Midnight Cinderella

There were another four rounds of dances before Headmaster Crowley called for a stop. As the band wound down with their last song, the students gathered across the first level of the hall to look up at the podium. The old man was beaming, his long white hair glowing softly in the magically powered ceiling lights. He placed his hand on the railing and leaned forward, unable to mask his delight.

His cheeks were ruddy, and I wondered if he had a drink. Unlike the first level, where the drinks were restricted to water and fruit juice, the selection on the second story included wine and cocktails. Despite this being our coming-of-age ceremony, we were still deemed too young for alcohol.

“I’d hate to take away the spotlight from you younglings, but if you could spare me a bit of your attention?”

Immediately, the hall fell silent. No matter what condition he was in, Arthur Crowley was one of the most renowned royal mages in Antares Kingdom. His presence alone commanded respect.

“The first segment of the debutante ball has been a resounding success, and I enjoyed watching you youngsters make your social debut.” He nodded and folded his arms, satisfied. “However, as per Arcana Academy tradition, the event is far from over. With adulthood comes responsibility, and so we’ll grant you the privilege of freedom. The older nobles…”

He gestured to the adults standing on the second story, comprised of the students’ parents, the board members – including Beatrice’s dad – and teachers, along with other dignitaries and honored guests.

“…will be bowing out here. As midnight draws closer, we shall entrust the night fully to you youths.” He winked and pointed toward the immense double doors that served as the entrance to the hall. “And remember, whatever happens behind closed doors, remains behind closed doors!”

As Damien said, this was the cue for us to go wild. The adults descended, pausing briefly to converse to their children and bid their farewells. Oswald barely exchanged a few words with Leonard before he left with his retinue, and it was clear there was still tension between them. As expected of rivals fighting for the throne, I suppose.

Once the crown prince was gone, Leonard rejoined Silvia, the Saintess currently in the company of an elderly gray-haired couple who appeared to be her grandparents. They appeared intimidated by his status, but he easily broke the ice with a couple of good-humored comments.

“Well then, I’ll be off. Have fun, Lumi. And make sure she stays out of trouble, Sir Trevor.”

“Hey! Why are you making it sound like I’ll be getting in trouble?” Lumiere demanded, annoyed by her dad’s teasing. Damien grinned.

“I recall you were the one trying to run away from home, burning down trees and leveling a hill.”

“Ugh!”

“Anyway, I’ll get going. It’s late.” He turned to depart through the immense double doors, then stopped and swiveled. “You don’t have to follow me out. You’re supposed to stay inside.”

“At least let us accompany you to the carriage,” Lumiere insisted. She adjusted the pendant around her neck and peered at the night sky outside. “We need some fresh air, anyway.”

“Yeah,” I agreed. The atmosphere of such formal events was stifling, and I wasn’t interested in partying like a drunk college student either. I was the type who preferred to stay home over celebrating all night outside, which was probably why I continued to graduate school while most of my cohort didn’t. To make my point, I loosened my collar and inhaled deeply. “I feel like I’m going to suffocate inside here.”

Glancing at the hall, I scowled. The huge buffet had largely remained untouched, with most of the guests more interested in dancing and socializing than eating. I had no doubt the servants would be tasked with disposing of everything later, especially since there were strict regulations regarding how long food can be placed in the open before spoiling. The sheer wastage touched a nerve. While nobles indolently indulged themselves in excess, discarding exquisite delicacies without a second thought, I had firsthand seen in the peripheral provinces how many commoners often went hungry.

I wanted to rail against the unfairness of it, but there was nothing I could do. It wasn’t as if I could request that the buffet be shipped to those starving in the borders. By the time the food reached them, it would all have rotted, considering the level of technology and lack of preservatives in this world.

“Very well.” Damien sighed and relented. We fell into step, joining the flow of adults as they strolled toward the assortment of carriages awaiting them inside the main driveway at the front of the school premises. I noted that more than a few adult nobles stopped to exchange pleasantries and discuss some manner of business, but no one approached Damien.

A few sent curious gazes our way, probably wondering why Lumiere and I were following the duke. We ignored them, stopping at the extravagant crimson and golden carriage with the signature lion heraldry that symbolized the Ombre duchy.

“All right, all right. I don’t need your help to board.” Damien waved us away before hauling himself up the carriage. After getting seated, he poked his head out and gave us a stern look. “Now return to the ballroom and have fun. This is an opportunity for you to cut loose, so don’t waste your youth. I’ll see you both next time.”

The coachman, at his signal, urged the horses and the carriage took off, leaving both of us in the now thinning driveway as more and more of the adult nobles departed Arcana Academy. After Damien’s carriage disappeared into the distance, Lumiere and I exchanged a look.

“I’m guessing you don’t want to return to the ballroom?” She said with a giggle. I smiled helplessly and shrugged.

“Not unless you want to.”

“What a coincidence. I have no desire to return to that nest of serpents.” She glanced in the direction where her dad had gone. “Without Father present, there’s no reason for me to linger there.”

“Yeah. I’m also sick of dancing.”

We had ended up dancing three of the five rounds. Fortunately, there were no further accidents. I was careful not to entangle my legs and fall over like the first time. By the third time, I had gotten used to the movements and was able to follow Lumiere’s lead without trouble. Surprisingly, Oswald did not approach her again, opting to stay on the second story and observe. Was that what he meant by not having a later opportunity? That he would withdraw his offer for a dance?

“Same.” Lumiere giggled. “Let’s leave before someone realizes we’re missing.”

I nodded and offered her my arm to escort her. We ducked under several branches and vaulted over tall hedges, navigating past several shrubs and trees to reach a hidden footpath that wound toward the northern courtyard instead of the main hall. Thankfully, none of the adult nobles appeared to have noticed our errant route.

Lumiere giggled. “It feels like we’re breaking the rules, sneaking around like this.”

“Technically, we aren’t breaking any rules. I don’t believe attending the midnight segment of the debutante ball is mandatory.”

“True, but where should we go now?” She asked, kicking the ground as she walked and looking up at the night sky. “It’ll be a waste to return to the dorm and retire for the night.”

“…yeah.” I was surprised that I agreed. I wanted to spend more time in Lumiere’s company, and felt reluctant to part with her. In fact, wasn’t this a good chance to be alone with her?

…what am I thinking?

I shook my head and grimaced. I had to stop being a creep and having weird thoughts. Overthinking things and being too clingy had backfired during my previous life. Instead of desiring things that were beyond someone like me, I should focus on enjoying the moment for now.

Unfortunately, this was getting awkward. Even in my previous life, I never had any dating experience, even after I turned thirty – perhaps that was the reason why I literally turned into a wizard, albeit in another world. My mind was blank. I honestly had no idea what to do when alone with a girl.

“Sir Trevor? Are you all right? You look kind of pale.”

“Ah. Yeah. Sorry, I’m just wondering where we should go.” I forced a smile. “Like you said, it’ll be a waste to return to the dorm, but we don’t want to go back to the ballroom either…”

I trailed off when I caught a glimmer between the five elemental towers, which was even more pronounced under the night sky. Looking up at the countless stars that spread across the vast blackness, forming a road reminiscent of the Milky Way, I traced the luminous lights to the radiant sparkles embedded in the space between the five domed-shaped buildings. Watching the lights, I had a sudden epiphany.

“Shall we take a stroll along the school gardens? I believe the view at night is quite stunning.”

“Good idea.” Lumiere nodded with a smile. “Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever walked around the school at night. This is a great opportunity to see what the campus looks like after dark.”

We took one of the narrower marble paths that wound through the courtyards, passing by a couple of fountains and deeper into the rear of the school premises. We passed verandas and a couple of white heroic statues, then past a dense orchard.

“This looks like a mini forest,” Lumiere remarked, looking up at the trees. At the moment, despite artificial lamps illuminating the multiple footpaths all over the academy, it was still too dark to make out what kind of fruits hung from the branches. There was some movement as nocturnal creatures scuttled around the trunk, presumably hiding from the human who intruded upon their territory, as well as the flutter of wings.

A pity I didn’t see any owls, though. I always considered myself a night owl, but for once, I would actually want to see a real owl in the flesh.

“Just a little further.” I knew the source of the glimmer, and excitement built within me. The footpath took us through the middle of the orchard, and we emerged from it into an open clearing illuminated not just by dim streetlamps, but also the full luminosity of the stars and full moon above.

However, as beautiful as the night sky was, even it couldn’t compare to the breathtaking sight before us. I heard Lumiere inhale sharply beside me as she slowly came to a stop and stared.

The lake.

As I said, the lake was large enough for boating, though at present it was completely devoid of humans. Instead, its crystal surface sparkled with glowing aquatic plants in full bloom, from luminous lotuses to shining lilies. The soft radiance of the magical plants lent the already spectacular view an ethereal air, and for a second, it almost felt as if we had stepped into another world.

No wonder art depicting Nirvana in my previous world always uses lotuses as symbols.

They truly looked divine.

“This is amazing!”

Lumiere couldn’t help but run, but she winced and stopped for a moment. Bending, she kicked off her high heels before she resumed running to the lakeshore. Scrunching her feet against the grass, she spun joyfully, pausing to stare at me sheepishly.

“I hate wearing those heels. They’re so uncomfortable and hard to move in.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard.” I glanced at the discarded high heels, which though were black, stylish and made of expensive material, must have hurt to wear. Especially when running in them. “Wouldn’t it be better to wear more comfortable shoes?”

“Other shoes wouldn’t match this dress.” Lumiere smoothed the fabric and whirled, as if to show off her gown. Under the starry night sky and against a background of luminous lotuses and lilies, I was reminded of a goddess. She tilted her head, as if in deep though. “Of course, I could have picked a simpler dress, but I really like this one. I thought it was worth the discomfort, especially since it’s only for a single night.” She paused. “But hopefully, there will be more events in the future that will give me a reason to wear this dress again.”

“I’m sure there will be.”

She responded with another smile before sitting by the edge of the lake and soaking her feet in it. She closed her eyes in bliss. “It feels so cool and soothing.”

Humming, Lumiere bent her head back and allowed her hair to cascade past her shoulders and to her waist. She kicked her legs, and water splashed, the droplets hanging suspended for several seconds and catching the light from the mystical plants. A few seconds later, she turned back to me.

“Thank you for sharing this with me. It’s beautiful.”

“I’m glad you like it. I happened to read about it somewhere…that lotuses and lilies glow in the dark.” Only in this world, of course. I bent down and picked up her heels. Composing several basic runes, I altered the shape of the high heels. I shrank the heels to little more than a flattened base, redesigned them into a pair of Mary Jane shoes, and even added decorative flowers on top. Kneeling beside her, I offered them. “Here you go. They might not look as good, but they should be a lot more comfortable.”

“I didn’t take you for a cobbler.” Lumiere giggled. She lifted her legs out of the water and wreathed them in fire, drying her feet in mere seconds, before putting them on. Testing them with a few hesitant steps, she began prancing around more boldly. “They really are more comfortable and better to move in!” She paused and studied them. “Though, in terms of style, they look a little…uh…”

“Sorry. I’m not much of a fashion designer.”

“It’s fine. I like them better this way.” Lumiere closed her eyes as she strolled along the water’s edge, her hands clasped behind her waist. I followed, close on her heels.

“You know, there was a fairy tale from another country, a faraway land. The heroine had to leave the ball at midnight, and she accidentally left behind her glass slippers. The prince, who fell in love with her at first sight, searched everywhere for her. With the glass slippers as the only clue, he basically went around asking girls all over his kingdom to try it on, and he finally found the heroine because they were a perfect fit on her.”

“Oh?” Lumiere turned to look at me quizzically, as if wondering where I was going with this.

“I know it’s neither the point of the story nor the prince, but it sounds like he was trying to find a girl to fit the glass slippers. Personally…” I gestured toward the newly transformed Mary Jane shoes. “I think we should customize the shoes to fit the wearer, not the other way around.”

“Heh…I’m not sure I get it, yet somehow I think I understand.” Lumiere nodded thoughtfully. I grimaced, feeling foolish all of a sudden. Of course, she wouldn’t understand such a convoluted analogy. I thought for a bit before formulating an explanation.

“We get so carried away with forcing things to fit our preferences that we fail to realize that it’s just as important to be accommodating.”

“You sound like a teacher.” She giggled. I scratched my head sheepishly. I did, in fact, serve as a teaching assistant while studying for my PhD, so she wasn’t far off the mark.

However, that buoyant feeling vanished when I noticed something was amiss.

The first sign was the dimming of the lotuses and lilies. Near the edge of the lake, a whole section of aquatic plants was withering, their leaves shriveling despite being surrounded by water. The next sign was a foul stink reminiscent of decay that caused me to gag. Lumiere noticed the anomaly too, and she raised a hand to ignite a huge fireball into life, flooding the place with light.

“What happened here?”

The grass had all wilted, the vegetation rotting and the soil a sickly gray. I recoiled, alarmed. As my frozen mind processed the horrific sight, I suddenly recalled where I had seen a similar scene before.

“It has spread to here too?”

“Spread? What do you mean?” Lumiere glanced at me sharply. I swallowed.

“Do you remember last month, when Lady Beatrice and the others stole your pendant and threw it into the fountain? I mentioned that I ran into Lady Silvia, who told me she saw them, right? At that time, she was tending to flowers and plants that were dying like this. I asked why not consult the gardeners, and she mentioned they already analyzed the vegetation and soil, but couldn’t find out the cause.”

Except that it wasn’t natural. But that was Silvia’s own assumption, or so I thought…

“Why didn’t you tell me?” She rubbed her forehead and clutched the gleaming pendant on her chest. “No, I’m being unfair. At that time, the focus was on my mother’s keepsake. There was no reason for you to mention this.”

“What do you mean? Do you know what’s going on?”

“Of course.” She gestured to the withered grass and wilted flowers. “The life is being leeched from the surrounding foliage to power a ritual. This is, without a doubt, black magic.”

“Black magic?” I repeated incredulously. “Really?”

“Have you forgotten? I was a witch in my previous life. I know black magic when I see one.” She surveyed the desiccated vegetation. “This has all the markings of a cursed ritual. They’re setting up black magic formations in strategic locations to power a boundary field, though I can’t identify its effects just from looking at the scattered formations.”

A chill ran down my spine. Before I could give voice to my unease, though, a black and purple pillar of mana erupted in the direction of the ballroom hall. So titanic it was that it was visible even from this distance, a tower-like beacon of insidious energy.

Lumiere watched, her face drained of color and her hands trembling.

“We’re too late,” she whispered. “Whoever set up these black magic formations, they’ve just activated the boundary field.”