However, most of the human attendees had no idea what had just happened. The moment the stage collapsed, all the lights in the venue went out.
As the scream echoed, some people also felt a gust of air rush past them.
"What's going on?" someone in the crowd asked nervously.
"I don't know. Why did the lights go out?"
"The scream seemed to come from the stage…"
Whispers grew louder, and within seconds, unease began to spread rapidly. Just then, a single spotlight suddenly turned on, illuminating the center of the stage where the student council president, dressed in white, stood.
"Silence—"
His calm and composed voice, belonging to Lewis, rang out.
The president's appearance instantly quelled the crowd's anxiety. The murmurs died down, and those in the darkness turned their attention to him, their curiosity piqued.
Why had the host, Prince Dylan, and the girl vanished from the stage mere moments ago? And how had the president appeared there so suddenly?
Lewis smiled gently. "This is part of a special plan for tonight's ball—an ultimate magic performance."
"Wow! So it's magic!"
"That's amazing! I was just wondering how the president appeared out of nowhere!"
"You don't understand, do you? The stage must have secret mechanisms…"
Amidst the thunderous applause, excited discussions broke out again. By now, the crowd had forgotten the earlier scream—or perhaps they simply assumed it was part of the act to enhance the magic's effect.
"Thank you all for attending this Halloween ball. I hope everyone has had a wonderful night," Lewis continued. "Now, I hereby declare the Halloween ball officially over. Please exit in an orderly manner."
Lewis maintained his gentle, reassuring smile, but only he knew how tense he truly felt.
The lights in the venue soon came back on, and people began to leave reluctantly. Before long, only a handful of individuals remained in the hall, including a lone human girl standing in the center.
"Mr. President…" Zhangning called out to Lewis on the stage.
Startled by her voice, Lewis looked up and saw a girl dressed as a witch still standing in the hall.
"Why haven't you gone home?" Lewis asked.
Zhangning replied, "That scream earlier was Anran's, wasn't it? Where is she now? And where's Prince Dylan?"
She found it strange that Richard Morris was also missing. On their way to the ball, they had agreed to leave together after the event.
Lewis hadn't expected anyone to recognize Anran's voice or show concern for her well-being. Upon closer inspection, he realized the girl was Anran's friend, Zhangning.
His voice softened even more, and a faint red glow flickered in his eyes.
"Zhangning, right? Anran is fine. You'll see her in class tomorrow. For now, please go home."
To his surprise, the girl didn't move. She even reached up to adjust her glasses.
That was odd. Had she just seen the president's eyes turn red?
Lewis was equally puzzled. Why wasn't Zhangning affected by his hypnosis?
It was only then that Lewis noticed the cross hanging around her neck. The sacred item she wore naturally protected her from hypnosis, but its presence on Zhangning also meant Anran was now in a precarious situation…
In an instant, Lewis's smile vanished completely.