"Ah… Huh… Ah… Huh…" The young boy clutches his chest, gasping for breath. His heart pounds with each inhale. Suddenly, he comes to a halt, choking and coughing up heavy air.
His back, resting on the chilled bricks, falls. He lands, still with his chest clutched. Though, he slowly loosens his grip as his breathing steadies.
His head turns to look at the sky. The stars shimmer in this sweet silver that matches the heart of the pale golden glow of the moon. The clouds add a depth that, even with the chill, warms his heart.
The young boy's gaze fixated on the night sky above him. His blue eyes are dull, but twinkle vibrantly in the light from the moon. The lunar glow casts a pale light on his fair skin, making it glisten like a pearl in the darkness.
The hairs on his head fly freely with the light, making it look like pale gold. The streetlights add to the ambiance, illuminating the surrounding area with a warm, golden hue that blends seamlessly with the other glows.
Gradually, his eyesight begins to restrict, as if the world around him is closing in. The edges of his vision blur and merge until everything turns into the inky darkness, and he is left with nothing but the void.
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Suddenly, after a moment, his body grows warmer. What was the cold brick along his back, seems to become warm soft cloth. He slowly begins to open his eyes, revealing a lady with long light brown hair.
Her eyes are covered with glasses but they still shimmer a golden orange. She fixes her jasmine dress. The sparkles of the dress are apparent with the fluorescent lights of the room.
She sighs, "I can't believe I got dirty for you!" Her eyes furrow, her expression not leaving the floor but still, he can tell she is speaking to him.
His mouth barely moves, his lips stuck together. He takes a deep breath, "I-I, I'm sorry..." With a weakened arm, he brings it up to wipe his mouth.
She groans, her eyes closed but now facing him still with an angry expression, "It's fine. Though, I can't-" she opens her eyes and stares at him, "I can't believe you chose tonight to run off again."
She turns and walks over to a desk next to him. She picks up a notepad and gestures it to him. "Now, if you haven't forgotten-"
He picks himself up.
"Ugh-" she tosses the notebook onto his lap, "Whatever, just take notes and follow my lead." She turns to leave. Before she leaves, she picks up a pair of shiny purple high heels.
Watching her, he stares almost aimlessly. But as she leaves he turns his gaze toward the ground. "..." No words escaped his mouth. All he could do was sigh. After all, what should he say?
When he regained his strength in his arms, he pulled himself out of the bed. One of the white sheets got stuck on his clothes before he pulled it off. His eyes surveyed the room but ended up lingering on the notepad in his hands.
Begrudgingly, he says, "I can never escape this will I?..." his voice only whispers along with the buzz of the AC.
A shiver runs down his spine as he thinks of what he is about to do. But, reluctantly, he fastens his pace, stopping only at the doorway. Black shoes looked to be cleaned but still, dirt was scratched into the soles. After putting them on he exits.
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Enveloped in the glimmers and glitters of the gold accents along the red velvet. The refined murmur of the silhouettes of tall gentlemen and ladies in formal attire. Glancing across the ornate surroundings, he discerns the intricate details – from the resplendent chandeliers above to the meticulously arranged floral centerpieces.
The flowers are a mix of red roses, white orchids, purple petunias, and black satin dahlias.
Suddenly, he stops, bumping into the lady from early. Her head quickly turns to him again with furrowed brows.
She clutches her temples as she puts her other hand on his shoulder, "Jude, please...." She sighs as she looks deep into his soul, "Watch where you're going... This is important." She takes in a deep inhale before standing back up and regaining her composure.
His eyes rather, landed their gaze towards the ground. Sheepishly, he stood next to her. Though, after a moment, he pulled out the notepad. Flipping through the pages and landing on one with several bullet points. He takes in a deep breath before gently closing it and placing it back inside his coat.
Steading himself, he begrudgingly makes his way to one of the silhouettes of people. The silhouette is quite taller than himself.
As he got closer the silhouette grew features, slick back short black hair, sharp jaw, fair skin, and they wore a nice black tuxedo. The fabric of the suite glistened red with the golden light of the room coming from the candles above.
He gulped and this tall man looked down at him. He bowed to introduce himself, "U-um... My name is Judas..." He picked himself up and looked up to the tall man, "H-how are you enjoying the party so far?"
The man chuckled with a slight smile, "You must be Lady Clarisse's protégé."
Judas nodded nervously, "Yes, that's correct... She asked me to assist and take notes for the evening..."
The tall man extended a hand, "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Judas. I'm Alexander. Lady Clarisse speaks highly of you."
As they shook hands, a gentle warmth enveloped Judas. His eyes widened after coming to a realization, "She speaks...of me?" He thought.
After Alexander stood back up, their hands then released from each other, "Well, to answer your question, I'm having a wonderful time!" His smile is as sweet as he is tall. Alexander turns to the lady's silhouette beside him.
Then the lady turns to Judas giving him a sweet gentle smile. "Oh, yes!" Her cheeks blushed a subtle red matching her lips. Her gown matched that of Alexander's. Her dress resembled a black ball gown with white accents. Her hair, dark brown hair that's neatly tied up in a bun, adorned with a white flower.
"Me and my husband are having a splendid time!" She giggles as she places a paper fan with black and white adornments in front of her lips.
Judas slightly lowers his head and bows again. "Well, th-thank you for being here..." He takes in a deep breath before standing back up, now clutching onto his coat, "Now I should be off, I have to see more guests..." His eyes drift off gazing at the other silhouettes. A droplet runs down his face.
"Oh well," Alexander pipes up, "Have fun young one!" His eyes crinkle with his smile as he then faces away from Judas and to his wife.
Judas's eyes lingered for a moment. Lost for a moment, he was suddenly stricken by reality as his notepad fell from his coat. Quickly he picked it up and hid it with ease. But, he then hastily walked over to another silhouette on the other side of the hall.
He met faced with a tall figure, shrouded with this only darkness. Not as tall as Alexander, but his eyes were sharper. Like knives the beading white eyes stabbed into Judas's soul. Then, almost like glass, it shattered, as a calm and sweet voice spoke up. "Why, hello there!" The figure crouched lightly down onto Judas's level.
Suddenly, Judas stepped back. But only slightly, as if it was just instinct. His eyes widened at this person before calming as he regained his composure.
He is now able to observe the hair of the figure, which is long and flowing towards the right side. The hair extends down to the lower end of the chest and has a soft auburn color with subtle shades of strawberry red.
Their head is decorated with a crown of purple and white flowers. Their face looks to be soft, fitting their sweet cyan eyes. The figure also seemed to wear a formal dress.
But not as Alexander's wife's ball gown, more like a simple lace dress. The white lace of the dress falls right at their knees. The dress is flowy, like a cloud, with accents of royal purple and hits of gold with the buttons on the chest.
"U-um" Judas's checks flush, "H-hi... I- um- How are you enjoying the party?" His voice shutters.
"Oh! I'm having a splendid time!" They stand upright and clasp their hands together. "Even though this is my first one of Lady Clarisse's esteemed events, I am adjusting myself quite well!" Their smile is contagious as the warmth of their smile now matches his.
"I-I'm glad..." Judas musters, fidgeting with a button on his coat.
"Ah- I should introduce myself! Silly me!" They make a gesture as if they just missed their eye. "I'm Seraphina," they place their hand on their jaw.
"And I- My name is Judas..." He looks up at Seraphina, "I-I hope you have a g-great rest of the nigh-" His voice gets cut off.
Suddenly, all he could see was darkness. The room also went silent. However, after a second, a light shined dramatically onto one location. In the middle of the stairs, while in the direct line of the spotlight, is a silhouette of a woman. This lady is staring into the crowd with her arms gesturing at them.
Judas's eyes widen with awe at the sight, the light revealing the lady, now with long light brown hair. Her eyes are covered with glasses that hide her eyes with a gleam of white. Her jasmine dress sparkles in the spotlight.
The moment the lady is revealed, a formal applause erupts. However, it slowly gets hushed by Lady Clarisse. "Hello everyone!" With her voice, it carries through the room with authority leaving the whole event in a whisper.
"Welcome to The Midnight Ball." She bows to the crowd, "I'm glad you all made it!" Her hands go behind her back as she stands up.
"Tonight is for you, my gift to you for your unwavering loyalty and support," she says with a smile. The room erupts in applause as she gestures towards the center of the ballroom.
"Please, enjoy the festivities, dance, eat, drink, and be merry. Let us forget our worries for a moment and revel in the magic of the night." With that, she steps back and the spotlight fades as she is shrouded in darkness.
Then, suddenly, the lights flicker back on. Now the room is illuminated with the glittering golden glow once more.
Though, as Judas looks around, he can't see Seraphina. "She must have left..." He whispers. "um... I should find someone..." Judas walked toward more figures. More silhouettes. Those deep shining white eyes pierced into his soul.
For a second, and only for a second, he noticed something. As he was talking to a silhouette, the eyes, instead of remaining the ominous white, flashed a red glint.
Judas stepped back as he saw it. His eyes widened while his breath hasted. Though, then Judas took a deep breath, "I was p-probably nothing..." He thought.
After saying goodbye to the figure Judas continued to navigate through the crowd, a sense of unease lingering in his mind.
As he approached another group, the conversations and laughter blended into a symphony of celebration. However, his thoughts returned to the notepad tucked into his coat. Before speaking, he pulled the notepad from his coat, jotting down something.
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The night was filled with dancing and laughter, but Judas couldn't shake off the feeling that hidden layers were lurking beneath the glamorous facade. The glint of red in those white eyes haunted him, even though he tried to ignore it as if it were nothing.
Amid revelry, he found himself standing alone, gazing at the ornate surroundings. The room pulsated with energy, yet the air around him felt like a void. With a sigh, he swallowed himself, and once again pulled out the notepad. However, he just stared at the pages. The words echoed at him, reminding him.
"KATCHR" With a deafening sound, the room went black. Though, unlike earlier when the lights went out, this time Judas could see nothing. There was no light, not even from the open windows or the candles above. The crowd was silent for a moment but then erupted into panic.
Judas strained his senses in the pitch-black darkness, the unsettling sound echoed in the air. He could hear the faint rustling of fabric as people jostled around him, trying to find their way out of the darkened room. The tension in his grip grew as he clutched the notepad tightly, his heart racing with fear. Judas felt a surge of apprehension as the chaotic panic of the crowd surrounded him, making it difficult for him to move or even breathe.
"Sphhhlt... Shik... Pthieeee...Thu..." those sounds, while in the distance, were very clear. Then a loaded sound clashed, "THUD". With it, the lights flooded back in. Almost flash-banging him.
As everyone's vision was regained, the crowd went silent as they stared at one place. At first, Judas was confused until he turned his focus to the same place. There lay a silhouette, no, a person. Their blond hair scattered along the hard floor while their arms stretched away from them.
Their eyes were dull, opened wide. Their gown was a notable glittery white but from the chest, it was soaked. The ends of the hair are also soaked. Soaked from a crimson liquid bleeding from their chest. Something poked out from the wound.
Everyone erupted in panic and tears. Someone even raced towards the large door where everyone entered from to guarantee exit, though, the door wouldn't budge. Judas, however, stared at the body, in horror.
His eyes dulled as his hand covered his mouth. This hadn't happened before. Why would've happened before?
"What should I do?" He thought, "I-I... I have to get Claire..."
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves as he prepared himself for what lay ahead. The air was thick with the scent of fear and desperation, and he could feel the press of bodies all around him. But he was determined to push through the chaos, to find his way to safety.
As he opened his eyes again, he saw a sea of panicked and crying faces, all around him. The sharp edges of their fear cut through the air, making it hard to breathe. But he refused to be deterred.
With an unshakeable persistence, he forced his way through the crowd, his eyes fixed on the path ahead. He dodged and weaved between the terrified silhouettes, his mind focused.
Judas reaches the end of the crowd. Just barely pushing away from the people. However, now he meets the lying body face to face. He stuttered his movement. Now stopped, Judas stares at the body.
His face winces before covering his mouth. Gently he cautiously goes around it before suddenly halting. Judas glanced back at the glossed-over eyes. Before gulping down the sour taste that engulfs his mouth, he witnesses the eyes shine red for only a split second.
Judas felt a lump in his throat as he bit his tongue, trying to hold back his emotions. He clutched the notepad tightly against his chest and ran up the stairs, his heart pounding in his chest. He needed to get away from the crowd and the lifeless body lying on the floor.
As he ran, his feet hit the soft, plush red velvet carpet of the mansion's grand staircase. He could feel the coolness of the marble steps beneath the carpet through his shoes. Despite the urgency of the situation, he couldn't help but admire the opulence of Lady Clarisse's estate.
Finally, he arrived at the door to her room, his chest heaving from the exertion of running. He hesitated for a moment, his hand on the doorknob, wondering if he was doing the right thing. But he knew he had nowhere else to turn. With a deep breath, he opened the door and stepped inside.
"Maybe she'll understand what is happening," he thought to himself, hoping for some guidance and comfort amidst the chaos.