The next day. 10:25 AM.

Christmas morning. There was barely anyone on the streets.

The snowfall eased a little overnight, but it’s still going nonstop alright.

Jeff checked the doors one last time… Yep. Locked.

Shaking a little in the cold, puffing out a misty cloud from her breath, Alice seemed really excited about this trip.

Jeff checked his inventories one last time. Yep. All of their luggage was in there.

A few minutes passed by… The rumbling of engines could be heard. Looking in that direction, two beams of headlights could be seen now.

A tour bus came into sight. Apparently, they have attached a snow plow onto the bus, somehow. Emitting a red lustre, the plow seemed be made of an unknown material. Looks like people were getting creative with the materials brought by the mist.

Came right on time at 10:30 AM. Well… There’s barely traffic nowadays anyways.

The bus stopped right in front of the couple. The doors popped open.

A dude in a thick jacket jumped out of the bus. That guy was all covered up, like this was the arctic or something. Jeff could barely see the dude’s face.

“Alright fellas. Let’s get your luggage sorted out.”

“We are fine.” Jeff showed his backpack.

The dude lightly waved his finger at Jeff. “I see. Planning to buy as you go. Very smart.”

“Alright.” The dude patted the bus doors.

Tssss…

The doors opened up again. Another gust of warm air escaped.

“Don’t be shy. Come on in then.” Getting onto the bus, the dude took his jacket off.

It’s a dude in his 30s or 40s. Wearing a toque, hoodie, and sweatpants. This guy was dressed for comfort. Giving off a chill and relaxed vibe, this guy seemed like the goofball in a group of friends.

Now that the three got on, the bus started moving again. However, in this weather condition, this bus was moving at 20 miles an hour at best.

Looking inside, there was around 30 people inside already.

“I’m Jimmy Cummington. Senior executive of the Berrystone’s Association of Dining Services. For this trip, I’ll be your tour guide.” The dude extended a hand.

“Jeff Norman.” Jeff shook the dude’s hand.

“Alice.” Alice smiled and nodded.

“Alright… Jeff and Alice. Let me get you your package…” Jimmy gestured for the two to take a seat at the front. Then he turned to the plastic bin on his seat.

“Jeff… And Alice…”

“Ah. Found them.”

Jimmy handed over two small cloth bags. “Your ID badges and detailed tour information are in your bags. This will sure be a wicked vacation.” The dude seemed to be rather hyped.

“Well. I sure look forward to it.” Jeff smiled. “I’d really appreciate some time off, and just relax.”

“Tough year eh?” Jimmy powerlessly shrugged.

“Yeah… Almost got killed a few times. But hey, it’s all in the past now. Hopefully next year will be better.” Jeff shrugged.

“I know right.” Jimmy nodded like he was totally in agreement. “With this fog thing… Nobody knows when it’ll end. Everyone’s been hit hard. But the dining industry had been hit especially hard.”

“It’s a struggle alright. Everyone is struggling. That’s why we’ve got to try our very best. Which is why we designed this top grade vacation.”

Jeff pointed two fingers at his temple.

“And I give you guys salute for this,” Jeff directed his fingers towards the tour guide.

“Hey. Our pleasure. Let me give you a pro tip about vacations.”

“If you stay focussed and present, and let those happy moments seep into you, you’ll have a much better time. Good times sure fly by if you don’t catch them.” Jimmy offered another handshake.

“Well. Thanks for the tip.”

“Yep. Feel free to choose your seat. We don’t have assigned seating here.”

Sitting at the front, there was a group of 8 armed escorts. All wearing black. They seemed to be a group.

Going down the aisle, looking around, the people here looked rather competitive. All in business formal outfits. Everyone of them had a bulging backpack, or a large case, as if they were carrying their chef’s uniform with them.

Taking a quick look, these guys looked like they were in their 30s to their 50s.

Jeff received some gazes, checking him out, as if he was their opponent. But they quickly lost interest.

At the back of the bus, there was a group of mid-aged fellas, along with two guys who looked like they’ve retired. They were all chatting and laughing though. These were the critics.

Jeff looked at himself, and then at Alice. Meeting Alice’s gaze, Jeff nodded. Apparently Alice had the same feel – ‘Crud. Did I enter the wrong party?’

Early 20s. Casual outfit. On a bus with formally dressed mid-aged fellas. Hmmm… Well. Derp.

Finding a row, Jeff and Alice took a seat. Opening the cloth bag, there was an ID badge on a lanyard, a 100-page ingredients guide on mist produce, a handbook on competition rules, and a booklet on tour information.

Basically, they were going to travel to 7 large-sized settlements in 18 days. 3 settlements at the outskirt of Berrystone city. Then, they’d move North through the large towns. Finally, they’d reach Town of Skihaven on day 7. Competition ends. Enjoy the stay for 4 days. Then the return trip.

The chefs would cook with local fresh ingredients. The judges would give them points for their dishes.

And yes. Plants that don’t absorb sunlight, but absorb the mist instead, exists now. Yes. Crazy world.

Jeff turned over his ID.

[ Jeff Norman ]

[ Judge ]

Alice widened her eyes.

“You are not my assistant?” The girl whispered.

“There are no assistants.” Jeff whispered back.

“B-B-But.”

“It’s OK.” Jeff winked. “It’s not rigged if you’ve paid the price.”

Alice: …

…

After a brief lunch, this tour bus finally picked up all the participants. They were finally ready to get out of Berrystone.

Fortunately for this group, the big settlements had cleared out the roads recently for outer-city explorations.

Got to know if it’s sunshine and breeze out there, you know. (The answer was no. The fog was not lighter on the other side.)

Anyhow, the dining association could enjoy this perk. They couldn’t afford this astronomical expense in the first place.

Making one last stop, everyone on this bus sank into a panic (Excluding Jeff, Alice, and the tour guide).

The reason. Simple. The escorts in black got off the bus. And only two hunters got on.

“What? You only hired 2 people for protection!”

“We paid you so much for the tickets!”

“Are you kidding! Bring me back!”

At the front, Jimmy, the tour guide raised his hands. “Wait. Let me finish.”