#ckrpevent

He couldn’t speak, couldn’t feel, couldn’t think properly. The world was a chaotic blur of tattered costumes, disheveled guests, and paranormal presences that lurked each corner of the Lazarov castle. Kristoff’s heartbeat was an irregular rhythm, thudding against his rib cage painfully as the once peaceful and joyous crowd around him grew as turbulent as the sea in the middle of a storm. He was shoved this way and that by people desperate to find a safe exit, their goblets still filled with punch and food plates brimming with sweet snacks clattering violently to the floor. And the screams--God, the screams. They pierced his eardrums, drowning all of his sensibilities and suffocating his train of thought in their shrill, panicked frequencies. It seemed as though the entire world was crumbling to the ground directly under Kristoff’s feet, and he couldn’t help but become swept up in the chaos and panic of it all.

And above all, one thought--one worry--floated to the top of his mind, fighting for dominance over any other concern: Anna. He needed to find Anna...and now.

Currently, Kristoff was kicking himself for leaving her alone in the first place. Never mind the fact he’d needed to go to the bathroom and promised her he’d be back as soon as he finished up, he should have never left her alone to begin with. His heart was pounding its way out of his chest as Kristoff made his way through the pushing and rioting crowd of people, wishing now more than ever that he’d bothered to choose a costume that came with a makeshift weapon to use against Maleficent’s wraiths who were reigning hell over all of Verden. Kristoff had no idea how to even go about fighting beasts like this; his family, rock trolls who dwelt in the isolated regions of the North Mountain, had made sure to move firmly away from any sort of magic or sorcery that dealt with toying with the dead. In his family’s own opinion, spirits at rest--beings belonging to the other side--should very well stay dead and gone.

Kristoff had to say, he definitely agreed.

‘Where was she?’ Gaston barged through the crowd of fleeing guests, sword drawn as he desperately searched for his girlfriend in the chaos. Everything was falling to pieces around him, his eyes darting to the fallen bodies with a tightening dread at the sight, followed by a faint relief when it was someone he didn’t know. Any other time, he might have felt bad about thinking that way, but the only thing that mattered to him right now were his friends and Belle. If she had been hurt or...Gaston swallowed the lump in his throat, the unfamiliar feeling of fear and worry threatening to swallow him whole.

Sword drawn, he tried to avoid looking at the hooded creatures that were gorging themselves on the flesh of the living, and he thanked the stars that he had at least something on hand. Though it was unlikely it would be any help against a wraith. Watching how easily the weapons of the Maldonian guards passed though them, they wouldn’t be much help. He scowled, trying to think up of anything he could use to stall them. This was exactly why he had been against leaving his hunting gear at home, but of course no one listened. Now he was completely unprepared with an army of the undead at his heels.

The roar of celebration could still be heard as Maleficent slipped away from the crowd, her heels making faint clacking sounds as she descended the stairs into the dungeons beneath the Maldonian castle. The mood was nearly in place, and she would not be late to launching her plan into action.

Facilier was already there when she had arrived, the dungeon vacated of all life aside from themselves. Blood runes covered every inch of the floor, with circles containing gruesome body parts from those unlucky enough to have been there earlier. “I see you’ve found everything that you would need for tonight.” Maleficent mused, hardly batting an eyelash at the macabre sight before her. They had gone over the ritual time and time again, though to see it up close still made her stomach twist. 

She hadn’t heard what he had said, lifting her skirts as she traversed to the one circle absent of any artifact. That would be her place, as he used her magic and body to channel the spirits of the undead. She undid her cape, feeling her power thrumming through her lithe body. Maleficent had been waiting for this moment for days, and it was finally here. “You’ll have all the power you need and more, love. Just don’t mess it up.” 

The faerie stretched out her limbs, and nodded to the witch doctor. She was ready. As soon as she had given the signal, the magical drain hit her like a dead weight, her energy siphoning away as her magic began to reach across the border between life and death, to forcefully pull back those meant to serve her.

---

The ballroom above grew cold as the lights dimmed and a faint mist filled the castle. An uneasy murmur went through the crowd, as dark symbols started to etch their way across the floor. First one, then ten, then dozens of these marking appeared on the tiles. Those nearest to them jumped away, either by instinct or by surprise. They began to glow, one by one until the room was bathed in an eerie light. From the first, a hand, devoid of flesh, emerged. It braced against the ground as a figure dressed in shadowy robes pulled themselves free of the ground. It was followed by another, and another, until there were over fifty of them hovering in the room around them. Their bones, clattered, and their chains rattled in a manner that would have made the bravest man tremble.

The sound of cheering echoed above, as the humans thought the trick to be a part of the prince’s plan. The only one not laughing was the crown prince himself, whose colour had all but drained at his face as he registered what was happening. Soon the merriment died away, and a crippling feeling of fear overtook him. He did not know what was going on, but he knew one thing - that their newest guests were anything but welcome.

“RUN!”

With the party raging on Perseus was having the time of his life. The costumes were lovely, the people were friendly and the decorations were fantastic. The Maldonian royal family had gone all out for this event and it showed in all the little details they’d put together to make this night the best it could possibly be. After spending over an hour dancing and talking to anyone that would listen Flounder made his way over to one of the many large refreshment tables that dotted the sides of the enormous ballroom dedicated to the occasion.

As this was only his second time on land most of the human cuisine lined up on the table was a mystery to him but he wasn't going to let that deter him from enjoying himself completely, and that including eating as much food as his body would allow. He grabbed a plate off the dwindling stack and started picking out any and all food that looked even the slightest bit appetizing, slowly making his way up the table to the beverages. There were four clear punch bowls sitting there all with a different coloured liquid, all of them smelled vaguely like alcohol but since Perseus had already decided he really didn't care if he got drunk or not ignored the smell in favour of trying to get a read on the other ingredients.

It took him a moment to realize that even if he could smell something he probably wouldn't  recognize it anyway but once he did he made the decision to just try them all. He'd picked up both a cup and the ladle to the bowl closest to him when he noticed small squares floating in the drink. He stared at them confused for a minute before looking around for someone to ask about them.