Chapter Ninety-One: The Midnight Festival

  The anticipation was electric as the students rushed toward the party, excitement bubbling over as they poured into the sprawling underground district. Jace and his friends lagged slightly behind, taking in the night’s chill air before heading in. By the time they arrived, the celebration was already in full swing.

  Reginald stood at the entrance, scowling at the latecomers with his usual disdain. He folded his arms as Jace and his group approached, his voice dripping with mock impatience. “Well, look who finally decided to grace us with their presence. We’ve been waiting for you—and more importantly.” He sighed, his annoyance almost theatrical. Jace exchanged a quick glance with the others, a silent understanding passing between them.

  Inside, the party was chaos—an explosion of color, costumes, and enchantment. It was the biggest Halloween celebration Jace had ever seen, and it was almost overwhelming. Pumpkins with carved faces floated through the air, trailing glimmers of firelight that spun like sparks. Ghoulish green mist hung low to the floor, swirling around feet as if it had a life of its own, while lanterns flickered with eerie, ever-changing hues. The music—some kind of enchanted blend of haunting melodies and pulsing beats—seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once, making the entire space vibrate with energy.

  The place was a sprawling labyrinth, yet somehow, it managed to fit everyone. Students spilled into every corner, their laughter echoing from the alchemy labs to the common rooms, from the kitchens to the long, twisting corridors. Jace knew that not everyone was here—it couldn’t be possible—but it felt like the entire university had gathered under one roof. Every alcove, every hidden nook was filled with revelers, masked and unmasked, laughing, talking, living in the moment.

  He realized, as he looked around, that he didn’t see anyone he knew besides his closest friends. The realization struck him oddly—how small his circle was. Other students might have waved, - passed a smile, but none of them were faces he’d call familiar. It was just Dex, Ell, Marcus, Alice, and Molly, who anchored him in this sea of unknown.

  The professors and faculty were notably absent, as was tradition. They had their own party to attend—somewhere mysterious, where they vanished for the night, far off from Olympus. Technically, Molly could have joined them, but she hadn’t wanted to, and Jace was glad she’d decided to stick around.

  The noise was deafening, a pulsing, living thing that enveloped them all. Someone had enchanted the music to continue indefinitely, and it seemed to flow through every corner of the Fields Below. A makeshift dance floor had taken over the common area, and students in elaborate costumes spun, their shadows twisting and blending into the lantern light. Even the alchemy lab was packed, students examining the strange equipment with an odd mix of curiosity and awe, their laughter bubbling over like a cauldron left to boil.

  Jace was swept up in the current of bodies, caught between the rhythm of the music and the chaotic energy of the party. At some point, he bumped into Molly. She gave him a small smile, her voice somehow cutting through the din with its softness. “Hey,” she said. “After this, there’s something I need to talk to you about. Tomorrow, okay?”

  Jace blinked, momentarily taken aback, but he nodded. “Of course,” he replied, though confusion settled in the back of his mind. He could see a seriousness in her eyes that was at odds with the revelry around them.

  As the night wore on, it seemed that every inch of the manor was taken over by the festivities. The only place untouched by the chaos was the catacombs below—a silent, looming presence beneath their feet, forgotten in the fever pitch of the celebration above.

  The party was still a swirling frenzy of color and sound by the time Jace managed to weave his way back to his friends—Alice, Dex, and Ell. They were gathered near one of the long tables, their laughter mixing with the music, their faces flushed with excitement. He felt a rush of relief at seeing them, the familiar faces grounding him amidst the chaos.

  Together, they began preparations to serve the food, arranging everything onto silver platters that shimmered under the dim, enchanted lights. When they finally got the trays out, the response from the crowd was muted—soft exclamations of surprise, a few nods, and a handful of pleased smiles. It wasn’t spectacular, but it was better than Jace had feared. The food was edible, maybe even decent, the subtle touch of silver and oleander balancing out the strange flavors that had threatened to ruin it.

  People were eating happily, or at least contentedly, enjoying the slight improvement in their usual fare. Jace had expected more of a reaction—some fanfare, perhaps, or a few cheers. Instead, the students took it in stride, eating with mild approval before slipping back into the party’s rhythm. Some drifted toward the dance floor, others gathered in clusters, the music and laughter a constant backdrop.

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  Jace, watching it all unfold, had a sudden thought. He excused himself and made his way to a quieter corner, quickly opening his president’s interface to check on the status of his society. To his surprise, he found that he’d gained over 1,000 society points since the last time he’d looked. He had already spent most of the gains he had gotten from the defeated demons, adding ghostly assistants for Reginald. Now he saw there was a steady uptick as he watched—coming in from the people praising Hades at the party, the food, everything. Reputation had also increased with his Society by 500 points.

  A small smile tugged at his lips. Without hesitation, Jace decided to spend some of the points. He upgraded the butler and support staff, feeling a thrill as a half-dozen ghosts materialized, glowing faintly with a burst of ethereal light. The spectral figures floated in place, awaiting his command.

  “Report to Reginald,” Jace instructed, nodding toward the entrance. “Help make sure everyone gets food.”

  The ghosts nodded in eerie unison before drifting away, their forms fading slightly as they moved through the crowded room. Jace felt a small sense of satisfaction—it wasn’t much, but it was something. The campus kitchens were handling the bulk of the food, which made the task manageable, but he made sure each dish had a drop of the potion. It was a subtle enhancement, just enough to make everything feel a little more magical, a little more alive.

  Jace finally made his way back to his friends, the chaotic energy of the party still buzzing around him. He spotted Dex in the middle of the dance floor, putting his Dance Affinity to good use, his movements fluid and precise. Ell was there with him, their laughter echoing above the beat, their feet moving in perfect rhythm. A few others joined them, while some stood around, watching with amused smiles.

  Jace leaned against a nearby wall, letting a smile spread across his face. For a moment, he felt a flicker of joy amidst the chaos—a rare moment of lightness amidst everything. The night stretched on, hours melting away into a blur of music, laughter, and flickering lantern light. Slowly, as the hours passed, people began to trickle out, the crowd thinning.

  To his relief, no one seemed to have a negative reaction to the food. In fact, they’d received plenty of compliments, students smiling and thanking them as they left, their arms around friends as they headed off to other places, other adventures. Which meant, either they were wrong about the ingredient or there just weren’t any other possessed students.

  By three in the morning, the party had dwindled to just a few hundred, the wild energy now a gentle hum. Jace felt exhaustion settling into his bones, the kind that came after a night well spent. He glanced over at the dance floor to see Dex and Ell again, still moving to the music, their steps slower now, the beat having softened to a mellow tune.

  Jace smiled to himself. Even tired, even with the mess of everything else hanging over them, moments like this—his friends together, dancing, laughing—made it all worth it.

  The night was winding down, the energy finally ebbing after hours of celebration. The manor was a complete mess—empty cups and discarded decorations littered the floor, and the enchanted pumpkins floated lazily, their once bright glow now a dim flicker. But none of it mattered. It had been worth it.

  Jace stood near the edge of the dance floor, watching as the last clusters of people laughed and swayed to the fading music. He was tired, but it was a good kind of exhaustion, the kind that settled in after something meaningful. He didn’t notice Alice until she was right beside him, nudging his arm.

  “Hey,” she said, her eyes sparkling with something mischievous. “Wanna dance?”

  Jace blinked, caught off guard. “Oh, uh—“ He could feel the nervousness bubbling up, his heartbeat quickening. “I don’t really—”

  But Alice didn’t wait for him to finish. She grabbed his hand, a playful smile tugging at her lips, and pulled him onto the dance floor. “Come on, it’s the last song. Let’s goof around a bit.”

  Jace let out a half-nervous, half-relieved laugh as she led him into the middle of the dwindling crowd. The music was slow and mellow, the kind of tune that made people sway more than dance, and Jace felt his nerves easing just slightly as Alice started to move, her grin contagious. He followed her lead, his steps awkward at first, but then Alice twirled herself dramatically, almost tripping into him, and they both burst into laughter.

  They danced without any real coordination, just two people enjoying the moment. Alice would make an exaggerated spin, and Jace would stumble trying to match it. He tried to dip her at one point, but she ended up nearly pulling them both down, her laughter ringing out above the music. They were goofing off, but Jace felt the tension of the night slipping away, replaced by something lighter, something almost carefree.

  Around them, people moved in and out of the dance floor, some swaying to the music, some drifting toward the exit, a blur of movement and soft chatter. For Jace, though, it all seemed to fade, leaving just him and Alice, her hand still wrapped around his, her smile softening as the song continued to play.

  They danced closer, the space between them narrowing with each step. Jace could feel the warmth of her near him, her gaze meeting his. There was a quiet shift in the air, an unspoken moment passing between them. Alice’s smile faded into something gentler, her eyes locked on his, and Jace felt the world around them blur at the edges.

  It wasn’t clear what was happening, whether they were about to close that last gap between them or not, but there was something there—a moment that hung, suspended, as if waiting for one of them to make a choice. Jace’s breath caught, and he found himself leaning in, just slightly, drawn to the brightness in her eyes, the closeness of her presence.

  Alice’s smile died on her lips, her expression shifting in an instant. Her face went white, all the color draining away, her eyes widening with a mix of confusion and fear.