After everyone had stretched their muscles and got a snack, the journey to Bytari resumed. It might have been boring driving past countless hills and towns, but the Braw Agents were excited because they knew that in just one more hour, they would reach Bytari. Suddenly, a random thought sparked in Bobby’s mind. He called out to Oliver and managed to get his attention.

“What happened to Harold after the Maioura Invasion?” asked Bobby. Oliver was not expecting any of the Braw Agents to mention Harold, but he had no problem answering the question at hand. “A day after the invasion, we went to a lawyer and got Harold’s surname changed,” answered Oliver. “Then we cleared his name by telling a different lawyer that the person in the security footage was someone else.” Bobby appreciated the information, but now he had some new questions to ask. “You just told the lawyer that the guy was someone else and Harold’s name got cleared? Just like that?” asked Bobby. “Was it that easy?” Oliver smiled. “Well, you’re going to look different in today’s world as opposed to twenty years ago,” he replied. “I wasn’t even alive twenty years ago,” commented Bobby. “Did you find out who the real murderer was?” he asked. “Unfortunately not,” answered Oliver. “But it happened a long time ago, so we shouldn’t worry about it,” he added.

The Braw Agents reached Bytari an hour later. Everyone was mesmerised by the grand city in front of them. Unlike Fluvaria, which was like a regular city with a few fancy buildings here and there, Bytari was like a metropolis from the future. Skyscrapers made the people seem like ants, and there were giant LED signs everywhere. “It’s incredible,” commented Hannah. “Tell me about it,” replied Narvy. “Okay, the venue should be around here somewhere,” said Oliver, as he drove through the tall silver maze. It only took him ten minutes to find the venue. Once he reached it, everyone got out of the bus. Bobby stood in awe as he looked at the building in front of him. The imposing stature and the high-tech architecture were a lot to take in. “Alright, let’s go in,” he said, his voice filled with excitement.

When they walked through the sliding glass doors, they encountered a second set of doors accompanied by security guards. “Before you enter, please clarify your identities,” ordered one of the guards. The Braw Agents proceeded to tell the guards their full names.

“I’m Bobby Braw.”

“I’m Narvy Geigh.”

“I’m Hannah Willmonte.”

“I’m Edward Ferndale.”

“I’m Rita Ferndale.”

“I’m Elsa Idarson.”

“I’m Oliver Sonarsmith.”

“I’m Beth Sonarsmith.”

The guards ticked each name off their list as they identified themselves. “Alright, you eight can all go through,” declared one of the guards. “The ball is on the fifth floor. Take the elevator and you should be able to find it.”

With no further delays, the Braw Agents walked through the second set of doors, took the elevator to the fifth floor, and entered the Ball of Honour. It was amazing. The room was embellished with flashy decorations and music could be heard coming from another room. There were many people at the event, all dressed formally and having fun. However, one person in the crowd particularly stood out to Elsa. She ran towards the person and was delighted to discover who it was.

“JULIA!” exclaimed Elsa. “You should have told me you were going to be here.” The other Braw Agents walked over to Elsa and saw her with Julia. “Oh, hi. Everyone, this is Julia. She works at the Print Agency and she’s the best aunt ever,” explained Elsa. Julia looked like a significantly older version of Elsa. She had short ginger hair and emerald-green eyes. She was wearing a jade-green dress with long sleeves and a pearl necklace. “Great to see you, Elsa. How did you get invited?” asked Julia. “My friend Bobby formed a crime-fighting team, and we stopped some living statues from destroying Fluvaria,” answered Elsa. “That sounds dangerous, but I’m glad you’re okay. I got invited because of my contributions at the Print Agency,” replied Julia. “Well, I’m glad to see you. It’s been ages since we last met,” commented Elsa.

Just then, the music turned off, and a voice came over the loudspeaker. “Everyone, please go to the dining room. We are now going to have dinner,” called the voice. All the guests left the hallway and headed to the dining room. Once the Braw Agents got there, they were impressed by the presentation. There was a giant chandelier, candles in each corner of the room, and a vase of flowers on the table. It almost felt too fancy to be a dining room. Everyone sat down and waited for the surprise first course to arrive.

A man at one end of the table did not sit down. Instead, he stood while delivering a speech in the same voice that called everyone for dinner. “While dinner is being prepared, I would like to tell you something,” he announced. “This is the Ball of Honour, and you were all invited for your honourable deeds. However, honour comes in many different forms. Some of you contributed to the country’s economy, while others fought tyrannical sorcerers. But at the end of the day, you are all worthy of honour, hence the reason you were invited to this ball. “Thank you for listening. Now, enjoy the rest of your evening.”

After he presented his speech, he sat down and waited for dinner to be served. Ten minutes later, dinner arrived. Every guest received a plate of carbonara with a garlic breadstick on the side. The previously empty glasses were now filled with refreshing drinks. “So, Elsa, you told me that you stopped a sorcerer from destroying Fluvaria. How did you do that?” asked Julia. “Yeah, it was Bobby who gathered us to take down the evil threat,” answered Elsa. “You should thank him.” While Bobby was scoffing down the carbonara, Julia called out to him. “Bobby, I would like to thank you for saving Fluvaria,” she said. Bobby looked up and responded to Julia’s comment with a smile. “You’re welcome,” he replied, before eating the last of his dinner. “Anyone want this breadstick?” asked Bobby. “I’m going to need some room for dessert.” “I’ll take it,” replied Hannah, rescuing the second breadstick just as the empty dinner plates were taken away. They were soon replaced with plates of apple shortcake and whipped cream. Dessert ended quickly, and everyone went back to the dance floor.

“It’s been great spending time with you, Elsa. We should do it more often,” proposed Julia. “Yes, we should. I’d like that,” replied Elsa. Everyone was having a great time at the Ball of Honour. It seemed as if nothing could go wrong. But when they least expected it, something did happen.

The music was still playing, but it was overrun by the blaring sound of an alarm. A light kept flickering in the room, shrouding it in a red hue every two seconds. Three beeps occurred in a row, only to stop for a second and repeat. “What’s going on?” muttered Bobby. “I don’t know,” replied Narvy. Just then, a couple of security guards ran into the room. Their faces implied that something serious had happened.