### The First Taste of Greatness
The kitchen was a quiet storm of activity.
Charlotte stood at the center island, sleeves rolled, hair pinned up, eyes gleaming. Around her, spices lay open like paint palettes, oils glimmered like liquid gold, and fresh-picked herbs from the farm released a fragrance that made the whole space smell like possibility.
Today was the day.
She was going to test her newest skill: Culinary Mastery – Fusion & Innovation Lv.2.
And something inside her buzzed like a live wire.
She didn't have a set recipe in mind. That was the point. Her hands moved on instinct now, guided by some deeper sense she couldn't quite explain. It wasn't just about what went together anymore—it was why. A balance of acid, fat, crunch, warmth, memory, surprise.
