After Sunny escaped the strange encounter between Jet and Seishan, he found Aiko and Kai coming in through the main entrance.
"Kai!"
Kai looked up in the direction his name was called. A man in a black suit, somewhat short and skinny, with a snake mask dusted with gold and shining scales, was approaching.
"Sunny?"
Kai was surprised to see his friend, not because of his costume, but because of his mask choice. Until Sunny called his name, Kai had thought he was just another guest.
Sunny reached the two and nodded.
"Hey... what's up?"
Aiko raised an eyebrow at Sunny's unusually friendly demeanor, then spoke.
"Now, now... what happened? It's awfully weird to see you this... cheerful?"
"Cheerful? What? Never mind that. My partner... uh, let's just say she found herself a new conversation partner."
Aiko and Kai exchanged curious glances. Kai placed a hand on Sunny's shoulder and asked,
"Is everything okay? What partner?"
Kai was worried. It was rare for Sunny to look this troubled, especially because of someone. Not even the Dog of Gulag had made Sunny shiver like this.
"Seishan..."
The two froze at Sunny's words.
"Se... Seish—"
Kai coughed and stuttered, remembering the last battle they had fought to conquer the Crimson Spire. Even now, he recalled Seishan's terrifying transformation to defeat the nightmare creatures. Aiko, on the other hand, shivered and bit her lip, clinging a little closer to Kai's arm, remembering the problems Seishan had caused her.
"Yeah... that Seishan."
Sunny nodded at their predictable reactions, but now, thinking back on it, Jet's reaction was the complete opposite—she had smirked, flirted, and more.
'Is she... into her?' he wondered.
After a brief pause, Sunny shared his thoughts and looked at Aiko and Kai. Taking a deep breath, he asked the question that had been bothering him.
"I'm glad to see you here... but... where is she?"
Kai and Aiko tilted their heads.
"She?"
Sunny bit his lip and looked away, clenching his fist and frowning before finally speaking.
"Cassie. You said she'd come with you. Where... is she?"
Sunny swallowed down the urge to curse.
"Oh... Miss Cassie is..."
Kai glanced at Aiko, who, without any hesitation, replied,
"She's probably with Count Il Vachmount now. She told us she wanted an audience with him, so we helped her. Why? Don't tell me you want her to be your partner because yours ditched you, right?"
Sunny's eyes widened, his heart suddenly racing, sweat beginning to form on his forehead as he took a few deep breaths.
'I must've heard that wrong... no, she's lying.'
"Could... could you repeat that?"
Kai frowned at Sunny's reaction, gripping his shoulder tighter.
"Sunny, what's wrong?"
"Why are you acting like a wild animal? She's just with the Count," Aiko said, frowning in confusion. Why was he acting like this? Meanwhile, Sunny's mind was a whirlwind of possibilities, his worry for Cassie growing stronger. Why? Why did she deserve his concern? What would happen to her? Why was he so worried?
Just then, a voice rang out, loud enough to grab the attention of all the guests.
"DEAR GUESTS!"
Sunny turned toward the sound, coming from the first floor. An old man, dressed in old-fashioned clothes resembling those of a high-ranking noble, stood there with a wooden owl mask over his eyes. At his side was a golden-haired girl in a red dress—
Sunny froze. Long blonde hair, with wavy ends falling over her shoulders, some strands slipping between her cleavage. The red dress perfectly showcased her body. Sunny was stunned. Cassie was there, slightly turned away from the man. She gripped the railing of the floor's last barrier as she was pulled toward the man. His old, gnarled hand rested on her waist, holding her firmly as he began his speech—though Sunny heard no sound.
The room seemed to disappear, and only two people remained: him and her. His eyes burned with fury as he scanned her, trying to make sense of why she was there. She...
'How dare you...'
How dare he touch the woman who deserved to suffer under his hand? The man's presence was irrelevant now, but Cassie's body language was the only thing tethering Sunny's mind to reality. Her shoulders trembled slightly, her hand tightened on the railing, her cheeks—those slightly puffy cheeks that still showed traces of youth—quivered as if holding back a tear. And then, her eye opened and looked directly at him.
At that moment, Sunny's breath caught in his throat, as though chains had tightened around his neck and shackles bound his arms. Cassie slowly smiled—a sad smile, as though already accepting her fate. She let go of the railing, raising her hand as if to release something... a red string from her dress.
Sunny's eyes widened as he followed the string, falling into the space between them like an endless abyss. Or so he thought. The string suddenly lengthened, its ends splitting in two and wrapping around both of them. One end coiled around Cassie's body with ease, one hand wrapping around her neck, the other around her ring finger. As the strings connected with her, Cassie's smile deepened.
"Sunless... it's been a while."
Her words echoed in his ears as the other end of the string raced toward Sunny, piercing his chest and coiling around his neck, tainting his soul with the same red drops he had grown so accustomed to.
"HAVE YOU COME TO KILL ME?"
The voice rang in his ears like an echo as a single tear fell from her cheek, landing in the space between them.
Plop
The void shattered as her tear echoed, for the first and last time.
Clap clap clap
The sound of the guests' applause signaled the end of Count Il Vachmount's speech. His view of Cassie was partially blocked now by two pairs of piercing eyes. One belonged to Jet, frowning deeply, and the other to Seishan, who seemed curious about his reaction. Their backs were to him, but their stares burned into him.
"Calm down, Sunless... and put the weapon down," Jet said, raising her hand as if to shield more of Sunny from view with the coat draped over her shoulders.
"I agree with Master Jet. Let's not make an unnecessary scene," Seishan added.
Sunny's body tensed as he felt something restraining his movements. His breath quickened, signaling that he was beginning to process his surroundings. Arms were around his throat and left shoulder, trembling, as though he could easily break free. Two more hands gripped his wrist tightly, trying to prevent him from raising his right hand. And in that hand... the familiar, cold grip of the Midnight Shard.
Sunny frowned, glancing at the hands gripping him, trembling even more. Aiko was holding him, teeth clenched and frowning deeply, her body pressed against his, as if trying to hide him. In his hand was the Midnight Shard. In that moment, he realized:
'I was ready to slaughter that man for daring to touch Cassie like that.'
"Sunny?"
He heard Kai's voice behind him.
"You can let go now," Sunny said, dismissing the Midnight Shard.
His friends sighed in relief as they let go of his neck and shoulders. Aiko released his wrist, while Jet lowered her hand, revealing Sunny's view of the ball.
'They were... hiding me.'
They were standing at the entrance, with Jet and Seishan covering his front, Aiko and Kai at his back. It would have been a big problem if the guests had seen him summon a weapon. The guests themselves, however, were clapping like seals performing for an audience. Sunny looked back at the old man, grinning from ear to ear at Cassie. Seeing this, Sunny smiled slightly, muttering to himself.
'Don't worry, I'll make you suffer the way you deserve.'
He clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking as he flexed his hand.
'But before that, I have to make sure no one else touches you.'
Sunny smirked.
'Only I can make you suffer, Cassie.'