Finally, the long-awaited prom night arrived. The school auditorium was glowing with warm lights, glittering decorations, and teenagers dressed like royalty. Music boomed through the walls, laughter filled the air, and every corner sparkled with excitement.
But Chris wasn't thinking about decorations.
She was thinking about him.
She stood near her house gate, anxiously checking her phone, her bracelet, the time—everything except her reflection because she already knew Lily would hit her if she dared to smudge her makeup.
Twilight was supposed to pick her up.
And he was late.
Just when Chris took a long frustrated breath, the silence on the street broke—the roar of a bike echoed from the distance. A black bike flashed under the streetlight and stopped right in front of her house.
Chris's heart jumped.
It was Twilight.
He took off his helmet slowly with a little dramatic flick—almost like he practiced it—and revealed himself in a perfectly fitted black tuxedo. His dark-orange almost red eyes glowed even more under the streetlight. His hair was styled neatly, and he looked straight out of a dark fantasy novel.
He looked like a handsome Dracula prince who stepped out of midnight.
Chris froze.
Twilight froze too.
For a moment neither of them breathed.
Because Chris…
Chris looked breathtaking.
She came running down the stairs in a beautiful violet, sleeveless gown that flowed around her like a soft mist. The color made her skin glow, made her eyes shine brighter. She looked like a princess stepping out of a dream—his dream. The wind lifted her hair gently as she walked toward him.
Twilight's lips parted slightly.
"Wow…" he whispered under his breath, unable to stop himself.
He had imagined this moment, practiced what he would say—but everything vanished. The only thing he could see was her.
Chris's cheeks heated when she noticed his stare.
"So… do I look okay?" she asked shyly.
Twilight swallowed.
"Chris… you look more than okay. You look… unreal."
Her heart almost exploded.
"Let's go?" she said, trying not to faint.
Twilight nodded and offered his hand. She took it.
Meanwhile across the town, another duo prepared for the same night with the same nervous heartbeat.
Henry stood next to his stylish black car, fixing his bow tie for the fifteenth time. Tonight wasn't just prom—tonight he was also preparing for something else. Lily's birthday was the next day, and he planned a surprise. His gift box lay hidden carefully under the car seat.
And then Lily walked out.
For a second Henry forgot how to breathe.
Lily was wearing a long purple dress that hugged her perfectly as it flowed down to her legs. Her hair was styled simply yet beautifully, and she had a soft lavender glow on her cheeks. Normally she looked cute.
Tonight she looked… incredible.
Henry quickly opened the car door for her, trying to look cool.
Lily raised an eyebrow. "You know you don't need to act like a gentleman. It doesn't suit you."
Henry smirked. "Yeah well… today is special. Even you don't look like your usual monster self."
Lily gasped dramatically. "Excuse me?!"
They argued all the way to school, but if anyone looked closely, they would see the small smiles they tried to hide.
The two pairs reached the school at almost the same time.
Chris squealed when she saw Lily. Lily screamed when she saw Chris. They ran and hugged each other so tight that Twilight and Henry stepped back at the same time like synchronized robots.
"You look GORGEOUS!" Chris yelled.
"You look AMAZING!" Lily returned.
Then both looked at each other's dresses, each other's makeup, each other's hair—
"Okay fine, we are both queens tonight," Chris laughed.
"As we should be," Lily replied proudly.
Twilight and Henry looked at each other.
Twilight whispered, "Are girls always like this?"
Henry whispered back, "I think… yes."
They both sighed.
Inside the auditorium, the prom night was at its peak. Bright lights flashed across the dance floor, and everyone was jumping, dancing, laughing, flirting, and living like there was no tomorrow. The upbeat songs made the whole room shake.
But everyone knew—the slow dance was the highlight.
And it was only thirty minutes away.
Until then… the four decided to take a break.
"Let's go to the school garden," Twilight suggested.
Chris nodded; she needed fresh air to balance her heart. Lily agreed immediately, dragging Henry behind her. The garden was decorated with fairy lights, soft lanterns, and roses tied gently around stone benches. The air was cooler, calmer, magical.
Twilight walked beside Chris.
"You're enjoying?" he asked softly.
Chris glanced at him with a shy smile. "More than I expected…"
"Good," he said, looking straight into her eyes without breaking the gaze.
Her stomach flipped.
A few steps ahead, Lily and Henry were bickering again.
Henry used his jacket to cover Lily's shoulders.
Lily blinked in surprise.
He smirked, "Don't catch a cold. I don't want to drag a sick drama queen everywhere."
She shoved him lightly, cheeks pink.
The night felt perfect.
Except… someone else was awake in the darkness.
Far away from the school, somewhere deep in the woods, the masked guy stood over a fallen monster. Its body disintegrated into black dust at his feet. He looked calm, unbothered, deadly.
He whispered to himself:
"190th."
He flipped a crescent-moon pendant around his fingers… then closed his fist tightly around it.
His voice dropped to a whisper barely audible to the forest.
"Tonight… something feels different."
And his attention shifted—toward the school glowing in the distance.