At Noble Academy, every child's birthday was on file. They would receive a custom cake from the school, along with a few exquisite gifts.
The next day at kindergarten, the teacher organized the class to celebrate Alaric's birthday. They shared cake, and he was given two exquisite sets of building blocks. A group of little girls gathered around him, asking in their sweet, childish voices:
"Alaric, did you get any presents at home?"
Alaric Norwood nodded obediently. "Yes. I got a lot of cool models, just as cool as these blocks. My uncle also gave me a card. He gives me one every year. With the one from Daddy, I have a few of them now."
"What kind of card is it?" a girl mused. "My big brother has lots of cards, too. He spent thousands just buying them. My mom says it's a waste!"
'What kind of card?'
Alaric thought for a moment. "They're black."
