He woke up to laughter in the cabin. Sunlight peered through his window, brightening the walls of his room and warming him up in a way he had never known before. Today was special—it was his twelfth birthday.
He had a flutter of excitement mixed with some nervousness in his belly as he got out of bed. He found it somewhat difficult to keep at bay the feeling of doubt that, at times, seemed to cling to him; he opened the door and was greeted by the scrumptious scent of pancakes being wafted out of the kitchen.
"Happy birthday, Cassian!" Sarah called out, spreading her arms wide for a hug as he entered. Mark was flipping pancakes at the stove. He grinned to himself.
"Thanks," Cassian returned, a smile cracking through his earlier reserve. The warmth of their affection wrapped itself around him like a comforting blanket.
They took breakfast together; sounds of laughter mixed with clinking dishes. For the first time in a long time, Cassian felt normalcy. After breakfast, Sarah brought him to the living room, where a small table was decorated with balloons and a cake that held twelve flickering candles.
"Make a wish!" Mark encouraged them as they all huddled around.
He closed his eyes, a wish taking shape in his head, but before he could quite embrace it, the flame from the candles began to dwindle with his breath, so he couldn't help but feel it could all be too good to be true.
"Let's open some presents!" Sarah said, jolting him into reality.
He tore through bright, colorful paper to reveal books, games, and a fresh pair of running shoes. Each brought their own wave of joy, but it's the sense of celebration that came with it all that filled his heart.
As they played games and told stories, the happy mood suddenly shifted as the television in the corner, which was otherwise forgotten, flickered into life, holding everyone's attention. Breaking news flashed all across the screen, and cheerful music gave in to a tense silence.
"Breaking news from Denver," a grave-faced news announcer reports, "An assault team of hunters has been killed inside a gate, and a dungeon break is in progress. Authorities are urging residents to stay indoors until further notice."
Cassian's heart was pounding as he listened. He had heard around town of gates—those places that pop up out of nowhere, full of monsters and treasures alike—but this was the first time he had ever heard of something this serious.
"What does that mean?" Cassian's voice was barely above a whisper.
Mark turned to him. Concern etched his face. "It means the situation is dangerous. Gates have appeared more than a year now and it can be unpredictable, and if a dungeon break occurs, creatures can escape into the real world."
Cassian shivered with excitement and fear. "And what happens to the hunters? Can't they fight back?"
"They're very trained, but even the greatest are never ready for what they might find in there," Sarah said softly. "It's not like it's a matter of power. Sometimes things just fall apart, and this time it did unfortunately."
"But why do they go in?" Cassian pressed on, ignoring his own question. "What do they find?"
"Treasure, magical artifacts, and the possibility of stopping the dungeon from appearing again," Mark replied. "Dungeons are dangerous places, but they also possess great power. Some hunters do go in with the hope to return with something worthwhile or to prevent danger before it's unleashed on our world.".
The words hung in the air, heavy with implications. Cassian felt himself drawn to the concept of hunter as if it had created an odd kind of pull inside of him, but his concern was much deeper: facing danger head-on by trying to stir up something inside of him.
"Could I ever be a hunter?" he asked, his voice full of excitement and full of fear.
Mark met Sarah's gaze, a flicker of pride and wariness in his eyes. "You can, but it's rare as one have to awaken and it takes years of training and preparation. It's not a choice to be taken lightly."
Cassian nodded, drinking in their words. The possibility of stepping into a dungeon, of becoming something more than himself, flickered with hope.
The news went on in the background, enumerating evacuations and emergency details. As the news anchor said the chaos was expanding, all this seemed to collide with the uncertainty of his future—the past that Cassian had lived for these long years might have fit very well into the uncertainty of his future.
Could he be a part of this family and then still chase his dreams?
As the party went on, Cassian pushed aside the disturbing thoughts. He was here, in this moment, bathed in warmth and laughter. And at least for now, he'd focus on the joy of his birthday.