"Young master, wake up!"
At the cell entrance, Nathaniel woke up to find a man dressed as a guard and showing an expression of worry. His head throbbed loudly. Yesterday night he was beaten up once again. They also tortured him by using chains to tighten his leg muscles. The pain was unbearable.
"I can't believe they let you die like this!" the guard spat and stretched his hand, throwing in a bag of water and food.
"Are we ready for tomorrow?" Natnaniel coughed out blood and groaned. "Have the other elders confirmed?"
The man bowed.
"The guards are placed in the four directions; they are currently disguised and helping the people of Constantine to prepare for the gathering."
The prisoner chuckled.
"Caius thought he was tough when he locked me up." There was no trace of innocence or mercy in his almond-shaped eyes. All these years of revenge will be fulfilled, and it will make all his pain disappear. He forced a gulp and stood up carefully. Approaching the cell door, he hastily grabbed the collar of the man outside and growled.
"Get me out of here before tomorrow morning." He hissed at the panicking man and heard the chains attached to his body holding him back...
"I need to see to his death personally."
* * * *
Truly, the world is twisted... truly, humankind is poisonous even to the smallest creatures surviving upon the earth. One act of grief, one stab... one could sharpen their dagger, ready to kill, while another would be cooking in a kitchen, preparing for a celebration. On one side, a man could be born into a world of violence, while others lived in peace.
The main branch was not only infiltrated by enemies... they freely mingled with the maids in the kitchen, with the guards near the gates, and the staff handling the seating, even the butlers serving the guests. All were disguised and ready—guns, knives, swords, axes in hand. There were many... men and women, young and old, all driven by revenge and cold-blooded murderous intent.
Two maids were kept in the kitchen. One was from the west branch and the other from the east. Both their hands were covered in gloves, and in their rooms were two large pouches of white powder, waiting for the right moment to lunge at guests and take their lives.
The day before the gathering.
Caius stood in the middle of the banquet hall, large enough to hold more than a hundred visitors. It was built according to his late mother's favourite conservatory pentagon. With high walls clothed in marble as clear as jade, red and turquoise splashes of designs crawled up toward the high ceiling. When Odette walked into the hall, she looked up to see chandeliers adorned—one embedded with diamonds, the next set with candles, another with diamonds again, then pearls. Twelve chandeliers hung in total, creating a clouded pathway for the guests below.
She looked around. Monuments, half-body statues, grand pianos, and musical instruments were neatly placed at various angles, giving the space the aura of a royal ballroom. She could see her reflection on the massive maroon-and-white tiles beneath her feet.
"Do you like it?" Caius asked, grabbing her attention. He walked toward her and, without warning, took her hand gently, bowing. "What would this place feel like to you... this place and a young man asking you for a dance?"
She laughed. "I would disappoint the young man because I've never danced with etiquette."
There was that gummy smile again. Odette wondered... have his eyes always been this emptily fascinating to her? What intrigued her so much?
"May I ask you for a slight dance, Miss?" His eyes teased her. "I could teach you."
She thought for a moment and shrugged. "Might as well learn the proper way of dancing."
Her chuckle echoed through the empty hall as he brushed his thumb across her hand and pulled her gently against his chest. This time, she did not collide face-first; instead, she held onto his shoulder almost by instinct. They were close. Eyes locked, his warm breath brushed against her skin. The silence... the proximity... and his free hand slowly slipping around her waist, closing the space between them. His gaze did not blink as he watched the nervous expressions dance across her face while he began to move.
She was not focused on his intense stare at first. Her instinct was to look down and copy his steps. The footing... she wanted to get it right and, most importantly, not look foolish.
"Eyes up here, Ette." His voice—deep and gentle like heavy rain—pulled her attention to his gaze. He smiled and squeezed her waist lightly. "I've got you."
Odette cleared her throat and nodded with a shy smile. "Thanks."
It was still morning outside, she knew, because the crystal-like walls carried golden rays of sunlight and mirrored them across the maroon tiles. Beneath the tinkling chandeliers and the melting warmth of dawn, they glided from one end of the hall to the other, heads held high, eyes never leaving one another.
Caius could hear his heart beating louder than the music. His hands held her close, tight. She gazed at him with big, round eyes filled with wonder. There was complete trust in her expressions, trust that he would lead her well. When his legs moved, she moved. When he turned, she followed. When he released her waist, she knew to twirl away yet still hold his hand. Every time he pulled her close, he felt alive. Soon breathless, they drifted toward a beautiful corner beneath a window with sunlight spilling in.
"Did I do well?" Odette breathed, still catching her breath. She smiled, clearly having enjoyed the dance.
He nodded and leaned closer. "You did well."
They were no longer in the middle of the hall. Through their dancing, they had wandered to a sunlit corner. Neither dared to let go first.
"So..." Odette searched his eyes. "What are we going to do now?"
Caius raised his eyebrows and shook his head. "I don't know. What do you want to do, Ette?"
She chuckled and looked toward the scenery outside the window. She enjoyed the feeling of being here—this space where morning sunshine and gentle wind coexisted with the beauty of the hall. Separated by walls yet united through the eyes of those who stepped inside.
For him, nothing was more fascinating than her. She was in his arms, one hand resting on his shoulder, looking out with eyes gleaming with joy. She had found a new scenery to admire, and he could not stop looking at her. Something beat violently in his chest—something alive. Vision clear as day, he could not help tightening his hold on her and leaning in. Before anything else could happen, he tilted his head and pressed a firm, genuine kiss to her cheek.
It left Odette startled and flushed.
"Umm..."
Without increasing the distance between them, he leaned close to her ear. "Thank you for the dance, my lady."
All she could do was stare at him and then look away, trying to hide the tightening rhythm of her heart. She knew that if she kept looking at him—at those obsidian eyes that held so much longing—he would see everything. Her expression would betray her.
"T-thank you too... for teaching me." After muttering this and taking one last glance at him, she gently slipped out of his hold and hurried away. He watched her walk—and then slowly break into a run toward the exit.