"Good Morning," I heard Mom's voice as I opened the fridge to get some milk. I walked towards her and kissed her on the cheek.

"Morning, Mom," I whispered, pouring the milk into a glass and sitting down.

"I'm preparing some fried rice, hotdogs, and eggs," Mom said.

"It's perfect! Mom, you don't have to stress about what you're gonna feed us; we eat everything, okay?" I smiled at her.

Minutes passed, and I saw Josh and Leroy coming down from upstairs.

"Hey, Mommy! What do we have for breakfast?" Josh greeted my mom, who replied and asked him some things.

Leroy, on the other hand, sat beside me like a zombie—clearly not used to waking up at 8 in the morning.

"So, what are we up to?" Josh asked after sitting beside Leroy with some bread in his hands.

"Well, we can go to the pool at Bran's and Alicia's place?" I suggested, noticing Josh's eyes light up while Leroy smiled and nodded.

"That's fantastic!" Josh replied.

"Yeah, I think so. We just need to wait for them to wake up and have some breakfast before we head over," I said before standing up to help Mom prepare the table.

"What's our plan for your birthday?" Alice asked me during breakfast.

"We should definitely do something fun before you guys leave. Maybe a little party?" I suggested, trying to keep the mood light.

Alice nodded enthusiastically, "I'm in! I'll bake something special for you."

"Yeah, that sounds great! I can help with decorations," I replied, thrilled at the idea.

As breakfast wrapped up, we began brainstorming pool party ideas. "What about a theme?" I suggested, my mind racing with possibilities. "We could do a tropical luau or maybe a retro vibe!"

"Luau sounds awesome!" Josh exclaimed, practically bouncing in his seat. "We can have leis and tropical drinks!"

"And we should definitely have some games," Leroy added, now fully awake. "How about a water balloon toss or a pool volleyball match?"

"I love that!" I said, picturing the laughter and splashes as we competed. "We'll need a playlist too—some fun summer songs to keep the vibe going."

Alicia chimed in, "I'll bring my Bluetooth speaker! We can set up some lights around the pool for when it gets dark too."

With each suggestion, my excitement grew. The prospect of a vibrant pool party with all my favorite people filled me with warmth. I could already envision the colorful decorations, the laughter echoing off the water, and the delicious treats we would enjoy.

As we finished breakfast, I felt grateful for my friends and the memories we were about to create. This birthday, though bittersweet with farewells looming, promised to be one I would cherish forever.

Days pass after I celebrated my birthday with my family and friends, including Josh and Leroy, who would head back to the city soon since vacation was almost over. Meanwhile, Alice and Bran were preparing to return to Europe.

It was pretty sad; I would surely miss them.

We only had a week of vacation before Nick and I would go back to the city.

After breakfast, I took a shower and headed downstairs around ten. Papa was already gone; he worked at our mechanic shop.

In the living room, I saw Mom and Grae.

"Hey, Mom!" I greeted her, walking over to Grae, carrying him, and kissing his chubby cheeks before sitting beside her.

"Good morning! Why don't you have breakfast?" Mom asked while typing something on her laptop. She managed our online store for the shop.

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"I'll just have some coffee; I'll have lunch later with you guys. By the way, where's Nick?" I asked, playing with my little brother.

"Ah, he went to pick up some supplies; he'll be here before lunch," she replied, and I spent my morning with Grae.

After an hour, I heard a car stop in front of our house. I peeked outside, unsure who it was. Standing up, I placed Grae in his crib and opened the door to check.

I saw Nick emerge from the passenger seat, accompanied by four others, including the driver. Nick raised his hand to greet me, and I felt Mom behind me.

"They're here," I heard her whisper.

I looked at her with a questioning gaze, but she just gave me a small smile and waved at our visitors.

We gathered in the living room while I carried Grae in my arms, waiting for Papa.

Nick introduced me to our visitors: Rafail Juares and Jophiel Egonia, who I believed were counselors in our town. Miel and Michael La Guarja were siblings; Miel was the headmistress of the high school, while Michael was our mayor.

They were all immensely successful, especially at such a young age—probably just in their late twenties.

I stayed quiet, glancing at them when they weren't looking.

They were all good-looking; Rafail and Jophiel looked like models, while Michael had the commanding presence of a leader.

Not that they looked like hoodlums, but they had this aura that made me nervous and intrigued at the same time.

As for Miss Miel, she was stunning. If the men had a somewhat intimidating aura, hers was serene.

While I was busy observing them, I locked eyes with Michael, and my face turned red automatically. I quickly averted my gaze, hiding behind Grae. He smiled slightly and turned his attention to Nick.

After a few minutes, Papa arrived. I went to the dining room, placing Grae in his high chair next to mine, and helped Mom set the table for lunch.

Once the table was prepared, our visitors came in one by one. Papa sat at the center; on his right was Mom, and on his left was Nick. Grae was between me and Mom. Next to Nick was Miel and Rafail, while Jophiel and Michael sat beside me, facing Papa.

"Samuel..." Michael addressed my father. Papa looked at him, waiting.

Before Michael continued, he glanced at me and then resumed, "I believe you know why we are here, right?"

Papa nodded and took a look at me while sipping his water.

I suddenly felt nervous. I hadn't done anything wrong. Mom's hand on my arm was reassuring.

"You don't have to be afraid or get nervous," Miel said, smiling warmly at me. I looked around, noticing that Rafail and Jophiel were smiling too, while Michael and Papa wore blank expressions.

I glanced at Nick; he looked unhappy, which scared me. I silently asked him what was happening.

He averted his eyes and quietly finished his food.

After Mom spoke to me, assuring me, she took Grae and went to the living room.

Nick walked over, held my arms, and kissed my head.

"You're gonna be fine, babe," he whispered, holding me for a few moments before letting go and following Mom.

Jophiel and Miel smiled at me before joining Nick in the living room.

"Arwen—let's go," Papa urged, prompting me to follow him into our basement.

I looked at him, scared.

I bit my lip and slowly took small steps toward them.

Michael and Rafail stood in front of me. Rafail smiled encouragingly while Michael offered his hand.

"Arwen," he whispered as my hand touched his.

I felt hypnotized, unable to look away from his captivating blue eyes, reminiscent of the deepest ocean. He had thick lashes framing them.

I finally averted my gaze, allowing him to help me descend the stairs.

Once we reached the basement, where Mom and I had cleaned our jewelry a few days ago, Papa made me sit in the same chair I had before. In front of us were Michael and Rafail. Papa opened a vault hidden behind a painting.

I was aware that we had a vault there; Papa took out a small crate and positioned it on the table in front of us.

He looked at Michael and Rafail and nodded before sitting beside me and holding one of my hands.

I heard Michael take a deep breath, looking directly into my eyes.

"Arwen Latrelle, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. We should have met a few days ago, I believe, before your birthday, right Samuel?" he began, glancing at my Papa, who nodded.

I remained silent, letting him continue.

"I don't know how to start," he smiled coyly. Rafail chuckled and leaned back against the couch.

"Do you remember the story your mom told you?" he asked.

I looked at him, trying to recall what he meant.

"About... Azrael," Rafail added.

Surprised, I looked at my father and replied, "The angel of death... love story?"

"Yes, that Azrael," Michael said, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Hmmm... Yeah, I remember that story. I'm sorry, I'm confused. Are we all here just because of the story? I mean! Come on!" I sighed and laughed.

"I know it might sound crazy, but to answer, yes, that's why we are all here," Papa said, his expression serious.

The smile on my lips slowly faded. I cautiously looked at the two men in front of us.

Despite sensing no animosity from them, their seriousness made me uneasy.

I took a deep breath, withdrawing my hands from my father's grasp, leaning back into the couch.

"God... What is this craziness all about?" I said, exhausted, closing my eyes.