Warm, callous hands guided mine, caging the air inside my lungs. Glitters of yellow mists blended into every corner of the vast hall. Chatters, laughter, and clinking of glasses danced through the music, while shades of shadows went beyond time to speak.
A hand that wasn't supposed to be in my present pulled me closer, jailing me in a second of his imprisoning airy scent. "You should stay closer to me. Never let go of my hand," a deep baritone voice gliding through my skin, sending shivers of familiarity.
My gaze turned sour at the sight of his empty view. Pushing him a bit farther was harder than pulling him close to me. I felt getting stuck in my body as a kid couldn't get any worse, but this one's an exception. I felt like a lost baby in his arms, which I never wanted.
"Adviel, you're overthinking too much; besides, why is your hold so tight on me? I'm not a baby for Pete's sake, and would you just back off?" A sudden burst of shouts, whistles, and chuckles invaded the place before the sound of something blowing like a firework appeared, cutting my words.
Neither of us spoke about what we had seen, but we knew when a huge dark blue curtain fell just before the two curves of stairs, the event had gladly taken its right place.
"Welcome ladies and gentlemen," someone said far above, appearing just after the curtain fell. A man dressed in a dark blue suit, and a red rose at the left side of his chest.
"Once again, I do like to apologize for making you wait," the man floating in the air said, bowing like royalty. He lifted his bluish hat and put it on his chest before grabbing the red rose and placing it on his masked face, just inches away from its drawn lips. A moment when the petals of the rose fell and multiplied in the air, sending cheers to every guest present.
However, all I felt was a sense of curiosity. Who was that guy? Was he the one called Oblivion, like in the letter? Or was he the one who created this game? Either way, since the man appeared to be a magician, all these people must have known this was dangerous and still participated.
Where did this game come out of nowhere? Since this didn't happen to me when I was living under the illusion of love from that person.
This must have led to me changing the course of fate, starting with acquiring this young boy.
His gaze wasn't something I hoped for in this situation; neither was shining nor dark. As if he had experienced the same before, or was it just my imagination?
"Stay close to me, and never---"
"Let go of your hand? I know Adviel," I said. But he doesn't seem to be pleased with my answer.
He looked as if he was about to open his mouth but decided to close it. Shaking his head and searching for his pocket, he took my left hand and opened my palm. He handed a small piece of candy, covered in purple wrapping.
"What's this? A candy? I'm not a kid; you can just---"
"Just take it and swallow it when you know you're in grave danger," his eyes narrowed, his eyebrows stretching to either of his ears.
"What? Is this some of your trick again, Adviel? Because you know for a thousandth time, I'll never believe this kind of---"
"It's not," he said. His voice became soft like a wind's sound when touching a leaf to dance with it.
I could barely respond to him if he didn't close my palm, letting me hold his wrist.
"Just remember if something happens and I'm not by your side, then remember to take it as soon as we part ways."
"You're talking as if you know what could happen..." I laughed it off, shaking some doubt forming my mind, but he never chuckled or did what he usually did when we were in my house.
Silence laughed in response.
I faked a cough, but he continued to look at the man performing some tricks above us. Some were amused, some struggled to answer the host's question, yet some laughed it off while toasting their glasses.
"Besides, you said I should swallow it only when I'm in grave danger, so parting ways with you is not even in grave danger, Adviel." I sighed at what he looked at earlier and dismissed it from my mind.
Instead of playing games with the host, I'd rather understand what will happen, especially what's on his mind to think and do what he just did.
But then, just as I had hoped for, he spoke, dismissing my hope in vain.
"Once we parted ways in this game, I couldn't protect you; there will be a barrier holding us both ways, and that's the only time you'll know what I mean when you eat it."
"Yet you said you'd do everything I want."
"I did, but you don't know this game."
"Wait, so you knew this game? Have you ever been into this game before?"
"…" he stayed quiet. His lips neither lifted nor closed, though his once empty eyes shone before blinking them in the abyss away.
"I-I, Isabela, do you trust me?" I felt weights from both shoulders become heavy, and I didn't know why I nodded. Was it because I was magnetized by his eyes or something?
I don't know.
But one thing is for sure: his voice wasn't waving.
"Just promise me one thing: by the end of this game, I'm still your master, right?"
I saw the familiar smile I used to look on him and a grip for dear life almost crumpling my dress away reassured the air inside my lungs to escape.
"No one can replace you," five words but it felt like it was the world for me.
We nodded and looked ahead after the curtain slowly opened to penetrate our visions. After a toast with the blinding lights, seconds passed and the place changed.
From ballroom to a place full of green vines thick as a brick to cover each other. Only pathways can be walked on while the vines serve as a wall.
"After the host counts from ten to one, immediately swallow the candy, Isabela."
"Wait, why?"
"That's the only way I could keep you safe."
"What are you talking about, Adviel?"
"Welcome to the place of magic! Now to fulfil your wish, only one will win. In this game called hide-and-seek, one must be the seeker while your partner of the friends you made within the past ten minutes of the game will be sought out." Pause happens when the host drinks water through his mask before fading it away.
With open arms, he spoke again as if he hadn't just been tired.
"Oh and relax, everything you see in this game will only be illusions and not real, but it's based on your instincts to trust or not. So now you know the rule of the game, then let's start within ten, nine, eight, seven, six…."
"On the count of one, take the candy, Isabela," a wide-eyed reflection of myself in his eyes mirrored everything I could ask.
Yet my hands felt like moving on their own, so when my mind became conscious of the word one, I gulped the candy with closed eyes.
I heard one firework working in the sky only to open my eyes when everyone shouted. Like a change of season, a brief summer turned to winter when I saw the warmth fade through my fingertips.
Gazing back at my palm, an empty purple wrapper was left to withstand the cold. Though I knew nothing beats his warmth when composing my soul.
"Oh, and one thing for certain before I leave," the host paused, reappearing after an echoing finger click.
"If someone knows your identity, you better confuse them."
A man two feet away from me asked the host, "Why? Is it also part of the game?"
The host chuckled before answering the man's question.
"Gentleman, if someone asked you if you participated in the game before it ends, we will haunt you down."
"What?!"
"It's simple," the host faked a cough, putting his clenched fist just inches away from his masked face, and continued, "No one must know you participated in this game even if you win."
"What's the punishment then if someone knew?"
"If someone outside the participants knew you participated in the game, we will make you wanted by the Oracles."
Everyone gasped.
The man clenched his fist and glared at the host.
"What's so big of a deal if that someone will know our identity?"
"Oh, you wouldn't want to know because this game only selects a few participants who need a change. Participants like you who needed to change their fate..."
"You're leading me into a bush, you know that?"
"Well, if you want to find out, try it then, but don't ever claim the burden is on us, my dear gentleman." After the host snapped his fingers, only fading laughter penetrated the dome until all was gone to silence and everyone looked at the man who stomped his feet away.
"What? Have you all never seen someone so curious to ask the host?" others changed their view to look, while I got curious and walked towards the man.
"Hi," I asked
"Oh young lady, don't ask my name because you already knew what the host said."
"I know but you can give me your alias, only if you want."
"You're way too persistent to a stranger you only met for a second, lady."
"But that persistence is helpful in this dire need of change, right?"
"If you insist---"
"You were way too talkative to the host earlier, Moses," the man's eyes widened, cursed before the lady smacked him on the back of his head.
"Relax, it's not as if it's your real name, damnit!" the woman said again, smiling eye to eye with me.
"Oh, and we have someone who wants to be part of the group, eyy?" She leaned, but I hesitatingly backed away. As I was about to pardon my intrusion, the woman grabbed my hand and yanked me towards her.
"You smell like a noble; oh well, anyone can have disguises, but your mask and hair are uncommon," she paused while her hand was sketching the underside of her chin.
"Nevertheless, if you want to be safe for an hour or two, better follow us before we go to our goal."
"Who----"
"Oh right, I forgot to tell you, my name's Sarah; you know a woman with unique pink hair, and here right beside me is Moses, the one with the green hair, got that?!" The woman flashed me a smile full of her teeth while choking the man named Moses on his neck.
"So are you going or not because..."
"Alright, I'm Bell, then. Please lead the way."
***
Third's POV
"Your Highness, everything is prepared; would you like to conclude being the winner now?"
A young boy with a few strands of silver turning gold faced the bowing on his back.
The boy had this purplish mask in the sketches of an eagle and wore clothing of full brown in plain color.
As he gazed at someone's familiar face, a few meters away from where he stood, the corners of his lips threaded into a devil's grin.
"Let's just say I want to enjoy this event a bit more, so stay still until I call you again, Laxus."
With a few chuckles, the man was swallowed by the darkness, while the young boy adjusted his mask.
"Since this game will be an interesting night, right, my fair lady?" whispered through the wind while his gaze landed on a specific young lady, the lady with the golden flaming hair, a signature he knew well.
"See you later, my dear..." with a snap of his fingers, mists appeared while his image slowly evaporated.
***
A shiver ran down my spine as if I heard my name being called.
"Are you cold? Here, take it," Sarah tossed me her tux while a man's suit suited her better, as I asked her earlier.
"Thank you," I said but the tux got blown away and the next thing I knew, Sarah was grabbing my hand while Moses was on her other hand as we ran towards a place I don't know.
"We should run now since not all in here are illusions. There are lies behind that masked man's words and not everything he said is truth."