The guild was unrecognizable.Jack-o'-lanterns floated mid-air, candles flickered in the shape of screaming faces, and someone — probably Lucien — had managed to enchant the chairs to dance whenever anyone sat on them.
Kuro stood in the middle of it all, dressed in a dark cloak that was supposed to make him look like a vampire… but with his wide, innocent eyes, he just looked like a lost trick-or-treater.
[You look like a bat who failed flight school.]
{I don't! Mika said I looked good!}
[He lied to protect your feelings.]
{He doesn't lie!}
[Then he's blind.]
Kuro sighed. "You're so mean…"
"What was that?" Mika's cold voice came from behind him.
Kuro jumped. "N-Nothing!"
Mika raised a brow, arms crossed over his chest. He was wearing a sleek black suit with a silver tie, his usual coat replaced by a dark cape. His pale skin glowed faintly under the orange candlelight, and with those sharp eyes, he looked like the definition of dangerous charm.
Lucien, on the other hand, was dressed as a werewolf. Complete with fuzzy ears, a fake tail, and claws that clicked every time he waved. "I'm telling you, I own this look," he said, grinning. "What do you think, Kuro?"
Kuro smiled politely. "It… suits you?"
[He looks like a rejected plush toy.]
Kuro bit his tongue to hold in a laugh.
Lucien blinked. "Did… did you just giggle at me?"
Mika smirked slightly. "He's being polite. You look ridiculous."
Lucien clutched his chest dramatically. "Wow. Hurtful. It's Halloween — where's your spirit?"
Mika looked around the hall full of floating pumpkins and screaming pastries. "Buried."
That's when the guild master appeared, wearing — of all things — a witch's hat that didn't fit over his hair. "Alright, everyone!" he shouted. "Tonight's Halloween celebration includes a costume contest! Winner gets one week off missions and a free stay at the royal spa!"
Half the guild cheered. The other half (mainly Mika) looked like they were planning murder.
[Oh, he's going to win this. He's got that broody vampire prince energy.]
{You think so?}
[Please, look at him. The cape, the glare, the cheekbones — it's illegal how dramatic he looks.]
Mika narrowed his eyes slightly. "I can hear you, Elvastia."
[Good. Then hear this — you're hot.]
Mika froze. Kuro choked on air. Lucien dropped his cup.
"…Excuse me?" Mika said in the flattest tone imaginable.
Kuro waved his hands frantically. "H-He didn't mean it like that! H-He's just joking!"
[Nope, I meant it exactly like that.]
Mika ran a hand over his face. "Kuro. If you don't find a way to exorcise him, I'll do it myself."
Lucien was laughing so hard he nearly fell over. "Oh, this is perfect! Finally someone who can fluster Mr. Ice King."
"Keep talking," Mika said coldly, "and I'll test how long a werewolf can live without air."
Lucien immediately zipped his mouth shut.
Later, as everyone gathered around the contest stage, Kuro found himself beside Mika again. The lights dimmed, the air filled with whispers and excitement.
"Mika?" Kuro said softly. "Do you… like Halloween?"
Mika hesitated, looking at the crowd. "I don't dislike it. People pretending to be monsters for a night… it's oddly fitting."
Kuro tilted his head. "Fitting?"
"Monsters hide in everyone," Mika said quietly. "Even the ones who wear smiles."
[Oh, spooky AND poetic. He's in full Halloween mode.]
{...He's kind of right, though.}
[Yeah, yeah, elf boy gets deep. Someone hand me a pumpkin so I can vomit aesthetically.]
Kuro chuckled quietly, and for a brief second, Mika's cold gaze softened.
When it came time to vote, the crowd erupted in laughter and applause — somehow, Lucien won the contest after doing a ridiculous howl and winking at half the audience.
"I told you!" Lucien shouted, jumping on stage. "The wolf always wins!"
Mika muttered, "The world truly has no standards."
Kuro laughed softly. "I thought you looked the best, Mika."
That made him pause. He glanced at Kuro, eyes narrowing slightly — but his lips curved into the faintest of smiles. "...You shouldn't say things like that so casually."
[He's blushing. I repeat, the ice statue is melting.]
{Shut up, Elvastia.}
[No, this is art. Let me enjoy it.]
As the guild erupted into cheers and laughter, Mika leaned slightly toward Kuro."Next year," he murmured, "we're winning."
Kuro smiled. "Together?"
"Obviously."
[Oh god, they're doing the 'together' thing again. Someone throw holy water.]
Kuro bit his lip, trying not to laugh, and Mika — for once — didn't hide his own small chuckle.
The night went on with games, bad food, and way too many ghost stories, but for Kuro, it felt perfect.No pain. No past. No shadows.Just laughter, light, and Mika — standing beside him under a sky full of floating pumpkins.
And maybe, just maybe… this was the kind of haunting he could live with.