Supremacy Games

Felix received many congratulation messages from Olivia and the others close to him. He was even invited to a party that was held in the UVR to celebrate it.

Seeing that it was being made by Olivia and his grandfather, Felix decided to take part.

...

"Do you think he will be mad at us?" Olivia asked with a worried tone while eyeing a three layers birthday chocolate cake.

"Don't worry, Felix has matured and experienced hell in his journey." Robert patted her in the head, "If he can slay a dragon, overcoming his trauma of birthdays should be doable too."

"Let's hope so...I don't want to upset him in his party." Olivia murmured while placing candles on the cake.

Unbeknownst to Felix, Olivia, and Robert were taking advantage of the party pretense to hold Felix a birthday party.

He would turn twenty-four in three days!

Robert always wanted to celebrate Felix's birthday...Alas, he knew that Felix never participated in a birthday party ever since his parents died.

To learn about your parents' death at a young age was already a serious blow to any kid.

But, when it happened on your birthday and learn that the only reason they died was due to rushing towards the party, that was a major traumatic experience.

Ever since then, Felix never mentioned birthdays, hosted his own, or participated in another one.

It truly pained Robert to see Felix like this.

...

Three days later...In the evening.

Felix and Asna could be seen locking arms together while standing before an invitation link. They were dressed beautifully, making them resemble a couple from fairy tales.

Since it was a party, naturally Asna wasn't going to sit back and watch Felix have all the fun.

"Don't cause trouble." Felix warned her one last time before pressing on the invitation link.

"Stop treating me like a child." Asna pinched him in the arm in annoyance while breaking into light particles.

The moment they reopened their eyes, they found themselves standing in utter darkness.

"Did we teleport to the wron..."

Before Felix could finish his sentence, the lights were turned on simultaneously.

Olivia, Robert, Malak, Erik, and the rest all jumped out in the open while shouting, "Surprise!!"

Pow Pow!..

Everyone blew confetti at Felix and Asna, showering them with little pieces of colorful plastic. Their gorgeous outfits were ruined but neither one of them cared about it.

"Happy Birthday Felix!!"

"New year! New journey!"

"Happy Birthday son."

Everyone started clapping in enjoyment while wishing him happy birthday after seeing his stunned expression.

However, when they switched their eyes to Asna...Everyone stopped clapping at once and just kept staring at her with dazed looks.

"So pretty..." Olivia murmured.

"How is it possible that she is more beautiful than in the videos?" Erik wiped his spilling saliva, feeling like he was making a grave sin by just staring at Asna.

"As expected of captain...Even his girlfriend is at a universal clas...Sob, sob." Leo couldn't even finish complement before breaking down in tears at how unjust this universe.

In his eyes, Felix already had too much...Now, even the perfect girlfriend was his. It just didn't feel fair.

"Hello everyone." Asna greeted with a faint charming smile.

"I am going to cry in the corner." The moment Leo saw her smile, he sobbed even louder and dashed to the corner of the hall.

He didn't dare to keep looking at her for long, knowing that he might die from envy.

"I will bring you tissues." Ronaldinho followed him with reddened eyes too.

After those two drama queens left, Noah went forward and shook his hand with Asna's politely.

Then, he patted Felix's shoulder and returned to his table, where his sister was sitting.

Only after his eyes landed on his sister, did his expressionless face fell apart and a tiny content smile emerged.

Meanwhile, Felix didn't even see any of this.

The moment he saw the birthday decor and the giant chocolate cake on a table, the suppressed memories of his eleventh birthday surged all at once.

***

Thirteen years earlier...

In a small cozy apartment in New York Manhattan, Felix could be seen blowing balloons with the nanny.

The living room was already decorated with balloons and a giant posture that says Happy Eleventh Birthday Felix.

"Your dad and mom will be thrilled about your decoration." The nanny smiled kindly while helping Felix with taping another balloon to the wall.

"That's if they came...I am sure they have a lot of work to do." Felix said with a calm tone.

The nanny didn't know how to respond...She wanted to comfort him and tell him that his parents had assured her about their attendance, but she would rather not crush his hopes again.

She knew that his parents loved him dearly, but the nature of their work was truly too taxing on them.

As much as they try to empty their schedule, there was always something urgent happening that needed their supervision.

In his previous birthday, both of them wished him happy birthday through FaceTime.

So, Felix matured much earlier due to the disappointments he lived through by his parents.

The only reason he didn't throw tantrums was because he could see that his parents really tried to make time for him.

If he had to blame someone, it wouldn't be his parents...But his family's cutthroat business system that enforced them to keep working like this to avoid losing their place.

"How about we invite your cousins?" The Nanny proposed.

"No...They are too stuck up." Felix replied.

"Even little Oli?"

"..." Felix paused for a second before shaking his head, "I would rather not make take part in such a boring party."

"Okay..." The Nanny sighed, 'Please come home fast.'

Unbeknownst to her, Felix's father and mother had been turned to ash just a few minutes ago.

Their helicopter blew up straight after crushing into a building...The worst part? The accident happened merely a few kilometers away from Felix.

Yet, he had no idea about it and just kept decorating his birthday party.

Half an hour later...

Felix was sitting alone at a table that had three plates.

He knew that his parents weren't going to show up. If they intended to come, they would have called him earlier.

But just like every kid...He still had a tiny bit of hope that his parents would burst through the door and make him the happiest kid alive.

Alas, he waited and waited...Still, not a single knock on the door.

The chocolate cake in front of him was starting to melt from the sides.

When Felix saw the drops of chocolate falling into the plate, he had a strong urge to cry.

But, he was a big boy, who was used to disappointment.

A big boy, who understood his parents woes and troubles.

"I am big boy...I am a big boy." Felix kept repeating while clutching his pants tightly, trying his best to hold his tears from flooding.

His head was lowered, but a few drops of tears could be seen falling into his lap.

"I am a big boy."

Felix picked the plastic knife in his hand and cut a piece of the cake with his hands shaking.

He didn't blow a candle, he didn't make a wish, he didn't hear a birthday song...He just placed the melting piece of cake on his plate and picked a plastic fork.

Yet, he didn't eat it.

He kept staring at the two other empty plates with reddened eyes.

He picked the plastic knife again and cut another piece...He put it on his father's plate.

Just as he tried to cut another piece, a loud crash resounded from the kitchen.

"Nanny!"

Worried, Felix dropped the knife and went to the kitchen...The first thing he saw, was the nanny lying on the ground.

Distressed, Felix sat next to her and and shook her arm.

Thud!

A home phone fell from her hand face down.

A faint voice was heard from the speaker, attracting Felix's attention. Immediately, Felix picked up the phone, wanting to ask for help.

Alas...The moment he put the speaker next to his ear, he heard the most horrific news a child ever needed to hear.

"Are you there Miss Winesely?! Do you hear me?! No matter what you do, do not let Felix know about his parents' death!"

"You hear me?! I am coming immediately to pick him up!"

Robert's agitated and pained voice boomed as loud as thunder in Felix's ears.

"Grandpa? What are you talking about?"

"..."

Upon hearing Felix's trembling voice, Robert went quiet all of a sound. 

"Grandpa?"

Felix knew that he was still there...He could hear his rugged breathing from the speaker.

"Felix...Pass the phone to your nanny."

A few seconds later, Robert requested with a gentle voice.

"She is on the ground...I think she fainted." Felix informed.

"I see...Please splash some water on her face to wake her up." Robert tried his best to avoid mentioning Felix's parents.

"Okay."

Felix placed his hand in a glass water and splashed it on the nanny's face.

In a few moments, she opened her eyes and saw Felix's dazed expression.

When she spotted the phone in his hand, her heart sunk to the bottom of her stomach.

"Thank you, young master." She quickly stood up and hugged Felix gently with her eyes watering.

She stopped herself from crying and took the phone from Felix's hands.

"Elder, it's me." She said.

"Good thing you are okay." Robert sighed, "Pack up and wait for me. I am taking a flight as we speak."

"Understood." 

Cluck...

Robert hung up the phone without mentioning the accident again.

"Let's go eat your cake, it must have melted by now." The Nanny held Felix's hand and took him to the dinner table.

When she saw that he had prepared two pieces for his parents, she finally couldn't hold back her tears anymore.

"I am sorry, I am so sorry, I am so sorry..."

She hugged him tightly and kept apologizing while crying her heart out.

"Sorry about what?"

Felix was smart enough to connect the dots from what Robert said and his Nanny's reaction.

But, he was still in a denial, refusing to accept the horrendous reality before him...

"Tell me, why are you sorry? Is it for the birthday party? You are scaring me Nanna..." Felix kept speaking with a traumatized expression and tears flooding down his chin uncontrollably.

"I am so sorry, you don't deserve this...You don't deserve any of this."

Alas, the nanny merely kept sobbing while caressing his golden hair, not having the guts to tell him that his parents were gone on his birthday.

What's worse, they died while rushing towards his birthday party...Nanny and Robert knew that if Felix caught wind of this, he would blame himself for their death.

Too bad...That's ended up happening even when Robert delivered the news a week later...

How could Felix ever celebrate a birthday after this? Who could celebrate a birthday when your parents died in it?

In his eyes, celebrating it was the same as celebrating the death of his parents...