Roselle and Runebelle mingled with the oths in the room, they felt a sense of acceptand belonging. The atmosphere was both dark and alluring, with the various creatures and beings engaging in versations and dance, creating an enting and unique experience.

  The skeleton from earlier, who had apahem, approached with a wide grin and said, “You made it! Wele to our world, the world of Goths.” His bony haured towards the festivities, inviting the sisters to join in the celebration.

  Roselle and Runebelle, while mingling with the oths, noticed a group of Goth girls and boys at nearby tables. Some were engaged in deep versations, while others were involved in dark and mysterious games. The atmosphere was intriguing, and the sisters decided to approach a friendly-looking Goth girl to strike up a versation.

  With a smile, Roselle made her way over and said, “Hey there, we’re new here. Mind if we join in on the fun?”

  The Goth girl, with a dark attire and makeup, weled them with a nod and said, “Of course! The more, the merrier. I’m Elvira. What brings you to our world?”

  Runebelle, who ofte Roselle take the lead in versations, smiled warmly and introduced themselves, “I’m Roselle, and this is my sister, Runebelle. We’ve just bee Goths, and we’re here to experience everything.”

  Elvira’s eyes sparkled with intrigue, and she replied, “That’s great! Wele to the club. We’re all about embrag our darkness and having a good time. Let’s make this night memorable.”

  Elvira, with a knowing look, nodded in respoo Roselle’s introdu. “I see. Wele to the realm of Goths. It’s not every day that newers like you make it in here. Usually, Jay or Chloe only lets in their friends, so you must have impressed one of them.”

  Roselle and Runebelle exged gnces, realizing the significe of this insight.

  Elvira gave them a smirk, “Well, we’re a close-knit group, but I suppose Chloe does make new Goths every now and again. Just enjoy the night, and you’ll see how special our world be.”

  Roselle, curious about Jay’s absence, inquired further. “So, Jay’s not here right noere hoping to meet her. Any idea when she’ll be back?”

  Elvira’s dark eyes held a hint of mystery. “I’m irely sure. Jay tends to e and go as she pleases. You might want to ask Chloe for more information. Everyone wants to meet Jay, after all.”

  Roselle turo Elvira and asked, “We’ve seen Chloe here, but what about Jay? When will she be back?”

  Elvira shrugged. “I’m not sure. You might want to ask Chloe. Everyone here wants to meet Jay, but her schedule be uable.”

  Roselle and Runebelle exged gnces once again, their curiosity piqued.

  As Roselle and Runebelle walked to another area of the party, Roselle leaned in closer to her sister and whispered, “Runebelle, we o find Chloe again. We pletely fot to ask her about Jay.”

  Runebelle nodded, her expression equally worried. “You’re right, but finding Chloe in this ight be a challenge.”

  Just then, a sudden person from the side startled them. It was the Skeleton who had guided them earlier, and he had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. He announced, “Oh, don’t you worry, my dears. Chloe’s going to be on stage for the mai soon.”

  Roselle and Runebelle jumped with surprise. “How long have you been there?” Roselle asked, still trying to catch her breath after the sudden scare.

  The Skeleton merely grinned. “I’ve beehe whole time, keeping an eye on you two. Now, enjoy the party, and don’t miss Chloe’s performan the stage. It’s a sight to behold.”

  Suddenly, the musi the room abruptly ceased, and all eyes turo a stage that had seemingly materialized out of the shadows. The spotlight cast a stark trast between the deep darkness and the illumiform. Onstage, a few Gothic girls and oh a fierce mohawk took the ter, with a rockstar personality that atention.

  With a fiderifying presehe girl with the mohawk gripped a microphone and began to speak to the gathered Goths with excitement. “Ladies alemen, we’re about to kick off today’s mais in style!” Her words echoed through the room, drawing all eyes to the stage.

  “If you’re ready for some excitement tonight, give me a ’Hell yeah!”

  The crowd erupted into cheers and appuse with several responding “Hell yeah!” Goths of all kinds—dressed in their signature dark attire and adorned with various accessories—huddled closer towards the stage.

  The Mohawk girl tinued while moving around the stage. “I’m so thrilled to see all of you here tonight! I absolutely love this crowd. You guys know how t the energy, and that’s why we’re going to make this night unfettable!”

  She paused with her eyes sing the enthusiastic faces before her. “Now, I know you’re all night owls, living for the dark hours, but I ’t let you go hungry. Not on my watch!”

  A murmur of agreement and anticipatiohrough the crowd. The Mohawk girl grinned. “That’s right! We’ve got a sumptuous spread of darkness prepared just for you. From midnight snacks to indulgent delicacies, we’ve got it all. Our chefs have outdohemselves, ensuring that even the hu of Goths will leave satisfied. Are you ready for the feast, my fellow Goths?!”

  The crowd’s response was a thunderous cheer. A sea of dark-cd figures shouted, “Hell yeah!” with unbridled enthusiasm. But the Mohawk girl wasn’t quite finished.

  “I know you’re all hungry,” she said with a teasing smirk, “but don’t let that take away your energy. Give me all you’ve got! Are you truly ready for this night?”

  The crowd roared even louder, their voices merging into a powerful, unified decration of readiness and anticipation.

  Roselle, caught up in the iious energy, joihe chorus. “Hell yeah!” she shouted, her with excitement.

  Runebelle, standing beside her, gave a small, sorrowful smile. “Don’t fet why we’re here,” she murmured.

  Roselle turo her sister. “I haven’t fotten,” she said softly. “But maybe... just maybe, this might not be so bad.”

  Roselle was ready to enjoy herself, but that was short-lived when they saw Haras, or someone eared to be Haras, being presented in an arming state. Haras looked pale. Her energy had been drained from her body. She was nearly lifeless.

  The head of the Haras figure moved unnaturally. The sisters were horrified. Their reas were met with screams and cheers from the audience, as some saw it as part of the show, while others were genuinely disturbed.

  Undisturbed by the uling dispy, the Mohawk girl on stage announced, “Now, it’s time for the Pinata games! Who’s ready to see what Chloe has in store for us today?”

  With a growing sense of unease, Roselle and Runebelle listened. “Whoever the spotlight nds on will get the first swing.”

  Roselle and Runebelle exged worried ghey huddled together briefly, and Roselle whispered, “We o find a way to stop this, Runebelle. What’s happening to Haras is not part of any game we want to be a part of.”

  Runebelle nodded in agreement. “You’re right, Roselle. We have to do something.”

  The spotlight suddenly nded owo sisters who were huddled up, making their presenown. The Mohawk girl, with a wide grin, poio them, announg, “Ladies alemen, look who we have here! Two fortuh girls who get the first swing. Let’s see if they break the prize!”

  Roselle and Runebelle were now thrust into the ter of attention. Roselle and Runebelle slowly made their way onto the stage. Each of them was handed a bat. The Mohawk girl shouted, “e on, folks, let’s give these two brave Goth girls a warm wele! They’re going to take the first swings and show us how it’s done!”

  The crowd responded with cheers and appuse, adding to the pressure the sisters were feeling. Roselle frantically tried to think of a way out of this situation. “We ’t fight them here,” Roselle whispered to herself, “They outnumber us, and no matter how strong Kintovar made me, all of them are fairly strong, and that puts us at a huge disadvantage.”

  Anxious, she tinued, “We don’t even know what kind of powers these Goths might have. Trying to take them on here would be reckless.”

  Frustratio into her. “e on, think, Roselle. There has to be another way. We ’t let Haras get get hurt any worse than she is now.” Roselle closed her eyes momentarily. ”Think, think, think! We need a pn, and we fast!”

  The group on stage noticed Roselle’s hesitation, and one of the Goth girls spoke up, “Let them help, they’re new here after all.”

  Roselle muttered, “I took too much time... Oh No!”

  A Goth girl with dark pigtails stepped forward. She examined Roselle and Runebelle, taking iense postures and anxious looks.

  With a dramatic sigh, the Goth girl said, “You two have certainly made quite the entrance. Deying the games like this… how very typical. You must be newers. Let me tell you something, in our world, if you ’t py along, then you’d better not waste our time.”

  Roselle’s heart raced. “Wait!” she called out “This… this isn’t right….”

  The Goth girl’s remained cold. She adjusted the bat in her hands “I’m afraid you don’t get to dictate the terms here. Either you participate or face the punishment of Chloe for ruining the cert.”

  Roselle’s resolve began to waver. She back at Haras, who remained lifeless and pale. She took a deep breath and wore a deep frown. “I’m sorry, Haras,” she whispered.

  With a heavy heart, Roselle swung the bat at the Haras. The impact was more muted than she expected. Runebelle’s eyes held a deep sadness. She joined Roselle and swung at Haras.

  To Roselle’s and Runebelle’s surprise it burst open like a pinata, revealing a surprising array of treats. Out poured bck bean tacos, blood-red beet sad, and dark chocote-covered strawberries, among other dark yet mouthwatering dishes. The crowd’s cheers erupted into appuse aement, their earlier tensioing away as they flocked to the delicious spread.

  Mier, Roselle and Runebelle were sitting at a table of their own. Roselle, still in a state of shock from the earlier events, sat there with a distant look in her eyes.

  Runebelle, oher hand, had started to eat a taco from the feast. She noticed Roselle’s tinued daze and said, “Roselle, you might as well eat. We only o eat once a day, and this is a good opportunity.”

  Runebelle attempted to get Roselle’s attention “Roselle?”

  But there was no response. Frustrated by her sister’s ck of rea, Runebelle picked up the taco she was eating and moved it toward Roselle’s mouth in an attempt to get her to eat.

  As Runebelle brought the taco closer to Roselle’s face, the shock finally registered, and Roselle fell out of her chair in surprise.

  ”Wah!”

  Runebelle, ed for her sister, asked, “Are you okay, Roselle?”

  Roselle, scratg the back of her head with a sheepish smile, responded, “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a bit stunned.”

  Runebelle sighed and said, “It looks like they made a pinata in Haras’s image. The real Haras has to be still around here somewhere.”

  Roselle responded. “We really o find Chloe. We ’t just stay at this party. We o figure out what’s going on and help Haras if she’s still in trouble.”

  Right after discussing their pn, the Skeleton appeared at their table, startling them both. “I know a way you see Chloe before her performance,” he announced. His presence caught them off guard.

  Roselle, in her surprise, tumbled out of her chair once agaiing out an “ow”. She then rubbed her head.

  The Skeleton respoo Roselle’s surprise with a shrug, “I don’t know why you’re so surprised. I told you I was following you to make sure you were having a good time.”

  Roselle, still rubbing the back of her head and feeling the slight sting from her earlier falls, wiped away a few tears that had welled up. She was eager to hear more about how to reach Chloe. “You mentioned you have a way for us to talk to Chloe. How we do that?”

  Runebelle looked at the Skeleton, her curiosity evident. “We sense Chloe is still here. Where is she now?”

  The Skeleton leaned in and expined, “Chloe is backstage. If you want to talk to her, that’s where you’ll o catch her.”

  With gratitude expressed to the Skeleton, Roselle and Runebelle made their way backstage. Here, the atmosphere was slightly brighter, with a dimly lit corridor leading them to what seemed to be a more illuminated area.

  The sisters found themselves in a space where various individuals were crowding about. The noises grew louder, and it became apparent that they had stepped into the midst of Chloe’s fervent fans.

  The fans, dressed in gothic attire and adorned with dark makeup, surrounded Roselle and Runebelle with anticipation.

  Roselle sighed and said, “Oh boy..”