Not the usual French fantasy wear people joked about online, but a clean, modest uniform that spoke of professionalism. Timothy blinked.

He'd never seen a maid in real life, let alone in someone's home.

This was another world entirely.

They moved fluidly, setting bowls and platters in the center of the table with practiced ease.

The aroma hit him like a tide, spiced rice, a rich, simmered stew that clung to his nostrils, sautéed vegetables glistening with oil, roasted meat still steaming from the pot.

His stomach tightened.

It all looked… divine.

And yet, no one moved.

Each plate in front of them was empty, silverware neatly arranged.

But the food, every bit of it was in the center, untouched. Communal dishes.

No one had served themselves.

No one had reached.

So he decided to follow their example.

The table was beautifully dressed, with linen runner, elegant cutlery, and even small water glasses filled and waiting.

It felt Too formal.

Timothy had never eaten in a place like this.

He doubted the fact that the restaurant was as arranged as this was.

He swallowed, unsure if he could touch anything until someone gave the go-ahead.

As if to rescue him from the deepening awkwardness, the hostess finished setting the last dish and stepped back.

Timothy's eyes darted toward her and then to Miriam only to pause.

Miriam wasn't looking at the food, or the guests, or even him.

She was staring down at her plate, eyes dull.

Hollow, even.

A pit settled in his stomach.

They eventually began eating in companionable silence at first, the only sound the gentle clink of cutlery against porcelain and the soft hum of the overhead chandelier.

The scent of spiced rice and slow-simmered goat stew and salad filled the air, warm and comforting against the slight evening chill that drifted in through the curtains.

That was until Miriam's father cleared his throat, setting down his fork with a faint tap.

His grey-streaked hair caught the light as he looked around the table in measured fashion.

"Let's properly introduce ourselves," he began, voice low but carrying.

"I'm Mr. Okereke; Chukwuemeka Udeh. This is my wife, Mrs. Udeh." He nodded to his wife, who offered Timothy a gentle smile.

"Our eldest son, Jordan," he continued, gesturing to the man in his thirties beside him,

"our daughter, Miriam, our younger son, Joshua, and our youngest, Miracle."

Jordan gave a brief nod and smiled politely at Stephanie, seated to Timothy's Right.

She didn't seem to reciprocate the feeling though.

Joshua, the teenage boy, offered Timothy a quick thumbs-up, while Miracle beamed, brushing a stray curl from her face.

Mr. Udeh turned to Timothy.

"And you, young man?"

Timothy straightened politely in his chair.

"I'm Timothy Walter, sir, Miriam's friend from the Association. A pleasure to meet you all."

The father nodded and gestured to the lady by Timothy's side when suddenly Jordan, his son, extended a hand.

"Stephanie here is a journalist," he said, slipping easily into professional courtesy as he shook her hand, making an unpolite gesture, at least from the look on her face.

"Stephanie Nwosu writes for City Pulse." Stephanie nodded and offered Jordan a neat business card.

He tucked it into his breast pocket with a polite smile.

"Oh, you both know each other?" Mr Udeh asked.

"No"

"Yes," They both answered at the same time.

"She's an acquaintance, " Jordan said calmly.

"Our lines of work do cross each other at times," Stephanie said.

Meanwhile, Joshua leaned forward, eyes bright.

"Hey, you're a hunter, right?." His tone was respectful but tinged with awe.

Miracle chimed in, giggling.

"Do you have termite friends too?" She turned to blink up at Timothy.

"Miriam showed me a picture once."

Timothy managed a gentle laugh.

"I do, and I am a hunter," Timothy said answering them both with a smile

It was fun having fans before he even knew it.

However, Miriam hadn't spoken.

Her eyes, though full of emotion, remained fixed on her plate.

Timothy sensed something in her gaze: guilt, perhaps, or exhaustion.

He swallowed hard.

"Can you show me?" Miracle asked as all eyes immediately turned to her and then to him

Timothy was immediately caught between a rock and a hard place; showing off his termites at the dining table wasn't polite, and he knew not everyone liked insects. On the other hand, the girl's enthusiasm and smile burnt him.

"I did not bring them with me, maybe next time, sorr,y" Timothy said.

"Oh, no problem, I can come see them" Miracle innocently said.

Mr. Udeh immediately cleared his throat again, shifting his weight.

"Timothy, do you know why you're here?."

Timothy met Miriams' fathe eyes, bracing himself.

"To check on a friend?" He answered.

"You got Miriam involved in that raid," he said, voice calm but firm.

"She's a university student, this isn't her world. You dragged her into danger." His tone wavered, mixing anger and concern.

"I'm grateful you helped her, but it's my fault she's now… interested in hunting?"

Miriam's shoulders twitched; her lips parted but no sound came.

Timothy felt his heart tighten as he suddenly understood the reason why the air was filled with tension.

A silence fell so heavy it pressed on everyone's chest. Stephanie looked away, biting her lip as it now showed that she knew about this beforehand, but it wasn't like he could lash out at the lady; he didn't even know her before now.

Jordan's jaw clenched.

Joshua's earlier admiration slightly waned.

He knew his father's reaction to hunters.

Miracle stared at her plate, ever so uncaring, as she kept eating.

Timothy took a breath.

"Have you tried asking her about this?" Timothy said still staring into the eyes of the friend that made him come here.

And this was why he didn't like coming to a friend's house; it's always the good cop, bad cop with parents.

"I have talked to her." Mr Udeh replied.

"That isn't asking her, though," Timothy bit back as everyone now stared at him except the youngest daughter, miracle, including Miriam, who hadn't reacted since.

He immediately turned that same intensity back to Timothy.

"Are you a father?..." Mr Udeh suddenly asked and then realized how old the kid in front of him was and shook his head

"... Of course, you are not, but you should have had a father and other siblings, I believe your parents were not as enthusiastic about being a hunter, they always had some fear and believed you were risk-worthy"

"As a father, I must protect..." Mr Udeh said when he was impolitely cut off by Timothy.

"Guide," Timothy said.

"Huh?" The father asked.

"I said the guide, Parents are meant to protect the child to the best of their ability, and at a certain age, all they offer is their support and guidance," Timothy said

"I grew up with parents, and I am a father in some kind of way..." Timothy said, not caring how they interpreted it even though he was referring to the colony.

"... And I know the difference between free will and the illusion of one frankly I think she should sit out being a hunter out; I mean, she has a mother who cooks good food, but if she chooses to be at the battlefront, then what can you do? How long can you hold her back? I can tell you are not a hunter then as a father how do you hope to protect your child, in case you haven't noticed, the gates opening worldwide are a much larger threat than her lack of discipline, I you think about it, we will all die without having the ability to protect ourselves, we've always been living on the edge so why fault someone who wants to fly off that edge and hope to grow wings or fall to their death, your fear is the loss of 20+ years of investment when it should be 20+ years of no impact on society, or if you don't want to be known for being strong, then be known for not having control over your decisions, so sir as much as I sympathize with you, I don't, because ever since I gained power I became inhuman and knew that death is just the last evolution of every specie."

Timothy sat very still.

The rising clamor in his chest threatened to spill into his voice.

But he stayed calm.

Mr. Udeh leaned back, tension draining from his shoulders.

Everyone else had what they thought.

And after a while a while he heard a mutter.

"That's just selfish."

'I know' Timothy thought.

Timothy could feel the intent in his eyes but let the threat hang unspoken, and the table fell into hush again.

Timothy met Miriam's eyes just once, she nodded, barely perceptible.

Their silent exchange spoke of gratitude, apology, and the fragile hope of understanding.

Very soon everyone was done eating

Mrs. Udeh cleared her throat softly and began to retrieve the plates.

When she reached Timothy she asked for his assistance in the kitchen as well as Stephanie's

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