Hidden Gem

Chapter 45: The Ball

I found the pool glittering and wondered what Sana was talking about. She said there'd be something prepared.. where is it?

I then found large tubes that any person could fit themselves into. They were probably made out of glass since it was transparent. And on it, you could see names placed on them.

The one I was looking at had the name "Jodie of Garnet."

Oh, okay. So I just have to find the tube that held my name and kingdom.  I then started to find my name. It wasn't difficult though since there were only a few tubes left. Ah, so once we get inside, it probably vanishes.

I finally found my tube that held the name "Erin of Diamond."

I lifted my hand and touched the freezing tube. It then made an opening for me to enter. I awkwardly entered the tube, pulling up my long dress. I was now completely inside and waited for whatever was supposed to happen.

The glass closed and I felt my heart beating rapidly within me. Before I could think, everything blurred around me. It was as if I was falling into space and couldn't see what was going on around me.

My ears popped and I felt like my heart was misplaced somewhere.

I closed my eyes to lessen the terror. Relax, Erin. Just wait. Just wait.

I suddenly felt everything calm around me. It was as if everything stopped spinning. I squinted my eyes open and found myself in a totally different environment. The pool was no longer there and instead, a dashing fountain was there.

It sparkled beautifully as different colours of light streaked in the water. And behind that was a huge marbled staircase, covered by a red carpet. You could see that once you get up those stairs, you'll see the Ball itself since bring yellow lights came from the top of the staircase.

And around the fountain was just clean cut grass. It was getting dark but luckily there were lights at the bottom and top of the staircase.

I tried to hurry and make my way there since it was five minutes till seven. I didn't see a soul out here in the dark since probably everybody was already inside.

Once I finally reached the top, I was breathing heavily. But nevertheless, the view was absolutely stunning. There was a giant chandelier in the middle of the ceiling, glowing golden lights. The room itself was in a golden colour. A variety of delicious food were at the far right corner of the room.

There were also huge french doors on the left and right, showcasing the gardens. I couldn't help but feel my lips curl at the sight. Chattering filled the room and the atmosphere felt welcoming.

But then something was off..

Although you could see so many people wearing a variety of colours and dresses, something was totally off. It was the boys. Not only were they wearing their tuxedos and formal attires, they had masks on. As if the Ball was a masquerade themed one.

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. Well, the girls aren't wearing masks..

So I'm safe. For a minute, I thought I was out of place.

It was really only the boys who had gone out of their way to wear masks. But, why?

I went down the stairs and towards the food table. There's no waaay I'm missing out on the food. But as I went down the stairs, I could feel a few glances thrown my way. There were a few whispers here and there and I immediately shut my ears away from it.

There's no way I'm going to find anything useful from their insults.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and instinctively, I turned to see who it was. My eyes met jet-black hair and ocean-blue eyes.