The mansion buzzed louder than usual that night — laughter spilling through the hallways, arguments over confetti colors, and the smell of pizza mixing with floral candles.It looked like an ordinary pre-birthday evening for Jay Mariano.But beneath the glitter and noise, three people were lying through their teeth.
"Okay, okay—purple lights or gold?" Percy yelled, holding two tangled strings of fairy lights.
"Neither!" Rakki shouted back. "She deserves explosions and glitter!"
Jay rolled her eyes, sinking deeper into the couch. "You do realize you're all planning a fire hazard, right?"
"Correction," Aries said, smirking. "We're planning your legendary eighteenth birthday. Two days, baby girl. You ready to rule the world?"
Jay laughed. "Born ready."
Everyone laughed with her — except her gang.Because they knew what "ruling the world" really meant.
But upstairs, in a dimly lit room, Jay and her gang were huddled around the laptop, plotting something far more serious.
"Tomorrow isn't just about gifts and confetti," Jay said quietly, fingers tracing the holographic display of encrypted League data. "There's more at stake than anyone suspects."
Adam leaned in, emerald eyes scanning the codes. "You mean… Kaizer? The hitlist?"
Jay nodded. "Exactly. But no one outside this room can know. Not Section E, not anyone They only think it's birthday prep."
Michael grinned, stretching his arms. "So, it's chaos… disguised as celebration. I like it."
Sam added, softly, "You're really handling all of this by yourself?"
Jay smirked faintly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Not by myself. You, Adam, Michael — we're enough for tonight. And besides… tomorrow I have a meeting I can't miss."
"Meeting?" Adam raised a brow.
Jay shook her head, letting a small, almost imperceptible smile touch her lips. "Just… business. Let's keep it that way."
For a second, no one spoke.Then Adam grinned. "Guess your 'adulthood' is coming with fireworks."
Jay rolled her eyes. "Wouldn't be me without chaos."
They shared a laugh — soft, fleeting, but real.Outside, the clock struck midnight. 28th May had begun.
Jay turned off the hologram, letting darkness settle around them. "Get some rest, all of you. Tomorrow, we play this like it's just a birthday trip. No one — not Section E, not the old batch — can know."
A lie. A cover. Section E would happily focus on decorations and planning the "birthday outing," completely unaware of what was coming.
The room fell quiet for a moment, the only sound the soft hum of the laptop.
"Get some rest, all of you," Jay finally said, voice steady but low. "Tomorrow, we play this like it's just a birthday trip. No one can know what's really happening… yet."
Michael leaned back, smirking. "You make adulthood look like a war zone, Jay."
Jay chuckled softly. "Wouldn't be me without a little chaos."
As the group disbanded, Jay's phone buzzed once more. A message, brief and cryptic:
[Unknown Sender]: I'm here. Don't trust anyone till I find you.
Her thumb hovered over the message before locking the screen
"Alright, team!" Percy clapped his hands, almost knocking over a soda can. "Tomorrow morning, Jay goes out for a chill day with her gang—shopping, lunch, whatever. While she's gone, we'll set up the big surprise. Got it?" saying whispering
Mica squealed. "Finally! I can hang those lights without her judging my taste.""Your taste is questionable," Freya said, tossing a cushion."Hey!"
Jay sat curled on the couch, grinning at the chaos. "You guys act like you're building a secret base."Aries smirked. "We are. Operation Birthday Boss.""Sounds suspiciously dramatic," Jay muttered.
Behind her, Keifer draped an arm over her shoulders. "Just go out with your friends tomorrow, hmm? We'll handle the rest."Yuri looked up from his phone. "Yeah, you're banned from the mansion for a day."Cin winked. "Strict orders."David added, "You'll thank us when you see the surprise."
now everyone has gone to their homes some are staying in fernandes mansion but no one knew what is going to happen