As night fell, guests began to gather in the drawing hall to celebrate Rain's birthday.
The atmosphere was filled with excitement and anticipation as they chatted and mingled with one another.
However, there was a growing concern among the attendees regarding Rain's absence, and everyone began to wonder where he could be.
In one corner of the party hall, Rain's mother, Carla, and his father, Charles, were conversing with each other.
"Hey, Charles, have you been able to find Rain?" Carla asked, her voice trembling with worry.
"No, I can't find him anywhere. I have checked everywhere, even his room is locked," Charles replied, his brow furrowed with concern.
They searched everywhere in the mansion and other areas, but they couldn't find Rain anywhere.
Carla's anxiety deepened, and she started to pace around the room.
"Hey Charles, do you have any idea where Rain could be?" she asked again, her voice shaking with fear.
Charles shook his head, his expression grave. "I don't know, Carla. I've been looking for him everywhere."
As he spoke, Charles felt a growing sense of dread. Rain was his son. The thought of anything happening to him filled him with fear and anxiety.
However, there was one thing he didn't tell Carla.
As head of the family, he can freely control everything within the mansion, even whole Karoon city. Every staff is an eye of him. As long as he wants he can get information of anything.
Usually, he kept Rain under surveillance, and let elite combat team always follow him. However, this time, because of Rain's change he thought of giving him some privacy. As long as he isn't in danger combat team has to keep certain distance.
According to his guess, Rain left the mansion by himself. And elite combat team couldn't keep up with him.
Truly, pathetic!
Under his command this kind of blunder won't happen.
But today, he had been busy arranging the party and didn't have any idea where Rain could be. "Have you tried calling him?" Charles asked.
Carla's voice shook with fear as she replied, "I have, but his phone is switched off. Why do you ask? Do you think I'm stupid?" She put her hands on her hips and glared at Charles.
"It's not like that. I just wanted to confirm something," Charles said, shaking his head.
"I tried calling him too, but got the same result. I thought maybe he blocked my number because he's still angry about what happened with Kaya a few days ago." He shrugged his shoulders. He made random excuse. He didn't want to tell Carla his guess.
"Don't worry about that now. We can apologize to him when we find him. Let's focus on finding him first," Carla said, trying to be supportive.
Carla took a deep breath and tried to push her fear aside. She knew that panicking wouldn't help the situation, and that they needed to stay calm and focused.
Charles nodded in response.
After thinking for a moment, Charles suggested, "Let's ask Mark." Carla nodded in agreement, and they started walking quickly toward where Mark was. According to information from the staff, Rain talked to Mark before leaving the mansion.
'I hope Mark knows where Rain went..'
***
[In the Party Hall]
The male attendees of the party hall were all focused on a particular group huddled in the corner.
They whispered and glanced furtively at the women, who were engaged in lively conversation.
Despite their stunning appearance, the women seemed to be enjoying each other's company more than the attention of the men.
"Hey Emma, do you know where Rain is?" A girl dressed in fancy clothes and jewelry asked.
Emma turned to the girl, her expression cool and distant.
She wore an exquisite high-class dress, adorned with accessories and pieces of jewelry that complemented her appearance.
Her pink hair was elegantly styled, slightly curled, and flowed down her shoulders. Light makeup accentuated her beautiful features, making her look like a glamorous idol.
But her demeanor was aloof, and she spoke in a clipped tone. "No, I don't know."
In reality, Emma didn't want to come to the party. They lived quite far from Karoon city, in Iflieton city. Moreover, they just attended Kaya's birthday party on 22nd Dec and tried to break off the engagement.
Unfortunately, she couldn't. Even had to take help from her friend. It was quite embarrassing. That's why she didn't want to come. But her parents had insisted, and she couldn't say no.
Without enjoying new year, they rushed here. In past years, her parents and Rain's parents celebrated New year and Rain's birthday on 2nd Jan. So it wasn't unusual.
'Sigh.. let's try to find Rain and persuade him to annual the engagement again.'
She had hoped to find Rain quickly, give him the engagement dissolution contract, and leave.
As she scanned the crowd, she couldn't find Rain.
'He is still not here.'
***
On the other hand, Kaya stood near Emma, chatting with the group. She dressed modestly, wearing minimal makeup and jewelry.
Her natural beauty shone through, captivating the attention of many men in the hall.
Kaya's appearance was not as flashy as Emma's, but her simple and elegant style exuded a certain charm that was hard to ignore.
However, Kaya's thoughts were focused on making Rain accept a challenge and publicly humiliating him.
A sly smirk appeared on her face, and her eyes sparkled mischievously as she plotted her next move.
She took a sip of her drink and surveyed the room, looking for Rain.
But she couldn't find him.
'When will he come?'
***
Arya Hillson stood on the sidelines, listening quietly to the group's conversation.
She was Rain's classmate and friend, known to some as the Third heroine among the players.
Arya was undeniably beautiful, with long, silky yellow hair that flowed down to her waist and bright red almond-shaped eyes that contrasted against her pale skin.
Her expressionless face, on the other hand, seemed almost sculpted from marble, with high cheekbones and a pointed chin that gave her a regal and sophisticated appearance.
Despite her physical beauty, Arya was reserved and introverted, preferring to observe rather than participate in social events.
She had good grades and potential, but her humble background made her feel out of place in high-class settings.
She longed for a different life, but her fear of rejection and failure held her back.
As she watched the group of people talking, she couldn't help but feel envious of their confidence and ease in social situations.
'It's beautiful.'
She wished she could be more like them, but the thought of putting herself out there was too overwhelming.
However, just like in every cliche novel, she got tangled with the Protagonist in the novel.
Although they started as strangers, they eventually fell in love with each other, leading to a happy ending.
***
There were many sub-heroines, support characters, and even low-class villains and extras in the drawing hall.
You can say, it was like the pre-gathering of all characters before starting the plot.
The crowd at the party was eagerly anticipating Rain's arrival.
However, their reactions varied. Some were visibly annoyed and frustrated, while others were enjoying their food with a sense of carefree joy.
A few individuals were fixated on observing the girls present at the party, and others were awestruck by the luxurious atmosphere.
Despite the overall excitement in the air, there were a select few who sensed that something was off.
They found it peculiar that a high-class birthday party such as this was running late, as it was not in line with the usual practices of such events.
As they waited, their curiosity grew and they began to wonder what could be causing the delay.
***
On the other side of the party, Charles and Carla rushed to the place where Mark was stationed, their footsteps echoing against the marble floors.
When they finally arrived, they saw Mark helping the staff and managing the party with ease.
"Greetings, Lord & Madam," Mark greeted them with a bow, his voice calm and composed despite the chaos around him.
"Okay, Mark. Do you know where Rain is?" Carla asked, her voice filled with concern.
Mark's expression softened as he heard Carla's worried tone.
"Oh, the young master just said he went to prepare gifts for everyone this morning. He said he will be back soon," he replied in a determined tone, trying to ease Carla's worries.
Charles, however, couldn't hide his frustration. "Can't he just send someone else to do these things?" he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "That boy never fails to amaze me." Now, he was sure that Rain had tricked everyone was ran away somewhere.
Carla put a reassuring hand on Charles's shoulder, trying to calm him down. "Don't worry, dear. He will come back soon. He is a good child. Don't scold him when he returns," she said, her voice soothing and gentle.
But Carla's reassurance did little to ease her own concerns. "Why isn't he at the party? This is not like my Rain. Something must have happened to him," she mumbled, her voice filled with worry and fear.
Just as they were discussing this, their phones started ringing along with Emma and Kaya's.
BUZZ
BUZZ
BUZZ
BUZZ
BUZZ
The notification on their phones was like a spark in the jungle, catching everyone's attention.
It was a message from the 'Connect' app, which was the world's equivalent of Instagram and Twitter.
The message was from Rain Holmes, and it was his official ID.
["Sorry, I can't come tonight to the birthday party. Please don't waste your time trying to find me. After some time, I will answer your questions, but for now, don't try to find me."]
As the message was read, each person had a distinct emotional reaction.
Some individuals appeared saddened by the message, their faces drooping with disappointment.
Others were visibly angry, their eyes flashing with frustration.
Several people seemed worried, their brows furrowed with concern.
A few people may have even been filled with joy or confusion, their expressions a mix of emotions.
***
In a completely different location, far from where the message was being read, the sun was shining high in the sky, casting a warm glow over the surrounding landscape.
The sound of waves crashing onto the shore could be heard in the distance, creating a soothing atmosphere.
On the sandy beach, an attractive man dressed in a beach shirt and shorts lounged lazily on a net hammock strung between two trees.
He gently swayed back and forth on the comfortable net, feeling the gentle breeze on his face.
With a satisfied expression, he exclaimed, "Now I can finally get some sweet rest."
It was clear that he was content and enjoying his much-needed relaxation time.
That man was Rain Holmes.