Bloody Mary's Awakening of Freedom

Dun-dun-dun!

The sound of a piano filled the ballroom as the unattended instrument began to play on its own. William's daze and Wu Wang's wild laughter were swallowed by the melody.

The influential guests, who had been a mess of fear and chaos, started to lose themselves to the music, compelled by the Sound of Joy.

But this Fifth Night's Ball was different from the previous ones.

A musical note insignia appeared on everyone's forehead. As they changed partners and made contact, the color of the note grew more vivid, gradually transforming from its initial white to a blood-red.

Drip.

Thick blood flowed from their eyes, obscuring their vision. Then, it began to gush from their ears, noses, and mouths.

The once-magnificent Main Hall quickly became a pooling lake of blood. The white floor, at first dotted with brilliant red, was instantly submerged in a crimson sea.

They trod through blood so thick it was almost solid, dancing with wild abandon. The splashing gore stained their trousers, clothes, and faces, yet they didn't stop. It climbed their bodies like rising flames.

This time, their dance of joy would not end when they fainted from exhaustion. It would only stop when they had bled out completely.

What a grand, scarlet dance.

Amidst the crowd, only Bei Lang and Xiaoxiao remained untouched. In a state of Bewilderment, he pulled her into a simple spin, and not a single stain of blood touched them. He had tied their hands together beforehand with sturdy strips of cloth and rope.

The insignia on his forehead remained as white as snow. Any spattering blood slid off them silently, like raindrops on a lotus leaf.

William's voice rang out, flustered and exasperated.

"You... You're not even affected by the Sound of Joy! And you still say you haven't cheated?"

He flung Wu Wang's hand away and kicked the severed head he was holding to the side like a piece of trash.

Facing Wu Wang's mocking expression, William could barely contain his rage.

But then, Wu Wang spoke up.

"It's true, I used a few tricks to ignore the Sound of Joy these past few days."

"But not today."

"The one ignoring the joy is not me," he said. "It's her."

With that, Wu Wang turned and walked toward the edge of the ballroom. He looked at Number Five, one of the attendants lining the wall.

He extended his right hand, palm up. His tone was gentle, yet confident.

"Lady Mary, may I have the honor of inviting you for a dance?"

Hearing the name Mary, William froze on the spot, just as he was about to rush forward and demand an explanation.

He knew, of course, that these attendants represented Mary's subconscious. But he knew even better that this was all they were. It was like the patellar reflex of a person in a coma. Even without consciousness, the body's instincts still worked.

Could you say that person had woken up?

Obviously not.

These attendants were merely Mary's subconscious instinct to observe the outside world! They had nothing to do with Mary at all! William knew this better than anyone!

They were nothing more than monsters, born from the original Mary's intense desire to awaken. He even questioned whether the dead Mary could perceive anything they saw or heard.

William roared, his voice torn with anguish.

"They are not Mary! They're just attendants! Damned attendants on this damned cruise ship, serving others, serving Mary's desire!"

However, the voice that spoke next was not Wu Wang's. Instead, it was Number Five, a single teardrop still clinging to the corner of her eye.

She looked at Wu Wang, her voice trembling slightly.

"Sir... if I were to say that Lady Mary cannot hear your call... would you still choose me?"

This ball was undoubtedly the most unforgettable one of Number Five's existence. The role of the attendants was just as William had said. They seemed all-powerful on the cruise ship, but in reality, they were merely tools. Transparent ghosts.

No one would ever care what a ghostly tool was thinking.

And yet, this one person was different.

Number Five could sense that Wu Wang held no feelings of love or adoration for her. Perhaps he was simply looking for some fun. But regardless, he had still pulled her out of the mire.

Therefore, she could not deceive him. She didn't believe she was Mary, either.

Shua.

Wu Wang pointed toward the crazed crowd on the dance floor.

He said softly, "I'm a monster too. Do you think I care what those fools think of me? Don't waste your gaze on those who can't even see you."

"You're not Mary? It doesn't matter. Just assume I called out the wrong name."

"After all, I still don't know your name, and 'Number Five' isn't a very pleasant one."

"If you truly believe you're an invisible ghost, then right now, I am inviting a ghost for a dance."

"At this very moment, my eyes are only on you."

Yes, it had nothing to do with adoration. What Wu Wang wanted to see was an existence that could break the rules. Under his guidance, Number Five had broken them, step by step. She became her own person.

And so, Wu Wang saw only her. Now, it was her turn to be the one who couldn't see the arrogant, influential people.

Gurgle, gurgle...

As soon as he finished speaking, the blood on the ground began to surge. The ritual, which should have been absorbed into the ballroom floor and the ship itself, began to change.

As if alive, it churned on the ground, flowing toward Number Five.

William collapsed, his gaze growing vacant as he watched the river of blood wash over his body. He had never seen the ritual change like this.

The blood gathered at Number Five's feet and crept up her attendant's uniform. A dazzling, blood-red color blossomed from the hem of her skirt. A rose-colored evening gown, blooming like a fiery rose, emerged from beneath her uniform, molded into existence by the blood.

The faces of the thousands of surrounding attendants began to blur, and gradually, they all took on Number Five's appearance. The uniforms on their bodies faded, transforming into plain, long dresses as white as the first snow.

William's vacant gaze suddenly became ecstatic.

That plain, long dress was the very same attire Mary had worn at the ball where they first met.

Mary had awakened!

But why did they all have Number Five's face? Why not Mary's original appearance?

Number Five's voice became more confident, imbued with a natural charisma.

"Sir, thank you."

She gently placed her hand on Wu Wang's outstretched palm.

"I am Mary," she said softly. "A brand-new Mary."

Whoosh!

A fierce wind howled past, and everyone on the dance floor vanished. The blood of the influential guests had created Mary's dress; their final destination, naturally, was Hell.

Bei Lang and Xiaoxiao awoke from their bewilderment. They were back in their cabin, their memories restored. Because they had chosen each other for all five balls, they had suffered no harm.

William blinked and found himself standing at the entrance to the ballroom. He was a stranger, a mere passerby. Even his magnificent formal suit had been replaced by the shabby clothes of the obscure young pianist he once was.

He had become a nobody again.

He could only watch from afar as a young man took Mary's hand and led her to the dance floor. A passionate, fast-paced piano melody erupted.

The two began to dance joyfully.

They weren't dancing the Rumba, the dance the Mary of his memory was so skilled at. Instead, it was the largely improvised and free-spirited Disco.

Its tone was one of passion and vitality, a liberation of mind and body, a full expression of the self.

It was the dance of freedom.

On the dance floor, she was free, and so was he.

Only William was trapped in the past.