After that, the four of them left the training grounds.
As they walked toward the school gate, Finn nudged Rowen with a grin.
"You're coming to my house for dinner. No excuses."
Rowen smiled helplessly.
"I don't want to trouble your parents."
"They'll be happy to see you," Finn replied before Rowen could refuse.
After school, the two of them headed straight to Finn's house.
When they arrived, Finn's parents were still at work.
"Mom and Dad should be back in a couple of hours," Finn said as he unlocked the front door.
The two boys washed up before heading to Finn's room. They spent the afternoon playing games, laughing, and talking about tomorrow's awakening ceremony.
Before they knew it, the clock had struck seven.
The front door opened.
"We're home!"
Finn's parents had returned from work.
Rowen stepped out of Finn's room and greeted them politely.
"Good evening, Uncle. Good evening, Aunt."
"It's good to see you again, Rowen," Finn's mother said with a warm smile.
"We're glad you came," Finn's father added. "It's been a while."
The family gathered around the dinner table.
As they ate, the conversation naturally turned to tomorrow's awakening ceremony.
"When your mother and I awakened," Finn's father said with a chuckle, "we both received support classes."
"We weren't powerful fighters," Finn's mother continued with a smile, "but we still built a happy life together."
Finn's father nodded.
"Not everyone awakens a combat class. Warriors and mages may receive most of the attention, but support classes are just as important."
He looked at both boys.
"So don't be discouraged if you don't awaken a fighting class. Your class doesn't decide your worth. What matters is how you use it."
Rowen gave a respectful nod.
"I'll remember that."
After dinner, Rowen stood and bowed slightly.
"Thank you for the meal. And thank you for having me over."
"You're always welcome here," Finn's mother replied warmly.
Finn walked Rowen to the front door.
"See you tomorrow."
"Yeah," Rowen replied with a small smile. "See you tomorrow."
With that, Rowen left Finn's house and began the quiet walk home beneath the evening sky.
The streets were far quieter than they had been that morning.
As he turned the final corner, his eyes fell on the old wooden sign hanging above the shop.
Evergreen Shop.
He stopped in his tracks.
Every evening, his grandfather would sit behind the counter, patiently waiting for the last customer before closing the shop for the night.
Whenever Rowen returned from school, the old man would always look up with a gentle smile.
"You're back."
Those simple words had become one of Rowen's favorite parts of the day.
Now, no one was there to welcome him home.
The front of the shop was quiet, and the lights inside were off.
Rowen stood there for a few quiet moments before taking out his key.
With a soft click, he unlocked the front door and stepped inside.
After entering the house, Rowen locked the front door and slowly walked upstairs to his room.
He sat down on the edge of his bed and quietly looked around the room.
His eyes soon stopped on a framed picture resting on the table beside his bed.
It was a picture of him and his grandfather standing in front of Evergreen Shop.
A small smile appeared on his face.
He remembered the days when the two of them would eat dinner together after closing the shop. His grandfather would always ask him about school and remind him to take care of his weak body.
Those days were gone now.
Rowen slowly stood up and walked toward the table.
He opened one of the drawers.
Inside were only two things.
A letter.
And a small wooden box.
He gently picked them up.
His grandfather's final words before his death echoed in his mind.
"Rowen... after you complete your Awakening day, you may read this letter and open the wooden box."
"Before then, no matter what happens, you must not open either of them."
At that time, Rowen had promised him.
Even though tomorrow was Awakening Day and he was curious about what was inside, he had no intention of breaking that promise.
He carefully placed the letter and the wooden box back into the drawer before closing it.
Returning to his bed, Rowen lay down and stared at the ceiling.
Memories of his grandfather filled his mind.
Ever since he was little, his grandfather had always taken great care of his health.
Whenever his body became weak, his grandfather would somehow help him recover.
But after his grandfather passed away...
His condition only continued to worsen.
Rowen had noticed it himself.
At first, he thought it was because he was still grieving.
But as the days passed, that explanation no longer felt convincing.
A question slowly formed in the back of his mind.
Was Grandpa really just an ordinary shopkeeper?
With that thought lingering in his mind, Rowen slowly closed his eyes.