Mia's gaze fell on her reflection in the large mirror placed especially in the hall of the infirmary for the occasion. She had put on her dress for the ball which was starting in thirty minutes with the help of her friends and had to admit that Lily had outdone herself in the choice of clothing. They had discussed at length what they wanted and what they didn't want, but Lily had, as usual, a completely different idea in mind.

The dress was provided with short sleeves and marked the slim waist of the young woman with a fabric belt, ending in a flared skirt that came down to her feet. The chest was covered with floral patterns and a generous neckline. A dress she could have found in her world. All embellished with a pair of wedge heels concealed by the fabric of the dress. It was pretty and flattered her figure, but it wasn't its shape that stood out the most. Lily had dared to choose a lapis lazuli color, reminiscent of the Vila's eyes.

Again, she had done it on purpose. Ever since the blonde had told her about the previous argument, Lily had been ruthless. They had spent yesterday and today together, and the fairy didn't seem to want to let go of the matter. Of course, this always resulted in little remarks here and there, advice, and discreet questions to gauge the human's state of mind, but it was clear that she was determined to destroy the blonde last barriers concerning Ethan which were, let's face it, relatively weak at this point.

If the Vila's hatred towards her human condition was no longer to be taken into account, her last reason to fight what her body seemed to want felt very fragile to her. She was still reluctant to embark on this relationship since the idea that she had no choice did not leave her mind, reminding her that she had not fallen in love with the Vila and that she knew very little about him. Moving this relationship forward and stopping fighting her morals because it was tiring and unavoidable was not a valid reason. Even though Lily was trying to reason with her that none of this was a problem and that it would all come together perfectly if she finally decided to let go and let it be.

Mia was exhausted from turning the problem over and over again in her head.

"Wow, Mia! You are beautiful!" Arry exclaimed, joining the two friends after putting on her emerald-colored dress, which contrasted perfectly with her fiery hair.

"Thank you," smiled Mia, "you are both fabulous too."

Lily was dressed in a flowing dress in pastel colors of the rainbow that came to her mid-thigh. A garment that stuck extraordinarily well to the image of the fairies that Mia had from her past life. She was luminous and the dress gave her a magical air accentuated by her thin translucent wings.

"We have to hurry, take your masks. Andrei has yet to conceal our auras," Arry encouraged them, donning her prop.

Conceal our auras? Mia wondered silently, looking at Lily in the hope that she would explain what the magician meant by that. Question to which she answered with a hasty gesture of the hand meaning that they will discuss it later.

Mia quickly put her matching mask over her face as she watched the other fairies head for the exit and wave goodbye. In the uproar appeared Andrei in a gray suit, shirt, and white shoes. Among men too, fashion seemed to stick to that of her world. He hadn't put on his mask yet. Arry rushed over to her boyfriend and greeted him with a kiss before taking his hands to lead him to her friends.

"So, are you ready? Did you choose your disguise?"

"Werewolf to me, vampire to Lily," Arry explained enthusiastically.

A flash of understanding hit the blonde. It wasn't complicated to put the two pieces of information together to understand that their magical essence revealed their belonging to their race and that for the sake of their disguise they had to change it.

"And what about me?" Mia asked, unsure if she had any say in the matter.

Her three interlocutors answered her with a grimace before Lily decided to explain the situation to her.

"Humans don't have a magical essence, so it can't be changed."

"Does that mean everyone will know I'm... me?"

A prospect that seemed dangerous to her.

"It's not something so noticeable, you have to want it to sense an aura," Arry went on serenely. "I'm sure people will be too busy enjoying their evening to notice anything. Besides, why would they bother to sound out the aura of everyone they meet when everyone is in disguise?"

"Arry is right," added Andrei, "you have nothing to fear."

The assurance of her friends ended up convincing her. Besides, they told her that security would be tightened, no one would try anything under those conditions, right?

The next fifteen minutes were occupied by Andrei's spells. By saying a few words, the trick was done. Mia was however disappointed to find that Lily's wings were also concealed, even though it was obvious that she couldn't keep them on without instantly revealing her identity.

The blonde had trouble understanding what kind of magician the young man was. Logically, and from what she remembered, she would have classified him in the box of sorcerers. Yet he always seemed to have a little spell on hand for a variety of uses, almost as if he was carrying a whole arsenal just in case. Sometimes he used his voice, sometimes gadgets that had to be bought from other magicians. Broadly, his magic seemed to focus on traps and perception spells.

Finally, they were all ready to leave and join the party that had started to take place a few meters from the infirmary. Mia took one last appreciative look at her reflection before following her friends outside. She was trying to hide her growing nervousness as best she could, almost impatient to see the Vila's reaction to her outfit. Part of her couldn't help but hope he found her as beautiful as her friends.

And what a reaction, indeed. Ethan was waiting for them outside the neighborhood and immediately looked at the blonde, recognizing her directly. He didn't let anything show, except for a slight shrug of the corner of his lips that looked like the beginning of a smile and his clouded gaze betraying his appreciation. Mia didn't know what she was expecting, but she was disappointed by the Vila's semi-impassivity. She nevertheless smiled sympathetically at him when he greeted her.

Admittedly, he was also charming in his perfectly fitted black suit with his hair swept back, leaving only a couple of blonde streaks falling over his porcelain face. The sarcastic smile that appeared when he caught her staring at him annoyed her as much as it embarrassed her, and she couldn't help the blush rising to her cheeks. She took a deep breath to collect herself and inhaled his fragrant pheromone scent. It was discreet, but it was impossible to not smell it.

A cocktail I'd better not mix with alcohol...

The hallway was already crowded with students chatting and observing the newcomers and their outfits. The lobby, on the other hand, was on a whole different level. This was where the main ball festivities took place, as it was the largest room in the castle. Just like the hallway, it was ready to explode with people. It was decorated with lavish banners, flowers, and a few tables offering food and drink. Candles illuminated the room, replacing the usual light from the large chandelier that was barely lit, giving it a particularly cozy and mystical air.

The exterior of the castle was also decorated with fabrics of all kinds and flowers. The light was provided by paper lanterns suspended in the air by a spell, Mia noted with a stupefied look. There were different meanings to the word magic, and she did not doubt that the landscape before her eyes was the most sumptuous of its meanings.

"It's something else when it's decorated, isn't it?" Arry said, stars in her eyes.

"Oh yes," Mia confirmed.

A small orchestra was placed near the gardens. They played musical instruments that she did not know, but which sounded like those of her world. The resulting genre was a mix of classical music and jazz that made the blonde want to move her body to the beat of the party sounds. There was also a dance floor that was established in the center of the square, marked out by pieces of multicolored fabrics and lanterns at the four corners of the installation. For now, it was devoid of dancers who focused on conversations and food.

What the hell are they dancing here anyway? Something akin to the waltz I guess from hearing the music?

No one was paying attention to her, that was a good sign. For once, she felt like she could blend in with the crowd and be able to claim to belong to this world just like everyone else. A feeling that filled her with serenity.

Ethan gently grabbed her arm to catch her attention and whisper a few words:

"Please don't go too far away and stay in my field of vision, I have a bad feeling about this."

Mia raised her eyebrows but nodded nonetheless to confirm that she had understood the message correctly. He released her, satisfied. However, it was obvious that he was much more tense than usual. His shoulders were tense and his gaze swept around every few seconds, only resting on the blonde's figure to reassure himself that she was still by his side.

"It's okay, relax a bit," Mia continued, wanting to be reassuring, "nothing will happen to me."

He didn't answer, deliberately choosing to ignore her attempt to calm him down. Mia sighed and focused on her friends deliberating what to drink. The conversation was much more interesting than the warnings of the Vila since she was eager to find out what kind of alcohol they drank in this world.

No need to worry, he does enough for both of us. Might as well have fun!