━━ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐄!
❪ the start of the horrors ❫

⋆        𝗠𝗔𝗬𝗕𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗦 of the innocent wasn't so clear. Maybe each of our souls was just measured by our wickedness of ourselves. The scales of justice were never really the truth for powerful families. The Sparrows were indeed people who thought of themselves highly in society. Think of this as a pack of hungry wolves who haven't eaten, their ribcages revealing flesh and bone. They are all hungry for power and become superior creatures of the woods. Those are the wealthy and influential people in this society. Then, think of a flock of sheep, all unharmed and vulnerable. Those sheep are the lower society. Then, the wolves unhinge their jaws and devolve them one by one, getting rid of the lower part of society for the kingdom to be pure.

This is what every powerful family seems to do, all except one person.

William Sparrows was what people best described as a disgrace to the family. But it wasn't his fault that he had a sense of a moral compass. It wasn't his fault that he had a kind heart, and it was better to leave his heart pure rather than covered with scars and a blackened soul. But, unfortunately, it seemed that he was the black sheep of his family, the sheep in a family full of hungry wolves hunting for a sense of power in this cruel world. There was no getting out of this; there was no lifeline that William could grab onto, left to drown in the sea, and it was a sad fact.

He seemed to only know right and wrong in extreme cases. He just wanted to disappear and never resurface if he had to see his family do something horrible one more time. William just wanted to go onto a ship into the middle of the sea and wrap an anchor around him, dragging him down to the pits of the darkness. It was always that feeling that seemed to haunt him day and night.

"Stand up straighter; we are not slops! Do you want to make the family name a disgrace?" His father remarked to William as he snapped out of his daydream. The Sparrows were cutting the ribbon for the newest building that his father decided to create, the Mayoral Estate. William nodded quickly as he looked at the ground, regretting that he had disobeyed his orders earlier. In all honesty, he had never heard his orders beforehand, his orders falling on deaf ears.

Standing beside his father, William scanned the crowd; he stopped at a few people. He tried to smile at them, but the camera flash nearly blinded him. His smile faded away as he wanted to get this over with so he could stay in his room until the charity ball appeared. Or better yet, he wanted to be with his friends earlier. He didn't like the cameras, as they were always in his face. It felt like torture to be stuck in a loop repeatedly; he didn't want to be here anymore or on the front page of some uprising newspaper. William wanted to find a way out, but all he could do was get on his knees and beg.

As his eyes adjusted to the camera flashes, he could see his friends. William secretly smiled as he looked around. Ivan was standing alone, his eyes glued to the group of people on the stage. William could tell that he didn't want to be socialising with people unless they knew how to speak astrophysics with him. Samuel was at the food table as usual, and William couldn't help but smile. Eleanor and Vanya talked together, reuniting after a few years apart, and only letters bind them together. Darling met Jamie and Rosalie for the first time, and William knew they would get along. Unfortunately, he couldn't see his other friends; he hoped to see them later during the evening ball.

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⋆        "𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗡𝗢𝗥, 𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘!" Vanya yelled out in the crowd, trying to get the girl's attention. Her blonde hair flowed in the wind as the breeze crept in; she crossed her arms while waiting for the girl to walk towards her. Vanya smiled as she recognised the girl stumbling through the large crowd. Vanya knew Eleanor wouldn't be so uptight, with her shoulders slumped and her trying to take her high heels off at the chance she could.

"You can see nothing in this crowd. It's so packed! Wait... I thought Claira was with you?" Eleanor spoke quietly as she crossed her arms. Her dress fluttered with the beat of the wind, but you could see the goosebumps growing on her arms. Vanya wanted to give her her jacket, but Eleanor could see she was distracted by something else, so Vanya left it.

"Her grandma couldn't attend the unveiling but will be at the charity ball tonight. So, she isn't here either," Vanya spoke, her words being forced. Her relationship with Claira wasn't so good, but it wasn't bad either. Vanya's friendship with Claira was awkward because of her grandma, who always had something to say about Vanya's choices in life. It was difficult to even have a conversation without her saying something negative. Nonetheless, Claira loved her because her parents weren't around as much.

"Man... Will looks like he doesn't want to be here," Eleanor said, and Vanya scoffed, which made Eleanor smile. The pair started to stroll through the crowd but didn't lose sight of each other. Eleanor touched Vanya's shoulder as the couple finally found a clearing to talk.

"I'm pretty sure that's obvious, Elle," Vanya said, and Eleanor rolled her eyes, but she still smiled. Vanya couldn't help but laugh softly, not realising they were getting weird looks from the crowd praising the Sparrows' family. They ignored it, crossing their arms and observing the group instead.

"Oh, look. Ivan's here..." Eleanor spoke before Vanya looked to where she was looking. Eleanor nudged her as she wiggled her eyebrows as a joke, but Vanya rolled her eyes before cocking her head at the thought of him standing alone.

"He never comes to these things? If I remember correctly, he claims that they are a 'waste of time, as people are so full of themselves in their heads. All they can talk about is their children or their partner's affair,'" Vanya said as she masked her voice to become Ivan, quoting with her fingers, and Eleanor covered her mouth to try not to laugh out loud. She didn't want to draw more attention to the girls, who already stood out of the crowd.

"Oh, I think he came for Will? I think?" Eleanor answered back once she recovered from the close outburst of laughter. Eleanor checked her watch, and Vanya nodded before looking at the mysterious boy again. Vanya felt curious before the crowd went quiet suddenly, signalling that the ceremony was starting.

"Ever since the city's Council building burned down to the ground by some unknown substances, the good men have been working hard to build a new centre for the charity balls to come this year!" An older man spoke, seemingly like William, and yet, nothing like William, into the microphone. Vanya could feel Eleanor's eye roll as she scoffed and crossed her arms. None of William's friends, including William himself, liked him, as he was generally rude. What they only enjoyed in the Sparrows family was William.

"Honestly, he can go choke," Vanya whispered to Eleanor, hoping no one else heard the two girls. Eleanor looked around, seeing if anyone was overhearing the conversation, before leaning in to whisper to her.

"I agree, but it's also rude..."

"Well, let's agree here―he's a rude person; he deserves it, not William," Vanya said, and Eleanor couldn't help but nod at the statement. The two girls stood in silence, and Vanya worried whether or not it was the right thing to say. Of course, he was a cruel man, but the people around him were his followers. They didn't like what people had to say, so Vanya worried that they would get hurt or cast aside.

"You're right," Eleanor said, filling the silence, and Vanya chuckled.

"I'm always right," Vanya smirked before crossing her arms, waiting for the time to speed by so that she could get a bite of food. She looked to see Samuel hanging around there, ignoring his strange looks as his eyes remained on the food. Vanya wished she could be as carefree as Samuel, but she knew that her parent's legacy would get the best of her.

"You weren't right about the historical question in that competition in Budapest," Eleanor smirked before looping her arms around Vanya's. Vanya scoffed out of embarrassment, not wanting to remember the moment, but she let Eleanor take her arm.

"That was only one time!" Vanya whispered loudly for dramatic suspense. The two girls giggled for a short while throughout the ceremony. They didn't care about the people trying to silence them, as nothing could bring down their friendship.

━━━━━━

⋆        𝗦𝗔𝗠𝗨𝗘𝗟 𝗗𝗜𝗗𝗡'𝗧 𝗞𝗡𝗢𝗪 why he was there; some were likeable, and he didn't belong with these snob people. He knew that he stood out, with his messy hair sticking out and clothing that certainly wasn't formal but more for a casual outing with friends. But he decided to come for William; he didn't know why, but William made him happy. Samuel looked for someone he had mutual feelings with and noticed two girls giggling. Recognising the blonde hair, he decided to walk towards them.

"Hey, isn't Doc Martens a little extreme for this, Vanya?"

"Isn't being obnoxious a little extreme?"

"Sorry, didn't mean to step on you," Samuel said, deciding to joke around, putting a pun with his words. Not realising what he said, Vanya took a while before she groaned and hung her head to the ground with a smile. Eleanor bit her lip, shaking her head, not wanting to fall for Samuel's tricks, but at the same time, Eleanor loved being around Samuel. Samuel was fresh air, and they were glad that William introduced Samuel.

"Hello, Samu," A brown―hair girl stood behind Vanya. Samuel smiled at the nickname before he recognised her face as Eleanor, one of the only females to be accepted into the Royal Astronomers for Juniors, alongside Ivan, who was also at the ceremony. Samuel couldn't help but feel intimidated, knowing that he was the lesser out of the group, but for some reason, he couldn't think about leaving William, nor his friends, behind. Nonetheless, Samuel placed a facade on his face, hiding the pain behind his smile. It was the easier way out of situations, and he didn't have to have people asking him questions about his well―being.

"Hey, Ellie, still looking up at the sky?" Samuel said, trying to be poetic.

"Yeah, what about you? Looking for your common senses?" Eleanor smiled, crossing her arms. Samuel chuckled, nodding and holding up his arms in surrender. Both of the girls laughed and shook their heads. Samuel smiled, knowing that it was something they did. It wasn't out of spite, but it was out of friendship. Everything about them wasn't serious, and Samuel appreciated that.

"Well, I'm feeling a bit peckish, so I'm going to head to the food table again―" Samuel spoke quietly, which caught the attention of both Vanya and Eleanor. Vanya raised her eyebrow while Eleanor tilted her head to the side. Samuel smiled before heading to the food table, not knowing that the ceremony was still going. Vanya was impressed, not seeing the disrespect, as most people would call it, but instead, a rebellion.

As Samuel walked towards the table, he could feel something was wrong. The breeze prodded a little differently, almost colder than before, even though it was a sunny afternoon. Maybe no birds were exploring the world beyond themselves in the blue sky. Ignoring the uneasy fact, he grabbed a couple of sausage rolls and headed towards his friends. Samuel was glad they didn't turn him away, as his previous friends did, but they now remain six feet under the ground. The grave beside theirs called for Samuel's name, but he left everything behind to survive.

William quickly rushed out to find his friends after the ceremony finished and the ribbon was cut. He didn't want to hear his father tell him something else that he had somehow ruined. His father has always looked for a reason to prove that William wasn't a good son, the son that he never wanted in the first place. William didn't want to cause his father's anger, but he always got the short end of the stick.

"Hey, how are all of you doing? Enjoying the event so far?" William smiled as he headed towards his friend. At the end of his sentence, he rolled his eyes, showing he didn't want to be here either. His friends smirked and sniggered, trying not to burst into laughter.

"Hello! Claira couldn't attend the ceremony because her grandmother didn't want to chat with the snobs around her. Nevertheless, she will be turning up for the charity ball tonight," Eleanor said, nodding to the other people who did turn up for the ceremony. William looked around to see who was there, and he greeted them with the classic smile he had on his face.

"Hello, William," Ivan spoke as William turned around to greet the Russian boy. William was glad that he met the boy, as the pair of them had been friends since he was in boarding school. Ivan was his first friend, and William had nothing but gratitude. All Ivan wanted from William was someone to talk to during the nights, and William was glad to be there. Although there were some secrets the pair shared or kept hidden from each other, worried that they would lose each other, they were fitted for each other.

"Hey! You decided to ditch the darkness of your bedroom; how are you enjoying the outside world?" Samuel said as he questioned the mysterious boy, who stared at him with annoyance but caringness in his eyes.

"Have you ditched your horrible sense of humour?"

"Okay, what is it with this bullying and ganging on me?" Samuel shook his head jokingly as he looked at the ground. William smiled as he directed the group to one of the tables to serve lunch. They weren't prepared for what would happen in the next few hours. The uneasy breeze that Samuel felt earlier should have been a warning sign, yet no one would take it seriously.

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⋆        "𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬𝗢𝗡𝗘! 𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘! 𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗦𝗘 your glass for Reginald, who made the impossible... Possible!" A stranger―that William couldn't recognise―spoke, but maybe it was one of his supporters with whom he disagreed. Most people raised their glasses, but William and his friends didn't. Instead, they got glares from the others, especially Reginald, whose stare sent shivers down William's spine. If William was honest, he was afraid of his father, knowing what he could do, even if it meant hiding denseness murder.

"Honestly, I don't understand why Reginald gets all the credit, even though the builders made this possible. They were the ones who made this amazing estate," Rosalee spoke, poking her leftovers, and instead fixated on the cup of tea in front of her. Everyone nodded in agreement, with William looking over at his father. He could sense something was wrong, but he shook it off as chills from the wind, the breeze revealing danger.

The trees were moving strangely, and William couldn't help but feel like he was in a trance. It was an illusion, a hypnotising movement without black━and━white spirals. Ivan noticed that he was distracted, and he placed a hand on his shoulder, bringing him back to the ground, the Earth, rather than heads in the clouds. The simple action brought William back to reality, and he thanked him quietly.

"Hey, Jamie, tell me one of your jokes; it might pass the time," Darling smiled before finishing her drink. Jamie chuckled as he nodded, and Darling and Rosalee paid attention to the boy. Eleanor and Vanya were whispering while Samuel was stuffing his mouth with the food he supplied himself with. William realised that Claira, Abby and Sedona weren't there, and he hoped they were here for the evening ball.

"Hey, Will―" Samuel spoke to William before being interrupted by a loud sound, which made William grab Samuel's arm. It made everyone jump, and their heads turned towards where it came from. William gasped as he stood, the table shaking as everyone else stood up. Ivan could see that he was emotionally distressed, and he swallowed hard before trying to pull William away from the sight.

It was the sight of his father sitting in his chair, his throat torn apart with blood everywhere. Blood splatters on the white table spread, and William couldn't help but replace the image repeatedly. The sound was a gun blowing into Reginald's throat.

It seemed like he choked on the lead, just as Vanya said.

𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐒!
✶ welcome to the first chapter of escape the night and i hoped that you guys enjoyed this chapter as much as i did! this has been hugely revamped, as you can tell due to the increased word count! i have changed some plot lines and added more information in terms of characters. i really love this book, and so far, i have just been editing and revamping this book so it is up to a standard that i feel is perfect for this book! i know you guys have been missing this book, so here you go!

𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗞𝗦 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚!