The Prince of The Pendulum

Chapter 4: Night of Change

Today was the day they will finally be free. The trio had spent the entire day preparing for the Moonlight Ball, although they wouldn't be able to gather their belongings because of the Ball and the need to leave quickly. The day was as normal as a birthday can be for the three in the mansion. Nothing much has changed except the fact that Gothel was at home and celebrated the twins' birthday by making their favorite foods and giving them gifts that she had gotten not long before the special day. There was only one thing missing. Yuya.

The young boy had been planning and sketching his sisters' special dresses as he was in his tower, making sure that the enchanted portrait was hidden from sight the entire time so as to not let Gothel know about it. Having thought carefully about the theme of the dresses and a lot of failed sketches, Yuya managed to make three pairs of sketches he was satisfied with to make for his sisters. All he had to do was wait for Sakuya and Kaguya to arrive at the tower to prepare for the Moonlight Ball before leaving.

Hours later, when the sun was going down the horizon, the twins arrived wearing old clothes while Kaguya was hiding something behind her back as they saw Yuya getting up from his chair by his desk, taking the sketches he finished with him.

"You ready?" Yuya asked and the twins nodded as an answer.

"Before we start, big sister and I made something for you." Kaguya stated and presented what was behind her back. In her hands was a red jacket with black cuffs and yellow accents.

Yuya took it in his hands in awe, "You guys made this?"

"We wanted you to dress up a bit." Kaguya answered.

"You are giving us the best birthday present we can ever have gotten and so, we wanted to give you something in return." Sakuya continued with a smile as she put the jacket over Yuya's shoulders like a cape.

"I...I..." The young boy stammered in shock, "I don't know what to say..."

"Think nothing of it, Yuya." Kaguya stated proudly. "You are giving us freedom for the first time in our lives."

"Then, I hope you are ready for some more surprises." Yuya explained and presented the two with the sketches. The girls gained big smiles as they looked at the sketches of beautiful dresses that are fitting for their personalities.

"These look amazing, Yuya!" The twins exclaimed at the same time. The scarlet eyed boy laughed at their reaction.

"You get to choose one pair to wear considering that I'm gonna use the paintbrush to make them." Yuya explained shyly. "I don't want to repaint them all the time." The girls giggled at this as they started to choose their clothing.

-

Gothel was spending her time in her bedroom, admiring herself in the mirror. It felt as if nothing could go wrong now. Yuya was locked up in his tower with no way to escape and the twins were under her finger. Soon, everything will finally be back to how it used to be before Yuya's stunts.

Seeing that her appearance is as gorgeous as ever, Gothel walked out of her room and toward the twins to check on them. However, this wing of the mansion seemed quieter than usual. There would always be small talk to be heard through the hallway between the girls, even when they study.

Opening the door to the twins' bedroom, Sakuya and Kaguya were nowhere to be seen. They were probably in Yuya's tower, much to Gothel's annoyance. As the witch was about to leave, something caught her attention. On one of the desks lies a strange purple envelope. Gothel picked it up for a closer look and opened it only to make Gothel shake in anger as she read the contents of the envelope to the point she ripped it into pieces.