[color=lightgray][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/SKVTeAj.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/AGNa9uB.png[/img][/center] [color=B7AAE0]Time:[/color]Evening [color=B7AAE0]Location:[/color] Calbert's Estate [color=B7AAE0]Attire:[/color] [url=i.imgur.com/v0r864r.png]Mask[/url], [url=i.imgur.com/8dOYzRH.png]Dress/Wings[/url] [/color] [hr] [color=lightgray]Charlotte carefully slipped through the dimly lit halls of the second floor of the Damien Estate, pressing herself to the wall. Fear gnawed at her insides, urging her to turn back and retreat to the safety of the ballroom. As she forged ahead, her heart hammered against her ribs at the sight of only one guard stationed per hallway, their weary posture betraying a lapse in vigilance as the night wore on. A silent prayer of gratitude escaped her lips as she skirted past a figure slumped against the wall, their face obscured by a curtain of unkempt hair, seemingly lost in slumber. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of nerve-wracking evasion, Charlotte arrived at the door to Calbert’s study. She reached the door to Calbert’s study and drew a steadying breath. She reached out with trembling fingers and gently pushed the door open, revealing the chamber beyond. Stepping into the study, Charlotte felt her senses assaulted by the overwhelming intensity of the Count's possessions. Her gaze swept across the walls adorned with mounted animal heads, their glassy eyes seemingly following her every move with an unnerving intensity. However, it was the sight of the deceased gator lurking ominously in the corner that sent a chill down her spine, its monstrous form casting a foreboding shadow over the room. Shutting the door quietly behind her, Charlotte made her way further into the room, her eyes fixating on the desk at the center. However, before she could even touch it, the sound of a throat clearing shattered the silence. Frozen in place, Charlotte kept her gaze downward as she awaited the inevitable confrontation. [color=4C93C2]"I'd like to say when my guard informed me that a girl was sneaking into my study, I was surprised to find it was my beloved family friend Lady Charlotte Vikena..." [/color] Calbert mused, his voice carrying a tone of amused resignation. His steps were deliberate as he approached her, his fingers delicately tracing the edge of the desk as he came to stand before her. [color=4C93C2]"Alas…”[/color] The amusement left his voice as his tone shifted. [i] [color=4C93C2] "I'm not."[/color][/i] As Calbert's gaze met hers, Charlotte couldn't help but notice the seething fury that lurked behind his seemingly nonchalant facade. Despite his outward demeanor, the intensity in his eyes betrayed the storm raging within. [color=4C93C2]"You seem to have developed a penchant for betrayal,"[/color] Calbert continued, his tone calculated. [color=4C93C2]"Your recent actions speak volumes, Lady Charlotte. But what surprises me more is your willingness to align yourself with those who seek to harm my family."[/color] Charlotte's silence lingered, which seemed to only stoke the flames of Calbert's anger. His brow furrowed, and he lowered his voice when he spoke next. [i][color=4C93C2]“I know you provided sanctuary to Kazumin and the blonde,”[/color][/i] he revealed suddenly, relishing the shock that crossed her features. [color=4C93C2]"I suppose you must have a vendetta against me for how our little chat went that night at the ball, but really, Lottie?[/color] " Calbert's voice oozed with condescension as he leaned in closer, his gaze piercing.[color=4C93C2] "I had always held the belief that your affections for Crystal ran deep, yet here you stand… in cohorts with her stalker."[/color] There was a pause, a moment of silence that spoke volumes, as Calbert let his words hang in the air. [color=4C93C2]"Your mother's tragic demise has undoubtedly left its mark upon you… Hasn’t it?"[/color] Calbert's tone shifted seamlessly from mock sympathy to cold indifference.[color=4C93C2] "But let us not allow personal grievances to cloud our judgment, Charlotte. What you have done is very serious."[/color] Calbert then slammed his fist on the table with a sudden, jarring motion, the sharp sound reverberating through the room. Charlotte recoiled at the outburst, but Calbert's smile remained chillingly calm as he leaned in closer, his eyes ablaze with calculated fury. [color=4C93C2]"Do you understand that?"[/color] Calbert asked demandingly, [color=4C93C2]"That I could have you hung for an assassination attempt with your two little peasant [i]rats[/i]?"[/color] With a languid grace, he circled the desk, his gaze never leaving Charlotte's trembling form. [color=4C93C2]"What I have planned for you,"[/color] he hissed, each syllable laced with icy venom, [color=4C93C2] "is worse." [/color] His lips curled into a wicked smile. [color=4C93C2] “For one…” [/color]He paused, savoring the moment before delivering his decree. [color=4C93C2] "You are hereby forbidden from any association with Crystal or Violet,"[/color] he declared with an air of finality, [color=4C93C2]"And as for my son," [/color] he continued, [color=4C93C2]"the last thing he needs is a criminal like you tarnishing his name."[/color] [color=4C93C2] "Consider yourself warned, Charlotte,"[/color] he purred, a twisted satisfaction gleaming in his eyes. [color=4C93C2]"Cross me again, and you will regret it."[/color] Charlotte's breath caught in her throat at his words, a sinking feeling settling in the pit of her stomach. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. [color=B7AAE0]“What are you going to do?”[/color] Her voice trembled slightly as she dared to confront him, her gaze locked with his. From the gleam in his eyes, Calbert was overjoyed by the question. She could tell he had been prepping the answer for a long time, his twisted satisfaction evident in every word he spoke. With a flick of his wrist, Calbert gestured toward a large globe positioned prominently in the corner of the study. He moved to stand by and pressed his hand against it. Its surface shimmered as it seemed to activate upon his touch. [color=4C93C2]"Behold," [/color] he intoned. As Charlotte approached cautiously, Calbert beckoned her closer. The map on the globe shifted and transformed before her eyes. Images of distant lands flickered into view, their names swirling and shifting in a mesmerizing dance. And then the map settled on a familiar sight: the sprawling city of Sorian. But what truly caught Charlotte's attention were the moving names that danced across the globe's surface. She felt a sudden chill run down her spine. [color=B7AAE0]"The invitations..."[/color] she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper. [color=4C93C2]"Precisely,"[/color] he confirmed, pressing his hand to the globe once more. The imagery dissipated, leaving the globe again a normal, innocuous object. [color=4C93C2]"I am acutely aware of your conspiratorial machinations."[/color] he added with a cold certainty, his gaze locked onto hers, probing. Suddenly, a chilling smile crept across Calbert's features like a spreading stain of darkness. [color=4C93C2] “But worry not about me pursuing any prosecution of any of you… Though you may wish I had…”[/color] he drawled. A hollow laugh, devoid of any semblance of humor, escaped his lips as he concluded, [color=4C93C2] “You will wish that I had you all sent to your [i]deaths[/i]. ”[/color] Leaning in closer, his eyes ablaze with vindictive satisfaction, Calbert continued with a twisted relish, [color=4C93C2]"I have decided to take your punishment into my own hands."[/color] His words hung in the air like a curse, heavy with impending doom. [color=4C93C2]" You will not know when, or whom, or how, but each of you will find yourselves suffering in unimaginable ways, and no one will be able to trace it back to me. No one will even entertain your claims, Charlotte,”[/color] Casually, he smiled once more and said, [color=4C93C2]" You see, I have procured a copy of your records from your sojourn at the sanatorium,”[/color] Her eyes widened as if she were surprised such even existed. [color=4C93C2]“Who will they believe? A woman plagued by insanity? Or one of the most esteemed figures in all of Caesonia?”[/color] His eyes bore into hers as he spoke, his speech quickening with each word, [color=4C93C2]“I can tell you everything. I can tell you every little detail of what I am going to do and I will not lose an ounce of sleep… Because I know if you tell a single soul, [i]I will ruin you.[/i][/color]” [color=4C93C2]“ I will not tolerate further threat to my lineage. If ensuring your suffering is the necessary price to protect my family, then [i]so be it.[/i]."[/color] Charlotte clutched at the delicate fabric of her gown, her fingers trembling with urgency as she made a desperate dash for the door. Each step down the stairs felt clumsy, her panic escalating with every descent. It had gone according to her plan. Everything. Charlotte had played her part to perfection ever since the deliberate portrayal of vulnerability she had maintained since their encounter at the beach. She had played the foolish amateur who dared to sneak into the villain’s study in a place. She had even played the girl silly enough to utilize a motif within her costume that Calbert would recognize immediately. Despite it all, Charlotte knew she had lost tonight. No matter how she had undermined herself, it had been Calbert who had been underestimated. Questions swirled in her mind, each one more ominous than the last. How had Calbert known that Persephone and Kazumin had been in her home? Was he bluffing about punishing everyone? And, more importantly, how would she protect them? [i]How would she even tell them?[/i] The weight of these questions bore down on her as she found herself back in the foyer once more, the grandeur of the ballroom looming ahead. With a shaky breath, Charlotte ventured back into the crowd. As she scanned the sea of people, searching for the familiar faces of her friends, a suffocating wave of panic threatened to engulf her. The air grew thick with the pulse of the music, the laughter and chatter of the guests echoing in her ears like a cacophony of raw noise. Her chest tightened with each passing moment, her breaths coming in short, shallow gasps that were scarcely heard amongst the noise of the crowd. The room seemed to spin around her, blurring into a dizzying haze. Amidst the sea of unfamiliar faces, their familiar features remained elusive. Tears welled in her eyes, blurring her vision as panic tightened its grip around her throat. Everything that had happened in the last few days seemed to overwhelm her brain all at once in flashes of imagery and echoes of voices. [color=B7AAE0][i]I don’t want to lose them.[/i][/color] A sense of familiar helplessness washed over her, threatening to drown her as a sob escaped. [/color]