The Birthday
The Birthday
Jake spoke in a bewildered tone, trying to reassure himself, "It's almost midnight now. He must be at the Institution."
"The call was from the Institution..." Bruno's voice dropped. "Clarity hasn't returned at all."
Jake slammed his fist against the wall beside him, the realization crashing over him in terror. "Don't tell me... that he might have been... arrested?!"
"Don't let your imagination run wild," Bruno replied sternly. "If he didn't return to the Institution, he might still be at his house. He came earlier to take his key. What's confusing is that he didn't inform anyone at the Institution that he'd be late or staying out tonight."
"I'm going out to check if he's at his house."
Jake turned to leave, but Bruno caught him by the arm, stopping him firmly. "I'm not letting you go out now. I still don't know how those bastards out there operate. They might frame you with a false charge. Don't forget that you're quite high-profile here."
"I won't be able to rest until I make sure he's safe!"
"I'll go myself."
"Won't you be in danger then?"
"How could those bastards possibly pose a threat to me?!"
Bruno grabbed his coat from the sofa, pulling the hood over his head. He looked at Jake with a faint, quiet smile. "I'll be back safely, and so will Clarity. Don't worry."
Bruno stepped out of the building. It was late, well past midnight, leaving the broad avenue virtually deserted save for a few passersby returning home after a long day of work. A gentle, slow rain was falling.
Deep in thought as he walked down the wide street, Bruno walked right past Clarity's house without noticing. Realizing his mistake, he stopped and doubled back. He climbed the front steps and reached out to turn the doorknob; the fact that it was still unlocked made him sigh in quiet relief.
He stepped inside. The lights were on, and he instantly spotted Clarity lying on the sofa.
Bruno smiled faintly, whispering under his breath, "There you are!"
He approached Clarity, studying him closely. He was sound asleep, yet a sheen of cold sweat covered his brow. Bruno reached out and touched Clarity's forehead—it was burning hot. He realized immediately that Clarity had a fever.
"Probably due to his illness," Bruno muttered, heading toward the kitchen in search of a cloth.
Finding one, he quickly dampened it with cold water, returned to Clarity, and placed it gently over his forehead. He pulled a chair closer and sat beside him.
Bruno whispered Clarity's name, but received no response.
Taking a deep breath, he looked around the room. The house was remarkably neat and clean... Clarity must have worked tirelessly to restore it to its former state.
Bruno looked back at Clarity, whispering to himself, "I wonder... if I've been unfair to you."
Just staring at Clarity's features made Bruno's mind involuntarily drift to how eerily similar he looked to Yohan.
Bruno stood up from the chair in irritation. Merely dwelling on that thought dragged him back into his old obsession...
Truthfully, that obsession hadn't formed simply because Bruno had lost his child...
It was because they had sent him the completely charred corpse of a child—a child whose facial features were entirely destroyed—and insisted it was his son, Yohan. They tried to force him to believe it, forcing it upon him despite Bruno screaming at the top of his lungs: "This isn't Yohan... I haven't forgotten what Yohan looks like... This isn't him!"
How could he ever forget the face of a child who had been the single beam of heaven in his burning life?
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Perhaps that was why Bruno wanted to keep Clarity away from his sight—delusional thoughts were beginning to blur his judgment.
Bruno sat back down on the chair, closing his eyes to rest for a moment.
Clarity opened his eyes, taking the damp cloth off his forehead. He stared at Bruno sitting across from him. His vision was blurry and unfocused, and in his dazed state, he whispered softly, "Father...?"
Bruno snapped his eyes open, looking at Clarity in surprise.
Clarity sat up, a sheepish, apologetic look on his face. "I thought you were my father. Sorry."
"Why did you think that?"
"Because the chances of you being near me in my house are lower than the chances of my dead father being here."
Bruno smiled, whispering, "That's a witty answer, actually." He then raised his voice slightly, "Do you really think it's impossible for me to take care of you here, while it's plausible for your late father to do so?"
"I didn't say my father's return was possible," Clarity replied. "I just thought I had died and met him."
Bruno's expression darkened. "Don't talk about death in front of me."
"Sorry," Clarity said, sitting up properly and speaking with sudden brightness. "How did you get here?"
"Eve called me," Bruno said. "She was worried because you hadn't returned."
"What time is it...?!" Clarity looked up, shocked, clapping a hand over his mouth. "I'm really late! I fell asleep without realizing it."
"And you call that a 'nap'? It was closer to losing consciousness."
"You mean my high temperature? I've gotten used to it lately." Clarity finished his sentence with a soft smile.
Bruno felt a surge of silent frustration. Clarity was in terrible shape, yet he talked about it as if he didn't care at all. Bruno wanted to tell him to stop acting like that... but Clarity was the one enduring all the pain here. Perhaps smiling was his way of fighting through it.
Bruno stood up. "Let's head back to the Institution."
Clarity stood up, grabbing his bag from the table. He looked around the house, whispering, "I feel like I forgot something...! Ah, I remember—Grandmother's address."
Bruno was already standing near the outer gate, waiting. Clarity stepped outside a few minutes later, apologizing profusely, and they set off toward the Institution.
Bruno took a series of indirect routes—paths significantly longer than the usual way. Clarity wanted to ask him why, but Bruno looked visibly tense, so Clarity remained silent and walked quietly beside him.
They arrived at the Institution. Bruno asked Clarity to go in alone, so Clarity entered quietly.
Bruno waited outside until Eve came out to meet him. Taking her uncle's hand, she led him toward the back garden, where it was safer to speak.
The garden was quiet, illuminated by dim lights, with the scent of recent rain hanging in the cool air.
"I brought the kid back," Bruno assured her. "He was asleep at his house."
Eve nodded, a warm smile spreading across her face. "I ran into him inside. Thank you, Uncle. He's really careless—he completely skipped his medication today. If he keeps doing that, his condition will only get worse."
"Did you hear about the specialized units formed by your grandfather? The ones called the Anti-Gang Task Force."
"I did," Eve replied, her expression turning serious. "That's why I was so worried about Clarity. Their movements are troubling, but we know almost nothing about them yet. I asked Aaron to look into it, so he might contact you soon."
"Good. I wanted to ask him about it..."
"I have to go back inside now, Uncle. I have work to finish," Eve said. "I had planned a small party for Clarity's birthday, but he was late and the day has officially ended. Still, I'm going to celebrate anyway. I really wish you could join us, but some of the staff members decided to join in as well."
"I've never been fond of celebrations," Bruno said quietly. "Pass along my best wishes to him."
"I certainly will."
Bruno hesitated, looking as if something was weighing heavily on his mind. Taking a deep breath, he spoke in a low, measured voice, "Eve... a crazy idea just crossed my mind."
At the Mansion.
Grandfather Thomas and Conar were sitting on the sofa in the inner hall, engaged in a low, intense conversation.
Aaron approached them, feigning a look of delighted surprise. "What a wonderful surprise, Grandfather!"
Sitting down across from them, Aaron continued smoothly, "The Anti-Gang Task Force... Whose brilliant idea was that?!"
Conar smiled proudly, gesturing toward his father. "It was your grandfather's idea, of course. And a brilliant one at that."
"So, Grandfather," Aaron asked innocently, "how exactly will these units operate...?"
Back at the Institution.
Eve re-entered the building after finishing her conversation with Bruno. She was smiling in faint disbelief, still pondering their conversation. Shaking her head, she made her way toward the room of Grandmother Mary—Clarity's former neighbor.
Grandmother Mary was waiting eagerly inside alongside Elavin, who was holding a small cake decorated with chocolate piping that read: "When Purity Was Born."
Eve smiled at Elavin, who looked at her with bright anticipation. "He's on his way now. I sent the nurse to fetch him."
The nurse had told Clarity that Grandmother Mary was feeling a bit unwell and wanted to see him, so he walked anxiously down the hallway. Reaching the room at last, he opened the door quietly.
The room was pitch black. The moment he took a step inside, the lights flickered on, accompanied by cheerful voices singing—Eve, Elavin, Grandmother Mary, and the nurses.
An automatic, joyful smile broke across Clarity's face, pure delight and surprise sweeping over his features.
Elavin stepped forward holding the lovely little cake topped with a single glowing candle. Clarity leaned in and blew out the flame with a soft breath.
Applause erupted around the room.
Clarity beamed. He felt an overwhelming wave of happiness... until tears welled up in his eyes and slipped down his cheek. The moment Eve noticed, she rushed over to him in concern.
Clarity wiped the tear away quickly, his voice overflowing with emotion. "I was so sad... I thought I had missed the celebration and failed my mother's wish. Thank you... Thank you all so much!"