I sat quietly in my room, deep in thought. A card lay on the table before me—the one the butler had given me. I stared at it, pondering when to make the call and introduce myself formally. But before that, I decided it was time to visit Grandma in the city.
I hopped on a bus and soon reached Grandma Evy's house. When I walked in, my gardma and gradma Evy was sitting with some neighborhood women, sharing lunch and chatting cheerfully. The moment she saw me, her eyes widened in shock. I could tell my sudden height increase and more muscular frame caught her off guard. Still, she didn't say anything about it.
I spent the entire day with both of my grandmas. We laughed, played cards, and reminisced. I met my cousins and sister-in-law too. Later, we all had dinner together. When I told them that I'd be heading back home that night, they insisted I stay over, but I politely declined. I explained that I had work to do the next day.
As I was about to leave, Grandma walked up to me with a serious expression.
"I don't know what you've been up to, Adam," she said, her voice soft but firm. "But I can tell it's dangerous. First, you showed me how easily you could lift dumbbells during that video call. And now this—your sudden transformation. I can't pretend I don't notice it."
Her eyes scanned me from head to toe, and for a moment, I regretted coming. Maybe I should've waited until I had a solid excuse for my changes. But deep down, I knew I'd have regretted not spending time with her. Soon, I'd be diving headfirst into the spiritual world, and I might not have a chance to see her for months. This visit wasn't something I could put off.
I opened my mouth, trying to come up with an excuse, but before I could say anything, Grandma smiled and spoke again.
"I don't want your lies, Adam. If you're not ready to tell me the truth, then don't. But when you are ready, I expect the full story—no half-truths." She reached out and gently touched my arm. "Right now, I'm just happy to see you looking so healthy and strong. It's enough to know that my little Adam can protect himself."
Her eyes softened. "I hope you make some friends and enjoy life a little more. And maybe… find a nice girl too. You're not getting any younger, you know," she added with a teasing grin. "I want you married before I go meet your grandpa."
"Grandma… don't say things like that!" I protested. "You're going to live forever and take care of me for eternity."
I hugged her tightly, smiling to hide the emotions welling up inside me. Then, with a final wave, I walked away.
Instead of catching the bus, I remembered, Oh wait—I'm rich now. I booked a private car and headed home. As I settled into the back seat, I pulled out the card from my pocket and dialed the number.
The phone barely rang before someone picked up.
"Hello, this is the Union of Races," a voice said.
"Hi, I'm Adam," I replied. "Mr. Justin, the butler of Mr. Hard, gave me this number and told me to call."
"Ah, yes," the voice responded. "We were expecting your call. You were supposed to contact us earlier this month, but I never heard from you. No matter. When do you plan to visit, or should I send someone to pick you up?"
I admitted that I wasn't sure where I was supposed to go. He immediately apologized for the misunderstanding and assured me he'd personally come to fetch me. After I gave him my address, we exchanged a few pleasantries before ending the call. He said he'd arrive in the evening.
With some time to spare, I decided to do a little shopping. First, I went home and dropped off the snacks Grandma had packed for me. Then I headed to a famous mall in the nearby city. I bought a few shirts, some T-shirts, and a wristwatch.
While browsing through the watch section, something unexpected happened. As I walked toward the store, a security guard stepped in front of me, blocking my path.
"Hey, what do you want here?" he asked, his tone condescending.
I glanced down at my simple, casual shirt and realized he'd probably judged me based on my outfit. Still, the disrespect annoyed me.
I stepped closer, placed my hand on his shoulder, and gave it a light squeeze—or at least, what felt light to me. Judging by the way his face twisted in pain, though, I might've accidentally squeezed a bit too hard.
"Do you know what I want now?" I asked, my voice low and calm. "Here's a tip: If you don't know who someone is, maybe think twice before stopping them."
The guard's face paled, and he stammered out an apology just as a store manager rushed over.
"Is there a problem here?" the manager asked, glancing between me and the guard.
I explained what had happened, and after hearing my side of the story, the manager reprimanded the guard and offered me a 20% discount on my purchase as an apology. I accepted and bought a sleek wristwatch that cost 500,000.
On my way back home, I stopped to buy some food for lunch. As I settled into the cab, I leaned back, feeling the weight of the day start to lift.
Tonight, someone from the Union of Races would come to pick me up. Whatever was coming next, I had a feeling it would change my life even more than it already had.
And for some reason, I couldn't help but feel a strange mix of excitement and unease.