This is a story about love, chaos, secrets, and a girl who never expected her life to change forever.
The ballroom glowed in soft lavender light.
Crystal chandeliers sparkled like frozen stars, and the air shimmered with gentle violin music.
In the center of it all stood Irene Lou.
Sixteen.
A girl who laughed too loudly, tripped too often, and felt everything too deeply.
Yet tonight, she stood perfectly still.
As if she belonged in a world far more beautiful than her own.
Irene stood in a ballroom she had never seen before.
Her crystal-purple gown shimmered under the chandelier light, rising and falling gently with her nervous breaths.
Loose strands of her chestnut hair framed her face, while the rest was pinned into a neat bun .
The kind of hairstyle that made her look effortlessly elegant.
The kind she would never have had the patience to do herself.
Her fingers tightened slightly against the fabric of her dress.
Her breath hitched.
Because across the ballroom… stood.
Leo
Her crush.
He stood at the edge of the dance floor beneath the chandelier light, tall and effortless, as if the world had shaped itself around him.
His hand extended toward her, a gentle and confident smile resting on his lips.
"May I have this dance?" he asked softly.He stood
His dark hair fell slightly over his eyes, soft and untamed, yet somehow perfect.
His gaze found hers instantly.
Calm. Certain. Warm.
The kind of eyes that made her forget how to breathe.
He wore a formal black suit, simple but elegant, like he didn't need anything extra to stand out.
And when he smiled—
It wasn't wide.
It wasn't dramatic.
Her pulse skipped.
Words tangled in her throat.
She nodded.
Maybe a little too quickly.
She placed her hand in his.
The moment their fingers touched, the world melted away.
The music swelled.
They spun beneath golden lights, the floor gliding beneath them as if the entire ballroom was holding its breath just to watch.
Every laugh.
Every turn.
Every stolen glance.
Pulled them closer.
When Leo leaned in, Irene's chest fluttered like wings trapped behind her ribs.
The music slowed.
But her heart didn't.
Their faces moved closer.
Her reflection shimmered in his eyes.
Almost.
Almost.
Almost about to kiss.
But then—
The melody crashed.
The violins twisted into a wild, electric rhythm.
Around them, dancers began spinning, changing partners. Laughter and confusion filled the air.
Irene blinked.
Leo's hand was gone.
Before she could react, another hand caught hers.
She felt a spark.
This hand was cold at first.
Mysterious.
But slowly, it gave her a warmth she didn't understand.
It belonged to a tall figure cloaked in soft shadow.
His outline glowed faint blue.
Like moonlight trapped in mist.
They began to dance.
This time slower.
The light around them faded into deep indigo.
"Who are you?" she whispered, her breath trembling.
The figure paused.
As if deciding something important.
"Do you really want to know?" he asked softly.
She nodded.
Her heart pounding loudly in her chest.
Light bloomed around him.
His clothes appeared first.
A sleek princely jacket trimmed with silver.
Dark trousers.
Boots that shimmered like starlight.
Her eyes widened.
His face began to emerge.
Sharp jawline.
Soft lips.
The outline of a boy she had never seen before.
Yet somehow…
felt she already knew.
Her chest tightened.
She needed to see him.
Needed to know who he was.
And just as the last shadow was about to disappear—
"IREEEEEEENNEEEE!"
Her brother's horrible voice tore through the dream like thunder.
The ballroom shattered.
Light broke into fragments.
The prince dissolved into dust.
Irene reached out desperately.
"Nooooooo!"
Everything turned white.
And that was when she woke up.
Tangled in her blanket.
Hair messy.
Heart pounding.
Face buried in her pillow.