Leo—Viviana stepped out of the car in front of the red carpet, surrounded by reporters flashing their cameras at anyone they saw. He walked over the carpet, not batting an eye at the reporters, knowing they were least interested in him. Unlike her former self, Viviana, who was a sensation, this body was barely known to anyone, making her existence unimportant. Following Leo closely was the man who had spoken to him earlier, who reminded her, "Keep your eyes wide open. Don't miss the target, and your timing should be sharp, or else he might die." Leo nodded, breathing in heavily.
As they entered the venue, a woman in a black dress collected the invitations. Leo handed over his and was readily allowed to walk in.
The ball was as extravagant as she had imagined. The theme this year was "Starry Night," and the place was beautifully adorned. The ceiling of the grand hall was wrapped in thick navy velvet, embedded with small stars that lit up like a starry sky, with a moon-like chandelier in the center. The tables were draped in night-shade tablecloths, and moonflowers in full bloom filled every vase, their scent mingling with the air. The depiction of the night was spot on. Leo was amazed, but a part of her felt lost.
"Nothing is different here. It is as lively as every year." Her throat felt constricted, hurting as bitterness welled up. "Even though I am not here, nothing is different. There is no one who was affected by my absence," she thought, feeling how uselessly she had lived, as her absence made no difference.
"Are you going to stand there all day?" the man beside her said irritably, walking ahead. Leo snapped out of her thoughts, jerking her head to the side and looking around to see if Argon was anywhere to be seen.
"Are we too early? I don't see any of the faces in the pictures." After surveying the surroundings for a while, Leo decided to get a better look. She walked through the crowd toward the corner stairs, intending to climb them and get a bird's-eye view of the hall to spot Argon. But her primary goal wasn't Argon at this point; she was anxiously looking for Alister's arrival. "Grandpa! Please be here," she mumbled nervously, trailing her fingers along the balustrade while keeping a soft gaze on the crowd below, who were chuckling and enjoying themselves. A sense of unease grew in her chest.
"This could have been just like any other ball for Viviana, but it's not," she thought, pausing beside a tall pillar and leaning against it as she watched. Her throat felt constricted, a bitterness taking hold. "Even though I'm not here, nothing is different. There is no one affected by my absence," she thought, feeling how meaningless her life had been if her absence made no difference.
"Are you just going to stand there?" The man beside her asked irritably, walking ahead. Leo snapped out of her thoughts, jerking her head to the side before scanning the crowd again for any sign of Argon.
"Are we too early? I don't see any familiar faces from the pictures," she thought. Determined, she made her way through the crowd to the stairs, climbing them to get a better view of the room. However, her real goal wasn't Argon; it was to see Alister. "Grandpa! Please be here," she whispered nervously, trailing her fingers along the balustrade while scanning the crowd below, who were laughing and enjoying themselves. A sense of unease grew in her chest. This wasn't just any other ball for Viviana. This time, she wasn't as carefree or joyous. She paused beside a tall pillar, putting her weight on it as she watched, her throat tightening with a bitter feeling. "Nothing is different here. It is as lively as every year," she thought. "Even though I am not here, nothing is different. No one was affected by my absence." She felt a little gloomy inside as she pursed her lips.
Suddenly, a strange sensation near her leg caused her to frown. "What the—?" She looked down and felt her heart drop to her stomach. "A cat!!" A shiver ran up her spine, almost collapsing her heart. She took a huge leap backward, eyes widening in horror, a scream nearly escaping her lips.
"What is a cat doing here? Get lost, cat!" Leo hissed, but the cat seemed uninterested in listening. "Go away!" Leo felt a tingling sensation in her feet, horrified by the cat, one of her biggest fears even as Viviana, which seemed to have persisted. The cat, seemingly aware of this, continued to approach her. "Back off, beast! Get away from me." Leo retreated rapidly, turning around and hurrying down the stairs. The cat, intrigued, followed closely. Leo nearly tripped on the stairs. The cat picked up speed, and as they reached the bottom, the hall's lights dramatically turned off, plunging the room into complete darkness. Gasps and confusion spread among the crowd, and Leo momentarily went blank. "Was this supposed to happen?" she wondered, trying to move away from the stairs and the cat simultaneously.
"What has happened? How can the power go out? Is everything alright?" Numerous concerns were voiced by the crowd.
"Bump!" Leo, while walking away, ran into someone.
"Ouch!" The voice gave out a soft, painful groan. Before stumbling backward, Leo grabbed the person to prevent their fall. His hand was around the person's waist, and just as the hall's lights turned back on, a spotlight illuminated a tall cake dramatically pulled into the hall. The crowd roared in applause at the surprise, but Leo's eyes remained wide open, staring at the person he had just saved with a complicated expression. "What the..." he muttered under his breath, recognizing Autumn. 'Isn't she the redhead from the tasteless coffeeshop?' Her tense expression relaxed upon seeing him.
"Mr! What a pleasant surprise!" she said cheerfully, throwing her arms around his neck in a hug.