A hall stood high up on the mountains. Beside the mountains lay a sea that stretched endlessly beyond. The hall was massive, as though it could reach the skies. Its walls were made of grey stone that seemed to shine softly in the moonlight, and all the towers beside the hall rose into the clouds.
At the very top of the hall was a wide balcony facing the sea, offering a clear view of both the sky and the ocean.
A young boy sat on that balcony in a chair, his bare foot resting on the carpeted floor. The wind drifted through the air, flowing through his pitch-black hair dark as the void of space itself. He gazed quietly at the sky, his chin resting on one hand, supported by the balcony wall.
On his hand was the symbol of a star, the mark of his family name Solmere.
A shooting star flashed across the heavens, glowing brighter than the rest. His pitch-black eyes followed it until the light slowly faded away.
The boy watched the sky with quiet curiosity.
"Alaric," came a soft, warm voice from the edge of the balcony.
"Mom," the boy replied, still staring upward.
"You were gone again," she said, smiling faintly as she approached where Alaric sat. "Why are you here? We have an important event coming up."
"I was just observing the sky," he murmured.
"At this time?"
He nodded. "It's peaceful now. I hate all that commotion anyway. Here, it's just me."
Liora sighed softly. "But it's not just any day it's an important one for you. You have to come now."
"Okay."
He rose from the chair and followed his mother.
They both entered the hall , the huge hall covere with black crystal allover with sparkles all over the ceiling and Crystal clear and sparkling chandeliers hung from the ceiling like frozen stars with the black background. Then came the sound of hooves in the courtyard.
A servant appeared, bowing deeply. "My lady, His Grace requests your presence in the great hall. There are guests from House Aurelian."
Liora's brow lifted slightly. "Seraphine's family?"
"Yes, my lady."
Alaric's heart stirred. Seraphine Aurelian — his betrothed since childhood. He had met her only a handful of times, but she had always been kind, laughing easily, her eyes the color of dusk.
Liora smiled faintly. "Then you should come. It's time you greeted them."
He hesitated. "I... don't think they like me."
"They don't need to," she said, standing. "You just go there and greet them formally. Later, you can have your personal chat with your fiancée."
Alaric blushed after the conversation with his mother. Together, they entered the grand hall.
The hall was enormous, its black glassy walls shining under the chandeliers that sparkled like stars against the dark ceiling.
Below, several rulers dressed in jeweled attire were laughing and talking to one another.
Alaric and his mother approached his father, who stood among the nobles, and settled beside him and the three children nearby.
While his parents talked with other lords and ladies, Alaric's gaze wandered across the crowd.
Then he saw Seraphine near the fountain, laughing with other heirs, her violet dress shimmering in the light. For a brief moment, she noticed him and smiled. He smiled back, shyly.
Then the butler began to speak. "Welcome, rulers. We welcome you to the ceremony of the household of the Solmeres. We welcome the head, Veylord Valen Solmere, and Veylady Liora Valen Solmere... and lastly, the youngest heir, Alaric Valen Solmere."
After the announcement, the butler continued, "Thank you for waiting, rulers. But before the main announcement, the Crownbearer must arrive. Please, enjoy your night."
After that, Alaric stayed quietly in the corner while his parents mingled with other Veylords.
He stood alone for a while, until a young man approached him with a friendly smile.
"Hey, um... your name's Alaric, right?"
"Yes."
"Oh, then someone's calling for you, I think," the young man said cheerfully.
"Huh? But I don't know any of them," Alaric replied, frowning slightly.
"I don't know, but the way they talked, it looked like they've known you for a long time."
"Huh... I think it's Seraphine." He looked around for her but couldn't see her anywhere.
"Okay, where did they say I should come?" Alaric asked.
"Oh, over there," the young man said, pointing toward one of the rooms above the hall.
"Okay, thank you."
"Oh, no problem it's nothing," the young man replied.
Alaric decided to go. He was sure it was Seraphine, though he wasn't completely certain it could have been someone else. So he made his way up the stairs toward the rooms the man had pointed out.
As he went higher, the noise of the hall faded behind him.
By the time he reached the door, the sounds were almost nonexistent. This place was far from the main hall.
He stood in front of the door and knocked. A voice called out, "Come in."
Hearing that, he entered without asking who was inside, thinking he would meet them anyway.
As he opened the door, he saw a girl unfamiliar to him.
By then, he was completely inside the room.
Seeing the unfamiliar face, he opened his mouth. "Excus—"
But before he could finish, he lost consciousness.
Down below, the people continued to enjoy their time as usual.
Ten minutes later, a scream echoed through the hall.
"Please... someone..." The voice of the girl vibrated through the air, shattering the hall's peace.