The morning light filtered through the tall windows of the Starfall estate, casting long golden rays across the polished wooden floors.
Today felt different from other days—warmer somehow, filled with an anticipation that seemed to hum through the very walls of the manor.
The servants moved with extra purpose, their steps lighter, their smiles broader. Even the birds outside seemed to sing with more enthusiasm.
Today was Ethan's fifteenth birthday.
In the main dining hall, Aurora Drake stood before a table laden with dishes that would make even the main family's cooks envious.
Her dark hair was pulled back in an elegant bun, and she wore her finest dress—deep blue silk embroidered with silver threads that caught the morning light like captured stars.
She had been awake since before dawn, supervising every detail of the birthday feast with the fierce dedication that only a mother could muster.
