12 The Sudden Announcement

Charm's POV

Me and Lance are still continuing to dance when he suddenly spoke up.

"I guess it's time for me to walk you home." he said, his gaze never leaving mine. He looks kinda sad after saying it though, or maybe it's just my imagination.

"Yeah. It's almost ten." I took a quick glance at the wall clock placed at the center of the hall.

"Thanks again for coming tonight." Lance didn't let go of me yet while saying this. "I enjoyed this night with you."

My heart instantly fluttered upon hearing that from him.

"Me too." I responded

At this moment, we are now walking away from the center of the cultural hall and away from other pairs dancing with Lance's hand holding mine, That's when we spotted his friend Velma going in our direction.

"Lance! I've been looking everywhere for you!" she said, looking exasperated. I saw her eyes soon landed on both our hands being intertwined. "Come on, let's dance! You promised me, remember?"

From our hands, her gaze then went to meet mine.

"I'm sure you're FRIEND here wouldn't mind, would you...Charm?" she added in a sarcastic manner. I felt awkward and decided to look away.

"Uh, you know Velma, I need to get her home-"

"It's fine." I cut him off before he can protest. "I wouldn't mind waiting."

I know that him and Velma had been friends before he met me. So I don't have any right to stop them from dancing with each other.

"Okay then. I'll get back to you as soon as possible."

This is the last time I heard Lance speak before Velma snatched him away from me, causing his grip to separate from my hand. They soon reached the dance floor and started dancing like a real couple.

I felt sad all of a sudden as I watched them together, but I tried my best to shrug this feeling away and went to a corner where few people are lurking.

"Hey, why are you here all alone? And where is Lance?"

I suddenly looked to my right and spotted Johanne that's currently walking towards me.

"Well, there's Lance... dancing with Velma at the moment." I pointed a finger at the two. Johanne looked at the direction to where I was pointing.

"Aww.. are you jealous?" he teased. I blushed instantly.

"No." I immediately responded and looked away. An obvious sign that I'm being in denial.

As expected, I heard him laugh at what I've said.

"You're denying, aren't you? You know, there's nothing wrong with being jealous. Just imagine my situation here..." I saw his expression changed into a serious one in a blink of an eye

There was a moment of silence. I tried to follow where he's looking right now, and my eyes landed again on his other two friends who're still dancing together.

"Everyday, she seems to make it obvious to me that I'm not the guy she likes. But still, here I am... I still like her." he continued, almost a whisper. Then I heard him heave out a sigh.

"That's so sad." I tried to sympathize, even though I don't have any idea of what he's going through if I'm in his situation.

Even so, I know that it might have hurt. A lot.

"Nah, I'm okay. I was used to it already, hahaha!" His tone once again became lively and looked at me again.

"I know you have feelings for Lance, right? And don't you dare deny it since it's kinda obvious." And we're back to the same topic again! I can't believe this guy.

Well, I wasn't able to answer him right away.

"Yes, you're right..." I finally admitted. "I do have feelings for him."

"However, it is not right for me to feel this way." I quickly added.

My eyes mentally widened after I heard what I just said. Why did I blurt that out for? I saw his reaction changed into a curious one.

Geez... me and my big mouth!

"Huh? Why not? Is it because he's a prince?" he curiously asked.

"No, it's not like that-"

While I was still busy thinking of a way to get out of this awkward conversation, everyone in this hall suddenly stopped from what they are doing when we all heard that familiar deep voice of King Tiberius.

"I would like to make an announcement. But first of all, let me give my appreciation for all the guests who had come to this event that was organized by my only son Lance." he started.

All of us became silent as we waited for him to continue.

"So, for the announcement, I would like to inform everybody here that we are not just only celebrating for my lovely wife's recovery..." he went on. Then I noticed his eyes roamed around the four corners of this room, until it landed on me.

Oh no... I bet something bad is about to happen.

"You'll also be having the opportunity to witness as I capture one of those witches who managed to escape and hide from our presence!" he continued, which caused the entire hall to be filled with noises coming from the guests who are maybe exchanging their opinions about what the king just said.

"What's with all of this, father? Are you completely insane?" I heard Lance shouted back at his father.

"Silence! Just take a look on how I will capture your witch friend here!" The king furiously responded to Lance.

And on his command, the doors of the hall soon opened, and in it entered hundreds of palace soldiers. The next thing I knew, I am now being surrounded by them.

Other guests panicked and quickly went away from the scene to each corner of the cultural hall, making me look like the center of attraction here. I wasn't able to miss the chance to see Johanne's reaction, who I was talking to earlier, as if he had just seen a ghost.

Like others, he too quickly fled away from the scene and joined other guests.

"No! It can't be!" I heard Lance again spoke in his topmost voice. I saw him attempt to walk towards me but then his friend Velma held his hand to stop him from what he's about to do.

"Can't you see? That witch is only concealing it's identity! Do you still remember the time when the soul stone worked on your mother? Were you not confused about how it worked in the first place?" the king asked but Lance only remained silent.

"It's because only a witch can activate the power of the soul stone."

After what his father said, I saw Lance look at me with that bitter expression on his face, just like when you make if you've known you've been betrayed by your trusted friend.

I felt my heart break into tiny, little pieces as I saw that reaction from him.

Well, I guess this is my cue for me to reveal my true identity to everyone around here. There's no point now in hiding anyway.

With a flip of my right hand, my wand magically appeared and quickly pointed it at the king.

"If there's anything wrong with what you've just said..." I said, telling myself to pull it out together. "The right term to call us are DEITIES, not WITCHES!"

The moment I finished off my sentence, I then raised my hand and cast a level 3 fire spell to create a distance between me and these soldiers who's currently surrounding me.

"Ignis Inspiratione!"

It immediately created a row of fiery flames in a horizontal manner, which separates me and these soldiers. They immediately took a step backwards as soon as they saw these flames.

Who now dares to capture me, huh?

Anyway, I need to get out of here. Getting advantage of the situation, I first created a barrier around me to prevent receiving any fatal attacks from them like what I missed to do five years ago. As soon as I did that, I quickly started to chant a spell for teleportation.

"Et de potestate deorum data est mihi volo ut ubi ego inde a reditu. Morrel in templum ut me ad Deum!"

After I finished chanting the spell, a white, blinding light soon appeared from above. And I immediately felt that familiar feeling that something is pulling me upwards.

Several soldiers tried to break my barrier by shooting multiple arrows at once, but they are just wasting their time. The barrier I just created is more powerful than before, but more magic-consuming also.

Before I completely disappeared from their sight, I simply looked once again on the lad who's standing amidst the crowd, who's also staring at me right now.

The first mortal who smiled at me...

The mortal that made me feel that I can also live normally like they do...

The lad with the golden hair and hazel brown eyes whom I met at the Misty Cave...

And the person I will never, ever forget...

"Farewell, Lance..." I mouthed my words as I looked at him for the very last time.

Before he completely disappeared out of my sight.