The classroom buzzed with restless energy as Ms. Kapri clapped her hands together, her voice practically bouncing with excitement.
"Okay everyone, that's enough for today's class. And get ready—tomorrow is the ball!" she announced, her eyes sparkling as though she herself were a student awaiting the grand event.
Chairs scraped against the floor as students began to chatter. Sammy leaned across his desk toward me, his grin mischievous.
"So, got your suit?" he asked, nudging my arm.
I shook my head. "No. What about you?"
He shrugged, smirking. "Nope. Same here."
Before I could reply, Talia slid into the conversation, her voice carrying that familiar tone of decisiveness.
"Then let's go together. We still need to get our dresses too."
Amanda, who had been quietly closing her book, looked up with a small smile. "Yeah, let's do that."
Talia tugged Amanda's arm impatiently. "C'mon then, let's go."
And so, the four of us left the academy together, weaving through the crowded streets until we reached the store. The boys tried on suits, the girls slipped into shimmering gowns, laughter spilling between us as we teased one another about colors and styles. By the time we returned, bags in hand, the weight of tomorrow pressed against my chest. The ball wasn't just a celebration—it was an event where the mainland's royal family and the patriarchs of the most powerful houses would gather.
---
Later that evening, I entered my room and collapsed onto my bed. For fifteen minutes I rolled around, trying to shake off the tension, before finally rising to try on my suit. The fabric hugged me perfectly, the mirror reflecting someone I barely recognized—someone who looked ready for a grand hall, not the chaos I feared. Folding the suit carefully, I sat back down, my mind spiraling.
What would tomorrow bring? The royal family's presence meant politics, power, and danger. The patriarchs of the great families would be there too, each one a figure who could shift the balance of the world.
And then, without warning, the system flashed before my eyes. A red glow filled the room, sharp and unnatural. Words appeared, broken into jagged lines:
*A day unborn waits.
The night will shatter.
The moon will bleed.
The ground will shake.
Name the day…*
My chest tightened. It wasn't just a message—it was a riddle, cruel and heavy.
"A day unborn waits," I whispered. "Tomorrow."
"The night will shatter." My stomach knotted. Something terrible was coming.
"The moon will bleed." My voice trembled. "Blood… destruction… a crimson moon. Doom."
"The ground will shake." My throat went dry. "An earthquake? Or worse."
Finally: Name the day.
I swallowed hard. "Tomorrow."
The screen flared, hammering back at me:
Correct. Tomorrow is the start of ruin. Tomorrow is the beginning of the end.
The room grew colder. My breath came shallow, images flooding my mind—streets breaking apart, screams echoing, the world collapsing beneath a blood-red moon.
The system pulsed again: You cannot escape. Prepare.
Sweat dripped down my temple. I sat frozen, knowing tomorrow night would destroy everything.
---
I woke the next day screaming, my voice raw like a child jolted from a nightmare. My chest heaved, sweat soaking my shirt.
"Haah… haah…" I gasped, clutching at the sheets.
Muffled laughter reached my ears. I turned my head to see Sammy, his face twisted as he tried to hold it in. He failed spectacularly, bursting into manic laughter, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"….."
"HAHAHAHA!"
I glared at him. "The fuck are you doing, Sammy? And why are you guys here in the first place?"
Amanda scooted closer, her calm presence a contrast to Sammy's chaos. "Do you know what time it is now?" she asked, her tone gentle but firm.
I rubbed my eyes. "I don't know… maybe nine in the morning?"
Talia's voice cut in, sharp with concern. "It's six in the evening. Are you okay?"
"I… I'm okay," I muttered, though the tremor in my voice betrayed me.
Sammy snorted, covering his mouth. "Wipe your face, man. It's practically covered in drool."
"….Fuck." I scrambled to the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face, trying to wash away the nightmare clinging to me.
When I returned, the group was still there, waiting. I sat down heavily on the bed. "So ummm… what's today at six p.m.?"
The silence that followed was deafening. They stared at me as though I had asked what year it was.
"Today we're going to the ball, remember?" Talia said, her brows furrowed. "We have to leave in one hour."
"Oh. Right." I forced a nod.
Amanda stood, smoothing her dress. "Okay then, we'll go change. Meet us in the lobby." She paused at the door, her eyes narrowing. "Talia, Sammy—give us a moment."
Confused, they left reluctantly. Amanda closed the door behind them, then turned to me. Her voice was clear, commanding.
"Rudra, listen. If you have a problem, you can—no, you should—come to me. Okay?"
"O… okay," I stammered.
Amanda's eyes stayed locked on mine, her voice steady but urgent.
"Listen, just tell me what happened, okay?" she said, both hands pressing firmly on my shoulders as if anchoring me to the present.
I hesitated, my throat dry. Finally, the words spilled out, shaky and uncertain.
"Haah… fine. Listen. Today at the ball… there's going to be something huge. I don't know what it is, but it's not going to be okay at all. I just… I just know it."
Amanda's brows furrowed, her expression tightening. "Something huge? What do you mean?"
"I don't know how, I don't know why," I said, my voice trembling. "But the system… the feeling… everything points to tonight. Something's coming, and it's going to change everything."
She studied me for a long moment, her silence heavy. Then she nodded slowly. "Alright. I believe you. But you can't say this to anyone else. Not yet. We don't know who might be listening, or who the imposter could be."
I swallowed hard and nodded.
"Now listen carefully," she continued, her tone shifting into command. "Wear your clothes. Meet us in the lobby. Once we're at the ballroom, we'll figure out what to do next. But for now, keep this between us."
Her hands lingered on my shoulders for a moment longer, then she stepped back, her eyes softening. "You're not alone in this, Rudra. Remember that."
The door clicked shut behind her, leaving me alone with the echo of her words. I sat there, staring at the floor, the weight of the system's warning pressing down on me. My mind replayed the crimson moon, the shattering night, the ground shaking.
Tonight wasn't just a ball. It was the beginning of something vast, something terrible. And I knew—deep in my bones—that nothing would be okay after it began