When Max finished opening Moses second gift, he grinned widely. It was a beautifully carved wooden aeroplane, the kind that looked handmade with patience and careful detail. Max ran his fingers along the smooth wings and said, "Thank you so much, Moses! I really love it."
Moses smiled shyly and nodded.
Max then reached for the next gift. This one was from his Uncle, Zach. The wrapping paper was bright blue with silver stars, and inside it felt heavier than the previous presents. Curiosity growing, Max tore the wrapping paper neatly and opened the box. His eyes widened the moment he saw what was inside.
"A phone!" Max shouted, unable to contain his excitement. He sprang up from his seat and wrapped his arms tightly around Uncle Zach. "Thank you! Thank you so much, Uncle Zach!"
"You're welcome, Max," Zach said with a warm laugh. "You're growing fast. I thought you might need your own phone now. And don't forget—the charger is inside the box."
Max nodded eagerly, rummaging through the box until he found the charger. Then he held the phone up proudly and pressed the power button. The screen lit up instantly, washing his face with a soft glow. Max's smile somehow grew even wider.
"It works! Thank you again, Uncle Zach!"
"You're welcome," Zach replied, patting his shoulder. "I'm glad you like it."
Max set the phone to charge immediately, not wanting the battery to run low before he got a chance to explore it later. Once the charger was connected, he returned to the pile of gifts waiting for him and took a deep breath.
Most of the remaining presents were from his classmates, his parents' friends, and his teachers. Max decided to start with his classmates' gifts before moving on to the adults'. He didn't really know many of his parents' friends, so he thought it would be more exciting to begin with the gifts from the kids he saw every day at school.
He opened the teachers' gifts first since they were arranged neatly and tied with ribbons. Inside each package, he found different kinds of textbooks—Mathematics, Science, Geography, English Literature. Some were new editions, thick and shiny, while others had inspiring quotes printed on the cover. Max appreciated them all, though he wondered if his teachers were secretly hinting that he should read more.
But the most surprising gift came from the principal. When Max opened the principal's present, he found a small golden wristwatch resting on a cushion inside a sleek box.
"Wow… it's beautiful," Max whispered as he examined it. The watchface was polished and elegant, with delicate hands and small gold markings. It looked expensive—far too expensive for him.
He slipped it onto his wrist, and to his astonishment, it fit perfectly.
"Why… why did you give me this?" Max asked, looking up at the principal.
The principal smiled proudly. "Because you earned it. You won that competition and took first place. You are the first person in my school to come first in a competition outside the school."
Max blinked, confused. "So you're saying I'm the first person to win a competition?"
"No, no," the principal said quickly. "That's not what I mean."
"Then what do you mean?" Max asked again.
"You're the first from my school to take first place in an external competition. Others have joined competitions before, but none have taken first place. You changed that. So, this watch is yours."
Max felt a warm swell of pride in his chest. "Thank you so much."
"You're welcome," the principal said with a nod.
After finishing the teachers' gifts, Max moved on to the presents from his classmates. Those were more unpredictable. Some gave him snacks—boxes of biscuits, chocolate bars, chips, and canned drinks. Others gave money tucked inside cards. And a few hadn't brought anything at all, but Max didn't mind; he knew not everyone could afford gifts.
Even Max's close friends had brought something: a small toy robot from one friend, a sketchbook from another. But one gift stood out among all the classmates' presents—a large red leather school bag. It was gorgeous, with a glossy surface, golden zippers, and strong straps. Max held it up in the air and admired it.
"This is amazing…" he whispered.
After unwrapping the last of the classmates' gifts, Max clapped his hands and said, "That's all!"
But immediately, both his parents stepped forward.
"That is not all," his father said with a small smile. "You forgot about our presents."
Max turned to them, surprised. "But you said you didn't get me anything!"
His mother, Sophia, walked closer and whispered, "Well… this is a surprise gift."
Max raised a brow. "But why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"Because," Sophia replied, "if I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise anymore."
Max laughed. "Okay, okay! So where are the gifts?"
Sophia pointed to Max's father. "You'll open your father's gift first."
"Okay," Max said, eagerly reaching for the box his father handed him.
He opened it and saw a martial arts uniform neatly folded inside. The fabric was white with a black belt tied around it.
"Um… why did you buy me a martial arts uniform?" Max asked, puzzled. "I haven't joined any martial arts school."
His father, Maximus, crouched beside him. "Remember last year when you told me you wanted to join a martial arts class? You were still too young then, so I said no. But now that you're older, I think you're ready."
Max had many questions swirling in his mind, but he picked one. "Thank you so much… but when will I train?"
"Every Saturday," Maximus said. "That's when the classes are held."
Max nodded gratefully. "Okay. Thanks, Dad."
"You're welcome," Maximus said warmly.
Max then turned to his mother. "So, Mum… what about your gift?"
Sophia took his hands gently. "My gift is giving you a brother and a sister."
Max gasped. "I'm going to have siblings? That's… that's the best gift ever!"
He hugged her tightly, repeating "thank you" over and over until she laughed and stroked his hair.
Sophia then said, "Alright, now it's time to cut the cake. Everyone's hungry."
They all gathered around Max as they sang "Happy Birthday." Max cut the cake, and his mother distributed slices to everyone along with the drinks.
After the celebration, Sophia stretched and said, "I'm tired. Max, I'm going to sleep now."
"Okay, Mum," Max replied.
She went into the room, and Maximus followed her soon after.
Five minutes later, just as Max was collecting empty plates from the table, he heard it.
Bang!
A gunshot.
Then another.
The sound echoed through the house and froze everyone in place. Max's heart dropped. His mind raced, panic tightening his chest.
"Mom? Dad?" he whispered sharply.
He ran inside the house toward the bedroom. But before reaching the door, he saw something that made him stop cold.
Blood.
A dark red pool slowly spreading across the floor from the bedroom entrance.
"No…" Max whispered.
He stepped forward, trembling, and pushed the door open.
Inside, he saw the most horrifying sight of his life:
His parents—still, motionless, lifeless.
Sophia lying beside Maximus.
Both dead.