Chapter 1 - The Avarice Ball

In another life, Lilith was sure that she would have been a Princess. The way she practically glowed once she put on her ballgown made all sorts of fantasies start running through her head. It was ombre purple and had flowers and jewels at the bottom by the hem. The dress was flowy and light and had thin straps over her shoulders and across her back.

With a small crown adorned with tiny purple gems, her long brown hair was braided down her back and there were a few flowers sticking out of the braid and on the crown of her head. Lilith wore minimal makeup and the entire outfit was topped off with a pair of silver heels.

Checking her phone, she saw that it was nearly six, meaning that she was almost going to be late. And so, she grabbed her letter of invitation and left home. From all of her years of experience, she knew better than to take her phone. Or anything that can get lost in the madness. Besides, Lilith would be attending a ball of the nineteenth century, there were no phones back then.

Every year, around fall, there was a ball held in the famous Avarice Manor. Once owned by Lucan Avarice, a Prince who died about two hundred years ago. He was known to throw the most extravagant balls and so in order to keep the tradition alive and give people a chance to experience how society back then spent their time, the manor was opened to the outside for tours, and balls were held in it.

There were only a limited amount spots and the events lasted for three days, so if people wanted to attend then they needed to be quick to buy the tickets as soon as they dropped. A formal letter would be sent in the mail and that would be the invitation that let them into the manor. Lilith tried to go as many years as she could. Since she was a history major, things like this were right up her alley.

It was not uncommon to see people walking around in their dresses as the hour approached and so as she left her apartment complex she did get a few glances but nothing crazy. She was rather proud of her appearance this year. For one night a year, she could feel like she was in another world. Like she was Princess attending a ball. So of course, she would do extensive research so that she would fit the role perfectly. Maybe her dress was not one hundred percent historically accurate but no one really cared. It was all about fancy music, people, and food.

As she drove to her destination, she listened to the radio.

"-and surprisingly, this night is actually the highly anticipated sighting of the Silver Moon. Astronomers still do not have any concrete research that can state what exactly makes the moon look silver or how it affects the earth in any way but it still is a sight to see. Makes for such a pretty view, especially on a night like this. I hope all tonight's partiers will take a few minutes to look up at the sky tonight."

Lilith glanced to her right and looked at the moon out of the window. It didn't take much effort to spot the moon. Aside from it being silver, it was also freakishly larger than usual. It was like every time there was a Silver Moon, the moon decided to move closer to the earth so that it can be viewed better.

As a history student, she had studied the way the ancient civilizations used astrology but there was never anything much about the Silver Moon that could be used seriously. Most of the writings claimed that the moon was evil or cursed or a goddess, but nothing too helpful. And no proof.

Lilith shook her head and focused back on road. Since it was approaching the time of the ball, the streets of Kathalé were packed with cars and it took her almost five minutes to find a parking spot.

Avarice Manor was a grand sight. The red brick was covered in vines and the road towards the manor was lined with tall hedges, and there was a fountain at the end of it, just before the steps of the place. The car park was on the other side of the hedges and so the only way in and out was down the singular road. The traffic to get in and out was terrible and Lilith kicked herself for not getting there earlier.

Once out of her car, she walked to the entrance with the invitation and her car keys. There was a number on her invitation and that was the number her keys would get when they were put away at the front area, so nothing got lost. The only thing about the dress she didn't like was that it didn't have pockets. She would have also taken her phone if there were pockets. A dress with pockets is honestly the most ultimate thing.

And so, after handing in her keys, she entered the ballroom. The ceiling stretched high in the air and had paintings of scenery and a whole lot of things that Lilith could not understand. The walls were bronze and gold, and there were a few windows on the ceilings. Mixed into the gold was a gorgeous grey that took Lilith's breath away each time. Everything sparkled in the lights and the ballroom basically glowed.

Elegant music played and people swayed on the dance floor. Waiters with trays passed around offering people small finger foods and alcohol. There were a set of stairs that led down to the floor and it gave each person a moment to admire the grandeur of the room.

And so the night began, there was music, dancing, and after a couple of drinks, Lilith found herself on the floor, dancing along to the music. She found herself a partner, a man who was quite attractive and seemed to also share her attraction. His hands were on her waist as they moved in sync with the other partners. Although she had a couple of drinks, Lilith was nowhere near drunk or tipsy. But she felt a certain giddiness whenever her partner twirled her around. Her dress would spin out and the jewels would all glisten and sparkle under the lights.

Her body knew the steps to the dance better than her mind did. She had learned it a while ago while researching the annual ball and the songs that would be played. A person should at least know the steps to a few dances if they were to come to an event like this.

Lilith closed her eyes and lost herself in the music, her steps became faster and as the music reached its high, her heart raced. She could not help the laugh that escaped her throat. Goosebumps broke out all over her skin, causing her hairs to raise and a jolt of electricity to go up her spine.

But a couple of seconds later she felt the hands of her partner leave her, Lilith opened her eyes a bit to see what was going on. And when she did, not only did the music stop, but everyone else in the room as well.

The first thing that Lilith noticed was that the room was dimmer, the next thing she noticed was that everyone was looking at her. And the final thing she noticed was that everything looked... different.

Instead of women dressed in fancy ball gowns, she saw women in dresses that looked nowhere near the level of elegance that the ball called for. Lilith looked around in confusion, for a moment she wondered if the alcohol really was affecting her that much. She was seeing an image that was completely different from what she had seen before she closed her eyes. Lilith looked around for her partner but could not see him. She looked for familiar dresses that had caught her eye or the regular waiter that would pass by her every so often.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing was the same. Lilith stumbled back, shaking her head a bit. Had she hit it and had not been aware? Based on her knowledge as a history student, she would say that the people present were dressed as if they would be attending a ball in the nineteenth century. Nothing near as fancy and extravagant as the modern-day. The dresses and suits were simple. They were big but all had soft colors, no jewels or gems or sparkles. But the dresses did have ruffles and lace on them.

"Who is she?" someone asked.

"Why is she dressed like that?" another spoke out.

"Is she a royal?"

"Royal...?" Lilith muttered her head feeling a little light. "What are you talking about?"

The one thing Lilith did know was that she was still in Avarice Manor. So had a new group of people come in when she was distracted? That must have been it. The constant staring was starting to get to her and so she quickly turned and fled through the crowd of people. They parted, making it easier for her.

Once she was up the stairs and out the door, she raced down the hallway, looking for where the front desk was. But it was not there. All that was there was a wall.