Chapter 5 – Reaching the Limit, Part 1

  Every time Annie relived past moments, her heart journeyed through constant, shifting emotions that left her unbalanced, as she craved something she fully understood was almost impossible to attain. At the same time, she longed to see her beloved happy, so much so that, if she had the power to bring Tult?en back to life, she would do it without a second thought.

  "If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here," she told her friend Sussy as she wiped away the scarlet tears streaming down her pale face before they could fall onto her dress.

  "I understand. But he loves someone else. And he always will," Sussy replied, hurrying to hand a handkerchief to her companion.

  "But nothing is impossible," Annie replied, accepting the handkerchief and springing up from the bed with a burst of joy. "Help me with my makeup; I want to look perfect for him."

  ━━━━━━???━━━━━━

  After a frantic day of shopping, Yuna, Nasai, and Carol found themselves, like Annie, preparing for the long-awaited party.

  In Nasai's room, two of the three people present wore expressions of marked surprise.

  "You look stunning," Carol told Yuna, covering her mouth with her hands, extremely excited.

  Carol had always been the typical woman fascinated by fashion and beauty. Since meeting Yuna, she’d always thought the girl had great potential. However, no matter how much she tried to change her comfortable, laid-back style, no one seemed to have the power to make her change her mind. Actually, her sister had that power, but Carol always thought Yuna looked perfect in whatever she wore.

  It was true that many years had passed since the oldest of the Nakama sisters had dressed so femininely. In a long, elegant dress, the outfit she wore, paired with her navy heels, covered her feet, barely grazing the floor. The dress was two-toned: beige, with tiny blue pearls scattered deliberately on the bodice, and entirely blue on the skirt. This attire allowed Yuna to not only highlight her natural beauty but also the pale hue of her skin.

  "It's a shame you didn't let me put extensions on you. You would look gorgeous with an updo that would highlight your face more," Carol pointed out, adjusting her long black dress, which clung tightly to her body with sparkling stones all along its length.

  "You look... gorgeous, sister," Nasai added happily.

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  "I don’t know why you didn’t buy a new dress. The one you're wearing is so old," Yuna said, looking at her.

  "Maybe... but I didn’t want to spend more than I needed to. You two are the ones who need to look amazing. With this..." she said, lightly patting her dress, "...I’m good to go. Besides, I don’t look that bad, do I?"

  She asked them, striking a bashfully coquettish pose. Nasai wasn’t the typical girl who dressed to grab attention. In fact, her natural proportions were already extraordinarily attractive. So, generally speaking, whatever she wore would inevitably catch people’s eyes.

  In a three-quarter-length pearl gray dress, matching flats, and a half-updo that showed off the length of her neck, she felt more than comfortable.

  "But you're so simple... Do you know how the women will dress there? The outfits they’ll wear? And with a body like yours... What a waste..." Carol said, exasperated. "The Nakama sisters, no one can understand them. Maybe you should find a rich guy to solve your problems."

  "Have I ever told you that you’re scary?" Yuna asked, joking.

  "So many times that I’ve lost count," Carol responded, popping a piece of carrot into her mouth.

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  Hours had passed, and a lightning storm marked the beginning of the party. The mansion hosting the event was surrounded by a vast French garden, leading up to a grand staircase that served as the entrance. In each corner of the grounds, a guard with a distant, dark appearance stood strategically positioned.

  Inside, rooms doubled the size of the Nakama sisters' home. Baroque style reigned in every corner of the place. The masquerade was held in a colossal ballroom, where two sections were easily distinguishable: the dance floor and the lounge area.

  The dance area was adorned with white drapes, hanging from the ceiling like a canopy, expanding across the room along with enormous wall sconces that cast a bright glow. Thanks to the large windows that spanned an entire wall, guests could admire the beautiful garden, illuminated by lanterns, from within. In the other section, tables were skillfully arranged, leaving only a wide aisle leading to the bar and the open buffet. Unlike the dance area, the music here played softly in the background.

  “How dare you show up here with your entire crew?” Ben demanded upon seeing Vincent and company in the entry hall.

  “No one told us this was a private event,” Vincent replied coolly, adjusting his mask.

  “Actually, it was,” Ronnie added with a mocking tone.

  “Really? My sincerest apologies,” Vincent responded, giving an exaggerated, playful bow. “But since we’re here, we might as well stay for a while.”

  “Get out,” Ben said threateningly, raising his voice.

  A firm, robust hand grasped the young man, halting him just as he was about to lunge. Suddenly, he went silent, paralyzed by the presence of the person standing beside him.

  “Ben… that’s not the proper way to treat our guests,” the man spoke slowly, his voice hidden behind a shadowed mask. “What would people say if they saw us?”

  He continued in a calm tone, subtly urging his comrade to control his behavior, as he pointed out the attention they were drawing from onlookers, prompting Ben to rein in his attitude.

  “It’s been a while, Vincent,” the mysterious man greeted in a low voice.

  “Not long enough, Devon,” Vincent replied calmly.

  “Come in,” Devon said to them with an elegant gesture, granting them passage. “You’re welcome at the masquerade.”