Violet

20| Sudden darkness

Emmett

I do not get a wink of sleep last night, and when the sun starts rising, I give up. Thought-provoking that I fell asleep instantly the night before with Violet, it is the safest I have felt this whole time, her with me. And it has been one of the only two things on my mind for the last 12 hours.

On the other, I feel terrible. Seeing as though sleeping is not an option, I should at least be doing what she has. Studying for clues. Even though my mind has everything on replay every second of the day, I hate to say, I have yet to even touch the notebook I was given. It still sits on my desk, in the exact place I put it the evening before the first ball.

That was incredibly traumatic.

I remember looking at myself in the mirror, feeling like I was going to pass out. I might have, there was no way of knowing. I had seen my letter around an hour earlier. At first, I thought it was a joke.

Another is here to accompany you during your stay in Idania. During tonight's ball, you will meet each other next to the platter of fish.

A letter has also been sent to your partner.

To stay alive, you must discover who is planning to overthrow the fortress in the next three weeks. Someone is planning.

Do what you can in what little time you have. You do not have long.

Enjoy your stay.

P.S In the events in which one of you dies before the end, willingly or otherwise, the other will be ranted full immunity and will be returned home alive.

I ended up tearing the end bit off. I did not want her to see that, especially when I saw who it was that I was to meet down there.

At first, I thought it was a joke, but then how would anyone even come up with a joke so detailed like that in the first place? Something about the whole situation felt extremely off. I think even Violet was sceptical.

By the time I gained enough courage to go downstairs, I was late. Too late, there was no one around the platter of fish. No surprise as of the smell, but also since I had assumed that whomever it was, I was supposed to be meeting, must have left because I did not show.

To be honest I was about to leave myself, accepting the fact that we would not care to be in each other's company through the entirety of the trip. That is until I saw her. Dancing...or well, trying to, in the middle of the ballroom, somewhere which I had not thought to check, with a random man. My first impressions of William were all red flags, the way he had his hand glued to her waist, just like his eyes to her face and of course the way he did not stop looking at her. And Violet looked like the most uncomfortable person on the planet.

My first impression of Violet, however...well...once I recognised her, I was speechless. Out of all people why had she applied for this? Of course, there were many reasons, which I soon came to understand. But just like that, most of the stress had peeled away from my body and I knew I needed to intervene.

So, I did, and I could tell Violet had not received the same information I had been given.

Seeing Violet up close was fascinating, as I had never before. She had cut her hair since I last saw her, it was quite long. I think it suits her. But strangely there was something about her that brought me down to earth in an instant.

In her eyes, I have noticed that one is more vibrant hazel than the other. All in all, she looked like an angel and there is no denying the warmth in my heart that grows every day for her. I would never tell her, but one of my favourite parts so far was teaching her to dance out in the garden. It is the most fun I have had in a while.