The party was already in full swing by the time Dayo settled in. Music filled the living room, lights were dim but warm, and people he cared about were scattered everywhere — laughing, talking, dancing, eating, recording videos, teasing each other.
For a moment, he just stood still in the center of it all, watching everyone.
It hit him harder than expected.
Five years.
He had been in this world for almost five years now.
Five years of working, grinding, building, fighting, improving… five years of trying to be useful, trying to make a name for himself, trying to be someone worth respecting.
And somehow, in the middle of all that, he forgot something simple — that people could plan something for him too.
That people cared enough to surprise him.
He swallowed slowly.
It wasn't sadness.
It wasn't shock.
It was… gratitude. Pure gratitude.
