’She didn’t notice a thing, right?’
Feeling Zoey’s gaze, sweat dripped down from the side of my face. She was staring for too long, and the more she stared at me, the more nervous I felt.
This persisted for a good couple of seconds until she eventually pulled her gaze away.
’Fuck, that was too nerve wracking.’
At the very least, it appeared that I had managed to successfully infiltrate the group.
Everyone was too preoccupied with the scenario to even take notice of me. And I joined right as the first group entered, so even if they did find me suspicious, they’d think that I was merely part of the first group that entered.
There were quite a few people present. I could count about thirty. Judging from the different clothes they were wearing, they all came from different places.
They all wore some ridiculous mask, making mine the least noticeable one. To make the situation even better, they all wore different types of clothes. Some tried to wear clothes fitting a ball, while others wore more casual ones.
That was the only reason that prompted me to join the group.
’I should’ve seen this coming from miles away.’
Taking into account the origins of the painting and the sudden portal that formed in the museum, I should’ve expected people from the Guild to be here.
And I sort of did after a certain point.
But of all people to expect, Zoey wasn’t the one I expected to be here.
That made the situation worse for me.
This was especially so when taking into account the fact that she was actually quite sharp when it mattered. I really hoped she wouldn’t figure anything out.
I could only maintain my distance for now as I moved past the room that led to the ballroom.
The moment I crossed the door, as if everything I had seen before was a lie, a bright light engulfed my vision.
[Looks like we have some new guests arriving with us!]
The lights from the chandelier pierced the surroundings, momentarily blinding my vision. Soon after, a rough yet pleased voice echoed in the hall as a glass was raised towards the tall ceilings of the ballroom, the glass cup reflecting the bright light of the chandelier.
[Excellent! How excellent! To see guests coming to my party... There’s nothing that pleases me more than that!]
Blinking my eyes, I managed to clear my vision.
I proceeded to look at the source of the noise.
A chubby man stood at the center of the hall, dressed in a pristine white suit adorned with golden embroidery and a red bow tie. He wore a slim black mask to hide the top half of his face. His head was bald, and there was no noticeable feature about him besides his double chin.
He looked normal at first, but that changed when he turned around to greet the people on the other side of the hall.
Where the back of his head should’ve been, a face appeared.
Grotesquely attached to the back of his head, the face looked around, its white eyes focused in our general direction.
My stomach churned, and an all-too-familiar feeling rose up in my throat.
’...I should’ve gone to the bathroom beforehand.’
I really wanted to puke.
The man’s voice roared once again, the glass higher than before.
I looked around and saw the other people throughout the room similarly raise their glasses. They all wore masks, hiding their faces, but taking a closer look, I realized something extremely crucial.
They were deeply embedded on their faces, the corners seeping deeply into their skin.
I felt chills staring at the sight.
’As if they couldn’t make the entire thing even creepier...’
Then again, after everything that I had experienced so far, this wasn’t terrible. I could handle this much.
...Or at least, I hoped I could.
I knew things would get worse soon enough.
[Let’s all have a toast first before we get started! This is my own way to show my appreciation for coming. Salute!]
The host proceeded to bring the cup in his hand to his mouth and took a sip. The rest followed his example.
Pulling the glass away from his mouth, he twirled it in his hands.
[There are quite a few new faces here, unlike the regulars. Should I give everyone a brief overview of how things work around here?]
The ball host turned around again, fixing his gaze in our direction.
He chugged the wine in his hand as red trickled down the side of his face.
He set the cup aside and dabbed the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief. Then, turning his attention to the piano, where one of the audience members had taken a seat, he began to explain the rules.
[The rules are simple. A member of the audience will play a piece for everyone to listen to. Everyone will find a partner and dance. Whoever performs the worst will be directly eliminated.]
I held my breath the moment I heard those words. I was well aware that in this case, ’eliminated’ didn’t just mean excluded from the game.
Elimination meant death.
[We’ll stop until someone eventually impresses me.]
A smile crept onto his face.
It was a creepy smile that left me shuddering.
[That’s all. Simple, right?]
They were simple and easy to understand.
But it was the simplicity that made my stomach churn.
I have to impress him?
Through either playing a piece or dancing?
I slowly turned my attention towards the piano and the man sitting next to it.
In my current situation, the only thing I could do was play the piano.
I was far better at it than dancing.
But could I really play something good enough to impress the host?
I was decent at the piano. I had taken quite a few lessons when I was young, but I was no godly talent.
I found it hard to believe that I could play anything that could impress the host.
I looked around, my gaze falling on Zoey and the other Guild members.
That was when I realized something important.
Who was to say that I had to be the one impressing the host?
’Why didn’t I think about this sooner?’
[I’m ready, what about you all? I’m feeling in the right mood right now. Let’s see if there’s anyone that can impress me tonight.]
The bright lights started to dim faintly as the people around headed towards the main dancing area.
I followed along with the rest.
But just as I was about to move, the host’s voice rang in the air once more.
He paused, the smile on his face slowly fading, and his eyes starting to turn sinister.
All noise in the room ceased as all attention fell on the host.
[...If you hear the sound of a little girl crying. Ignore it.]
He clapped his hands, and the piano began playing.
[Find a partner quickly! The dance has started!]