Adilah~

I've never worn a dress as fancy as this my entire life. I stare at my unfamiliar self in my wardrobe mirror after just escaping the people who put me on this and attacked my hair and face with paints and brushes that I have never seen before. I almost knocked one of them out, thankfully my mom came and allowed me to leave.

Benetha is right, I will stick out with this red on my pale skin. But not only that. My untamed hair is now tucked perfectly on a precise bun, letting everyone see my face clearly which is adorned with colors that highlight my features that I never know existed. My small and slanted eyes are now big and round, and my lips are so red that it is the only thing that I can look at. Even my nails have colors on them. I could have been impressed by how much they made me so beautiful and unlike my own self, if not for the real purpose of these all. It's tonight. Everything is going to happen tonight. I really hope that I think through this enough and all my luck that I haven't spent at all in my 18 years is with me. Just for this night.

A knock steals my attention and my bedroom door opens to reveal my friend in her extravagant blue dress she showed me yesterday. It looks perfectly on her just as I imagined. Unlike me, her hair is curled and her dress highlights her blue eyes even more. She is indeed more beautiful than me, naturally and with all of these things on.

"Ready?" She doesn't look excited at all. How ironic that back then I always thought this is going to be the happiest day of her life. And my worst day, not that I am feeling any different.

"Are you?" I turn around and balance myself a little because of my very disturbing highheels. "Okay when it comes and we need to run, these shoes really need to go away."

Benetha arches her perfectly trimmed eyebrow at me, "Are you kidding me? You can run on those you know, and you didn't answer my question."

She is in mission mode right now as she is cranky. I wish I have her enthusiasm. "I am always ready."

She then smiles widely and grabs my arms to connect with hers. This bipolar woman. "Good. Because our limousine is here to pick us up."

"It's here?!" I frantically asks, all my confidence gone.

"What happened to I am ready?" She then laughs really hard and I shove her away from me.

"Not funny."

It took her long enough to compose herself again, "Sorry. I just love messing with you, Adi."

"I can tell." Then we both fall in silence. Things aren't complicated like this when we were children. Our only problem back then was how we're going to escape our parents as we camp out in the woods. Time really do flies.

Another knock comes to my door, "Why can't people just leave me alone?"

"Because I am your mother, and I have every right to disturb you at any time. Your coach is here. It's time to go." This time it's not a joke and I sigh as my mother motions for both of us to start moving.

"So much for being at peace." Benetha is the first to stand up and walk outside. She is indeed the strong willed between the two of us. That is why she's my best friend.

"This better work." I mumble to myself and face my impending doom.

  ***

The drive to the Liberty pack is surprisingly not that bad. It has been a while since I have been to another pack, and I am currently enjoying the scene passing by me through the car's window. The Liberty pack is at the Western part of the territory, and compared to my pack who is now covered in snow, it still has a hint of autumn around. Trees stand tall as shadows loom everywhere with the dark. Benetha who is the only one beside me is too busy admiring her painted nails.

"How are we going to talk to Crimson?" I whisper to her as the familiar Grand Hall is at sight. Another 10 minutes and we are reaching our destination.

"Beats me. I guess we just need to look for a girl with a red hair."

She is not in the mood for a conversation, so I give up talking to her and just distract myself as I scan anywhere aside from the building that is getting bigger every minute.

"We're here." My mom turns to us to the passenger seat, stating the obvious as the car skidded to a stop. She's currently our guardian who is checking us in inside. "You ready?"

"Ready as you'll ever be." I unlock the door and welcome the fresh, night air that I have been dying to take. Benetha does the same. The Grand Hall is a suitable name for the structure that stretches in front of us. The Liberty pack is famous for being wealthy for it has a great economy. Crimson is lucky to inherit all of this.

"Here are your invitations, and please don't do anything stupid. I am talking about you, Benetha."

"Luna, you know me better than that."

"Can we please just go inside?" I cut them both and start walking to the entrance.

The place is unusually isolated, and not a lot of people are outside. Only the ones that are just arriving like us. Maybe most of them are already inside, or we are just early. I hand out my invitation to the woman who is standing beside the entrance door with a formal suit on. So far I haven't spotted any men or unfamiliar creatures which is a good thing. I hope Crimson is right about this.

"Please make sure that you will only go to the designated area where guests and participants are allowed. You are not to step over the center line unless you are instructed to do so. Is that clear?" She gives back my invitation.

"Thank you." I reply politely and hug my mom one last time before we move inside.

The Hall is grand inside as it is on the outside. Chandeliers hang above everywhere and the whole room is polished perfectly with red, gold, and blue colors. And a large table is at the side where exotic and expensive foods lay themselves under fragile silverwares. But those are not what catches my attention the most, but the big red curtain in the middle of the ballroom that blocks whatever is at the other side of the room. "Don't step over the center line."

"You ready yet?" Benetha pulls me back out of my daze and motions for the other girls around us. "We need to find Crimson, remember?"

"Oh, right." She rolls her eyes at me and drag me wherever her feet takes her.

"Spotted any redhead yet?"

"Not if you keep dragging me." She finally stops and let go of me.

"We'll just let her find us instead."

"I am glad you had that idea."

Benetha nearly screams, "You seriously need to stop that."

"And you seriously need to stop being so jumpy." Crimson is dressed in a lilac dress that only brings out the color of her hair. I can tell that she doesn't have a choice of what to wear either.

"The generator room is on the other side. Follow me."

I stop her, "We are not supposed to go there yet."

She turns to me boredly and free herself from my grasp. "I know. That is why we are not going there. It's my pack, I know another way in. We need to hurry, the event is going to start soon."

And as if to remind us of our dilemma, the sound of horns swallows our surroundings.

"Welcome participants and guests. The Annual Ball is going to start very soon, I hope you will all have a nice evening." A sickly, sweet voice that is very familiar echoes in afterwards.

"Luna Samirah is here?" I ask Crimson in disbelief.

"She always is. She hosts the event every year, our pack is just the venue. Now we need to go."

Not affected by it, Benetha and Crimson start to head out deeper into the crowd. For the first time I have serious doubts about this but I still follow them. It is too late to back down now. I risk one glance upstairs where a balcony is situated that gives a whole view of the place, and not mistaken the Luna of Hope is watching me while holding a drink on her hands.

Too late.

   ***

Chapter 5! It's time to start Chapter 6 now. Good luck to the lazy me :)