In his apartmentdom, Rhian sat on the edge of the sofa, looking down at the box resting in his lap.
"Come on, open it," Ash said from behind him, his tone light and curious.
Rhian sighed and rolled his eyes. "Well, I was about to," he said.
Aras was sitting on the couch, watching quietly. Both of his roommates were there.
Neither of them had said a word about his loss, or the way he lost, and he appreciated that. They seemed to understand he didn't want to talk about it.
But now, both of them were leaning forward, their curiosity too strong to ignore. They wanted to see what Rhian had gotten for finishing second.
Rhian let out a small laugh and opened the box slowly. "Oh…" he murmured, surprised.
Inside was a card that read: 10000 Merit Points.
He reached in and took out the other contents. There was a key, an odd-looking one, bigger than most, its surface a dull silver.
Ash leaned over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing. "What's that?"
