"The dance continues."

The Emperor’s voice cut through the atmosphere without room for argument. And as if nothing had happened, the music started playing again...

but everyone knew... that night had already been completely ruined.

Then, the ceremony carried on as usual even though Olivia could feel the strange stares from the guests present as if judging her. Made her feel suffocated inside that large hall.

Olivia who was too worried and embarrassed didn’t even realise she had already returned to her spot. This time she didn’t lift her head at all.

Then a voice was heard right in front of her. Familiar.

"Olivia..." Olivia slowly lifted her head hoping it wasn’t yet another person wanting to make her life more difficult. After she looked up... a red haired girl could be seen. Her face clearly showed her worry.

"Olivia... are you okay?" said Celine quietly almost whispering. She held her shoulder gently. Olivia shook her head slowly. After that, she turned toward Ophilia who was busy dancing elegantly with Prince Avvion.

"Do you want to rest?.." said Celine who noticed she looked pale. Avelvion who had been standing quietly turned toward Olivia who looked paler than before.

"I think she needs rest... just look at that face" said Avelvion while sipping his wine that never seemed to run out. Celine shifted her gaze toward Avelvion.

"No... I’m okay. What about My Lady if i go?" said Olivia while smiling flatly. Right after she finished her words. For some reason her head suddenly felt like it was being pressed down.

As if squeezed. She almost fell to the floor but was caught by Celine in time. Olivia’s face started breaking out in cold sweat.

What’s wrong with me...

Olivia whispered in her heart. Slowly shaking her head trying to snap herself back. She thought it would get better but her headache only grew worse. She started seeing Celine as two overlapping images. She leaned against Celine’s body.

"Celine... can you bring me to the rest room"

she said slowly in a halting tone... barely audible. Celine without asking told Avelvion to help her carry Olivia. Avelvion quickly helped Celine. Quietly all three of them slipped out following a path where not many people were around.

Before they left, Olivia managed to turn her head toward the ceremony that was growing further and further away...

The crystal lights started to blur. The music that had been soft turned into a distant echo... as if something was disturbing reality itself.

"Olivia...? Olivia...." Celine’s voice broke apart in her ears.

But Olivia was no longer listening. Her eyes that had been about to close flew wide open looking toward Avvion’s back. Behind his shadow.

At first... nothing happened, then... A white coloured thread slowly crept between the gaps of their feet. Appearing slowly as if alive.

One by one. Until in Olivia’s eyes the entire hall looked like a spider’s web.

That thread didn’t stop... it kept appearing slowly. More and more.. layered. Fine but never bundled. Each one moving slowly in the air,

creeping toward the guests like the legs of a creature patiently waiting. But... more orderly.

More... cold.

"No..."

Olivia’s lips moved without sound. That white thread touched a noble at the shoulder then crept to his wrist.

That man smiled. As usual. As if nothing was happening. But Olivia’s eyes saw it.

That thread... didn’t stop there. It seeped in slowly. Without force, without blood or wounds.

Olivia wanted to make sure where that thread was coming from but was blocked by Avvion who was standing right behind it. And that man was still standing... still talking... still laughing.

But something... was no longer the same. One by one.

That white thread kept creeping... touching... seeping... connecting. The entire hall.

Everyone. Except the three of them who were leaving that hall.

Her eyes trembled.

This isn’t like the ones tied to my hand... this isn’t fate...

Olivia said in her heart.

This is like a Control!! Slow, quiet but clearly dangerous.

Her eyes shifted back toward Avvion.

That man was still standing calmly, his face unchanged. A thin smile carved as if he wasn’t doing anything.

But behind him...

The entire hall had already been trapped.

That white web now filled the space... breathing... alive... and loyal only to one master.

Olivia gripped Celine’s hand tight.

Why does that thread bypass him?....

Olivia gritted her teeth. Then she turned toward the two of them.

"He..."

her voice barely came out.

"He is..."

Her words died there. Because at that moment

A white thread moved toward her. Slowly.

Not rushing. As if it knew... she wasn’t going anywhere.

And for the first time the red thread at Olivia’s wrist trembled hard.

Like a warning.

Avelvion and Celine’s steps stopped for a moment when Olivia suddenly yanked her hand back.

"Why, Olivia?"

asked Celine anxiously. She couldn’t see what Olivia was seeing.

In Olivia’s eyes, the white thread was no longer creeping slowly. It began sliding fast across the marble floor, coiling around the corridor pillars in a very orderly rhythm. Every time that thread moved, it let out a fine hissing sound that only Olivia could hear.

"Don’t... don’t step on that floor!"

Olivia snapped sharply.

Avelvion furrowed his brow.

"The floor? Olivia, you’re really not well. Come on, the rest room is close."

Avelvion tried to pull Olivia’s arm again, but a thick white thread suddenly crept down from the ceiling, right in front of Avelvion’s face. Olivia gasped. That thread seemed to want to snare Avelvion’s neck to stop them from moving forward.

"Run!"

Olivia pulled Celine and Avelvion’s hands, forcing them to turn toward the side corridor. She could see those threads beginning to close off every exit, like a spider’s web being completed within seconds.

Every time that white thread almost touched her skin, the red thread at her wrist would tremble hard, producing a wave that pushed the white thread away.

That man... he really won’t let me go!

Olivia whispered in her heart. She glanced behind her briefly. At the far end of the hall growing further away, she could see Duke Herold’s figure standing with his back to the guests, but his head turned slightly toward the corridor where they were escaping.

Just one glance. But enough to make Olivia realise....

Duke Herold knew she could see those threads. Olivia pulled the two of them with all her strength running toward the rest room that was getting closer. For some reason she felt something had happened to the people inside that hall. Even though neither of them knew what was happening, they still took quick steps following Olivia.

As they were about to reach right at that door... Avelvion quickly opened it fast. Olivia pushed them inside. Then Olivia went in last. Since she was at the back she closed that door quickly and fast.

Bam!!!

The sound of the door echoed. Olivia then slowly backed away from that door. She drew in a relieved breath. All the pain she had felt before seemed to disappear.

For a moment they were quiet inside that room. Avelvion and Celine were catching their breath behind Olivia. Wanting to ask but their unsteady breathing made her hold off before asking.

Olivia turned her face toward them with worry. Pulling both their arms.

Thank goodness there’s nothing...

Olivia whispered while drawing a very very relieved breath. She walked toward the sofa chair beside them. Then took water from that teapot and drank eagerly.

Celine and Avelvion looked at each other.

Then approached Olivia.

"Olivia....." Celine called. Her hands were clasped tightly in front. Then stepped toward Olivia who was swallowing water in a rush.

Olivia stared sharply at that door. She wanted to tell them about the white thread creeping from Duke’s body, about how that thread seeped into the guests’ skin... but she cancelled that intention.

Even Javien couldn’t see it. If a warrior as powerful as him wasn’t aware, what more Celine and Avelvion? Olivia’s heart whispered.

She understood now. The red thread on her hand wasn’t just fate, it was a "seer". She had been given the ability to see the trap set by Duke Herold.

"I... I just felt breathless. That hall... too many two-faced people,"

Olivia answered with a lie. Her voice was still trembling.

Avelvion let out a relieved sigh, even though his eyes still looked suspicious.

"Next time, say it earlier. The way you ran just now looked like you saw a ghost."

Olivia could only manage a flat smile. She turned toward the rest room window. From there, she could see the dark night sky. She realised, she couldn’t just run away tomorrow. If the entire palace had already become Duke’s spider’s web, escaping by ordinary horse carriage might be an act of suicide.

I need to find a way to break that thread... before he pulls me back into the hall.

Olivia whispered inside her heart.

Olivia placed that water teapot back on the table. The sound of that iron teapot clinking felt very loud in the silence of that room.

"Are you okay now?" asked Avelvion, his voice already back to flat but his eyes were still watching Olivia’s every move.

Olivia nodded slowly.

"Yes... I just need to calm down for a moment."

Celine rubbed Olivia’s shoulder.

"Good. Come, let’s sit first. We’ll wait until the ceremony ends, then we’ll leave together."

Olivia had just been about to lower herself onto the sofa, but her eyes caught something on Celine’s gown. Her heart felt like it stopped beating.

At Celine’s wrist... an extremely fine white thread was coiling. It wasn’t creeping in from outside the door. It... it had already been there all along.

Olivia’s gaze shifted toward Avelvion. At that man’s wrist too, the same thread existed, coiled neatly under his sleeve.

Olivia trembled. She looked at her own hand. Empty. Only the red thread still faithfully coiling.

But when she looked toward her own shadow on the floor...

She saw a long white thread shadow, hanging from the ceiling of that room, right above her head. As if she was a puppet waiting to be pulled up.

Slowly, Olivia looked up toward that dark ceiling.

"Olivia? Why are you looking up?" asked Celine confused.

Olivia didn’t answer. In the gaps of the wooden ceiling carvings, a pair of blood red eyes were staring sharply at her, together with a very wide smile.

"Found you..." a hoarse voice whispered right at her ear, even though nobody was standing behind her.