The ball was held in a large 50x50 square room, with tables lining the walls, each filled with delicacies unknown to Sunny's eyes. The guests were grouped in pairs, either by masks or by gender, while some wandered alone, checking out the others. A grand staircase stood at the far end of Sunny's view, splitting into two, with one staircase going left and the other right, uniting again at the upper floor, where bodyguards stood watch over the guests.
Fweeeeu
Sunny glanced at Jet, who let out a long whistle.
"Not bad, don't you think so?"
Jet nudged Sunny as she began walking towards the tables on the east side, where desserts were laid out. Sunny frowned and followed her.
"You're awfully calm for a mission where we're supposed to lock up the host of a party," he muttered, adjusting his bowtie, feeling like the air was being sucked from his lungs.
'What's with this intense smell of wood?'
"You know, the best way to handle this kind of mission..." Jet removed her glove, swiping a small portion of cake with her finger before licking it off, "...is to forget it's a mission. Damn, Sunless, this is good. You should try it."
She put her glove back on and began searching for a spoon, attacking the cake with renewed interest.
In the meantime, Sunny stood there, dumbfounded by her statement.
'Forget… this is a mission?'
How could he forget? They were in an unknown place, filled with the heavy scent of wood, surrounded by wealthy people discussing business and inheritances, and—
'-!'
Sunny glanced at Jet, who was still eating.
"We… we aren't the only ones involved in this mission, are we?"
'It would explain why she's so nonchalant about this,' he thought.
Sunny took another look around, observing the guards staring down at them from above, the guests laughing and gossiping, the woman in the red dress with a crow mask approaching them, and the security cameras scattered around.
'Red dress?'
Sunny froze for a moment, his chest tightening. He glanced down at his black suit and remembered the words of the boutique employee who had helped him.
'Couple set…'
His wallet had cried that day when he bought the black suit and red dress—indirectly, for Cassie.
Sunny raised his head, watching the woman in the red dress. It had long sleeves, spaghetti straps, and was snugly fitted to her figure. She had black hair...
Jet, now enjoying the cake, noticed Sunny's confused expression and followed his gaze.
A black-haired woman with red eyes like a vampire's, wearing small golden rosary earrings and a dress that accentuated her bust and hips, approached them. Her walk was like that of a devil ready to seduce her prey—or like a vampire preparing to strike.
Jet smirked, slightly licking her lips as she looked back at Sunny.
"Do you know her?"
Sunny's face twisted into a frown as he replied.
"Yes... she's one of the adopted daughters of Ki Song and one of the people who helped us conquer the Crimson Spire... Seishan."
He frowned, watching the woman who wore a smile that could captivate even the oldest men in the room, despite their wives standing next to them. It was Sunny's mistake not to have anticipated this.
'If Ki was invited, why wouldn't she be?'
The survivors of the Forgotten Shore—if Count Vachmount was planning to invite famous people to this ball, Seishan would undoubtedly be a high-priority guest. But what confused Sunny more was the sense of relief that it was her.
"Hello there, Sunless."
Seishan spoke as she reached the duo.
"Who would have thought I'd see you here?"
Seishan smiled at Sunny's confused face before casting a quick glance at the woman beside him, a beauty in a black suit similar to his, with ocean-blue eyes that glowed like the sea under a full moon. She wore a white semi-long coat draped over her shoulders and black gloves covering her hands.
Seishan raised her eyebrows, noting the woman's smirk, and smiled herself.
"Sunless, wouldn't it be appropriate to introduce me to this beauty you're gatekeeping?"
Sunny turned to Jet.
"Beauty?"
For a moment, Sunny forgot to distinguish between thoughts and spoken words, shocked by Jet's comment.
"Oh my… I would call you a gentleman for your gracious words, but fortunately, you're a woman. The name's Seishan. And you, darling?"
Seishan smiled, her white teeth flashing dangerously, reminding Sunny of her battle form from their last encounter.
"Jet, a government master, at your service, m'lady."
Jet gave a slight bow, taking Seishan's hand and kissing the back of it, while placing her other hand over her chest, rather than behind her back.
"Oh my…"
Seishan chuckled at Jet's gesture, while Sunny looked at the two women with horrified eyes.
'Did she just give her name!? Did she forget we're on a mission?!'
Sensing Sunny's internal crisis, Seishan asked, "Tell me, Sunless, what's a shadow like you doing in the spotlight of a ball alone? Are you no longer hiding behind the princess's dress?"
Sunny clenched his teeth. In her question, Seishan had completely ignored the possibility that he came with Jet. And worse still—how dare she call him a shadow?
Before Sunny could reply, Jet spoke.
"He came with me, but it seems he's not feeling well. Would you mind talking with me until he feels better?"
Jet gave Sunny a small nod, signaling that since she had asked him to attend the ball, it was only polite to help smooth things over. Besides, she was curious about this lady. Jet could learn a lot about the mission, Sunny's past, and Seishan.
Sunny huffed and walked away from the two women, not caring to hear Seishan's response.
He quickly clutched his chest as he crossed to the other side of the ballroom. Somehow, despite everything that had just happened with Seishan and Jet, his heart had calmed. Sunny gulped.
'Am I starting to miss Cassie?'
Creack creack creack
Step after step, Cassie walked, guided by the old man towards the ballroom. Her memory—if it hadn't already been altered by this man, though that chance was slim—recalled the events of two hours prior: the moment they arrived at the ball, the moment she asked Aiko and Kai to help her find Count Il Vachmount, and the moment she decided to propose her plan to him. She needed the man alive for now; that was the only reason her rapier hadn't struck his throat, and why she was allowing his hand to rest on her waist, guiding her along the path... all for her plan. But she smiled. Why? She hoped... hoped that the plan she had devised would succeed, hoped that this would soon be over, and hoped... that the nightmare she'd had, the future she'd seen... was true.
"You can stop now," a voice, old and dripping with lust and greed, whispered in her ear. The thin hand on her waist gripped tighter as he pulled her closer. She could hear the voices and murmurs of the guests below. Cassie extended her hand, grabbing what felt like a wooden balustrade—the material, yet again, smelled of wood. A scent she had come to despise, especially because of what came next.
"DEAR GUESTS!"
"Mgh..."
Cassie flinched, squeezing her eyes shut at the sudden boom of the man's voice.
"I thank you for giving me your precious time and attending my ball. It is an honor to—"
The man continued speaking, his voice so close she could feel the vibrations of his vocal cords. She could hear his lies, his sweet talk to the guests, his pathetic little jokes, and the forced laughter from the crowd below. And yet... she smiled. Why?
'Death...'
She smiled as she looked down, almost letting a tear slip from her eye and roll down her cheek. The room was filled with intent—a murderous intent. It was an intent that would slaughter and kill anyone in its path. She didn't know if it was directed at someone below, the wretched old man next to her, or herself. But what she did know was that the intent was more familiar to her than the light of day.
'He's here...'
Cassie closed her eyes.
'The friend whose freedom I stole... the friend I turned into a dog so Neph would survive... my loss from the light...'
Cassie opened her eyes, a single tear slipping down her cheek. It had only been a few months since they last spoke, but she missed him. He and Neph were the only people she could trust—truly trust with her life... and her death.
"Sunny..." Cassie whispered.
"It's been a while," she said, slowly raising her hand as if to release something.
"Have you come to kill me?"
She muttered again with a smile, just as the guests below began to applaud, signaling the end of Count Il Vachmount's speech.
And at that moment, in Sunny's heart... hell broke loose.