Rami sat at the round table.
The cake was neatly sliced, the cups were full, but the air had started losing its color.
Beside him sat Selena, and Yan, despite his smile, looked pale.
Just minutes ago, everything had been different.
When they first entered, fireworks had burst overhead, and the cheers of children drowned every other sound.
Ryan stood in the center, greeting them, surrounded by familiar faces of adventurers and silent, watchful eyes.
Among them was Amanda, standing at a distance, her face still.
Ryan approached with measured steps, his smile unwavering.
"What do you think, Rami? Did you like the celebration?"
Rami looked at him for a moment.
The man was just as he had always known him — elegant, calm, without sharp edges.
But this time, his voice carried something else.
"Of course... I'm grateful. Thank you for the party."
He said it with a smile, his face genuinely lighting up.
But the next words came as a surprise.
"From today onward, I will consider you my son."
A second passed.
Then, without a word, Rami stepped forward and embraced Ryan.
The hall fell silent, then erupted into applause.
Cheers, congratulations, laughter... but Rami's mind was distant, unaffected by it all.
He simply closed his eyes, keeping his arms around the man.
After a moment, Ryan gently pulled away and said:
"I haven't given you your gift yet."
He handed him a small box.
Rami opened it — a shiny silver ring.
"A storage ring. Grade A. Its capacity... one square kilometer."
Rami silently slipped it onto his finger.
"Thank you for the gift... Father."
His voice was devoid of emotion.
"I'm glad you like it," Ryan said, his smile unchanged.
Lily approached next, offering a carefully wrapped book.
"This book... it took me months to find. Make sure you read it."
Rami accepted the gift quietly, his expression hardly changing.
There was no visible joy, nor any sign of displeasure —
just a steady gaze and a few brief words spoken in a low voice:
"Thank you."
His reaction did not raise any suspicions. Everyone was used to his seriousness and cold demeanor.
Deep inside, tension raged within him, but his features remained as they had always known: calm and stern.
He didn't need to fake happiness; his old, quiet nature was the perfect mask.
And so, the gifts kept coming, one after another.
Half an hour passed since the party had begun.
The lights still danced across the ceiling; the sweet scent of candy and juice filled the air.
Rami sat quietly amid piles of gifts, surrounded by an invisible wall of mixed emotions.
Children's laughter echoed around him, but it didn't reach his heart — it sounded hollow, forced.
Their gazes flickered between the silver ring and the carefully wrapped book, calculating, evaluating, reducing their worth to mere numbers.
Not all the looks were friendly; some carried veiled envy, others fragile pride barely masking its sharpness.
The atmosphere had shifted, and the party had lost some of its luster — though most didn't notice.
Rami saw it all.
He caught every glance, every hidden feeling — without surprise.
Jim stayed at the far end of the hall, avoiding his gaze, trying to vanish from sight.
And in a distant corner, near an open window facing the evening sky, Amanda sat alone.
She ate slowly, wrapped in a quiet world untouched by the noise and laughter.
She didn't look at the gifts, nor at Ryan, nor at anyone.
It was as if her presence there was just a fleeting accident.
Rami watched them all with steady, unblinking eyes.
Today was supposed to be his day, a celebration of him...
But deep inside, all he felt was emptiness.
He stood up and said:
"I'm feeling tired. I'll go wash up."
Ryan nodded: "Rest, it's been a long day. Were you happy?"
"Very."
Rami answered quietly and left.
---
On his way to the outer bathrooms, Rami passed by a window overlooking the backyard.
Two voices, barely audible... but he stopped.
The first voice was familiar — Jack:
"Two will be excluded. I don't know if that's a loss or just a necessary step."
Jane replied, her voice low and dripping with malice:
"As long as the third stays... once we hand him over, we'll know if the deal was worth it."
Rami didn't linger.
He kept walking, his steps steady, but for a moment, his pulse quickened. He didn't turn, didn't react... as if what he had heard was nothing but a fleeting whisper.
He washed his face.
The reflection in the mirror showed no shock.
He returned to his room.
Closed the door.
And the mask fell.
The calm he always wore... shattered.
His hand was bleeding. His fist clenched. The silver ring on his finger felt like a burden.
He pulled it off.
Threw it away.
It made no sound.
"Betrayal? So that's how it is, Ryan..."
He whispered, his tone sharp enough to slice the air.
He opened the door suddenly, not expecting anyone.
But it was Selena.
She held gift boxes in her arms. She hadn't looked at him at first, but when she did, she froze.
She set the boxes aside.
And with just one glance... she understood everything.
"As I thought," she said simply.
"What do you mean?" he asked, not bothering to hide his unease.
She stepped closer, placing a hand on her hip.
"I thought you were happy since your dream came true, but from your actions, I noticed you were preoccupied. You were observing everything, but you didn't notice that Yan didn't get anything."
"You've been watching me closely, clearly,"
his tone was almost sarcastic.
"Rami... Ryan was sincere. I saw his face."
Rami sat down, lowering his head.
He pulled a small notebook from under the pillow and wrote something inside.
He handed it to her silently.
"Did you come here to mock me? Are you jealous? He adopted me,"
he said, his voice unsteady — more a diversion than a real question.
She looked at the paper.
"We might be under surveillance. Don't talk too much."
The line was written in fine, careful script.
She nodded, replying in a low voice:
"Enough joking. Tell me — what's your plan?"
He answered while staring at the wall:
"I'll ask Father to let me go with you. It'll be a good opportunity for my growth. I doubt he'll refuse."
Then added, without turning to her:
"We'll attract some of the students... and have them join Father's new guild."
Selena understood.
He said it quietly, but the meaning pointed to a far bigger plan than it appeared.
She asked calmly:
"And Yan? You know he's... not talented."
He didn't reply immediately.
Then he said:
"He's coming with us. We'll find a way to lift him up before we reach the capital."
She opened the notebook again.
Another line was there, written in his hand:
"He has a chance... and I'll make sure it succeeds."
She looked at him closely.
Then smiled and handed back the notebook.
"Yan will surprise everyone.
And you... you're still, as always, one step ahead."
She whispered as she left:
"Never let them see your back, Rami."
He closed the door behind her, alone once more.
His gaze drifted toward the corner — where the book was hidden.
He approached it... but didn't touch it.
His eyes simply stared.
In silence.