The Devil's Crown

XXVII Man In White.

The week passed rather too quickly for Elfric. For a moment there he thought that his previous life was back, everything has been as peaceful as they were before he decided to take that leap of faith and change his future – and probably the future of everyone else if he actually managed to get what he seeks.

During these days, he took the chance to get accustomed to the new powers that reside inside him. It felt overwhelming at first but the more he used it the more it became like a sixth sense to him. With it, felt his body stiffening.

Gaining muscles that weren’t there before. ‘It’s because your body is trying to contain what it has inside,’ said Orathan to him as he explained everything in detail.

His body was a vessel, the more that he trains it the more it will be able to withstand the powers. He made sure to warn him against going beyond what he is capable of. If he uses too much, it was going to overflow and he was going to explode…literally.

Elfric shrugged off that thought. Picturing himself explode wasn’t the best of thoughts as he dressed up in the tuxedo that Chris prepared for him. He felt weird as he put on the white shirt on his pale upper body.

He was fighting the urge to take it off and stuff himself in one of his hoodies. The feeling that his long silver hair was going to be on full display wasn’t the best.

“Out of all the colors, there is…you chose a white Tux, Chris?” Elfric said, half wondering half angry.

Chris was getting ready himself behind Elfric. The two of them had agreed to meet in a room in the hotel where the ball was going to take place. So that both of them could take their time to look presentable.

This is the cleanest that Elfric has been. He felt that his skin was glowing. Using Noble’s bath supplies did indeed make a difference, he thought.

“You don’t have an eye for clothing do you?” said Chris. “This is going to fit you more than a regular black suit.” He finished as he turned sideways fixing his tie, watching his friend do the last two buttons of his shirt.

Christopher nodded proudly at his choice of clothes. He just had a feeling that Elfric was going to be able to pull this kind of suit better than anyone.

Elfric took this whole thing as a momentary distraction from the real cause behind all this. The plan that he was building on the faint hope that this is a success.

‘You sure that nothing will go wrong in all this mess?’ Orathan asked again.

Elfric was fixing his own tie that went along with the white of the suit, doing it with a little too much attention than needed. It felt suffocating honestly, he figured that he wasn’t the kind to wear such fancy clothing often. This was a one-time thing anyway, he thought as he convinced himself to hang on before finally processing Orathan’s question.

“I only have to brush by him,” said Elfric under his breath. “If he knows me then there is no way that he wouldn’t recognize me.”

If he thought about this…this might be the only time that Elfric was thankful for the way he pops out of the crowd. Especially today. If Crane or any of his men reported to Shaw about him then he figured that the first thing that would be said was, how…unique he looked.

He had the when-you-see-you-will-know looks.

‘You gambling your life on your bi-colored eyes and snow-white hair?’ Orathan stated.

“If you have any other options I’m all ears,” said Elfric knowing that there wasn’t. Before Orathan could protest any further, Chris called out from the far end of the room.

“Come on, we are late!” said Chris.

Elfric wore the blazer of his suit. Giving himself one last look in the mirror. For a moment there he couldn’t recognize himself. Christopher was right when he said that no one would pull off a white suit like him. The vibrant violet of his eye was seemed to pop off the white that he was wearing.

He heard Chris whistle as he leaned on the door’s frame. “You are going to break hearts today, my friend,” said Chris.

Elfric chuckles before he joined him at the door.

“Well, we will see about that,” said Elfric.

~~~~

The ballroom was stinking of Nobles with their expensive perfumes. Though Elfric had no right to protest about it since for the night he was one of them. That thought alone made him want to puke.

He looked around as he saw them split into groups, each of them probably discussing how to fill their already filled bank accounts. He appreciated Christopher’s presence next to him adding to his sense of familiarity.

Being in a place where he didn’t know anything wasn’t the best of situations. He wanted at least one person that didn’t eye him from head to toe. Elfric felt the glares skin him layer by layer at an agonizingly slow pace.

Women were looking at him with a lustful look in their eyes. He could hear them talking among themselves who was he. Which family does he belong to? Where have such a noble been hiding?

They were shamelessly talking with their eyes glued to him. Though they couldn’t be blamed. He was resembling an Elf to the extent that he heard some wonder if he really was one. His hair was down and over his shoulders, that was how he decided to keep it after a heated argument with Chris.

He found himself losing to any argument with the guy.

Elfric was brought back to reality as Chris held out his hand with a glass of champagne.

“We are not yet of age,” said Elfric with his brow raised.

“So what? No one asks here if you are of age or not,” said Chris. “Here, you are a Noble and you do whatever you like.”

Elfric figured from the tone of his voice that Chris was being sarcastic. He wasn’t very fond of the way things are going on around here but there wasn’t anything to do either.

Elfric took the glass anyway. Allowing himself a moment to be treated like royalty and honestly…he never felt more sick. A few hours ago, he was in the slums of London, and now…the duality of this world got him sick to the bones.

Now, he has got to focus on his purpose here, he wasn’t here to have a simple glass of champagne that costs more than his house. He looked around waiting to see his target, Shaw Gotham. But he was yet to be seen.

He fought the urge to ask Chris, he was already suspicious that he was here in the first place. Chris always asked him if he wanted to come with him and Elfric always snorted in disgust.

“I’ll probably suffocate from all the Nobles around me,” Elfric always said.

The commotion that happened at the door of the hall made him snap out of it. He eyed in anticipation.

And there he was. The man that got the most attention in the last week as his tower crumbled to the ground.

Shaw Gotham.