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You watched the gala from a balcony high above. After the jostling of the festivities below, you needed some room to breathe. The cold air was helping you calm your nerves. You were debating whether you should retire early for the night. You didn't really enjoy crowded places. They felt far too suffocating to you, but you were still teaching at Nevermore, so you were obligated to at least attend the gala for a few hours. But would it harm anyone if you left a little early? There probably wouldn't even be anyone to notice your absence in this crowded place. Especially with the masks everyone was wearing.
Leaning on the balcony railing, you let your eyes wander over the scene below you. There were lots of people in costumes moving around, talking among themselves and having fun. Across from you, another man stood on a balcony, seemingly scanning his surroundings. He wore a blood-red costume that reminded you a little of The Masque of the Red Death. He looked a little out of place, all alone on the balcony, but you were probably the last person that could judge him for it.
Your eyes met for a split second, and at that moment, your heart faltered. The man looked far too familiar. Your breathing became heavy when you finally realised who he reminded you of. It can't be. The man looked exactly like Isaac. You had to sit down. Your back against the railing, you took a deep breath. Isaac's dead. He died thirty years ago. You were present at the accident in Iago Tower. You had put flowers on his grave. This man probably just had a similar face shape.
You forced yourself to take another look at the man, your heart still racing. Taking a second look, he still looked exactly like your dead boyfriend did thirty years ago. But it can't possibly be him. Had you forgotten to take your medication today? No, you took them right before breakfast, like every day. But were you really sure? What if you forgot to take them this particular morning? Why else would you see your dead boyfriend wandering around Nevermore?
The only way to be really sure whether you had taken your medication was to check in your room, so you made your way to your room, a little relieved you had an excuse to leave the gala. Looking through your medication, you saw that the ones for today were actually missing. That made you relax a little. So you hadn't forgotten to take them. But who the fuck was the man on the balcony, then?
Deciding to face your fears, you walk back towards the gala. Hopefully, the man would still be on the same balcony. You felt a little uneasy on the way there. Your heartbeat picking up again.
Fortunately, the man hadn't gone that far. He wasn't on the balcony anymore, but you could see him walking towards the graveyard. You picked up the pace to catch up with him, but he was rather fast. At some point, you even lost him after turning around a corner.
When you finally found him again, you saw him talking to another student. You wanted to catch another glimpse of his face when he suddenly overpowered the other student, putting a cloth over his face till he fell unconscious. You gasped, quickly getting behind a huge gravestone to hide.
You tried to be as quiet as possible. Your heartbeat still raced. You clamped your hands over your mouth to mute any sound. You had to get out of here somehow, without making any sudden noises.
You tried to catch a glimpse of what the man was doing from behind the gravestone, but he had suddenly disappeared. All of a sudden, you heard a creak behind you. Your heart jumped. Your eyes widened.
You turned around swiftly, coming face to face with the man from the balcony.
Locking eyes with Isaac made you stumble backwards. 'It can't be. You died." You mumbled under your breath. Stumbling over your own feet, you lost your footing. Luckily, Isaac was there to catch you before you fell.
You surely must be dreaming, you thought, but you didn't really care anymore. Tears ran down your cheeks as you proceeded to hug Isaac.