The next day passed in laughter and warmth — the kind of laughter that comes when you're afraid it might be the last.
Eghosa spent every moment with her mother and brother, soaking in the comfort of familiarity. Jephthah was leaving again soon; another project, another contract.
As always, she tried to convince him to take her along. As always, he smiled and told her to stay.
When he finally left, she turned all her attention to her mother. Together, they packed for the trip to her uncle's house — he was holding a party to celebrate his promotion. It was family tradition to arrive early, to help prepare.
Just as they finished loading the travel bags —
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Her comm rang.
"Hello, Trisha! How are you doing?"
"Haha, wouldn't it be better if I tell you in person? Come open the gate."
Eghosa's eyes went wide. "You're here?!" she squealed, already running.
Her mother turned from the kitchen. "What is it, Eghosa?"
"Trisha's here!"
"Then go, open the gate before she breaks it," her mother said, smiling.
Outside, Trisha stood by the gate with that smug grin Eghosa knew too well.
"You look suspiciously happy to see me," Trisha teased.
"I'm going to my uncle's," Eghosa said quickly. "Please, when we go in, tell my mom you want to come along. Beg her, okay?"
Trisha smirked. "Hmm… what do I get in return?"
"Ha! You're so evil!"
"Okay, okay. I'll do it," she said, laughing.
Inside, the usual chaos of greetings began.
"Good day, ma!" Trisha said, bowing politely.
"Ah, Trisha. I hope Eghosa didn't make you wait outside again?" her mother teased.
"No oh! She wouldn't dare," Trisha replied, smirking at Eghosa.
"See? Even your mother knows you well," Trisha said, victorious.
"Mummy, stop feeding her ego!" Eghosa protested, laughing.
Soon, talk turned to travel.
"Hmm, what are all these bags for?" Trisha asked dramatically.
"We're visiting my brother," her mother said.
"Ah-ah! And you didn't call me? Mummy, please, let me follow you!"
"What of your aunty?"
"She already knows — I told her I'd be here for the week," Trisha said confidently.
Her mother smiled. "Okay, you can come."
That evening, the three of them talked for hours. Eghosa's mom asked Trisha for her own version of the competition story, and of course — the Trisha effect began.
She exaggerated every detail, dramatized every scene, and even teased that Eghosa had a crush on "a cute boy named Amos Devon."
Eghosa threw a pillow at her in embarrassment, and the room erupted in laughter. Eventually, they all fell asleep on the living room couch — one loud, happy mess.
---
By morning, they were on their way.
In less than an hour, they reached her uncle's compound — a large estate perched over the riverfront.
Once, the house had impressed her. Now… it just looked small.
Not in size — but in feeling.
She'd seen cities built with crystal and plasma glass, training halls floating on anti-grav fields. Her uncle's mansion felt like an echo of another life.
Still, she smiled faintly. Perspective, she thought.
"My sister!"
The shout came before she even reached the door.
Her uncle, Isaac, approached with his usual bright grin — tall, fit, and loud, his white hair gleaming against his dark skin.
"I'm so happy you came!" he said, hugging her mother. Then turning to Eghosa — "Look at you! You've grown! Soon you'll be modeling!"
"And who's this?" he asked, noticing Trisha.
"Good day, sir. I'm Trisha," she said politely.
"Ah! Welcome, Trisha. Come in, come in. We're family here!"
As they stepped inside, the air was full of noise and movement — servants arranging decorations, holograms being tested, scents of roasted meat and stew filling the air.
Isaac was now head of an excavation team — a big deal in their family. But even in celebration, Eghosa felt that old tightness in her chest.
Because she knew who else was in the house.
"Hey, Jayden, the peasant's here again."
She froze.
"What is it, Cassie?"
"Oh, it's her. And she brought a friend this time. Maybe to eat our food?"
Their laughter was cruel — the casual cruelty of people who had never known consequences.
Trisha stiffened immediately, but Eghosa's hand caught her arm.
"Don't," she whispered. "They're not worth it."
Trisha looked at her and understood. That quiet, unspoken solidarity between them said enough.
Soon, the party began — nobles, company heads, and Isaac's boss himself in attendance.
The hall glowed with red lanterns, laughter, and music.
Eghosa and Trisha were helping serve drinks; there weren't enough staff, and Eghosa didn't mind helping her uncle.
Until she saw Jayden watching her — smirking.
She ignored him. Balanced the tray.
Walked toward the crowd where her uncle's boss stood surrounded by flatterers.
Then, at the last moment, a foot slid into her path.
Crash.
The tray flew.
Liquid splashed.
Two nobles gasped. Isaac's boss froze — dark wine soaking his sleeve.
The room went silent.
Eghosa stood frozen, her heartbeat pounding in her ears.
The tray clattered to the marble with a ringing crash.
Wine splashed across silk, gold, and crystal.
The room fell silent.
Eghosa froze — half-kneeling, trembling. Her heart thumped like a drum.
All eyes were on her.
Her uncle's boss wiped his stained sleeve with measured patience. Around him, the nobles stared in quiet disgust. One of them murmured, "How careless," and another chuckled, "She's not used to fine things."
Her uncle moved quickly — his hand raised, his voice tight with embarrassment.
"Eghosa! What were you—"
But before he could finish, the older man — the one in the center, the one she had just spilled wine on — raised a hand sharply.
"Wait."
His tone alone froze her uncle mid-step.
The man looked at Eghosa more closely, eyes narrowing as if peering through time.
For a heartbeat, silence deepened again — and then his expression changed.
"I know you from somewhere…" he said slowly.
The two nobles beside him tilted their heads in curiosity. One of them blinked, frowning. "Now that you mention it…"
Trisha, who had moved forward defensively, clenched her fists. "She said it was an accident—"
But the man's voice cut through hers.
"Wait… yes. Of course. The UNE Trials. The Selection Games."
A ripple of surprise spread through the crowd.
"You're Eghosa Precious, aren't you?"
The room gasped. Every head turned toward her.
Eghosa stared back, wide-eyed, unsure if she should speak.
The man smiled, this time genuinely. "Ah, I thought so. And this—" he gestured to Trisha, who stiffened in surprise, "—is Trisha Stephen. You both represented humanity at the Empire Royal Academy Trials, didn't you?"
Her uncle blinked rapidly, color draining from his face. "Represent… humanity?"
The man nodded. "Indeed. It was a closed event — invitation-only, hosted by the UNE. I had the honor of attending." His voice filled with wonder. "Your niece fought like no one I'd seen. The girl who defied her instructor with sheer will. I saw that duel myself. The hall still talks about it."
All at once, the murmuring began again — but it wasn't scorn anymore. It was awe.
Even the nobles she'd spilled wine on straightened and looked at her differently, whispering to one another.
"That was her?"
"The one who impaled herself to win?"
"She got seven points — one of the five chosen!"
Her uncle turned slowly toward Eghosa, his mouth half open.
"You… you were in that?"
Before Eghosa could answer, his boss clapped a heavy hand on his shoulder, laughing richly.
"Isaac, you didn't tell me your niece was a UNE delegate! If I had known, I'd have asked her to give a speech instead of serving drinks!"
He turned back to Eghosa, his expression glowing with respect.
"You did something remarkable, young lady. Humanity is proud of you."
The room erupted into polite applause — then warm applause — then full cheers as word spread.
Her uncle's pride, embarrassment, and disbelief swirled into one visible tremor.
He kept glancing between her and his boss like a man whose reality had cracked in two.
Her mother, standing at the edge of the hall, had covered her mouth — tears welling, pride shining through her eyes.
And Trisha? She only smirked, muttering, "I told you so," under her breath.
But the best reaction came from the side of the room — from Cassie and Jayden.
The smug certainty on their faces shattered like glass.
Jayden's jaw slackened, eyes darting between the adults now crowding around his cousin. Cassie looked pale — the arrogance gone, replaced with confusion, then something worse: shame.
Their mother, who had always sneered from her corner, forced a smile that twitched at the edges.
"Oh, so that was our Eghosa all along," she said thinly. "You should have told us sooner."
But Eghosa didn't even look her way.
She stood straight — simple yellow gown, no jewelry, no power in her posture except dignity.
Her uncle's boss raised a glass. "To the Empire's newest representative — Eghosa Precious!"
Cheers broke out again. Even the nobles who had mocked her moments ago were smiling now, clapping as though trying to erase their earlier disdain.
Her uncle finally exhaled, his eyes softening. "You've made this family proud," he said, barely above a whisper.
Eghosa smiled faintly, her voice low but sure.
"I just did what I had to do."
As she said it, her gaze flickered toward her cousins — their heads bowed, their arrogance gone — and then to her mother, who stood glowing with pride and quiet triumph.
For once, Eghosa didn't feel small.
She didn't feel beneath anyone.
She had fought, bled, endured — and now the world finally saw her.
And somewhere deep inside, the fire she'd carried since the first day of the UNE trials burned brighter.
Not because of recognition — but because, for the first time, she felt it:
She had changed something.