1 Netherworld. Chapter 1| SAMPLE!

Evergreen trees are towering one another. Silhouettes are everywhere amidst the shaft of faint light. Familiar mountains' are standing still on the horizon and upon it, is the moon in penumbral form.

That's all she sees as she silently watches the night scenery by the window of the moving car.

Her expressionless face tells everything that the public knows about her. She doesn't give meaning to everyone she stumbled upon. She doesn't have a conceit thought about life. Nothing in this world can make her heart falter, or so they thought.

Lost on her thoughts about the bigger things ahead, like how she'll crash that party in a second. She hated such an event after all.

From the window, immense steel gates greeted her so as the other visitors with their luxurious cars. She pulls herself out, finding herself under a marble staircase.

Her simple raven hair is only entangled to form a bun. Not even a fragment of ornamental stones are arranged on her raven hair. Her crimson red dress touching her feet shimmers with the moon, no one would give a second thought about her, not hiding something. On her hand, is a red-feathered mask matching her dress.

The car moved, heading to the parking lot while she, at her same pose, has been possessively mesmerized by the front courtyard of the Mansion. She looked around, scanning every detail of the so-called prehistoric medieval world of the place. A marble human statue fountain is located in the middle of the courtyard. Stone pavements lead the path instead of modern bricks. Her mesmerized expression was replaced with an uncertain one when her gaze was locked upon men in uniform, Guards.

"Let's go in." She muffled regardless of every uncertainty that her mind yells to her. She wore her disguise and took a step forward.

Alone, she starts strolling upon the wide white unstained marble staircase. Her left palm is trailing the cold concrete banister while her other hand is pulling up a part of her dress for her to walk with haste. She reached the entrance leading to a hallway. Golden lamps on the white wall lit her way towards an open door inviting her to enter. Myths are engraved on it, such good hands that flaws aren't visible. She passed through the door, finding herself atop of two wooden arched staircases.

The room is filled with laughter, making the room cozy. The floor is patterned like a chessboard with azure and white tiles. A crystal chandelier is placed in the middle of the dome ceiling. Food stands located at the side of the room catches her eyes rather than the various clothes of the other visitors. She almost took a step down the staircase when she was stopped by a man in black, proudly calling himself as the Presenter. An old tradition used by the royal court to present guests to the royalties on a ball which made their masks useless in this event.

"I would be delighted to know your name for the other guests." He formally stated to her.

"Oh, my name?" she gave him a confused look but then it turned into a smirk. "It's Grey Everfrost." She introduced.

The presenter inhales, so deep that it could produce a loud and clear sound, but not in a shouting manner.

"Grey Everfrost, daughter of Lander Luke Everfrost." He stated, catching everyone's attention. The room was put into a freeze only to hear the footsteps of a young lady going down the stairs. After a minute of silence, the room bursts with more murmurs than laughter.

"Lander's only daughter, ey?" A bystander in black whispered to his companions.

"His Company was once suspected of murder but it was never proven." Inform by a man next to him.

"Making the case closed even though the culprit wasn't caught!" The bystander and his companion glanced at the red-dressed lady walking down the stairs.

"Curse this dress." she spat.

She's so close to the floor when she felt that her sandal slipped from the stair. Her body flies up not-so-ready to sense the hard touch of the stairs on her back. Unexpectedly, hands slips on her back and under her knees, catching her completely off the air to a safe landing. Gladly for them, it didn't take much attention.

She glances at the person behind the declination of her fall where she immediately meets his gaze. His face was all covered with a simple white mask. His grayish-black orbs met her tormenting black ones. His blonde hair with a formal cut is making him look like a gentleman. Silence enveloped them, never mind the noisy crowd that doesn't have an interest in watching them in the same position for like hours, maybe, only until then, realization struck them. They immediately straighten themselves up and brush their clothes.

"Thanks!" She childishly exclaimed, and run onto the food stand.

"You're welcome?" The guy muffled, scratching his nape while trailing his gaze to the running lady.

Shawn Darwin, the Master of the Mansion, arrived at the scene, greeted everyone a pleasant evening. Then the musicians, playing a soft, fine, and slow piece of music, possessing guests for a dance.

"Oh, they haven't told me about having a partner in the invitation." She sighed. Sitting alone on one of the tables beside the ballroom." but that's not why I came here." She said to herself and took another sigh.

"Um, Hi!" An average man in his caramel formal suit, trying to attain his confidence stood beside her. She glanced at whom she doesn't know her entire life if he won't take off his simple white mask.

'He looks familiar' she thought as she watches him lending his hands.

"Would you mind?" He generally requested, indicating for a dance.

"What? Am I in debt to you?" she gave him a dense look but he chuckled upon her reply.

"How about a dance?" He finally asked in detail while meeting her gaze. Gray, seemingly to remember now, where she had seen that grayish-black orbs.

"You're the guy..." she mumbled with a streak of realization. She lends her hand to his palm accepting a dance. He led her to the ballroom and slid his left hand on her back. She felt a chill in her spine, controlling her uncomfortable feeling from his touch while his other hand is holding her hand. Grey raises her right hand up to his shoulder.

"You are Grey Everfrost, right?" Even though he's wearing a mask, she could feel him sneering at her. Why?

"Yes, and you are?" She asked with a smile.

"Of course, the name is Rook Darwin." He replied while swinging her in a circular manner.

Grey hasn't spoken up realizing that her partner is the eldest son of the person she'll be robbing on tonight. When she finally got to look at him again in the face, she asks.

"Oh, if I'm right, Rook Darwin, the eldest son of Shawn Darwin and Andrea Darwin." She spoke up, pretending to guess who he is while trying to make her situation less awkward.

"Right again!" He laughed. Unnoticed, he slipped his hand off her waist, grasping something in his pocket that is covered by his grayish-white tuxedo. Suddenly, all lights have been turned off and everything went black.