CHAPTER 422: CHAPTER 422 UPSET

Kaelan’s eyes stayed on Karl’s neck for longer than needed, and though he picked up his tea calmly, his face looked a little stiff. His jaw moved as if he was holding something back, but he didn’t say anything right away.

Karl, meanwhile, was already red in the face. He pulled his robe higher and waved his hand. "It’s nothing... just a mosquito bite!" he blurted out quickly, his voice too nervous to sound real.

Kaelan looked at him, one eyebrow slightly raised. "Mosquito bite?" he repeated slowly, his tone flat.

Karl ducked his head, chewing on his lip, his ears hot with embarrassment. He lifted his cup and pretended to sip as if that would cover how flustered he was, but his cheeks only burned brighter.

The room went quiet. Kaelan leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed ahead instead of at Karl. His face seemed calm, but there was something heavy in the way he sat like his mood had changed.

Karl noticed. He fidgeted a little, his hand brushing the edge of the chair, and glanced at Kaelan again. His friend still wasn’t looking at him. Why does he seem upset? Karl wondered, his chest tightening. He didn’t understand it, but he could feel it—the air between them didn’t feel the same as before.

And so Karl sat there, blushing hard and trying to laugh it off in his head, while Kaelan kept quiet, hiding the strange heaviness that had suddenly settled over him.

"Are your parents gone back to capital?" Karl asked after a while, shifting on the spa chair.

Kaelan gave a short nod, his eyes fixed on the steam rising from his tea cup.

Karl leaned toward him a little, his brows pulling together. "What’s wrong with you?" he asked, his voice softer now, less teasing.

Kaelan didn’t look at him. He set the cup down on the small table beside him and leaned back, closing his eyes for a moment. "I’m... not feeling well," he said simply.

Karl blinked, surprised. For a second he thought Kaelan was avoiding the question, but when he looked closer, Kaelan’s face really did seem pale under the dim light. His chest gave a small squeeze of worry, and the earlier embarrassment faded.

"You should’ve said earlier," Karl muttered, frowning as he sat up straighter. "Want me to call someone? Or... do you just want to rest?"

Kaelan opened his eyes, glancing at him briefly. "Rest," he said quietly.

Karl nodded, still watching him carefully, the odd heaviness in Kaelan’s expression lingering in his mind.

***

Week later, Adrian finally returned from the exhibition, and the moment he stepped through the door, there was something lighter in the way he carried himself. His calm face held a rare spark, and Ruby noticed it instantly. He shared the news—many people had admired the winter collection, and one particular piece had been especially praised. The response had been far better than expected, and it wasn’t just polite applause, it was genuine interest.

That same night, Adrian had gone out with the designer and the whole team for a celebratory dinner. When he returned late, his usually composed voice carried a quiet satisfaction as he told Ruby how the evening had gone. The team had not only respected his work but also appreciated the way he handled decisions, the way he calmly explained details and gave direction when needed.

Ruby listened, pride swelling in her chest. She realized then that Adrian wasn’t just brilliant with numbers and quiet support—he had a sharp sense for management, a steady presence that made people trust him without needing loud words or grand gestures.

From that point, something shifted between them. Ruby found herself leaning on him more, discussing plans and asking his opinion on things she would normally carry alone.

And Ruby’s game had now reached halfway, and even though she was proud of how far she had come, one problem still bothered her—she hadn’t found a sound designer yet. No matter how much she searched, there was no one she could trust fully, so the sound work stayed undone.

Still, she didn’t stop. She made each model by herself, carefully working day and night. Sometimes she sat for hours, dragging things into place, adjusting shapes, and making sure every small detail looked right. She opened her outliner often, checking the long list of items, and from her content browser she picked assets and combined them with her own work. She even designed effects herself, adding sparks, lights, and little touches that made her levels come alive.

By now she had finished twelve levels. Each one was different—some were wide and open, some were small and tricky, and a few looked magical, glowing with colors and light. Whenever she went through them one by one, Ruby felt proud. It had taken her so much time, but the game was slowly becoming real.

She still had more to do, and she knew it wouldn’t be easy. But with twelve levels already made, she could finally see her dream taking shape, and that gave her strength to keep going.

She also had been thinking carefully about releasing it independently on the Soul Marketplace, a platform where creators could share their work directly with people who loved games. The idea of seeing her game stand among others, of strangers clicking on it, playing it, and leaving their thoughts, gave her both excitement and nervousness.

She knew it wouldn’t stop at just publishing. If the game found even a little success, she would need to keep it alive with updates, fixes, and maybe even new levels. That was too much for one person to handle alone, especially with her business already growing. So she had quietly started planning ahead. From next year, she wanted to build a small team—nothing huge, just a handful of people who could handle specific parts of the game. Someone for sound, someone to test levels, maybe one or two for coding updates.

But she also knew one thing very clearly: whoever joined her would need training. She had built this game with her own hands, learning and fixing along the way, and she wanted her team to understand the same care. So in her mind she was already setting a plan—to teach them, to guide them step by step until they knew how to handle the updates on their own. It would take time and patience, but she felt it was worth it.

To be continued... 🪄