NOVEL NEXT CHAPTER 133 - The Celebration Ends.
"Hah..."
With a content sigh, Alex sank into a chair at the edge of the masquerade hall. His legs ached pleasantly from the countless dances, and a thin sheen of sweat clung to his skin despite the cool evening air.
With the level of power he had, he wasn't supposed to tire out with just some hours of dancing, but looking at the people around him, many sweating like no tomorrow, Alex couldn't help himself.
The party was in full swing—though the people were now less focused on dancing and more focused on doing things they couldn't without a mask.
Many young ones were trying to confess their love for each other, not feeling any shame at being rejected since no one would know who they were, while the old ones also tried their luck on each other, hoping to rope someone in to spend a night with.
Alex was done, though. He danced with many people, and he danced a lot because even though his dance partners were all taking turns, he was continuously dancing.
He even had to entertain some random woman he didn't know, as not doing that would've dissatisfied many; after all, some people would've already identified who he was.
Right now, everyone was relaxed, carefree, and utterly absorbed in their moments of joy. With vibrant laughter and cheerful voices reverberating across the hall, the sight was a delight to behold.
Alex leaned back, his gaze scanning the room, and his thoughts naturally turned to ones he hadn't had the chance to share the dance floor with.
'In the end, Fenna didn't come for the dance,' he sighed.
[Neither did Theron,] Sophie added, making Alex shake his head.
Unlike other council members, who were enjoying their time, those two didn't even come to the dance.
Alex already knew that they would make some excuse, but well, he couldn't do anything about it.
'I will have to step into Fenna's matter sooner than expected,' thought Alex. 'Let's just hope that everything goes accordingly.'
Sophie, on the other hand, sitting in the dream space, sighed. She didn't want to say it, but she knew that things wouldn't be the same. She was pretty sure that Alex knew that as well, but all they could do was hope because the members of the student council weren't just some people Alex didn't care much about.
He needed to tread carefully with them.
[Looks like they have both sorted things out as well.] Sophie spoke, breaking Alex out of his musing. As said before, she didn't want him to think about many things right now.
Her words, like she had intended, did make his eyes turn to another corner of the hall. There, by the windows, gazing out into the moonlit gardens, stood both Aerola and Gurrak, their hands held together.
'Yeah,' he nodded, a smile spreading on his face, 'I had never expected things to turn like this.'
Both Aerola and Gurrak seemed to have feelings for each other. It was an unexpected development. It seemed that they had both expressed those feelings to each other now.
A pearl-like giggle then pulled his attention toward the area close to the dais on the first floor.
It was Cassandra, who, along with a group of noblewomen, seemed to be sharing some tales—probably the naughty ones as their expressions were anything but serene.
They all had sneaky expressions—something Alex found funny.
'I wanted to see how she danced as well, but alas,' shaking his head, he thought with some regret, 'she can't just do it with so many people watching—at least not until both me and her don't take our masks off.'
[Well, she's the empress; what do you expect? She can't just go dance with any man in the hall.]
Sophie's words just made him sigh harder.
For some time, Alex observed and commented on the festivities with Sophie, their banter light and filled with tease. But as his gaze swept the room again, he frowned, noticing an absence.
'Where Zahara?' He asked Sophie. The last time he saw her was when he danced with her a few minutes ago, but she was nowhere to be seen now.
Without a second's delay, Sophie answered, [She said she was feeling tired and went to rest in one of the empty rooms.]
Alex narrowed his eyes. He wasn't convinced. Through their connection, he could sense a slight tension in Sophie's emotions.
'You're lying, Sophie,' he said, making Sophie go silent.
The silence was telling, and Alex leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Sophie," he said aloud, his voice low, "tell me the truth."
There was a hesitation before Sophie finally replied, her tone quieter. [I can't. Zahara asked me not to.]
Alex considered pushing further but stopped himself. He wasn't the kind of person to demand every detail of his companions' actions. Trust was a two-way street, and he valued it deeply.
'Fine,' he sighed, leaning back again, stretching his back, 'just tell me if she needs something.'
[Of course,] Sophie's reply followed, making him nod.
Soon, as he looked at people slowly getting off the stage, with no one left dancing, Alex decided it was time to wrap things up.
"James," he called out softly, and from the shadows at his feet emerged James, his loyal shadow, kneeling as always.
"Did you enjoy the party?" Alex asked with a faint smile.
James tilted his head thoughtfully before nodding with a smile. "I did, Master. Watching has its own pleasures. And the music... quite enjoyable."
Alex chuckled, asking some other questions about the food and the security measures in place, and James assured Alex that everything had been smooth so far.
Hearing all that, Alex nodded.
"Well," Alex said, rising from his chair, "it's about time to end this. Midnight's come and gone."
The party was supposed to go on till midnight, but it was already ten minutes past that.
James nodded, retreating into the shadows as Alex made his way upstairs to inform Emperor Maurice.
As he climbed the grand staircase, no one stopped to greet him, their masked faces oblivious to his identity.
When he approached the emperor, however, two imperial knights barred his path, their hands on their swords. Alex didn't mind, though; he understood their vigilance. As imperial knights, it was their duty to protect the Emperor from potential threats in a setting like this.
If they see someone walking toward the emperor like that, of course, they will try to stop them.
So, without a word, Alex lifted his mask slightly, just enough for the knights to recognize him, and as they saw who it was, they immediately stepped aside with respectful bows.
"Uncle Maurice," Alex called out as he approached.
"Alex." The emperor turned, a warm smile spreading across his face. "Are you here to declare the night's end?"
The guy only had one person who could call him Uncle, so he didn't need to ask who it was.
"Actually—" Alex began with a nod, but his words were cut short as...
BOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!
A deafening explosion shook the castle, reverberating through the halls. The floor trembled, and some people cowered; the sound was just that loud.
The explosion died down soon, but the room remained enveloped in a stunned silence as tense air descended upon the partiers.
"Outside," someone murmured, their voice trembling as everyone could already see smoke rising at some distance from the castle.
Beyond the opening—which was filled with vendors and guests without invitation until the evening—in the imperial city, people could see and hear screams.
The imperial knights in the ballroom exchanged glances before swords were drawn, and at that moment, the celebration was forgotten.