Alex and the boys were walking into a grand hallway. The entire hall was layered in deep red carpet, and the walls soared upward in gentle arches. What struck Alex the most was the material the hallway was made out of. It was as if the whole hall was made out of pure gold. 'What a waste' gold was very essential for today's technology with the many golds they have here Alex couldn't help but feel disappointed at the fact that these precious resources are being wasted.
But he couldn't deny it, how all of this was strangely attractive to look at. Narrow pillars lined both sides, each looking as if they were hand-sculpted by an artist with unmatched talent. The pillars had winding patterns made of gold: vines twisting into white dots that Alex assumed were stars, the stars connected by thin lines forming constellations bending into strange symbols.
The hallway was grand and elegant. As they walked in deeper, the throbbing music behind them slowly faded until it disappeared completely.
Eventually, they reached an enormous door guarded by five men. The guards stood armored from head to toe, each holding a greatsword planted before them. 'I guess we finally made it… and what's with this weird sense of costumes?' Alex thought. The armored guards looked like dark knights from one of the old movies he used to enjoy as a kid. 'I still enjoy them even now,' he still enjoys it even now though he rarely watches TV. Whenever he did, he chose those kinds of movies.
Alex's thoughts were cut off when one of the guards stepped forward and said: "The event is happening behind you. Turn back."
Michael chuckled a little and stepped forward. "We're special guests, friend" he said, pulling out his golden card and flashing it in front of them. Alex wondered if the guards could even see it through his helmets with how their faces were covered. Either way, that should have at least been enough for the warriors to guess who they are…
But to their disappointment, the guard did not move and simply repeated, "The event is happening behind you. Turn back."
The boys exchanged confused looks. Michael opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again, but before he could say anything, the guard gripped his sword and says with a stern tone:
"Turn. Back."
The boys instinctively took a step back. Before they could react again, the wall to their left slid upward with a soft rumbling sound. A gentleman wearing a half-faced rabbit mask stepped out from the hidden opening. "This way, masters," the masked man said smoothly.
The boys hesitated for a second, glancing at the armored guards before following the rabbit-masked gentleman into the concealed passage. Alex couldn't help but think how strange this whole thing was and what could be behind that massive door that required such weird looking guards.
…
The hallway they entered was dim, the lights barely bright enough for them to see their way forward. As they walked in deeper, Alex noticed other guards standing at intervals, all wearing the same rabbit mask…
After a few long minutes walking silently, the gentleman leading them stopped in front of a small door. He knocked six times in a rhythmic pattern that Alex found oddly interesting. The door opened to a compact room lined with shelves full of masks.
"We apologize for bringing you masters through such an unprofessional route," the man said. "We did not expect you to take the wrong corridor." after saying that
He began handing each of the boys a mask. They were half-face masks, all golden but accented with different colors and patterns. Alex's was gold and black. The mask was heavier than he expected, it felt like it was made of real metal.
The boys give the rabbit-man a strange look when the masked man notices it and quickly advances. "Anonymity is important here, masters, I hope you understand."
The boys lingered for a moment before putting their masks on. Noah groaned. "All this just for a club? Seriously?"
The gentleman paused, examining Noah briefly as if assessing his status. Then he nodded once and said, "It is necessary, master. Our guests' identities must always remain hidden."
"Why does it matter so much?" Noah pressed, frowning.
The man looked mildly surprised but answered professionally, "Every event we host requires complete privacy for our attendees. Their protection is our priority."
Before Noah could ask anything else, the gentleman pressed a button on one of the shelves. The shelves slid upward, revealing hidden elevators.
Alex blinked. 'How many secret passages does this place have?'
"You may use your golden cards to open this door. It will take you to the main hall. Enjoy your night, masters."
He bowed before stepping back into the wall passage. The door slid shut behind him, leaving only the boys inside the room.
Daniel sighed in annoyance. "What's with all these secret passages? And what the heck just happened?" He turned to Michael.
"I didn't know all this would happen. I expected just a little room like any other VVIP member." Michael automatically defended himself
"You didn't know any of this?" Daniel pressed, glaring. "This is obviously one of their secret banquets reserved only for the powerful around this country. How did you even get your hands on their golden tickets?"
Everyone looked at Michael this time very curious about what he had to say.
Michael glanced away before sighing. "As I said… I got them from an acquaintance. He gave them to me as a favor. I got them for you as a birthday present, Alex."
Alex didn't find that very convincing. Neither did anyone else. First, who was this "acquaintance" that could casually hand out five of these cards? And second and most importantly, why was he dodging the question each time Daniel asks? Still… Alex hoped Michael didn't get them from one of those shaddy shark loaners.
While Alex was thinking about it, Malik suddenly asked, "Who is this acquaintance you keep talking about? Is this even legal?"
"My sister's boyfriend. I only borrowed them," Michael answered without hesitation. "Now happy?"
"No," Malik answered flatly on Daniel's behalf. "Who is that guy?"
Michael sighed. "We can talk about that later. Can we just get to the event first since we are here? I promise I'll explain everything to you all later."
Malik lingered for a moment before nodding, but as for Daniel he was still glaring at him. "Alright… let's go then."
"No, wait," Michael, stopped them before they got to the door. "We don't know what we're walking into. So we need a backup plan."
Alex raised a brow. "What plan?"
Michael cleared his throat and explained. Since they had no idea what kind of event this was, if drinks or anything wild were involved, two of them had to stay fully sane at all times to pull the others out if things went bad. He chose himself and Malik. Although Malik complained at first, he eventually agreed.
Michael clapped his hands. "Alright. I hope you're all ready for the party."
He took out his card, and a beam of red flash suddenly came from the door before it slid open. Michael stepped in, the boys also followed him, but before the rest could board in, the door shut in front of them again.
They all froze, startled. One by one each of them took out their golden cards. The beam came out again and scanned their card before the door opened once more, allowing them to step inside.