Something that sounds like a dream - if just for an evening - can bring consequences with it, even after years.
Everything we might see as important - in a world where we read expressions to understand each other - can be hidden with just a mask.
Bu...
Changing into the purple dress, which has been hiding on the chair up until now, I look into the mirror, just to find myself being shocked by how beautiful the dress is.
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The design of it resembles the one I wore before. It feels quite comfortable and the color is nice, too. I put my mask on, although it doesn't fit with the dress at all, in thought that I don't have any other option anyway.
Exiting the room, I stand in front of a two-way floor, one leading to the left and to the right. I experience a Déjà Vu as I choose the way on my right. But then I remember that I forgot my shoes and run back to the room, where I had woken up in. Almost felt like home already, running around all barefooted. I sense a new pair of shoes in the corner of the room. They resemble my old shoes, which have faded into nowhere. I smile as I think about how generous Kai is. I put them on, jogging through the door as I hear the echo of steps coming from the end of the hall. I look around the corner to sense a confused-looking Neil. "Neil! Over here!" Hearing me, she turns around. Coming closer, I ask her "Were you looking for me?" "Have you seen the boy? The boy from before? Did he go this way?!", she shouts in a hurry, ignoring my question. "N-no, I didn't. Why? What ha-", before I could finish my sentence, she collapses on the floor. "Neil?! Are you okay?!" She doesn't react as I shake her "Ah, what to do? What do I do?!" I try to lift her, but she's too heavy for me to carry her. "Wait here!" I shout, realizing that she can't move anyway. As I run down the hall, I notice a man standing on the last balcony on the left side. When I open the door, I shout for help in a rush "Hello?! Can you please help me carry my friend? She collapsed on the floor and I can't lift her up.." I say with a shaky voice.
He turns around. A thin silhouette covered in moonlight, wearing a breathtaking white suit looks at me. Now in a shock. "Collapsed?" He asks in a confused manner. I nod "Can you help, please?!" . .
He picks her up and carries her into the bed, which I had laid in before. He touches her forehead with the back of his hand, realizing she's having a bad fever. "A fever? Holy-- are you sure no one poisoned her or something? A fever?" He sits down "You can go. I'll watch her here." He then says, concentrating on her. "No no, it's fine. I don't want you to waste your time, which you could also spend on the masquerade below. And--" "I don't have anything to do and my friend is busy anyway." He says contradicting. "Fine.. but you'll have to let me join you."
Silence. I carefully look at the man, who's sitting in the other corner of the room. I watch his eye-catching, almost white hair. Our eyes meet. I immediately look away, noticing that he is smiling with an embarrassed look with the corner of my eyes. After an awkward minute has passed, I pick my purse up and take my book out of it, which has been rotting in there all day. Seeing the book, the man looks at me surprised. "You like reading?", he asks. "Yes, I love reading." "Which book are you reading?" "This book is called 'The Melancholy of our hearts'" "Interesting, what's it about? "Basically it's about two men falling in love with a woman, same with two other men for a different woman. In the end, they all get close with each other, but then have a conflict making the two women choose. But I won't spoil the end, haha."
