Chapter 115 : Grand entrance (3)

Chapter 115: Chapter 115 : Grand entrance (3) In the grand hall of Zenith Academy. The crystal chandeliers that hung like stars from the vaulted ceiling swayed ever so slightly, casting shimmering light across the ornate ballroom. The floor beneath was polished marble, reflecting the soft glow of enchanted light orbs floating midair. Elegant students in lavish outfits enjoyed the evening, laughter echoing softly under the symphony of music. And then— The grand doors creaked open with a quiet, ominous grace. At first, only a few heads turned lazily, expecting perhaps a late noble or two. But what entered... was a trio so dazzling that some people even gulped hard in awe. Gasps rippled like a wave. The music faltered. The violinist dropped a note. The pianist paused with his fingers mid-air, dumbfounded. Every gaze in the ballroom slowly, inevitably, shifted toward the entrance—and then widened with disbelief. Three people stood there. And one thought unified the minds of every witness: Beautiful. --- At the center of the trio was Alex Dragonheart, the First-Year Apex of Zenith. His tuxedo was a masterwork—a dark navy ensemble embroidered with faintly glowing silver runes, hugging his athletic frame like it had been summoned onto his skin by ancient spellcraft. A silver cravat, lined with small gleaming crystals, lay neatly over his chest. The matching silver cuffs glinted with ethereal blue gems, pulsing faintly in rhythm with the ambient mana. His long silver hair was tied back loosely, with a few strands rebelliously framing his handsome face. But it was those piercing blue eyes—cold as a glacier, sharp as a blade—that truly froze people in place. A single sapphire earring dangled from his left ear, refracting the ballroom’s light in a thousand fragments of allure. Somehow, it made him even more... unreal. On his left was Alicia von Crestvale, the third-year Student Council President, and the renowned "Queen" of Zenith. She wore an ice-blue gown, impossibly sleek, that hugged her curves like it had been kissed by winter itself. The backless design shimmered like moonlit frost, and a diamond choker added a touch of aristocratic power. Her snow-white hair fell in cascading waves down her back, and her crystalline eyes glimmered beneath thick, frosted lashes. Every step she took was elegance incarnate. On his right was Evelyn Williams, the third-year Apex. She wore a gown of white and gold, off-shouldered, glistening like dawn over a holy cathedral. The golden accents of the dress rippled with her every stride, dancing in harmony with her equally golden hair that fell in gentle curls over one shoulder. Her amber-gold eyes sparkled like twin suns, and the slit down her thigh gave her a divine, untouchable presence—bold, commanding, yet graceful, like a goddess come to walk among mortals. Together, the three of them were a vision. A storm of divine beauty crashing into a world too fragile to hold it. The musician, who had just regained his senses, missed a note and quickly scrambled to recover. From the stage, Mira Hart, the host of the evening and one of Zenith’s most well-known socialites, blinked rapidly before raising her voice, clearly forcing her composure back. "Ladies and gentlemen," she laughed nervously, "looks like we’ve had quite the... spectacular entrance tonight, haven’t we?" Her voice snapped the room out of its trance. The music picked up again—this time faster, livelier, as if trying to chase away the oppressive awe that had settled over the crowd. Still, glances were stolen. Whispers buzzed. "Wait, isn’t that Alicia von Crestvale?! With him?!" "And senior Evelyn too?!" "Just how lucky is that guy..." Some girls continued gawking openly at Alex, fanning their cheeks as their hearts thumped too fast. A few upper-year boys clicked their tongues in annoyance—clearly unimpressed on the surface, but the way their eyes kept drifting said otherwise. --- Alex, watching all this unfold like a king on parade, leaned in toward his two companions and whispered with a smirk, "Seniors... did you just see that? These guys just got mesmerized by my beauty." He placed a hand over his heart. "You guys should really consider yourselves blessed to be walking beside me—" Pinch! Two sharp stabs of pain struck his waist at once. "—Ow—owowow—okay okay, I’m sorry!" he winced. Alicia, ever composed, tightened her fingers. "Hmm? Sorry, we didn’t quite catch that. What exactly did you just say?" Evelyn’s serene expression didn’t change either, but her grip was just as vicious. "Repeat that one more time, oh blessed beauty." Alex immediately broke into a sweat. ’Abort mission. Abort.’ "Uh—right, I was just saying that, you know, since the dance hasn’t started yet, maybe we should find a table to sit? Heh...?" The two ladies released him at the same time with a synchronized scoff, as if they’d rehearsed it. Alex exhaled dramatically. "You two are lucky I’m a man of peace..." His eyes scanned the room... and then locked onto a particular table. His lips curled into a devilish grin. "And would you look at that. I even found the perfect table for us." Alicia and Evelyn nodded casually, trusting him to lead—but just as they began following, a figure stepped in their path. Someone had blocked the way. --- Meanwhile, across the ballroom— At a table near the edge, a group of students remained in collective shock. They had seen it all. Yet, somehow, their brains had not fully processed it. It was Ava who broke the silence, blinking rapidly. "...Isn’t that Miss Alicia... Alden’s big sister?" That snapped a few minds awake. Seraphina, stuttering, said, "W-What the hell?! How did he manage to convince those two to come with him?! That’s impossible—!" Charlotte said nothing, still staring as if hypnotized. Draven chuckled darkly. "Told you guys. If it’s him... anything is possible." Islode, visibly flustered, murmured, "I... I’ve seen him before too but damn, he’s handsome." Draven’s eyes narrowed. "Don’t even think about it," he said flatly. "That guy is a walking trouble magnet. Believe me." But Islode was still staring. "Maybe I should ask him for a dance..." Draven facepalmed. "And we lost her." Lilia clicked her tongue, her glare sharp enough to cut glass. "Damn that good-looking, narcissistic bastard." --- Then suddenly— Charlotte’s voice cut in, worried. "Sera... look at those two." Seraphina followed her gaze— Ethan Williams and Alden von Crestvale, both staring toward the entrance. Mouths slightly open. Eyes unmoving. Souls seemingly removed from their bodies. Frozen. As if someone had paused them mid-frame. "...Guys?" Charlotte waved a hand in front of Ethan’s face. Nothing. Finally, Ava broke the tension with a confused whisper. "We all know the Student Council President... but who’s the one on his right?" At that, both Charlotte and Seraphina sighed in unison. Seraphina leaned in, whispering dramatically, "That’s Evelyn Williams... Ethan’s sister." A beat passed. Ethan’s eye twitched. He looked like his entire belief system had been dropkicked. Suddenly Charlotte’s gaze slowly drifted to another figure— Her brother, Lucas, who was now moving through the crowd. His eyes were locked on Alex—or more specifically, on the hand linked with Evelyn. His jaw was clenched. Teeth grinding. Rage shimmered in his aura. Charlotte’s eyes gleamed, and a slow smile curved her lips. "Well... looks like trouble’s about to begin," she murmured, almost purring with delight. ’Alex, you absolute idiot. You just made my job easy.’ Suddenly, two loud bursts of laughter erupted from the table, making heads turn. Ethan leaned forward, gripping the edge of the table as he laughed uncontrollably. "Hahaha—can you believe it, dude?! I must be dreaming! Alex—that Alex—actually came to the ball with my sister! I’ve finally gone insane." Alden slapped the table, struggling to breathe between his chuckles. "Yeah, and I must be in your dream too, because instead of Alex showing up swollen and beat up like he should be, he’s walking around like a damn king—with my sister on the other side!" They exchanged a slow, wide-eyed nod. "It’s funny that even you’re in my dream," Ethan said, voice shaking with disbelief. Without another word, the two suddenly punched each other in the shoulder at the exact same time. The thud echoed, followed immediately by synchronized groans. "Ow! Damn it, that actually hurt!" "...So it is real," Alden muttered, rubbing his arm with a grimace. Seraphina just stared, eyes hollow, before dragging her palm across her face in defeat. "They’ve lost it. Completely. Their brains are soup." Charlotte calmly reached out and smacked both of them on the back of their heads. Whack! Whack! "Snap out of it. This isn’t a dream—it’s real, you idiots." But Ethan didn’t sit down. His aura flared with righteous fury, golden light flickering around him. His eyes burned like miniature suns. "If it’s real... then I can beat that smug bastard into the floor, right?!" Alden’s own aura burst out in response, chilling the air around them with pressure. His smile was gone—replaced by something dark. "I thought he was joking when he called me brother-in-law. But now... it looks like he’s seriously trying to become one." He turned to Ethan, voice low and lethal. "Maybe we should send him into a coma. Just two or three years. When he wakes up, he’ll have forgotten this ever happened." Ethan nodded, clenching his fists. "You’re right. How dare he touch my sister with those hands... Only I’m allowed to hold those hands!" The entire table fell silent. Everyone slowly turned to Ethan with wide eyes. Even Alden blinked in disbelief. "...Siscon," they all said in perfect unison. Ethan’s face turned beet red. "T-That’s not the point! The point is—I’m going to beat that bastard up!" Before anyone could respond, another voice chimed in—cool, smug, and painfully unaware of the storm around him. "I won the bet. He did come with someone." Everyone turned to see Lorenzo lounging casually, swirling a drink in his hand and smirking like he’d just won the lottery. Ethan and Alden’s gazes snapped toward him like heat-seeking missiles. "Do you want to die?" they both growled simultaneously, pure killing intent pouring out like tidal waves. Then another voice cut through the chaos. "Who wants to die?" The table fell into stunned silence again as they all turned around. Standing there was Evelyn Williams, one delicate brow raised in amusement. Her tone was sweet, and her eyes sparkled with kindness as she looked at her brother who was threatening someone. Beside her stood Alex, hands in his pockets, wearing that insufferable smirk while looking at Ethan and Alden. And on the other side, Alicia von Crestvale gave the group a serene smile. Alex’s voice was cheerful, mock-innocent. "Oh? Were you guys talking about me? Please don’t stop on my account—continue the praises." Ethan’s eye twitched. Alden took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, already feeling the pressure in his temples rise. --- A/N: So how was the Chapter? Tell me in the comments! Thanks for the golden tickets: @Kevin_z, @K_Sidhu2892, @Bluuuutea, @Nanda_ars, @Uze @Blackain, @Danger_Croc, @DaoistP5ZNDv, @capnmoonfire, @jacobkristensen, @Sharadaro, @KB_da_9reat, @StormJem I really appreciate the support ????.