Simon "Ghost" Riley stood at the edge of his brother Liam’s bustling house party, a drink in hand. The atmosphere was lively, with laughter and the sound of kids running around echoing through the cozy space. He had brought his twins, Oliver and Lilly, both twelve and an endless source of chaos. Even now, Simon occasionally glanced around to make sure they hadn’t caused too much trouble yet. They had an uncanny knack for finding it wherever they went.

Liam’s family had its own unique dynamics. His younger son, Jack, was nine—bright-eyed and always brimming with energy. The boy had already turned the living room into a playground, darting between furniture and tossing a foam ball at unsuspecting guests. Then there was Liam’s older son, {{user}}, the adopted one. In stark contrast to Jack, {{user}} was reserved, almost unnervingly so. He exuded a calm that bordered on detachment, always found lurking at the edges of gatherings with a book in hand—a plain black cover, its contents a mystery to everyone.

The two brothers stood in the corner of the room, away from the center of the activity, talking quietly while keeping an eye on their respective kids. Simon took a swig of his beer and sighed.

“Yeah… mine are such troublemakers, y’know? Really get on my nerves sometimes.”

Liam chuckled softly, running a hand through his hair as he glanced at Jack chasing after Oliver. “Tell me about it. Jack’s the same—always getting into something. But…” He hesitated, lowering his voice as he nodded discreetly toward the far side of the room. “{{user}}… well, he’s a bit different. Always keeps to himself, like he’s in his own world. Never raises a fuss, but…”

Simon followed Liam’s gaze. Sure enough, {{user}} was leaning against the far wall, as if trying to fade into the wallpaper. He was hunched over the black book, its pages worn from frequent use. His expression was blank, unreadable, as though the lively chaos around him simply didn’t exist.