Geminid curtsied slightly, her fan poised gracefully near her lips.
"It's a pleasure to meet Your Grace as well, Maxi."
She turned her eyes toward Kate, who was standing just beside him, her posture reserved, her gaze low and shy. Geminid smiled—sweetly at first, but with a glint of amusement.
"It seems you know my best friend, Kate."
Maxi blinked. "I didn't know you two were friends. We, uh… never got around to talking about that."
Kate nodded silently beside him.
Geminid tilted her head thoughtfully, tapping her fan to her chin. "Oh? Then what did you two talk about?"
Maxi glanced at Kate. Kate glanced at Maxi.
At once, they both said, "Stuff."
Geminid let out a soft laugh. "Stuff? How mysterious. What kind of 'stuff'?"
"Random things," Maxi replied, trying to sound casual. "Like… about the rooms we explored. Just things that came up while we were walking."
Geminid raised a perfectly arched brow. "But don't you already know everything about this castle?"
Maxi shook his head. "Not really. I barely get to come into the main castle. I'm… not really allowed to."
Geminid blinked. "Oh, how unfortunate."
She turned to Kate with a playful smile. "So I assume you were exploring with dear Kate?"
Both of them nodded. Kate, a bit more brightly now, said, "It was actually really fun."
"Yeah," Maxi added. "We even found a hidden obstacle course."
Geminid gasped softly. "All of that sounds delightful! I truly wish I could've joined you…" She placed a hand over her heart, "but it seems you've already stolen all the fun."
Maxi chuckled. "We haven't explored everything yet. We still haven't gone to the battle grounds, or the library. And… well, we could explore my castle, too. There's not much there, but still—"
Kate's eyes lit up. "Can we seriously explore your castle?"
Geminid opened her fan slightly, revealing a sly smile. "Oh, that sounds delightful. Why don't we plan to do that… after?"
"After what?" Maxi asked.
Geminid laughed, folding her fan closed with a delicate flick. "After you open your presents, silly."
Maxi blinked. "Oh. Right. I almost forgot…" He scratched his head. "It is my birthday."
Geminid nodded with a playful hum. "Mmm… judging by the way the guests are starting to quiet down, I imagine the gift ceremony is about to begin."
Maxi sighed. "Then we better get back before anyone notices I'm missing."
Kate nodded quickly, hesitating for a moment before slowly reaching toward his hand again—the same soft, uncertain movement as before.
But Maxi, unaware, simply reached out and grabbed her hand like it was the most natural thing in the world.
That's when Geminid smiled wider, stepping slightly forward, placing herself just beside them.
"Oh my," she purred, fanning herself with a smirk. "If you're going to treat a girl like that in front of another, she might get jealous…"
Maxi forced a smile, lips twitching.
(Oh she's good. Really good. And she's this sharp at this age? Gods help me if she keeps that energy into adulthood…)
Aloud, he said, "Of course I wouldn't want to make the young lady jealous."
He turned to Geminid and extended his other hand with practiced charm. "Come on, then."
Geminid laughed—not childishly, but with the elegance of a woman far beyond her years. She took his hand like a queen accepting an emperor's offer, her posture flawless.
And so, hand in hand with two very different girls on either side of him, Maxi made his way back toward the grand hall, where the final act of his birthday celebration—and whatever madness came next—was waiting for him.
By the time they arrived, guests were seated, and the music had softened. Maxi's mother was visibly looking for him.
He guided Kate and Geminid to a pair of open seats, letting go of their hands with a gentle wave. Kate shyly waved back. Geminid waved with her fan, graceful as
Maxi ran toward his mother, who immediately pulled him into a tight hug.
"Where have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you," she scolded softly.
"I was... having fun," Maxi replied. "And maybe increasing both my options and my friends."
His mother gave him a look. "But there were so many kids here."
Maxi sighed. "Yeah. Who were all too busy staring at Moon. The sun of the show, while I was supposed to be the star. So I couldn't talk to many."
His mother sighed, smoothing back his hair.
"Don't worry about it, Maxi. Moon is annoying-but good in his own way. Just imagine it like this: he's the sun that drags away all the fleeting little wisps, so the loya/ butterflies come find you instead."
Maxi blinked. "... That's one way to look at it."
She kissed the top of his head. "Now come on, my sweet angel. Time to open your gifts. I'm sure you have many."
Maxi returned to the center of the main hall, where beautifully wrapped gifts were stacked beside a velvet table.
Most of them were from nobles and families trying to impress or curry favor-ornaments, rare crystals, elegant clothes. To Maxi, they felt a bit impersonal, but he smiled and accepted each one graciously.
Then, Maxi opened a long black box-and his eyes lit up.
Inside was a stunning black blazer, but the interior... was something else. The inner lining shimmered with a moving projection of stars, as if the galaxy itself lived within the fabric.
"Wow... who got me this?" Maxi asked.
His mother smiled and pointed at Colen. From across the room, Colen gave him a small. subtle nod.
Maxi smiled warmly. "Thanks."
Another standout gift came next-a pair of white gloves.
"I've always wanted gloves," Maxi said. "But... what do they do?"
Techxin blinked. "You expected them to do something?"
Techxin blinked. "You expected them to do something?"
Maxi shrugged. "Kind of, yeah."
"Told you." Colen said coldly, looking up from his ever so slightly
Techxin sighed. "I guess I have to get you something better."
Colen stood from his seat and walked over slowly and steadily. In his hand, he held a nail-sized snowflake, shimmering with a soft, illusory rainbow light.
"Techxin," Colen said, with a straight face, "this counts as my second gift."
He placed the snowflake gently on one of Maxi's gloves.
an instant, the gloves froze inside cubes of rainbow-tinted ice. The cubes shattered, revealing elegant gloves with a delicate lace pattern.
The left glove now bore a detailed snowflake sigil.
The right glove held a strange symbol - three eyes: two facing forward, one gazing
left, with a sly smile beneath them.
It was Maxi's own divine mark.
"Whoa," Maxi whispered. "Thank you, big brother."
Colen smiled faintly. "They're just the basics. The gloves grant you elemental immunity, and they'll make spellcasting easier. Should be useful when I start teaching you magic."
"Again," Maxi said softly, "thank you."
He opened a few more gifts-new daggers from Mõkō and Dalles, an allowance increase from his father
(which he begrudgingly accepted with a silent You bastard-you couldn't even get me a proper gift)
then... the final box.
Inside was a leather-bound book.
Blank pages. Pure white.
For writing," said a familiar voice.
He looked up. His mother smiled warmly.
"A gift from me," she said.
Maxi hugged her tightly. "Thank you."
The weight of the day-the expectations, embarrassment, divine interference, flirtation, and family-melted away for a moment.
He smiled.
The book... was empty.
But Maxi knew better.
It wouldn't stay that way for long especially if Maxi's mind had a say in it