“…..”
The ballroom was silent.
All eyes were on the Jester as he slowly bowed to them.
Behind him stood a tall, slender figure dressed in formal black, nearly half a body taller than him. Its elongated arms hung low, thin fingers grazing the polished floor. Its eyes and mouth were sewn tightly shut.
The sight of the two felt extremely contrasting.
One large, and one small.
And yet…
Surrounded by everyone, it created a picturesque scene.
…It was chilling, and nobody dared to move as they took in the sight before them.
No, it was more like they couldn’t move.
A strange pressure emanated from the figure standing behind the Jester. It weighed heavily over the entire room, and it made it impossible for anyone to move.
’W-what is that…?’
’That’s… That’s…’
The eyes of many shook under the presence of the strange creature.
Experienced as they were, they all understood the moment its presence was felt that this was no regular creature.
…It was an extremely powerful anomalous entity.
Just its presence alone made it impossible for them to move.
They felt suffocated.
And yet, the only one that seemed completely unaffected by the strange creature was none other than the Jester.
Raising his head back up, the Jester looked around the room.
He took in their gazes.
Basked in them.
And then, he slowly turned his attention towards the host.
Tok!
His step shattered the silence. Under the watchful eyes of all those present, he moved towards the host, stopping right before him.
“So…?”
His voice, deep and slightly hoarse, cut through the silence.
“My performance? Was it satisfactory…?”
The host just stood there, his mind and expression blank.
For the briefest of moments, he almost seemed overwhelmed as he took a step back.
But that didn’t persist for long as he soon recollected himself.
[Satisfactory?]
The host looked around before suddenly bursting out in a wave of applause.
[That was more than satisfactory!]
Waaaaaaah!
The other members began clapping alongside the host.
The Jester basked in the claps as they persisted for several minutes.
[…There are no words that I can use to describe what I have just witnessed. It was as you said, it was the piece that mattered. I apologize for doubting you.]
The claps once again returned.
This time, they were louder than before, with those from the Guild being forced to join.
One could notice the faint hits of respect the host had for the Jester as it spoke.
It took several Guild Members by surprise, but only for a brief moment, as they soon saw the host take a step to the side.
Clank!
The large doors of the ballroom opened.
[That was a fantastic piece, and you have truly impressed me. For playing such an amazing piece, I gift you this.]
Extending his hand, the host passed on a small gray crystal towards the Jester, who took it.
“Thank you.”
[It’s nothing compared to what you’ve given me. Thank you for coming to the party.]
Eh..?
What?
All eyes fell on the crystal in the Jester’s hands.
They were confused at first, but the situation soon dawned on them.
The trial…
It was cleared!
What he had currently handed to the Jester was none other than the scenario fragment! The thing they had all been working to gain.
Similarly, understanding the situation, the Jester nodded faintly.
“It was my pleasure.”
And with those words, he slowly made his way out of the room.
Tok, Tok!
The gentle echo of his steps echoed throughout as his back slowly faded into the darkness that lay on the other side of the door.
Zoey stared at his retreating back with a frown.
But then, she realized something…
’That monster? Where did he go?’
Just moments prior, a giant monster had been standing behind the Jester. How did it suddenly disappear from their view?
Her mind drifted towards the monster until the host’s voice echoed again.
[Why aren’t you leaving? Do you wish to stay longer?]
It was only after its words echoed that everyone snapped out of their thoughts and hastily moved towards the door.
At the same time, waiting for them near the doors were several butlers holding onto metal trays where similar-looking crystals appeared.
As they moved, they took the crystals and didn’t look back.
This scenario…
It was one none of them would ever forget.
Zoey thought so too as she closed her eyes and eventually followed the rest out of the room.
Soon after she crossed the door, the doors closed behind her.
Clank!
Her world went dark.
***
“Haa…”
Coming out of the ballroom, I had to take a few seconds in order to calm my churning stomach as I felt like I was on the verge of puking.
’I feel like I’ve lost half of my lifespan.’
My heart was still beating like crazy.
But most importantly…
I raised my head and looked around.
I was back in the entrance hall.
It was currently empty with no one around.
…And this was the issue.
’Where is the conductor?’
I had been so sure it was following behind me just a moment prior. And yet, the moment I came out of the ballroom, he was long gone.
Why was that?
I struggled to understand this as I looked around.
He should’ve been with me…
I was ready for what was to come. I understood the risks of my actions, and I was prepared to handle them.
And yet, he was gone.
Nowhere in sight.
That didn’t make me feel at ease.
After all, I understood that he was still most likely coming tomorrow.
And the thought…
It made my heart churn.
“I really feel like puking again.”
I took a few deep breaths to steady my mind, then slowly turned my gaze toward the distant exit. There, I could see the garden as the well-trimmed bushes and flowers glinted under the bright sun.
In the distance, I could see a swirling portal, and I’d be able to leave the moment I crossed that portal.
The sight was incredibly inviting, and I thought about moving.
But then..
’Is this really it?’
I thought about the reason why I had been pulled into this scenario and who had brought me here.
I also thought back to the crying from before.
’Right, the crying…’
I turned around to see the long flight of stairs that led to the second floor of the estate.
If I could recall correctly, the crying came from there.
My lips quivered as I looked in that direction. Then, looking back towards the exit, I felt them quiver again.
“Haha.”
A laugh escaped my lips.
Not just a regular laugh, but one filled with despair as I looked towards the stairs.
“…I have to go, don’t I?”
I closed my eyes and let out a long breath.
Then, taking out my phone and opening my eyes again, I scrolled through my playlist.
’Conductor, do your job. I’m ready. Finish me. End my mysery. Why wait a day when you can do it now? Need a knife? I can get one that can grow…’
“Who am I kidding? I’m too cowardly to die.”
Putting the phone back in my pocket where the fragment was, I decided to move up the stairs.
Although I was really curious about the fragment, for now…
I had to finish this next part.
I needed to get to the bottom of this entire scenario, and only by finding the little girl could I do that.
After all, she could very well help me gain some clues on the strange cultists after me.
“Haa.”
With another sigh, I eventually moved up the stairs.
’I hope this is worth it.’