gotten addicted to their own personal heaven.
Then a deep voice chimed in from the back, "I bet the kid shits himself."
The bar went silent for a second before an uproar of laughter followed.
"Oh, shut up!" another man cackled. "You just don't wanna be the only one in history who shit their pants in the vision!"
The guilty party's face flushed red as he grumbled into his drink, causing another round of rowdy laughter to spread through the bar.
Meanwhile, the raccoon girl made her way back to the counter, leaning against it as she eyed Sol's frozen form. She looked up at the old man, her tail flicking lazily. "So, what do you think he'll see?"
The bartender simply chuckled, swirling a glass in his hand. There was a mysterious light in his eyes as he watched Sol. "That, my dear, is something only he can know."