Chapter 97: Waltz Before the Explosion

The next morning arrived with elegance and grandeur.

The Hero event had officially begun.

Ji-hye stepped out of her vehicle and approached a magnificent building designed with a royal theme. Its towering pillars, golden trims, and stained-glass windows shimmered under the morning sun, giving the impression of an ancient palace reborn in modern times.

She wore a flowing blue gown that matched her golden hair, which had been carefully tied back. The fabric clung gracefully to her figure as she walked with poised elegance toward the entrance.

The security personnel recognized her immediately.

They straightened their posture and bowed slightly.

“Welcome, Lightnova.”

She gave a small nod and stepped forward.

The massive doors opened slowly.

Inside, a vast hall unfolded before her eyes. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, scattering light across polished marble floors. Dozens—no, hundreds—of Heroes from various countries filled the room. They wore luxurious outfits decorated with gold and fine embroidery.

The atmosphere radiated prestige.

Yet when Ji-hye stepped inside, something shifted.

Conversations softened.

Eyes turned.

One by one, attention gravitated toward her.

Her golden hair shimmered beneath the chandelier lights. Her blue dress flowed like calm ocean waves. She looked radiant.

Ji-hye noticed the stares.

Her steps slowed slightly.

She could hear faint whispers drifting through the hall.

“Who is she… She’s stunning.”

“Damn… I want to approach her.”

“Oh my… I’m jealous of that beauty…”

She felt a little nervous.

Even as an S-rank Hero, she wasn’t accustomed to being admired for her appearance.

Suddenly, a commanding voice echoed from above.

“Attention!”

All eyes shifted upward toward a balcony overlooking the hall.

A man stood there, dressed in elegant attire adorned with expensive jewelry. His posture exuded confidence.

“Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Eric, and I am the host of this event. I am an S-rank Hero from Germany. Thank you all for attending.”

He lifted a glass of red wine from a nearby table.

“Please enjoy this gathering and dance freely!”

He took a sip.

Cheers erupted throughout the hall.

Soon, soft orchestral music filled the air.

The melody was calm and soothing.

In the center of the hall, couples began to dance gracefully. Laughter and elegance intertwined as the celebration unfolded.

Ji-hye remained near the edge of the floor.

One man approached her confidently.

“Miss, may I have this dance?”

Another followed quickly.

“Beautiful lady, would you honor me with a dance?”

A third leaned forward slightly.

“Let us dance, fair lady.”

Ji-hye felt overwhelmed.

She had no desire to dance.

She forced an awkward smile.

“A-ah…”

Then her eyes landed on someone familiar.

Black hair. Calm posture. A face she recognized.

’Vanitas!’

Panic flickered in her mind.

She needed an excuse.

Without hesitation, she slipped past the men and hurried toward him.

“Excuse me!”

When she reached him, she immediately grabbed his arm and clung to it.

Vanitas, who had been calmly sampling food from a nearby table, blinked in confusion.

Ji-hye turned toward the men who had approached her earlier.

“I’ve already promised him a dance!”

Vanitas froze.

’e-eh?’

Jinhoo, disguised as Vanitas, felt his brain stall.

“Uh… Did I really say that earlier?”

he whispered.

“Shhh… Just follow along.”

“U-uh… Okay…”

The men glared at him with envy.

“Tch…”

They dispersed reluctantly.

Ji-hye exhaled softly.

Then she looked at Vanitas and smiled.

Before he could react further, she pulled him toward the center of the hall.

“Let’s dance!”

“W-what!? Why so suddenly!?”

There was no time to resist.

The orchestra began playing Canon in D.

The romantic melody filled the hall.

Vanitas hesitated for a second—then he began to follow her movements.

Ji-hye danced with natural grace.

Her posture was refined.

Her steps were light.

At first, Vanitas seemed stiff.

But gradually, he matched her rhythm.

He adapted quickly.

Their synchronization became seamless.

Other dancers began to notice.

“They move like professionals!”

“They’re both incredibly handsome and beautiful!”

“What a striking pair!”

“They look perfect together…”

Whispers filled the hall once more.

“Ji-hye… Do we really have to dance like this?”

Vanitas asked quietly as he spun her gently.

“Keep dancing. I’m starting to enjoy it.”

Hearing that, he smiled faintly.

They continued, their movements flowing effortlessly.

Then suddenly—

Ji-hye misstepped and accidentally stepped on her own hem.

She nearly lost balance.

But Vanitas reacted instantly.

He caught her by the back before she could fall.

Their hands clasped tightly.

For a brief second, their faces were only inches apart.

Both of them blushed slightly.

A soft silence formed between them despite the music.

Then they smiled and resumed dancing gracefully.

When the dance finally ended, they stepped aside together.

Each of them held a glass of wine.

“Hah… That was really fun! I didn’t expect you to match my movements so well!”

Ji-hye said enthusiastically.

“Well… You’re amazing too.”

Vanitas lifted his glass and took a sip.

At that very moment—

He noticed something.

From above the hall, near the rooftop windows, a figure cloaked in dark fabric and wearing a white mask was staring directly at him.

The masked figure remained still.

Observing.

The moment their eyes met, the figure vanished.

Vanitas narrowed his gaze.

He forced a small smile and looked back at Ji-hye.

“Umm… I think I need to step away.”

“Hmm? Why so soon?”

“I just remembered something important.”

“Ah… I see… Alright.”

He placed his wine glass down and headed toward the upper floor.

He walked quickly through a quiet corridor until he reached a wooden door at the end.

He grabbed the handle.

Locked.

“Tch… Locked from the inside…”

he muttered.

He extended a finger toward the keyhole.

A small blue light formed, shaped like a key.

He attempted to unlock it.

It didn’t budge.

“Hmm… It’s chained from the inside…”

He stepped back slightly.

Raising his hand toward the wooden door, he spoke calmly.

“Void.”

In an instant, a dark-blue glow erupted from his palm.

The wooden door vanished as if swallowed by nothingness.

Gone.

He stepped inside.

And froze.

“H-how is this possible… This never happened in the original storyline…”

The room was lined with time bombs.

Dozens of them were attached to the walls.

Some were even strapped to expensive paintings.

The red countdown timers blinked ominously.

“I-this is insane…”

he muttered with an awkward smile.

Meanwhile, downstairs—

Ji-hye remained seated alone.

She swirled her wine gently.

’Vanitas… His aura feels just like Indigo’s… Even his posture… But that’s impossible… It must just be my imagination…’

She took another sip.

A strange dizziness began to creep into her head.

“Uh… I think I drank too much…”

She placed the glass down and sat in a nearby chair.

She held her forehead.

Her vision blurred slightly.

Even so, memories resurfaced.

Moments when Indigo had saved her.

Times when he had silently protected her from unseen threats.

“Ugh… Why do I keep thinking about him… He’s a villain… What’s wrong with me…”

she murmured weakly.

She couldn’t push him out of her thoughts.

Upstairs—

Vanitas crouched beside one of the bombs.

The timers were synchronized.

Thirty minutes.

He scanned the room quickly.

His mind raced.

This was no ordinary sabotage.

The devices were sophisticated.

Military-grade precision.

He clenched his jaw.

’This isn’t random… Someone is targeting this event specifically…’

He examined the wiring.

Each bomb was linked through a central receiver.

If one exploded, they all would.

He exhaled slowly.

The storyline had completely deviated.

In the original story, this event had passed peacefully.

No explosions.

No sabotage.

’Someone else is interfering…’

His expression darkened.

He extended his hand again.

A faint dark-blue energy shimmered at his fingertips.

Carefully, he began analyzing the central mechanism.

’I can’t just erase them all with Void… It would attract too much attention…’

He needed precision.

He needed stealth.

Downstairs, the music continued.

Laughter filled the hall.

None of them knew death ticked quietly above their heads.

Ji-hye tried to stand.

Her legs felt weak.

She steadied herself against the table.

Something was wrong.

This wasn’t simple intoxication.

Her senses—usually sharp—felt dulled.

Her heartbeat quickened slightly.

She scanned the hall.

Everything seemed normal.

But her instincts whispered otherwise.

She clenched her fist gently.

’Something feels off…’

Upstairs, Vanitas finally located the primary detonator.

A faint smirk appeared on his face.

“Found you.”

He placed his hand over the device.

Dark-blue energy enveloped it silently.

The metal casing began to dissolve—not explosively—but as if fading into another dimension.

One by one, he carefully neutralized the connection system.

Sweat formed lightly on his forehead.

Even for him, handling so many devices at once required intense concentration.

Five minutes passed.

Ten.

Finally—

The blinking red lights went dark.

All timers stopped.

Silence.

Vanitas exhaled deeply.

“It’s done…”

He looked around the room.

This wasn’t an amateur’s work.

Whoever planted these bombs had resources.

Knowledge.

And a purpose.

He turned toward the window and looked down at the hall below.

Ji-hye was still seated, her expression slightly pale.

Concern flashed in his eyes.

’Ji-hye… Was the wine tampered with too?’

His fists tightened.

This was bigger than he thought.

Much bigger.

The peaceful waltz.

The romantic music.

The laughter.

All of it had nearly turned into a massacre.

And the masked figure on the rooftop—

He hadn’t imagined that.

Someone was watching.

Someone had planned this.

Vanitas straightened his posture.

The event wasn’t over yet.

And neither was the threat.

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