Chapter 10: The Feast of Masks300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEpAOdyc9SC
Scene 1: Invitations and Intrusions300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeowvmlHueQ
The chill of midwinter crept through the ancient stone corridors of Reverend Watt High, its breath fogging windows and curling beneath uniform hems. With it came anticipation—the annual midwinter banquet, known among students not for its formalities, but for its unspoken battles. It wasn't just a feast. It was where reputations were tested, alliances were paraded, and masks—figurative and literal—were worn with a sharp edge.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ75Ch3gwh41
Elara stood at her locker, spinning the lock with absentminded fingers when an envelope slid out from the vent at the top. Unmarked. Cream-colored. She frowned, unfolding it.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCpvGhH68mq
You've been noticed. Don't pretend you haven't felt it. Come to the feast. Midnight. The real one. It's not the school's version. Wear red.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwdBkHVCNI
She glanced around. The hallway was crowded, noisy—but no one looked her way. At least, not directly. Eshon leaned against a pillar nearby, talking to one of the basketball guys, but his eyes flicked briefly to her and then away, too fast to be innocent.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡayjhomknaD
She folded the note and slid it into her pocket. Her mind ticked.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx5KZGORIIh
Across the school courtyard, Valen sat in the library's farthest corner, pretending to read while his phone buzzed on the desk beside him. He didn't check it immediately—he already knew what the message would say.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxPfjSZhbAX
The final decision on the exchange program must be made before Friday. Delays will disqualify your application. Congratulations again.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRGnJCDif41
His stomach knotted. It was everything he'd worked for. A scholarship abroad. A fresh start. An exit. But his glance toward the courtyard, where Kaeli and Eshon passed in silence, reminded him why he hadn't replied. Leaving meant breaking something that couldn't be fixed.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa54pm1aoil
And then there was her—Elara.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡassuLHke9o
He didn't know what to make of her yet, but she was different. Unshaken by the social ranks. Curious in ways others feared. And bold in ways that made even Moira pause.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm2LJv2CzNk
Speaking of Moira...300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmdeRp6NVcY
In the girls' changing room, Moira sat on the marble bench as two of the Belles fussed over her nails. Her phone screen glowed with images—photoshopped ones, edited, curated, and ready for release. Elara would fall, she was sure of it. At the feast, in front of everyone.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYo7H05TAts
"Do you have her size?" Moira asked Lianne, who nodded. "Good. Then the dress will fit her like a charm. Too bad it's cursed."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHfiuRBVTLT
They laughed, but Aria's smile faltered.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1BzGKocNe
"Are you sure it'll work?" Aria asked. "She's not like the others. She doesn't bite when provoked."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLute5N5vBl
Moira's smirk turned blade-sharp. "Then we'll feed her something she can't resist."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcbOIT4G7qQ
Elsewhere, Eshon stood at the edge of the courtyard, watching Elara from a distance. His friends joked around, tossing snowballs, but he remained quiet, still. His loyalty to Kaeli ran deep—had always run deep. But there was something about the new girl that unsettled the order of things.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm6SDku3lPz
He remembered her first day. How she'd smiled despite the stares. Sat where no one dared. There was something raw about her. Something real.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGEAYtJ1sty
He pulled his hood over his head as the bell rang, signaling the next class. As he passed the main office, he caught a glimpse of Valen through the window—phone in hand, eyes heavy with a decision.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYX4YWi32t
Eshon's jaw tightened.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1MdweVQFz8
Everyone was choosing something. Sides. Futures. Masks.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQn0dIrKTfR
He wasn't sure what he would choose. Not yet.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX68kS0JGON
But the feast was coming.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqV3XIuUzze
And nothing would stay hidden for long.
Scene 2: Threads of Fire300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZdVLYWzZy
The rehearsal hall, usually cold and echoing with unfinished notes, shimmered with candlelight and velvet. It had been transformed into a space of shadows and soft silks, where the students responsible for banquet performances were gathering.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtbLzKU49qe
Elara had been asked to assist with the décor setup—not by staff, but by an anonymous note tucked into her poetry book. She hesitated at the entrance, adjusting her scarf. The room buzzed with quiet energy. Drama students practiced waltzes, musicians tuned violins, and Moira stood near the Centre, examining the lighting setup like a queen overseeing a court.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmWZf7s5g6Q
Eshon entered from the back, out of uniform, wearing a black turtleneck and the air of someone who didn't belong but was necessary. He wasn't part of the setup crew, but his presence wasn't questioned either. The shadows moved around him like they'd missed him.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHYjUe0ngb
Valen appeared minutes later. Not to help. Not really. He said it was to 'observe,' but in truth, he needed quiet space to think. Every step he took echoed like a decision.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBj7w5Qyulr
Moira's eyes lit when she saw him.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ38A5Gczx1X
"You came," she said, brushing a speck from his sleeve.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFSh9azU14S
"I didn't say I wouldn't."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjkBxyYp3sb
She leaned in. "Big night. It'll shape everything."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBkMCSVbt0
Valen's reply was cut short when he noticed Elara arranging candlesticks by the piano. Alone. Focused. That same look of calm that frustrated people like Moira.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡabB961f3bm
Eshon, too, was watching. But his gaze wasn't about frustration. It was curiosity. Respect.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXcPnTtITuX
"Why her?" someone whispered behind him.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVLlZon8VMl
He didn't answer. Not because he didn't know. But because the answer mattered too much.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGOlaaJjYtZ
At that moment, the lights flickered. All eyes turned upward. A gust of wind pushed through the cracks in the windows. The rehearsal hall darkened for a heartbeat, and when the lights steadied again—300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJApEPLG1ZF
A figure stood at the door.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5C8VcI47bs
The Headmaster.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfjGUcGhOvt
"Banquet preparations are not just for your amusement," he said. "They are tradition. And tradition," he paused, scanning the room, "is the only mask we truly wear."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2WH4teJ3cD
He left as quickly as he arrived, leaving behind an unsettled silence.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡisjB9o6nAi
Elara looked toward the window. Snow was starting to fall again.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUAknx7HeF
And somewhere deep within the stone halls of Reverend Watt High, the night was preparing its teeth.
Chapter 11: Before the Mask Falls300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgrUPYuZLBV
Scene 1: Elara's Homestead300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0grzXVbDgG
The invitation still felt heavier than paper should.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHw8iEAPi2k
Elara sat alone in the living room, curled on the corner of the couch, jacket balled up beside her. The sealed parchment peeked from the pocket like it had a life of its own. Snow pressed silently against the windows. The world was quiet — too quiet for a girl who carried so much noise inside.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAW6GvkZCzL
Jay walked into the room from the hallway, his sleeves rolled up, and a towel slung over his shoulder. He paused when he saw her staring at nothing.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0j1OA2vlUD
"Let me guess," he said. "You're either plotting revenge or avoiding homework."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGOcNKuERXJ
Elara gave a half-smile but didn't answer.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡweANDCLCfr
Jay sat on the arm of the couch, eyebrows narrowing as he noticed the unease in her eyes.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNbTVJ8lecC
"What's wrong?"300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIgxvB9UVi9
She hesitated, then pulled the envelope from the jacket and handed it to him without a word.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHH8AgCtjz6
He turned it over. "No name. No stamp. Just... your name. And this weird seal."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl5zjXD18VN
"Mask," Elara said softly. "It's for the Midwinter Banquet. It was in my locker... yesterday."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtTUEHMqGs9
Jay sat up straighter. "That's... odd. Students usually don't send anonymous invites to school events, right?"300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX51wwLpwH2
She shook her head.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR3s0gbdVO1
"Do you know who sent it?" he asked.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡttdYDc0DF9
Elara shrugged. "No. That's what's bothering me."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBFMqJ7s35w
"Well," Jay said, placing the envelope on the coffee table. "Do you want to go?"300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs5KFNIORnc
That was the real question, wasn't it?300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1KD2JpFpum
"I don't know," she whispered. "It doesn't feel like an invitation. It feels like... a trap. Or a joke. Or maybe both."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ09SDFt0Qjp
Jay looked at her for a long time, then stood and went to the kitchen. He returned with two mugs of tea and handed her one.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFSLjuRJcJT
"Listen," he said, settling into the couch. "I know how it feels — thinking everyone's watching, waiting for you to trip."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1turQdeqbb
Elara looked up.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJDATMKrAq
"You remember when Mom and Dad died? Everyone thought I couldn't handle the company. I was twenty and drowning in paperwork and expectations. Every time I stepped into a boardroom, I knew they wanted to see me fail."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv1yMo8EGo8
He sipped his tea.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8VNvpGLBfw
"But the only reason I made it was because I stopped waiting for their approval and started showing them why I didn't need it."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHMXs36UQG
Elara lowered her gaze to the cup.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡknAOFaBlu3
"You're not them, El," Jay said gently. "And they're not you. But if there's one thing I've learned, it's this: You don't have to trust the invitation. You only have to trust yourself."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKBnfz7PFaW
The warmth of the tea was the only thing anchoring her at that moment. The invitation sat on the table, daring her to respond.
Scene 2: Reverence Watt High School, afternoon300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZsx0ul7hh
Outside in the courtyard, the snow had thinned into soft flurries. Valen sat beneath the old stone fountain, his boots propped against the base. Eshon joined him silently, tossing a pebble across the icy surface.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJURcRjF0nW
"She's going," Eshon said.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6WblHziQK
Valen looked up.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡat9vYg5nRN
"Elara. Someone sent her an invitation."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCf2ABlanXv
Valen didn't reply immediately. His face was unreadable.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaovdyHT4gB
"You don't seem surprised," Eshon added.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLJgZW6iqqW
"I'm not," Valen said quietly. "I expected it."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFXIMy94QJY
"You think she'll say yes?"300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy4vbY3QApM
"She has to," Valen murmured, almost to himself. "This banquet isn't just a dance. It's where masks slip... and people finally see what's behind the glass."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQbv3kRyZR
Eshon frowned. "That sounds... ominous."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8bhqNF35N4
Valen's gaze flicked to him. "It is."
Scene 3: Moira's bedroom300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ82mGUhtZKM
Lian sprawled across Moira's bed, scrolling through photos. Aria stood in front of the mirror, pinning her curls in preparation for the banquet.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNs6blTBLdy
"I heard Elara got an invite," Lian said, not looking up.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb1ttzIycYW
Moira didn't blink. She was examining a pair of earrings.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIINpLqVhtS
"You don't seem shocked," Aria noted.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZl6mNNua2b
Moira smiled coldly.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQyQUXgG4LE
"Let her go. Let her dress up and pretend she belongs. We'll see how long the magic lasts."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMgUc6tTb6n
"You don't think she'll pull it off?" Lianne asked.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBBpznd10rR
"No one pulls anything off at Reverence," Moira said. "Not unless they're willing to pay in blood."
Scene 4: Elara's bedroom, late evening300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiUKD7PKw48
The invitation lay on her desk, beside her scattered schoolbooks and the notes she no longer had the energy to study.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXedtBHcycv
Jay knocked once and stepped inside.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqpM2qedHw9
"You know," he said, "you don't have to go just because someone invited you."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmRpbrqFAwP
"I know," she whispered.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡngdA7bvbqD
He placed a box in front of her — long and flat, wrapped in deep silver paper.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy6gmK8DaAL
"But if you do, wear this. It belonged to Mom."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBIm6RYTktR
She opened it and found a sleek, black, feathered mask with tiny silver accents along the trim. It shimmered faintly in the lamplight.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0nJNTDbRY
"You kept this?" she asked, touched.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAVrXg0dJBC
Jay smiled faintly. "Some things are worth keeping. Just like some people."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDX8kpAIcsF
Elara didn't answer. But when he left the room, she didn't close the box either.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvAbplViNHt
She just sat there, staring at the mask... and thinking about how strange it was — how one night could carry so many secrets beneath so many disguises.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUvFE1zurRQ
And how maybe, just maybe, it was time for her to start hiding less.
Chapter 12: The Masquerade of First Sparks300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZF3HCb5bCr
The snow had deepened overnight, cloaking the sidewalks in a soft white hush as Elara stared at her reflection in the hallway mirror. The mask in her hands—white porcelain trimmed with fading gold—still smelled faintly of lavender, and for a moment, she swore she could hear her mother's laughter echoing faintly in the distance.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUSpv5vIo6T
She swallowed hard.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4QDsj1PgMj
Jay stood behind her, quietly adjusting the clasp of the dress. It wasn't a new gown, but it shimmered like starlight—simple, elegant, with a vintage waistline that hugged her softly.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZ0E5TL16o
"You don't have to go," Jay reminded her gently, his voice low. "But if you do... go as yourself. Not for them. For you."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsnz5Yc8TLq
Elara didn't reply. She looked once more in the mirror, fastened the mask over her face, and whispered, "Let's go."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXGPZqhqBLB
The banquet was already underway when she arrived.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0xa7FfQhwA
The West Wing's banquet hall had been transformed. Paper lanterns hovered above the high-vaulted ceiling, glowing with a soft blue hue. The marble floor reflected the chandeliers, casting shifting lights like stars underfoot. People twirled in elaborate gowns, masks glittering, voices buzzing in laughter and speculation.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1YfVdbws9
Moira spotted her first.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQpBmcaE0J
Her gasp was audible even from across the hall. "No way. Is that her?" she hissed, jabbing Lian's arm.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU0ecgp2U92
"Oh my God," Lian muttered, squinting. "She looks... different."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKiP0MvOYBC
Aria tilted her head. "Like she doesn't belong. Yet somehow... she does."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoxCjK0oJmi
Moira crossed her arms, bitterness brewing. "She thinks a mask and a secondhand dress makes her someone? Just wait."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8cr054kpu3
Elara ignored their stares as she stepped inside.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7PWfMO5Adg
Her heart thundered, but she kept her spine straight. She had told herself she'd stay in the shadows, just watch. Maybe leave early. But the moment she walked past the fountain centerpiece, every conversation around her seemed to hush. It was as if the room had exhaled—and turned to stare.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrIU5Q9NZv3
And then she saw him.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqVRNLWuEnU
Kaeli.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4wmtBj76yA
He wasn't dressed like the others. No velvet cloaks or overly-embellished suits. Just a midnight-black shirt with subtle gold embroidery, his mask silver and sharp like polished bone. He wasn't dancing. He was watching. Her.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdbXRM4Vih
For a moment, neither of them moved.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrOft2xHO3e
Then, quietly, he started walking toward her.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMbobYeFSc
Elara's breath caught. Every step he took seemed to silence another corner of the room. She looked sideways, half-expecting him to stop, to veer toward someone else.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyvSdEctfRY
He didn't.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP0ciA760zg
He stopped in front of her, extended a gloved hand.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvSHsvHUqhs
"Dance with me."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRzQArNrHUp
A hush.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoKDXhQntNl
Moira nearly dropped her glass. "You've got to be kidding me."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRHkqgTy3cE
Elara hesitated. They had barely spoken. A few words here and there. A nod in the hallway. The strange, weighty silences when their eyes met.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDghEHuTaLT
But something about this moment—the music shifting to something slow, the lanterns flickering dimmer—felt fated.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfeqZZ3DXCc
She placed her hand in his.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm0UtNmXL9u
They moved slowly at first. Awkward. Hesitant. As if testing a rhythm neither had practiced.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdwpREMivyY
But with each passing beat, the air changed.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaAtBQZR0LT
The world fell away.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz33GTJSHs6
The other dancers became shadows. The music blurred. It was only them now—Kaeli with his unreadable gaze, Elara with her guarded heart. Their movements began to sync, almost instinctively. He led without force. She followed without fear.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDKn41V6wX
He leaned in, voice low. "You surprised them."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnuR0KzgU9y
"Did I?"300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3nVuIh1JQZ
"You surprised me."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNYplC5xPQK
She turned her face slightly toward his. "Good."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMgkqLZO8RV
He chuckled under his breath, just once. A sound not many had heard from him.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFwcMZPVK5K
Around them, the whispers buzzed.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmVLrtq6tXg
Kaeli's dancing. With her. With the new girl.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9eE0QjPWa6
Isn't she the one, Moira—?300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1TN6M3AEoM
They actually look...300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM186YuSj5m
...good together.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPVMUbBBr1
Elara's heartbeat quickened. She wanted to pull away, to flee. But Kaeli's grip tightened—not possessively, just grounding. Assuring.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhIUhWfSCSx
Then the music shifted again—slower, dreamier.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvBOR7LPtDn
Kaeli stepped closer. "They think we don't notice them watching."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo0paTRs4qU
"Do we care?"300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSUoM5zMiC
He paused. His eyes softened. "Not tonight."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbecQgMG0lJ
He twirled her. Her skirt fanned out like smoke, and when she spun back into his arms, there was a different energy in the air. Not tension. Not defiance.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh7IZUKXJA8
Something warmer.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkTJvJx6Wz8
Something sparking.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9XME7xLXz
Jay watched from the upper balcony, a small smile on his lips. He knew this was more than just a dance. It was a shift.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZjoYXatTA
From the crowd, Moira fumed, eyes narrowed. Her claws were ready, but tonight wasn't hers.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1cbCaYoUx4
And Elara—300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX6Fn5eBS4Z
Elara forgot the rumors, the snide looks, the snow melting in her shoes.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5UzuMXkBIb
For a moment, she forgot everything.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFV1UWoqdia
She looked up at Kaeli, their masks nearly brushing.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZaVxFZcsTk
And he whispered, so quietly only she could hear:300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcZJml8RqvB
"Maybe you belong here more than any of them."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnDwsS81u3D
She blinked.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcdJkdGDo8i
Something cracked open inside her.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvIuocjz2lM
And as the final note of the song echoed into silence, they stood still, staring at each other, the whole hall holding its breath.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNm7cy253w
Elara smiled. Not politely. Not nervously. Genuinely.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH0O39o7Ujc
And Kaeli smiled back.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1nfZhF3Nqw
Kaeli's hand stayed gently on the small of Elara's back as the next track swelled in the ballroom—slow, aching, ethereal.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeZkMFIszL9
But before the two could move again, a strange flicker of light washed over them.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOAlF6PGPZ0
Flick.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCME5W7og0
Flick-flick.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10QfxQ9zCp
All around them, the chandeliers overhead began to dim. A confused hush swept through the hall.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0P9jT34lnq
"Power issue?" someone murmured.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6UWDSxY2LC
"No, the lights..." another voice whispered, "They're... changing."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDh0c1vBtE
Elara turned.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Dtgc2mWEv
Above them, each chandelier now glowed a different hue—deep crimson, icy blue, emerald, gold. Colors rippling like auroras over glass. Strange, unnatural.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD6g0ylPk9n
And then—a soft melody began. Not the DJ's.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3vCntbuCf8
An ancient, haunting tune, coming from the grand piano at the edge of the ballroom.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeCKR8rDULz
But no one was playing it.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjz2K6fS6Gv
Kaeli tensed, his gaze narrowing. "What is this?"300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88UcjFwpgG
The room froze. No music from the speakers, no voices. Just the ghostly piano.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDjRyS30yw4
Jay stood at the edge of the balcony, gripping the rail, his face unreadable.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPlzPAjIHV
Then, the candles lining the hall all ignited at once, without anyone touching them.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqeKcPgkFwI
Gasps echoed.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQH0w6Q4lV
Elara's breath hitched. Her heart pounded.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSC6DjhgzV
"Kaeli," she whispered, "I think we should leave—"300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1tNfx1rCmF
The grand piano let out one final note, long and dissonant—and then a mirror behind the stage shattered with a piercing crack! as if struck by nothing.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5MK6TKlbiE
Glass rained onto the floor like falling stars.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjyqCnHtBY2
Silence.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOJeUk0iUd
Dead silence.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7LV7K4RKxy
And then—a soft, disembodied laugh.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGnypRN4SVY
Not loud. Not human. But... familiar.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDgaUju7xwU
Everyone heard it, but no one could trace it.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡheh1RDMDSr
Kaeli stepped forward, shielding Elara instinctively.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1zIWKBVYMB
From the scattered mirror shards, a single one slid across the floor and landed at Elara's feet.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡca1elRoPhi
She slowly picked it up.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAax3D1RAPk
A word was etched on it. Just one.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqhqKPYz7Oa
Burned in black:300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBm9mifr9EU
"REMEMBER."300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgtSv4VVVHQ
The ballroom lights returned. The piano silenced. The candles faded out.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1s0hC1Axcf
It was like nothing had happened.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTBgmfaOXYe
Except... everyone had felt it.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOFITnPmzSu
Something ancient.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2cLZfhI7j9
Something watching.300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZe59kUHSr
Something that had waited for Elara Veil to dance.
300Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFD5eLr4zhO
and then Add to home screen.