CHAPTER 26: The Masquerade Ball

The ballroom was breathtaking. Crystal chandeliers bathed the grand hall in golden light, illuminating the swirling dance floor. Velvet drapes adorned the walls, and the scent of fine wine lingered in the air.

Sakura adjusted the lace mask on her face, her fingers fidgeting slightly as unease settled in her chest. How did she even end up here?

"You're going to dress nicely next!"

Anna’s words echoed in her mind.

"Eeehh…!!" she had groaned earlier, already feeling drained from the endless outfit changes in the fitting room.

With a sigh, she glanced up—only to find Kaziel approaching.

Her breath caught.

He looked… different.

KYAAAAAA!!!

Her gaze lingered, taking in his appearance. He was always composed, always confident, but now—now he looked effortlessly elegant.

Dressed in a tailored midnight-blue suit, the fabric caught the dim light, accentuating his sharp features. He was like a prince under the moonlight, exuding a quiet charm that left her momentarily stunned.

Then he leaned in slightly.

"Nervous?"

Sakura startled, her entire body tensing.

KYAAAAAAA!

Her mind screamed so loudly she was sure the entire ballroom could hear it. WHAT WAS THIS?! WHY WAS HE SO CLOSE?!

Outwardly, she somehow managed to keep it together—barely.

“A l-little,” she stammered, her voice betraying her wildly beating heart.

Kaziel chuckled, clearly entertained by her reaction.

"Relax," he whispered, offering his hand with an easy confidence. "We’re just here to dance, right?"

Sakura swallowed, her fingers twitching slightly before hesitantly placing her hand in his. Dear heavens, is she a part of the love Novel book she used to read back in the Celestial? But the book she read was 'Boys Love'.

They stepped onto the dance floor, blending seamlessly into the elegant rhythm of waltzing nobles.

Across the room, Anna—disguised in a dark crimson gown—drummed her foot in fiery frustration, arms crossed tightly as she glared at Kaziel and Sakura.

The two of them spun across the dance floor like a married couple, their movements effortless, elegant, and entirely infuriating.

Anna gritted her teeth.

“I swear, I’m going to strangle Kaziel, spin his head around, and rip it off! He thinks he can just do whatever he pleases with that girl?!”

From the balcony above, Helion exhaled slowly, swirling the wine in his glass.

“Try not to catch their attention with your jealousy,” he mused, his tone laced with amusement.

Anna whipped her head around. “I’m NOT jealous!”

With a sharp turn, she moved with practiced grace, effortlessly slipping into the crowd of aristocrats, her irritation buried beneath a composed mask.

Helion chuckled to himself, smirking as he pushed off the balcony railing.

His golden eyes gleamed behind his dark mask as he followed, his presence as smooth and unbothered as ever. His tailored black coat, lined with gold accents, fit perfectly against the grandeur of the ballroom, and he held his crystal glass of wine with the ease of someone who had long mastered the art of blending in.

But despite his relaxed demeanor, Anna knew him well.

Beneath that calm, elegant exterior, his mind was already calculating their next move.

They weren’t here to dance.

They were here to hunt.

And their target?

Duke Valcrid.

The man who held the key to unraveling the corruption behind the Sapphire Heart Tradepost.

Anna’s eyes flickered to the far side of the ballroom, where Valcrid stood, surrounded by nobles and guards. He was an older man, his face sharp with intelligence and arrogance. His laughter was smooth, his every movement deliberate—like a seasoned predator among prey.

“We need to get him alone,” Anna muttered under her breath.

Helion swirled the wine in his glass, eyes never leaving Valcrid. “Already on it.”

Anna arched an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

Helion smirked, turning toward her. “I gave the guards outside a little… misfortune.”

Anna’s gaze sharpened. “What did you do?”

Helion took a slow sip of wine before answering, amusement flickering in his gaze.

“They’ll be occupied for a while.”

Anna sighed, knowing better than to ask further. Fateweaver. Helion’s ability wasn’t just about luck—it was control. He didn’t just predict fate; he could tilt it in whatever direction he pleased.

Which meant whatever he did, Valcrid’s security had already begun to unravel.

Anna’s gaze flicked toward the double doors at the far end of the ballroom—beyond them lay the private study. The real reason they were here.

“Fine. I’ll make sure Valcrid follows,” she muttered under her breath. “You make sure we don’t get caught.”

Helion’s smirk widened, his golden eyes gleaming with mischief.

“Shall we dance, then?”

Anna sighed, already regretting this.

Before she could even shoot him a glare, he leaned in smoothly, took her hand, and pulled her onto the dance floor.

She startled as he effortlessly led the first step, guiding her with a confidence that only irritated her more.

He surely enjoying this.

The music swelled.

Their steps fell into perfect rhythm, blending seamlessly with the other dancers, their movements appearing effortless, calculated. Yet, Anna's mind wasn't fully in the dance. Her gaze flickered—not toward their target, but toward Kaziel and Sakura.

Why was she still thinking about them?

Should she be worried? No, that was ridiculous. And yet… something felt heavier in her chest, a strange weight she couldn’t quite name.

"Watch your steps," Helion muttered, his tone low.

"Ah—sorry."

She barely caught herself as he spun her, her foot almost missing its mark.

To an outsider, they looked like nothing more than another noble couple sharing an intimate waltz.

But beneath their poised exteriors, they were setting a trap.

Anna’s eyes flicked toward Valcrid. He had noticed them.

Good.

A slow smile curled at her lips.

Time to reel him in.

Valcrid’s interest had been piqued. By the time Anna “accidentally” bumped into him near the refreshment table, he had already been watching her.

“My apologies, Duke Valcrid,” Anna murmured, lowering her lashes ever so slightly—just enough to feign demureness.

Valcrid chuckled, his deep voice carrying a note of curiosity. “No need to apologize, my dear. A beauty like you brightens any evening.”

Anna fought the urge to roll her eyes. Pathetic.

She smiled instead, tilting her head. “Would you be so kind as to indulge me in a dance?”

Valcrid’s ego swelled visibly. He extended his hand. “I would be honored.”

From across the room, Helion was watching. The moment Valcrid took her hand, his fate was sealed.

Or so she thought.

As they moved toward the dance floor, something shifted. The weight in Anna’s chest grew heavier.

The air felt wrong.

Before she could react, Helion pulled her aside, guiding her near one of the grand pillars—strategically positioned, allowing him to keep an eye on both her and the crowd.

His grip was firm but not forceful. A warning.

"Don’t go."

His voice was low, barely more than a whisper, but there was an edge to it. He subtly leaned in, flipping his coin between his fingers—a habit of his when something didn’t sit right.

Anna barely glanced at him, her gaze already set elsewhere.

"Why? He is waiting."

Her eyes flickered toward the end of the ballroom, where Valcrid stood. His usual smirk had long since vanished, replaced with something heavier—something unreadable.

Helion let out a slow breath, his fingers tightening around the coin. He hesitated, just for a second, before finally saying,

"I don’t like this thread."

The coin spun effortlessly between his fingers, but his golden eyes were sharp—laced with unease.

Anna frowned slightly. "Then untangle it."

Helion’s jaw tightened. "That’s the problem. I can’t."

For Helion, every moment was a web of probabilities, choices woven into possible outcomes. And yet, no matter how many ways he looked at it—this one was a tangled mess.

Something wasn’t right.

But Anna didn’t stop.

She barely spared him another glance before rushing toward Valcrid, her steps unwavering.

"Sorry for that, I was asked to dance. But never mind him," she said, offering a hesitant smile.

Valcrid’s expression shifted. "No worries, my dear."

He took her hand.

From behind the pillar, Helion clicked his tongue.

"Tch... "

Anna led him toward the floor, letting him believe he was the one in control. Their movements were smooth, each step calculated.

Then, as they turned near the study’s entrance, Anna let herself stumble—just slightly.

Valcrid, ever the “gentleman,” caught her hand.

“Ah, I must have lost my balance,” she murmured.

“Perhaps we should step somewhere quieter,” Valcrid offered, ever eager.

Anna smiled. “That would be lovely.”

With that, he led her toward the study.

Right where she wanted him.

The moment they crossed into the private study, she realized she had made a mistake. The heavy lock clicked into place behind her.

And then—

The floor disappeared.

Darkness swallowed the study whole. The elegant furniture, the grand bookshelves, the golden chandeliers—all vanished.

Anna's breath hitched. It was as if they had stepped into another realm.

A soft laugh echoed from the darkness. Then, two figures materialized before them.

Two women.

One sitting on the desk, legs crossed with effortless confidence. The other standing beside the man, her hand resting on her hip.

Both wore sleek, dark attire, their silhouettes razor-sharp against the dim candlelight, shadows flickering around them like whispering ghosts.

Miki and Rin.

Anna’s blood ran cold.

Rin was the first to move, stepping forward with measured grace, her long, dark hair flowing like ink in water. The air around her shifted—thickened. Unlike Miki, whose bright blonde hair and ever-cheerful demeanor painted her as playful, Rin was anything but.

She was lethal.

"You walked right into our hands," Rin murmured, her voice silky smooth, yet dripping with control. The very air bent around her, warping at the edges of the room as if the space itself obeyed her will.

Anna’s heart pounded.

A Domain. She was sealing them inside.

Before she could even react, a light, airy giggle rang out.

"Ohhh~ What a cute little reunion~"

Miki.

She twirled a dagger between her fingers, her golden eyes twinkling with mischief as she tilted her head.

“Did you miss me, bestie?”

Anna froze.

Miki.

The name alone sent a sharp pulse of memory and pain crashing through her mind.

A friend. A comrade.

A traitor.

“…You.”

The word barely left Anna’s lips, but her hands instinctively clenched into fists.

Miki pouted, lips forming a mock frown. “Aww, that’s all Miki get? You look so mad~”

She stepped closer, her dagger twirling effortlessly between her fingers before she leaned in, so close their faces were barely inches apart.

"Don't tell me you're still bitter about what happened?" The teasing in her voice felt like a knife between Anna’s ribs.

"That was years ago, Anna."

Anna’s expression darkened.

Miki—with her sweet, playful smile but a heart full of knives—had been the first person she had ever trusted.

And the first person to stab her in the back.

Anna’s eyes flickered toward Valcrid, the man standing beside them. She narrowed her gaze.

"Let me guess. Valcrid hired you two as insurance?" Her voice was sharp, her glare colder than steel.

Rin smirked. “Insurance? No.”

Anna felt it before she saw it—the weight of Miki’s gaze crashing down on her like an invisible force, freezing her in place.

It was suffocating, pressing against her limbs like unseen shackles, holding her captive without a single touch.

Her breath hitched.

She couldn’t move.

Rin took another step forward, watching the scene unfold like it was nothing more than entertainment.

Her fingers brushed against empty air, and the entire room shuddered under her influence.

"This was planned from the very beginning," she murmured. Her smirk widened as she whispered the next words like a cruel revelation,

"Valcrid was never the real threat."

Her eyes gleamed.

“You were.”

Anna’s muscles tensed, her instincts screaming at her.

Helion was right.

This wasn’t a mission. This was an ambush.

And they had walked right into it.