An hour ago, at the mansion in Soran,
Emmy arrived to help Alyssa get dressed, but was taken aback when she saw Alyssa's healed face.
"How was she cured?" Emmy murmured as she beheld Alyssa's face, free of any disguise for the first time.
She recognized Alyssa by her hair, which now seemed full of life, unlike before when it looked lifeless.
Asher, who had called Emmy, noticed her reaction.
"Don't tell anyone about it, not even someone in my family," Asher said, his eyes meeting Emmy's.
Emmy nodded immediately at Asher's orders, yet she wasn't sure how someone like Alyssa was cured.
But even more shocking was Alyssa's face which had completely changed: her complexion had improved and her scars were nowhere to be seen.
Even Asher was surprised when he saw Alyssa's face for the first time. So this was enough to shock Emmy, making her even more worried.
If Alyssa was cured, that meant many people who had been ignoring her existence would come back to hunt her down. This could potentially involve Asher as well.
"Do I have to wear this?" Alyssa asked as she looked at Asher.
"Yes," Asher replied.
After arranging everything, Emmy escorted both Asher and Alyssa to the Kalvas Gala. She was relieved that her identity was concealed by an artifact that altered her hair and eye color.
"Nobody will be able to recognize her now," Emmy muttered as she looked at the portal. She was confident that no one would suspect that Asher's partner was Alyssa Astaria.
While Asher and Alyssa made their way to Mzelm Island, the formal dance was about to begin.
"Is that the broadcasting lens?" Damian asked, looking at a specific mirror globe floating above the center of the first floor.
"Yeah," Amelia replied, noticing the globe.
"By the way, is he not coming?" Damian asked Amelia.
"He told us that he would come, but I don't know," Amelia replied.
Suddenly, a large screen appeared on the first and second floors, displaying footage of the center of the first floor where the formal dance would occur.
Right now, it was transparent, but as soon as the broadcast began, it would turn on and footage of the dance would be reflected back. The dance was about to begin and the castle entrance would remain closed until the torch was lit by the chosen pair at the end of the dance.
"Did you get the confirmation signal from the Operation Tower?" Kameron asked, glancing around the security room. He was making sure everything was fine and there were no issues regarding the broadcast.
"We have checked and received the confirmation," the man replied.
Kameron looked up as he saw the footage of the first floor.
"Tell Lady Levoure that we are ready and she can start whenever she wants," Kameron told one of the men.
With everything ready, all they needed was for Cristina Levoure to announce the dance.
Outside the White Castle, two people were making their way toward the entrance.
Alyssa looked at the glowing White Castle but felt nothing except hatred for it.
Had it not been for Asher's request, she would never have stepped foot here because everything here represented the power and wealth of the elite families - the very people Alyssa sought to exact her revenge upon - enjoying themselves at a party.
Asher noticed the look in Alyssa's eyes but said nothing, as it wasn't the right time yet.
"Which pair do you think will get chosen?" one girl asked her friends.
"I would say Raelyn Whiteheart and Reece Williams," a boy replied.
"I think Leonard Tarvian will win," one girl added.
Both Leonard and Reece were attractive individuals, so there was a lot of speculation about who would be chosen.
"Let's not forget the Kevin Whiteheart and Elena Rothschild duo," one girl reminded them.
They were discussing this because they knew their chances of being chosen were slim.
At each Kalvas Gala, one of the High Council Family's children would be selected to mark the start of the Gala by lighting the Mana Torch.
"Maybe the winners will be Amelia Greville and Damian Seymour?" one of them added a new name to the list.
Everyone kept suggesting possibilities but all had a particular name in mind.
"Aren't you going to talk to him?" Jayden's partner asked as she saw him looking in Reece's direction.
"Nah, I'm good, let him have his moment," Jayden said, but he wanted to know why Reece Williams had taken such a long break from World Academy to return to the Williams Estate.
Even though people were told that Reece was injured, Jayden wasn't convinced and thus his eyes were fixed on Reece.
"Attention everyone, as the time has arrived, we will start the formal dance soon," Cristina's face appeared on the screen.
At this time, many pairs stood up, including Damian who extended his hand towards Amelia.
Simultaneously, Asher and Alyssa paused just outside the entrance of the White Castle's first floor which was about to close.
"Do you want to take your revenge?" Asher asked, looking at the White Castle.
"What if I do?" Alyssa retorted.
"Do you have the power to do so?" Asher asked, his indifferent gaze fell on Alyssa.
Alyssa stared at Asher for a moment.
"One day, I will have the power to do so," she replied.
Just by standing here, she could feel the reduced mana pressure from the runic formation.
"What if the whole world stood against you?" Asher asked.
"Then I have no choice but to go against the world," Alyssa replied.
For Alyssa, her entire life, only one thing had kept her alive through enduring the pain and voices that screamed in her head.
And Alyssa was prepared to do everything to fulfill that desire.
Asher heard her response, then took a step forward. Alyssa did the same and they moved towards the entrance.
At this moment, the broadcast was opened to the entire world, showcasing the stunning first floor of the White Castle on Mzelm Island.
A place where only a select few could access, as it was reserved for the Gala.
"Shall we go ahead?" Reece asked as both went towards the center of the first floor.
And just like them, the other pairs were also moving towards the center, which was quite big enough for them to stand away from other people.
"Hey, isn't that person Asher Greville?" One person who was looking at the entrance saw a pair enter.
His words made many people turn, as their eyes went wide when they saw Asher, who was wearing a black suit with a red tie that matched his emotionless crimson-red eyes.
But what stunned even more people was the girl beside him.
"Who is that?" Reece asked, looking at a very beautiful girl walking with Asher as they both entered the first floor.
Raelyn turned and looked as her eyes landed on the girl who had instantly captured the attention of the entire floor.
Beside Asher stood Alyssa, her black hair cascading down her back like a midnight waterfall, providing a stunning contrast to her cerulean dress.
It was elegantly simple, with a high neckline and flowing skirt that fell to just above her ankles with a special silver embroidery that was done using a unique material that made Alyssa stand out among others.
"Who is that girl?" Ria asked Eva, as they had never seen such a beautiful girl at any social events until now.
The adults watching the ceremony were even more confused.
"Do you know her?" Verina asked Sylvie, but she shook her head.
Every single person was mesmerized by Alyssa and Asher's pair, and they forgot to hide their surprised looks.
But they were not the only ones, even the whole world was looking at the entrance of Asher Greville and his unknown partner.
"Did I miss something?" Damian muttered, but Amelia felt something similar.
None of them could guess that the girl, whose beauty shocked them, was the same girl from the Garcia family that almost everyone hated.
But even the girls who were comparing Reece, Leonard, and Kevin could see that Asher was above them.
'Is this right?' Alyssa thought as she noticed many gazes pointed at her.
Although she had agreed to attend with Asher, she was not sure how he was going to explain her identity to his family, and others.
But before anyone could think more about it, the lighting dimmed as Cristina appeared on the central stairway.
The time to begin the formal dance had come.
"I request everyone take their positions," Cristina said as Asher and Alyssa moved towards the center.
Asher took Alyssa's hand as many people were still staring at them.
Even Kevin was surprised by Asher's partner just like Elena was, but they didn't look anymore because right now they were representing their families in front of the whole world.
However, there were a few people who weren't exactly thrilled by Asher's arrival, namely Gavin and Alan.
Unlike Gavin, who managed to conceal his displeasure, Alan couldn't help but feel intimidated by Asher's presence. Despite this, he tried his best to control his reactions in order to avoid embarrassing his family.
"Now this is absurd," Kameron said as he looked at the screens in front of him.
The broadcast of the Kalvas Gala was streamed over multiple channels on different platforms and people were shocked by Asher's entrance.
<Jason_17 : Omg, who is that girl?>
<Cherry : He looks so good>
<Amzed : Isn't that Asher Greville??>
<XOMIER : Who is the girl accompanying him?>
<SPHIL : @Amzed yes>
.....
Every channel was filled with comments and questions about Asher Greville and his partner.
For the first time, the world was seeing Asher in a event like this, so all the attention easily shifted to them.
'Four minutes,' Asher thought.
