Halloween.
It was a grand festival in Roseville, and St. Tiana Academy had given all students and faculty a day off to prepare for the evening's masquerade ball. Anran had invited Zhangning to her house to get ready for the festivities together. Hearing that children would come trick-or-treating in the evening, Grandpa An enthusiastically went to prepare some candies.
Zhangning's costume for the ball was a witch. She had prepared a black cloak, a pointed black hat, and the most attention-grabbing accessory—a small black cat perched on her shoulder.
The sight of the black cat immediately reminded Anran of the embarrassing cat girl outfit.
"Ning, did you prepare all these yourself?" Anran asked, impressed by Zhangning's thorough preparations.
Aside from her outfit, Zhangning had brought a variety of props, such as a crystal ball for fortune-telling, decorative devil wings, and more.
"Anran, I've grown up in Roseville. Here, Halloween is a major annual event. These props were already prepared at home," Zhangning explained. "But I'm really looking forward to tonight. I've never heard Prince Dylan perform live before."
Oh! Richard had indeed mentioned that Dylan's rock band was formed only this year. Since then, Dylan had been traveling and performing in Europe and America, so he hadn't had the chance to perform at the school. Given that he'd been invited for an interview by an M. TV station, his skills must be quite impressive, Anran thought.
As the evening lights began to glow, Richard arrived right on time to pick them up.
Anran wore her rose fairy gown, complete with the floral headpiece and a pair of red leather boots, looking both charming and lively.
Although she already knew Richard was dressed as a vampire prince, she couldn't help but marvel at his striking appearance when she saw him in his full costume.
Richard wore a black tailcoat with silver trim on the collar and cuffs, paired with a white frilled shirt in a baroque style. The most eye-catching detail was the silver rose embroidery on the right side of the coat, covering nearly half of it—a design that was both subtle and luxurious.
"Anran, is Lord Morris dressed as a noble gentleman?" Zhangning whispered to Anran.
"No, today I am a vampire prince," Richard replied calmly.
Zhangning was startled. She had whispered right into Anran's ear, yet Richard had still heard her.
With that, Richard flashed a smile, revealing two sharp fangs.
Zhangning, thinking they were props, was utterly captivated. Lord Morris's noble demeanor, combined with his pale complexion and the fangs, made the whole look incredibly convincing!
Seeing this, Anran and Richard exchanged a knowing smile.
---
**St. Tiana Academy, North Campus.**
Just as Dylan had promised, a stage had been set up on the lake. Though it was a temporary wooden structure, under the careful arrangements and lighting, it looked quite magnificent.
Earlier, to maintain the mystery of the ball, students were prohibited from entering the North Campus except for those involved in decorating the stage. So, when the crowd saw the dazzling stage on the lake, they couldn't help but gasp in awe and cheer.
At that moment, the spotlight centered on the stage. A large circular platform rose about half a meter, drawing everyone's attention to the band members standing on it—especially the lead singer at the front, Dylan Morris!
The appearance of the rock band ignited a wave of cheers. The flamboyant vampire-like youth raised his arm, making a classic rock gesture.
As the music began, the crowd fell silent.
Only the husky, seductive, and metallic voice of the bloodthirsty youth echoed through the air:
"Showtime!"