Shadow Slave: The red Goddess of War and her dragon

The moment Kai and his company stepped out of the SUV, lights immediately began to flicker, followed by countless shouts as voices yelled for their attention.

Kai extended his arm elegantly to Jet, who accepted it with a practiced, deadpan smile -one she had been practicing before their arrival.

Effie walked beside them, her aloof confidence radiating out as the three of them walked down the red carpet, waving at the crowd and flashing polite smiles.

"I'll kill old man Cor once this is over," Jet whispered under her breath, her expression stayed calm and polite though.

The reporters trailed them next the carpet -not stepping onto it-, shouting questions and rapidly clicking their cameras. None of the three Saints responded, as expected. The reporters were well aware of the boundaries so they had no choice but to accept that. They kept their distance and refrained from pushing too hard.

Effie grinned, glancing down at Kai and Jet from the corner of her eyes as they approached one of Valor's grand estates in which the Gala was held. "Back when we were just Awakened, people would shit themselves just being in the presence of a Saint," she snickered, her tone full of amusement. "Look at them now."

Jet nodded in agreement, her expression hardening. "I'd rather they still feared us," she muttered coldly.

Kai, not wanting to lose the warm smile on his lips, mumbled, "Good old times, yes... but try to keep up the image of a Saint please..."

The two women had very different reactions to his words.

Effie laughed wholeheartedly, her heels clicking sharply against the red carpet as they ascended a four-step stairway. Meanwhile, Jet simply wiped the smile off her face, no longer feeling like maintaining the façade.

'We aren't late, are we?' Kai thought anxiously. However, his worry immediately eased when another limousine came to an halt behind them with an elegant couple stepping out of it.

If guests were still coming that meant they were on time. Or at least not the only ones late.

"Alright, listen up," Jet called, gathering their attention as they walked past two white, concrete columns and entered the gigantic estate. The Valor Clan certainly spared no expense when it came to luxury. Towering marble columns, cascading chandeliers visible through massive glass windows, and pristine white stone steps leading up to the entrance all showcased their immense wealth and power.

"The three of us are splitting up after we make our arrival clear," Jet said, her tone sharp akin to an older sister talking to her younger siblings, "There are too many people whose asses we have to kiss today." She added the last part with a scoff.

Effie snickered in response, "I can't promise I won't ditch you guys once I find my beautiful man, hehe."

Jet sighed, and Kai chuckled awkwardly. The two of them really knew how to ease his nerves.

"Let our Prince Charming here go for Morgan," Effie added, smacking Kai's back and grabbing a drink from the butler stationed at the entrance to the hallway.

The brightly lit hallway -with its vermillion carpet beneath their feet- led into the grand ballroom, in which Kai could already see people bustling with activity.

The woman gripping his elbow raised a brow. "Gladly, but did I maybe miss something?"

Effie downed her champagne in one go and laughed, putting the glass onto a vase. "Oh, you missed a lot."

But before Jet could ask any further questions -her face clearly painted with confusion- they finally entered the ballroom.

The vermillion carpet flawlessly transitioned to a polished marble floor, while a massive crystal chandelier illuminated the grand room alongside countless tall, candlelit centerpieces.

Kai recognized quite a few familiar faces -some Masters, some Saints, and even a few regular humans.

The majority of them, of course, were from the Valor Clan. A Master not affiliated with anyone was rare, and a Saint practically impossible.

Except that mysterious Lord of Shadows of course.

"Alright, see you guys later," Jet sighed, tapping Kai's biceps lightly with her gloved hand before melting into the crowd.

Effie, on the other hand, didn't bother with goodbyes. She simply snatched another glass of champagne from a passing waiter and disappeared into the sea of people with a mischievous grin.

Of course, if he looked around, it wouldn't be hard to spot the 6'7 giantess in her silver dress, but Kai's mind was fixed on only one thing: The princess.

Not standing any longer, he stepped forward, the sound of his shoes gently tapping against the marble tiles resonating as the next line of guests filed in behind him.

Most of the gazes immediately landed on Kai, drawn to his flashy smile and beauty. People smiled at him, waving their hand lightly and politely.

This wasn't anything new to him; he had attended countless events like this one so he was used to the attention.

But none of those events had Morgan.

'Calm down, Kai, before you make a fool out of yourself!' he reminded himself, pushing the self-sabotaging thoughts away as quickly as possible.

"Good evening-"

"What a wonderful dress you are wearing-"

"You look incredible like usual-"

Kai threw the pleasantries around at everyone he knew, doing it on autopilot. People he didn't recognize, he greeted with a smile, engaging in brief conversations and making sure to get to know them on the surface level.

There was no unimportant person here, so he made sure not to offend or ignore anyone. Not that he ever would, but tonight, he was extra conscious of his actions and words.

Kai was aware that any slip-up could have consequences.

Just as he finished a conversation with another Saint of the Valor clan -a tall, handsome man whose name Kai didn't quite understand- his ears caught a piece of conversation nearby.

"-Yes, I heard Lady Morgan herself will be making an announcement, since the King of Swords couldn't attend-"

His heart rate spiked as he held himself back from approaching the pair to question them. Kai knew better than to interrupt and force himself into conversations in a setting like this. He still had an image to uphold -well just like pretty much everyone else here.

'Calm down, Kai!' he repeated in his mind, trying to ease his rapidly beating heart.

Kai took a glass of champagne from a passing butler, offering the old valet a polite smile as he left.

Sipping gently, he made his way toward a couple of familiar faces, nodding and greeting anyone who acknowledged him along the way. He never stayed with one group for more than five minutes. There were simply too many people that required his attention tonight.

Minutes stretched on endlessly with Kai counting every second. His impatience was only growing, but he managed to calm himself slightly. Every so often his gaze would wander to the low balcony overlooking the ballroom.

His emerald-green eyes flickered back to the crowd with a sigh, but his thoughts remained fixated on her.

'How do I approach her though?' Kai's thoughts raced with light anxiety. 'If she doesn't come down to talk with the guests, my plan is ruined.' He fought the urge to face-palm or sigh once more. He couldn't show his nervousness to the guests.

"You alright, Kai?" A calm voice suddenly asked him from behind, accompanied with a finger gently tapping his shoulder.

Kai recognized the voice immediately, making him spin on his heel and turn to face the person.

Before him stood Cassie. Her beautiful face was adorned with a white porcelain mask that covered the upper half -even her eyes-, while her blonde locks cascaded down freely onto her shoulders.