cendillion | ryden ✓

i

the brunette sat at the edge of the water fountain. he sat in his torn work clothes, ashes covering him head to toe. he let out a soft sob before looking into the night sky, tears streaming down his cheeks as the stars glitter.

he clutches tightly onto the ripped shreds of fabric in his hands, his fragile hands began to shake as tears began to swell once more in his eyes.

his stepmother and stepsisters were the ones that ruined his magical night. they were the ones that destroyed ryan's perfectly sewned suit for tonight's ball. without it, he was simply nothing but an empty shell that went by the name 'ryan ross'.

"you really thought that someone as pathetic as you could attend the ball?!", the eldest stepsister snickered wickedly as she shoved the brunette to the tiled floor. "hey! come over here and see what the brat made!"

the younger stepsistser came rushing in ryan's mess of an attic, she rolled her eyes back before her eyes landed on the mannequin who had the beautifully designed suit on.

"oh? so it appears that ryan wishes to go the prince's ball, right?", she taunts him, ryan swallows before nodding. the younger stepsister reached for two pairs of scissors, tossing one to her sister. "such a shame that you would't be able to go if you had nothing to wear!"

she easily snips the fabric, ryan lets out a cry and a yelp as he was forced to watch his masterpiece become nothing but trash.

"aww, is ryan going to cry?", the eldest asks with a grin, she picks up a piece of cloth and throws it at his face. "even if you were to go, the prince would never choose or even lay his eyes on someone like you."

they leave, all pretty and dressed in their silky ballgowns of perals as ryan sat in dust and dirt.

he holds the piece of cloth to his face, pressing it against his cheek as he begins to break down. tears began to fall, his heart was too big for his body and he despised how much he cared.

the 'clip-clop' of the horses ran by, taking his stepmother and stepsisters away to the ball as they soon faded away.

ryan shakes his, forcing himself to try and not over-think the situation. he didn't like the feeling of despair contaminating and consuming him, he had to stay positive.

but even after lying and convincing yourself that you're worth it, there really was no point if you saw yourself as a failure and a waste of space.

"if only i could go to tonight's ball..", he whimpers, memories of his stepmother and stepsisters' words flash in his mind. he shakes his head, blinking back his tears, only to have them fall and meet the pavement ground.

"of course.. going to an enchanted ball is just a dream.. a wish that would never come true..", the young male tells himself, using the hem of his dirty sleeve to gently dab his tears away.

something catches the brunette's eye, miniature twinkles of fairy dust shine then fade. he glances up, hazel eyes meeting an icy blue. he blinks a couple of times, wondering if this was nothing but a mere dream.

there stood a female who had a jet black cloak covering her entire body. using a hand, she removes her hood. the male studies her features, her face was slim with long blond curls you could get tangled in. her eyes were an electric blue, they sparked with energy but they were also a cold misty grey. it read to be unclear, hard to read and mysterious but deadly.

a wicked grin spread across her petite face. she holds out a weapon, a knife, holding it before his eyes as the brunette stares at it. something pulls him in, he reaches out before immediately snapping back.

he takes one last glance at her blank expression before looking back down at the pointy object.

"wh-who.. who are you?", ryan asks, trying to sound courageous as he chokes back his tears.

"i'm giving you a once in a lifetime opportunity.", her voice was calm and mesmerizing, sending chills up the male's spine. "you will go to the ball, disguised as another person, and have the night of your life. with my magic, this desire of yours can come true."

she pauses, licks her lips and beams a wicked smile. "but in return, you have to use this exact knife to murder the prince."

"m-murder the prince?", he repeats, thinking wisely of his decision. he stands up and looks at his reflection in the water fountain. ryan could see himself in the water, wearing something that weren't commoner clothes and rags but something from the finest shop in town. he continues to stare and his imagination immediately takes over, he could now see himself inside the palace where everyone would be jealous of his beauty. even his stepmother and stepsisters would be grumbling, knowing that their plan to persuade the prince had failed as all they could think was 'who is that?'.

he was now standing face to face with the unknown female in black. she inhales the cold air and fiddles with the knife as if it were a harmless toy, waiting patiently for a response.

"you're telling me that i can have the night of my life.. as long as i kill the prince?", he asks, waiting for confirmation.

she nods. "yes. that is all i ask for.", she holds the knife out once more, resting it in her palm.

hesitantly, the brunette reaches for the weapon as if he were in a trance. he quickly snatches the object out of the female's hand, his hazel eyes meet her icy blue eyes for the last time. he nods and she gives him a grin in response.

"until midnight, you will no longer be ryan ross but a young female who goes by the name of 'ryanne rose'.", the female recites, flickering her wand. magic begins to flow out of the stick, twirling gracefully around ryan.

his rags transformed into an ivory ballgown that was cut up to his ankles, the dress was decorated with strands of laces as a ribbon ties around his waist. his shaggy chocolate hair extended up to his shoulders, the tips curling at the very end. his bangs grew as well, half of his hair covered his face. ivory slippers circled his feet out of nowhere, they felt comfy as if it were a perfect fit. ryan's body was transforming into another body, it was still him but not in his own skin.

it was if he were a completely different person.

ryan blinks, his eyes re-adjusting back to the darkness. the last trace of magic vanishes as the unknown lady disappears. he could still see her piercing grin in his mind, he shakes the thought out of his head and hears the sounds of proud and strong neighs. he turns to the left, walking towards the sounds and out of the backyard as he mkes his way to the front of the house.

the unknown female left an angel white carriage with two horses and a coachman who was also dressed in ivory. the aesthetic of the clothes and the way everything looks, it matched and was aesthetically-pleasing.

he looks down to his brand new outfit. he twirls around in his dress as his extended and real hair moves freely in the air. his masculine features had disappeared and were replaced by feminine attributes. his arms were slimmer, he had some sort of heavyweight that was on his chest and his legs (specifically his thighs) were a bit jiggly and fat.

ryan was now pretty and actually looked good for the first time in forever. the thought of feeling good about himself made the bruntte smile. his eyes glance over to the hand that was extended to him, he examines it before meeting the coachman's eyes.

"for you mademoiselle.", the coachman says, handing over a note.

"th-thank you.", he stutters out, cringing in disgust at the hoarse sound that he just made. hell, even his voice changed and went up a higher pitch.

the magic will wear off at the twelfth stroke of midnight. your objective is to kill the prince with the knife i've given you. be smart about your decisions and don't do anything you'll regret.

he sighs and accepts the fact that he was no longer ryan, but now another young lady named 'ryanne' attending the prince's ball. he clutches onto the knife and slips it into the ribbon which was wrapped around his waist. 

the brunette steps into the carriage, leaving his old life behind.