One-Third of Three Paintings

Something seemed a little strange.

...Why hadn't a specific time been given when the ritual began this time?

That was Iver's last thought before his consciousness was taken away.

But he quickly regained consciousness.

However, the moment Iver opened his eyes again, he sensed an extremely bizarre incongruity.

Everything around him seemed far too bright and vivid...

...Was it because the "image quality" was too high, making it seem somewhat unreal instead?

At that moment, Iver was in the middle of a grand banquet. He wore a tan suit and held a glass containing only one-third of its capacity in red wine.

Beneath their feet lay a carpet as deep red as raspberry jam, while beneath the carpet stood a three-tiered circular platform as white as a cream cake. The surrounding walls were draped with dark curtains, and chandeliers hung overhead.

The men and women around him were all chatting and laughing. The noisy sound echoed through the center of the dance floor, with cheerful or booming laughter ringing out from time to time. In the corner, a band played a melancholy blues tune that was utterly at odds with the joyful atmosphere.

As Iver walked forward with his wineglass, the crowded throng in the center of the dance floor slowly parted to either side of its own accord, like the sea being split open. They did not speak to Iver; they did not even look at him. Their bodies simply began moving on their own.

--Suddenly, Iver realized what was wrong.

Everyone had smiles on their faces, yet not a single person had "stopped smiling"! Iver abruptly raised his head and looked toward the pure-white wall directly ahead.

It was a gigantic statue of a stag's head.

It looked like the Candlebearer, but rather than being a red deer,