The next day arrived quietly.
For once, no one in the household had any urgent responsibilities. The atmosphere in the house was calm, almost unusually peaceful, as if everyone unconsciously wanted to enjoy the day before the inevitable moment arrived.
Because tomorrow, everything would change.
Tomorrow, Jade would enter his system trial.
Even though no one said it out loud, everyone in the family understood the gravity of that moment. Trials were dangerous. Some participants returned stronger than ever.
Others never returned at all.
But today was different.
Today, the house was alive with small activities.
In the living room, Seraphine sat comfortably on the couch beside Jade's grandfather, Asterian. The two of them were watching a fantasy romance movie on the large television screen. The characters on the screen were locked in a dramatic love confession, and Asterian occasionally chuckled at the exaggerated emotions.
Seraphine, however, seemed distracted. Her eyes watched the movie, but her mind was somewhere else.
Meanwhile, somewhere else in the house, loud metallic sounds echoed rhythmically.
Inside the underground dojo, Rylan was training.
The sound of fists striking punching bags and feet slamming against reinforced training boards echoed through the training chamber. Even on a day like this, Rylan refused to neglect his discipline.
Training was part of his nature.
On the other side of the house, Nora was in her room, talking excitedly with her friends through a video call.
"Did you see yesterday's match?" she said enthusiastically.
Her friends responded immediately.
"Yeah! The guy with the twin blades almost lost!"
Nora laughed.
"The Initiate Championship is getting intense."
One of her friends said, "I'm betting on Kai to win the next match."
Nora shook her head confidently.
"No way. I'm putting my money on Lyria. Her speed is insane."
They continued gossiping and debating the matches, laughing and teasing each other about their bets.
While the rest of the house was busy in their own way, the kitchen was a completely different scene.
Jade stood in the middle of it.
Flour covered his hands.
White powder stained his shirt and even dusted his hair slightly. His arms were working tirelessly as he prepared meal after meal.
Jade's birthday was technically tomorrow.
But tomorrow he would enter the system trial.
There was a possibility that he wouldn't be able to celebrate it with his family.
So he had decided to celebrate it today instead.
And he wanted to make the moment special.
He was preparing a feast.
The kitchen smelled amazing.
Fresh dough rested on the counter.
A large bowl of ingredients sat nearby.
Jade grabbed the dough and began shaping it carefully.
He placed it on the table and started spinning it with his fingers.
His hands moved quickly and skillfully.
The dough rotated in smooth circles.
With gentle movements, Jade stretched it outward, forming a perfectly round base.
It almost looked like the movements of a professional chef.
Jade smiled slightly.
Cooking was one of his favorite hobbies.
It calmed him.
It allowed him to focus.
Once the pizza base was ready, he checked the meat he had placed in the steamer earlier.
He lifted the lid.
Hot steam escaped immediately.
The rich smell of seasoned meat filled the kitchen.
Jade carefully carried the steaming meat to the counter and began slicing it into pieces.
Then he decorated the pizza with the ingredients.
Cheese.
Tomato sauce.
Fresh herbs.
Perfectly sliced meat.
Layer by layer, the pizza began to look delicious.
Satisfied, Jade placed it into the oven.
But he wasn't done.
Not even close.
He still had many dishes to prepare.
He moved quickly between different tasks.
He mixed batter for a birthday cake.
He prepared dishes that each family member loved.
His mother's favorite dish.
His sister's favorite meal.
His father's preferred food.
Even his grandfather's favorite snack.
By the time he finished everything, Jade looked like someone who had just walked through a rainstorm.
Sweat soaked his shirt.
Flour covered his arms.
His hair stuck slightly to his forehead.
But he smiled.
Everything was ready.
Jade finally went to his room.
He took a quick bath, washing away the flour and sweat.
When he came out again, he felt refreshed.
He carefully arranged the dining table.
Plates.
Glasses.
Cutlery.
Then he placed the dishes on the table one by one.
The table quickly filled with food.
Pizza.
Cake.
Steamed meat.
Various delicious dishes.
The entire dining room smelled incredible.
Finally, Jade called everyone.
"Everyone! Dinner is ready!"
One by one, the family members gathered.
Rylan came upstairs from the dojo.
Nora came out of her room.
Seraphine and Asterian walked in from the living room.
They all stopped when they saw the dining table.
It was completely full of food.
Asterian raised an eyebrow.
"Well, well."
Jade cleared his throat slightly.
"You all know I will be sent to my trial tomorrow."
The room suddenly became quiet.
"So we might not be able to celebrate my birthday tomorrow."
He smiled gently.
"That's why I decided to celebrate my sixteenth birthday today."
Asterian nodded calmly.
"So you are obviously going to the trial."
He grabbed a chair and sat down.
Then he said casually,
"Please don't die."
Then he added with a grin,
"And happy early birthday."
Despite the joke, everyone else looked emotional.
Seraphine looked at Jade with moist eyes.
"Jade… my sweetheart."
She stood up and hugged him.
"I wish you an early happy birthday."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"I don't want to lose you."
She placed her hand on his cheek.
"You are my most precious treasure."
Jade felt his chest tighten.
His eyes filled with tears.
But he held them back.
He refused to cry.
Nora crossed her arms but spoke honestly.
"Don't die."
She shrugged.
"Because I can't deal with Mom and Dad crying all the time."
She paused.
"Especially Mom."
Jade laughed softly.
Rylan placed his hand on Jade's shoulder.
"Good luck," he said.
"And happy birthday, son."
Jade smiled.
"Thanks, Dad."
But then Rylan leaned closer and stared at Jade's face.
He looked surprised.
"You know…"
Jade blinked.
"What?"
Rylan pointed at his face.
"You have a faint moustache."
Seraphine laughed softly.
"Of course he does."
She smiled warmly.
"He is sixteen now."
"He should start showing signs of puberty."
Jade scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"That's embarrassing."
Then he looked around at everyone.
His family.
His home.
His heart felt warm.
"Thank you all for making this day memorable."
Everyone finally sat down.
They began eating.
The room filled with the sounds of laughter and conversation.
Seraphine tasted the food and immediately looked impressed.
"Jade."
She smiled proudly.
"You have really outdone yourself."
And for that moment…
Everything felt perfect.
Even though tomorrow would change everything.
Tonight, Jade simply enjoyed being surrounded by the people he loved.