Zane POV(first person point of view)

  I took a bite of the cheesecake, sav the creamy sweetness(Heavenly) before turning to De with a grin.

  "Soooo… how’s school?" I asked eagerly. I always liked hearing about the crazy things happening in my son's life. My te wife and I had wanted him to experience a normal life-oh normal friends and everyday adventures, just like any other kid.

  De barely looked up from his pte as he scooped another piece of the cheesecake into his mouth. "Eh...nothing much. My friends and I pyed soccer in gym today, but then a bunch of girls swarmed me… like, a lot of them." He spoke so nontly, but I knew he had dealt with this quite often. "Oh, and I aced the exam, so… I guess it was a good day."

  I raised an eyebrow. "De… you gotta chew, son."

  He grumbled, relutly slowing down to chew properly. "Okay, okay, Dad…"

  I paused,as I processed what he told me, before asking. "Let me get this straight… You got swarmed by girls?"

  "Yeah."

  "And you aced the exam?"

  "Mm-hmm," he nodded, shoveling another bite of the cheesecake into his mouth.

  I sighed. "Son… are you sure you’re not overw yourself?"

  De blinked, looking fused. "Huh?"

  I pause for a moment, trying to find the correct words to express my thoughts carefully. "Look, you’re ag exams like it’s nothing, pying sports, and somehow fending off a whole group of girls-all in one day? That’s a lot. You have to stantly memorize what you studied while keeping up with your friends and dealing with unwatentiirls. It’s got to be exhausting. I just don’t want you to burn yourself out."

  For a moment, my mind drifted to my te wife, Victoria. Before we started dating, she used to be surrounded by boys all the time. She always tried to be polite, but I remember the frustration/stress building in her until she lost her patience. Like De, she was a genius and she carried the weight of high expectations from the people around her. But I also khat her stress ran deeper-strained retionships, personal struggles… things she barely spoke about. And the pressure of it all eventually led her to break ties with her own parents. She didn't like talking about it much.

  De groaned, resting his in his hand. "Dad… I won’t burn out, okay?"

  I then seriously responded back. "Still… I prioritize your mental health above everything. I don’t mind if you take it easy or sck off sometimes."

  De sighed dramatically, as if I was making a big deal out of nothing. "I swear, I promise-this much is nothing. Besides…"

  I narrowed my eyes. "Besides… what?"

  A mischievous grin appeared on his face. "My friends and I… secretly py video games during cafeteria hours and in our elective css. It’s an easy, id-back period, so we just chill for an hour and a half."

  I blinked, but found myself grinning. "Oh… Ooooh. Wait, wait, wait-so you’re telling me-"

  De smirked. "Yep. And no one else knows except me and my friends."

  Hearing that, I couldn't help but remember about my own high school days. I had taken aive like that once, and while I was more of a loner, I’d used that free time to py some amazing fan-made games with great stories and bat meics. Sure, it wasn’t the most academic use of time, but having fun was just as important as studying. If this little secret of his kept him from burning out, then I was all for it.

  I grinned. "Son…"

  De looked at me with a curious look. "Yeah…?"

  "You have learned wisely."

  De chuckled, tilting his head smugly. "Well, of course. I did learn from the best—aka, you."

  "My boy!" I immediately pulled him into an.

  His face turned slightly pink. "D-Dad, e on…"

  I grinned, aggressively ruffling his hair.

  He hesitated before mumbling in an embarrassed voice, "…It’s fine. You do it as much as you like. I don’t mind."

  I smiled warmly. "Okay." I then pause and think about something for abit. "Want to py video games now with me?"

  De grinned. "Yep...Ill beat you today again!"

  I then grin maliciously."HAHAHA...I have a higher wihan you young man. You'll never win against me!"

  "Hehehe....we will see old man...we will see."

  As the rest of our evening and night went on like this for a few hours..including a pillow fight....A kno the door could be heard.

  Ded I looked at each other.

  "Did you call someone in this time of the night, De?" I asked.

  "No...I definitely did not." De, too, was just as suprised me.

  The door knocked on again, this time louder. A voice could be heard from behind it. "Hello? Is this the resident of Dr. Zoshant and De Zoshant? I have something I wish to talk about, something....major I wish to discuss."

  De looked at me with wariness as I approached the side window of the door slowly and quietly. Who knew who could be behind the door. Someone pretending to be friendly to stab me in the front? Someoh the iions to rob us? I just wished to see how this individual looked by looking through the side window which people from outside dont usually know about as its hidden. As I peeked from the side window, I saw a rather well fed and tall individual and he had the type of looks that would attract many girls to his side. He had slightly longer bck hair, no facial hair, and wore a white suit-the type that you see in movies to only realize ter that he's rich. His eyes were an icy blue.

  I had no pn of opening the door, but the individual spoke out loud as if already knowing that I was there.

  "I know your there....and I assure you, I myself have no ons on me, nor such things. I uand it's hard to trust a strahat es knog in the middle of the night just to speak to you. That's why...I have brought a delicacy..."

  The maakes out a box, holding it in both hands and then spoke in a calm, measured tone.

  "So....may I ehe pce. Its about the person in your family that passed on 7 years ago. Victoria."

  After hearing that and the mysterious stranger bringing in cake with no sign of hurting us, De looked at me quietly. Unspoken words passed between us, and I opehe door. The stranger gave a charming smile, but why did it feel...ominous....my instincts quietly screamed at me to shut the dht then and there, but something told me it would bring in something worse if I were at this moment to reject him.

  "Hello sir, yht. Usually if a person es unannouned in the middle of the night we are suspicious. You know...murderers or robbers could e out at any point in time and just stab you while smiling." I say in a cheerful tone of voice with humor, masking my unease. "Buut I think we had a bit of a bad start. Please do e in."

  The man ughed. "HAHAHA! Wise thinking, Doctor. No worries, I plelety uand."

  As the man came inside, I lead him to the table and motioned for him to sit on a chair. The man sat dout the cake oable. De, didnt speak a word, and instead chose to remain quiet.

  The man then looked at De with a smile and observed him. Something about it, felt...unnerving. The man then spoke.

  "Ah....I see you have your mothers hair and eyes. Your definitely her child thats for sure."

  De responded politely. "I do hear that I take a lot after her, sir."

  The man chuckled. "Is that so? I see. I see." The man then paused for a brief moment before looking at me.

  "Ah, I rememeber that I wish to speak about something regarding your te wife and...your son."

  I pulled out a chair and sat down. I still felt wary inside. De remaianding. "And what exactly do you wish to discuss, sir? You haven’t introduced yourself yet."

  The man blinked, as if just realizing his ht. Then, with a slow smile, he said,

  "My apologies… My name is Loran. Lorahorne."

  Something about that name felt… old. A, even. The kind of hat carried weight, like it belonged in fotten history books.

  Before I could process it further, Loran spoke again.

  "And you could say… I’ve e with a request you ’t refuse." His blue eyes locked onto mine. "I need… your son."

  The room fell into silence.

  Ded I stood frozen, the sentence he had spoken out felt like the beginning of something. Something not good.

  And in my mind, only ohought surfaced.

  "What?"

  The word slipped from my lips in pure disbelief.