Chapter 1

Sarah sliced the chives, each cut perfect, a tiny green cylinder. Chef Antoine watched, his arms crossed.

"Precision, Sarah. Always," he said. His voice was the law at the Culinary Institute of America Prime. CIAP.

Sarah nodded. "Yes, Chef."

She was the star here. Everyone knew it. Her dishes sang. Her techniques were like old friends, comfortable, reliable.

Brittany chopped onions nearby, her knife clumsy. Tears streamed down her face, not just from the onions. She watched Sarah with a tight mouth. Brittany was... average. Sometimes less.

Dean Antoine moved to Brittany' s station. He sighed, a small, disappointed sound. "Brittany, focus. The knife is an extension of your hand, not an enemy."

Brittany flushed red. "Yes, Dean."

The first school competition was next week. A preliminary round. Just a small thing, but it felt big. Sarah planned a lavender-infused duck breast. Innovative but grounded.

Dean Antoine had praised her concept. "You set the bar, Sarah."

The day of the competition, the air in the kitchen buzzed. Sarah plated her duck. It looked beautiful. Smelled divine.

Then Brittany presented her dish. A seared scallop with a saffron risotto. The aroma was incredible. Complex. Surprising.

Dean Antoine tasted it. His eyebrows shot up. He tasted it again.

"Brittany," he said, his voice full of shock. "This is... extraordinary."

The risotto was creamy, the saffron perfectly balanced. The scallop had a perfect, golden-brown crust. It was a dish far beyond anything Brittany had ever made. It was at Sarah' s level. Maybe even a fraction more polished in its presentation today.

A murmur went through the other students.

Sarah looked at Brittany. Brittany smiled, a small, confident tilt of her lips Sarah had never seen before.

"Where did this come from, Brittany?" Dean Antoine asked, still looking at the plate.

"I' ve been working hard, Dean," Brittany said. Her voice was smooth. "I think... I think something just clicked."

Sarah felt a cold knot in her stomach. This wasn' t just a click. This was a leap. A jump across a canyon.

Dean Antoine looked from Brittany' s plate to Sarah' s. He smiled at Brittany. "Well, whatever it is, keep doing it. Remarkable."

He gave Sarah' s duck a polite nod. "Very good, Sarah, as expected."

But the light in his eyes was for Brittany.

Sarah cleaned her station, the praise for Brittany echoing in the kitchen. She knew her duck was good. But Brittany' s dish... it had a spark, a sudden brilliance that was unsettling.

Later, Sarah saw Brittany leaving. Brittany' s bag seemed heavier, and she clutched it tightly.

Sarah knew this wasn't the end. It was a beginning. A strange, unfair beginning. But deep inside, a small, hard part of her knew she wouldn't break. This was a test. She would find the truth. She would cook. That' s what she did.