Invisible party

As he entered the chateau, Michael was immediately enveloped in the warmth and opulence that only a centuries-old estate like this could provide. The interior was adorned with intricate woodwork, lavish tapestries, and sparkling crystal chandeliers.

There were various paintings hung across the walls, paintings of some of histories greatest pioneers. He walked through the foyer, his footsteps echoing off the marble floor, and paused by the entrance to a grand hall. The room was empty, except for a magnificent chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

"Huh?" he raised a brow in confusion. "Where is everyone?" he thought, looking around, but he didn't step into the hall.

Just then, a figure emerged from the doorway behind him. Michael, out of instinct immediately turned to face the person, it was a woman in her late 40s, with silver hair styled in an elegant lob that rest on her shoulders, and a piercing red eyes that sparkled with warmth.

Michael's eye widened in surprise as he recognised the woman, it was the same person who had invited him to paris. But before he could say anything, she spoke first.

"Michel, cher, it's so wonderful to see you! Come here," she exclaimed, opening her arms to him.

Michael smiled, feeling a surge of affection for his aunt, the Countess. He walked into her embrace, both of them exchanging kisses on the cheek.

"Bonjour, Aunt Marie-jeanne. It's lovely to see you too," he replied

The Countess stepped back, examining him with a critical eye. "You look a bit tired, Michael. Was your journey exhausting?"

Michael shrugged, smiling wryly. "It was uneventful, merci. But I'm happy to be here."

The Countess nodded, her eyes glinting with amusement. "I'm glad to hear that. You must be starving. Let's get you settled, and then we'll wait for your siblings to arrive."

Michael scoffed. "As usual, i'm the first to arrive. What about the celebrant, is she here?" he asked

Marie-jeanne chuckled. "You know your cousin, she loves to be the center of attraction, she will only arrive when everyone is present," she sighed, shaking her head

"Well she takes after her mother," Michael muttered with a smile

"Oh, don't flatter me," Marie-jeanne laughed, waving her hands dismissively.

"Though, where is everyone? I even expected Ronald or Adrien to be here already, but it seems i'm the only one," Michael said with a wry smile

"Ronald will be here, Adrien... Well you know how he is. Besides, the original ceremony and celebrations already took place in solnon, we just decided to have another one in paris," she replied, to which Michael nodded. He opened his mouth to speak but she didn't let him.

"I know what you want to say, that it doesn't feel like there's a celebration going on," she stated, and Michael smiled with a guilty expression

"Oh Michael, when have i ever hosted a party, and it won't be the talk of the world?" she added with a mischievous smile

With that, she walked into the empty grand hall, the same one Michael had wanted to enter earlier, beckoning him to follow her. But as soon as she stepped into the room, she vanished from sight, completely without a trace, leaving Michael stunned and bewildered.

Michael's eyes widened in shock, he scanned the empty hall, his mind struggling to comprehend what had just happened. He took a step forward, his voice calling out, "Aunt Marie-Jeanne?"

But there was no response. The hall remained silent, the only sound the soft creaking of the old wooden floorboards.

Michael's brow furrowed in concern. He quickly glanced around the area, searching for any sign of his aunt. But she was nowhere to be found.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing thoughts. And then he blindly stepped into the hall, hoping to disappear as well, to the same location as his aunt.

As Michael entered into the grand hall, he expected to appear in another location or see the same empty room he had glimpsed earlier, before he entered. But instead, he was met with a sight that took his breath away.

The hall had transformed into a lavish event space, filled with the cream of society. The room was ablaze with the soft glow of crystal chandeliers, and the walls were adorned with intricate gold leaf designs. The air was thick with the scent of exotic flowers and the sound of clinking glasses and muted conversation.

Michael's eyes widened as he scanned the room, taking in the sheer scale of the gathering. There were politicians, presidents, and royals mingling as the guests, all dressed in their finest attire. The women were resplendent in designer gowns, their jewelry flashing under the light, while the men were dashing in their tailored tuxedos.

The room was filled with the sound of laughter and music, as a live band took to the grand stage at the far end of the hall. And then, Michael's eyes landed on the woman standing at the microphone, her voice soaring as she sang one of her most popular songs, "Derniere danse".

It was none other than the famous music celebrity, Indila. Her voice was mesmerizing, and the crowd was entranced, singing along to the lyrics. Michael couldn't help but be swept up in the magic of the moment.

As Michael's gaze swept across the room, he noticed that everyone was having a fantastic time. The guests were chatting, laughing, and dancing, completely carefree. The politicians were mingling with the celebrities, and the royals were chatting with the business moguls. It was a night where social hierarchy was forgotten, and everyone was united in their quest for fun and revelry.

Even the normally stoic and serious-looking presidents and prime ministers were cracking smiles and jokes, their usual composure momentarily forgotten.

As Indila's powerful voice soared through the hall, everyone sang along, waving their hands in the air. The energy in the room was electric, and Michael couldn't help but get caught up in the excitement. His aunt was right, it was truly a party that the world would talk about

As he looked around, he spotted his aunt, the Countess, standing near the stage, a smile on her face as she watched Indila perform. She caught his eye and raised a glass in a silent toast, and Michael smiled back, feeling a sense of wonder and excitement at the unexpected turn of events. The party had already begun!

******

Naomi and Richard entered the hallway of the chateau, walking past the rooms, wondering where the party was actually happening, or if there was even a party at all.

"Where is everyone?" Naomi asked, glancing around the passage

"Well, we've always known Carmilla to be... Mysterious," Richard replied, looking into the rooms one by one. He was scrutinizing the entrance of each room intently, as though he was searching for something.

He continued the process on each doorway, before finally stopping by the entrance of a particular room. It was a grand hall, spreading wide like a ballroom.

"Hmm, if i'm not mistaken. There are people in this room," Richard muttered, moving closer to the entrance, spreading his hand out. Then he closed his eyes, moving his head from side to side like someone possessed.

Then he paused, took a deep breath and open his eyes. "Yeah, there's definitely people in there. I can sense their joy and merriment, it makes me sick," he muttered indifferently.

Naomi snap wryly. "Well i believe you, but hey, it's your cousin's birthday. Try and show some merriment too, not just anger or... Nothing at all," she scolded

Richard shrugged. "You know it's not really her birthday right?" he said

Naomi sighed. "Let's just go," she retorted and dragged Richard into the empty hall. They walked through the doorway and into the room, entering a new realm entirely, one filled with music, laughter and colors.

There were people of different status and ethnicity, talking, dancing and having fun. Decorations of different kinds adorned the hall, coupled the music from a world class singer, all adding to the vibes of the party.

Richard and Naomi stood admist the array of tuxedos, dresses and expensive jewelry. Naomi herself was dressed in a black gown, with purple shoes and other golden accessories, making her fit in perfectly. But the same couldn't be said for Richard.

"Well, atleast now we know there's a party," Naomi muttered, looking around to room, searching for one person in particular.

"Indeed, i can't wait for it to be over. I never liked classy parties, fucking tuxedos and stupid elegance. Why is it even called a party? It's basically a meeting where rich people come to show off their fucking jewelries and talk business or politics," Richard grumbled, before grabbing two glasses of champagne off the tray, a waiter was carrying about.

Naomi sighed deeply and collected one glass from him. "You are impossible, let's just hope aunt doesn't 'Compliment' your outfit. You know how she gets about traditions and those other stuffs," she chuckled, before taking a sip from the glass of wine.

"Well, let's find out," he replied, stretching his hands in the direction of a particular silver-haired woman. The woman's pale skin was glittering in the light, as she moved about, from first ladies to other influential women, acknowledging their arrival.

Then her eyes seemed to shift towards the duo standing in the distance, holding onto champagne glasses. She smiled, excused herself from a conversation with a certain prime minister and approached them.

"I can't believe this, you really came," she muttered, walking up to Naomi before engulfing her into her arms.

"Ofcourse i won't miss it for the world, It's so good to see you again, Marie-jeanne," Naomi managed to mutter through her prison of hugs.