Under the dim moonlight, Vivia stood in the royal courtyard. Emberlain's winter grew colder with every passing day. The nights were the chilliest of all, yet she had no intention of going back inside. Audreya's safety gnawed at her heart, akin to a ticking bomb. At the same time, the unknown letter challenging her real identity remained an active threat. Not much had happened since, yet ease strayed far away from her.
Vivia allowed the cold breeze to sink into her skin. She exhaled, the loose strands of her hair teasing her cheeks. Raising her arms to either side, she turned on her heel into a gentle spin. Her dress swayed with the rhythm as her feet tapped against the soft grass. Her arms clasped at her back, locking her fingers together and toes tapping on the grass like gentle ripples spreading across a still pond.
She spun in wide circles around the courtyard like a graceful breeze - and with each step, she willed the anger within her to stop from consuming her. With a fluid call, her hands swept a semi-circle above her head, and her back arched all the way till her fingers brushed the ground - followed by a smooth flip to the other side. The night birds sang as though adding music to the soundless night.
Vivia danced until she ran out of breath, wanting the dizziness to engulf her whole before her mind could explode. She collapsed onto the grass, eyes staring at the beautiful, twinkling stars scattered amidst the dark expanse above.
Master, why aren't you here with me? Tell me, how should I find Audreya? Where should I even begin?
Amidst the wave of another gentle breeze, her vision blurred, and she found herself slipping into a dream.
Flashback
A sudden splash of cold water yanked her awake right away. Nine-year-old Vivia gasped violently.
"Cold! Cold!"
She glared at the cruel culprit. "Master!"
"Wake up, you brat. How dare you fall asleep?"
"People sleep at night!"
"If you don't want me to throw you off the cliff, you won't sleep. Yes, people sleep at night. You don't."
"What kind of torture is that!"
Her pumpkin orange eye caught a faint tint in the dark, matching that of the onset of dawn. "My kind of torture. You're slacking on your training, and I said no food and sleep till you perfect the autumn swirl."
Vivia cried. "The autumn swirl dance is breaking my back!"
"Good. That's what it's supposed to do. So why did you stop?"
A look of horror flashed across her eyes. "I just said it's breaking my back and you want me to continue? Are you a monster?"
"Yes."
"..."
She sniffled. "It's hard."
"Tell me something that's not hard in life," She sneered. "Anyone who says otherwise lives in a bubble."
"I tried my best, but I'm not able to bend my back that far…! Why are all the dances you're teaching so exhausting?"
"Easy is for the weak."
"I don't want to be strong."
That earned Vivia a hard kick at her back that launched her straight off the ground and into the sky. She felt briefly as though she had sprouted wings, but reality was far from different.
"Say that again, and I'll crush your head under my foot. Compromise on anything in the world - but not strength."
Her master perched against a rock, looking down at Vivia as though she was her loyal subject. At one point, she yawned.
"Quit your complaining and start moving. The world stops moving when you stop moving."
Vivia mumbled to herself, rubbing her sore back. She stood in position and raised her arms up in the air, hopping in a circle to begin the autumn swirl dance. With a spin, she paused - just for a moment - before arching her back downwards. Her fingertips desperately aimed to touch the ground.
"Aahh aahh ahhhh!!"
Her body swayed sideways, and she lost her balance, eventually falling to the dust. She threw her master a look full of grievances.
"See!"
"What I'm seeing is that you're already afraid of the arc even before you start arching your back. Fear is counter-productive in dance."
"T-The arch makes everything look upside down…"
She blinked twice. "That's the fun part."
"That's the dizzying part!"
The master leaned forward, a steely glint in her eye. "Then go back to the starting line. Begin your way from the beginning. Over and over again. The fear of standing still will cripple you far worse than fainting a hundred times."
Present
Vivia's breathlessness began to gradually subside. As she opened her eyes, a bright orange star in the sky reminded her of her master. After a long silence, she rose to her feet, clenching her fingers into her fist. She stared into the distance, thinking about her master's words.
I won't sit still like Benjamin says. I'll use my own hands and feet and find Audreya myself. Go back to the starting line. Yes…I need to revisit that home where she was taken away from.
A faint shimmer from her opal ring caught her attention. She inched it closer and found it pulsating like a rhythm.
Is the vengeful ghost finally awakening? She broke into a cold sweat.
She brought the ring closer to her lips and whispered, "Okay, I don't know what kind of a ghost you are, but please spare me. I'm already dealing with a lot of problems here. So please, please, stay calm, okay? I'll definitely help with your liberation from this mortal world later. I promise!"
Vivia hoped that would do the trick - if the ghost had been listening to her, but instead, a dull pain surged in her temples.
"What were you doing dancing like a fool here in the middle of the night?" Priscilla stood before her, her eyes filled with disdain. A thick woolen coat wrapped her shoulders and arms with comfortable warmth.
"Are you so afraid of losing your face at the festival that you're practicing mindlessly on such a chilly night?"
The Festival of First Light was a grand celebration - the only day when the royalty and nobles of both realms gathered together to celebrate the end of a bleak war, while also paying respects to the precious lives lost.
Though Priscilla smiled mockingly outwardly, resentment burned deep beneath her heart. She had watched Clairette perform a breathtaking dance she had never seen before. Watching the complicated yet beautiful arch she did so effortlessly felt like she was dropped straight into an icy hell.
When did this witch learn to dance…? She seethed in fury. She could barely hold her balance before!
"Are you mute? Why aren't you speaking!"
Suddenly, the emerald unblinking stare strangely stifled her with an inexplicable breathlessness. Vivia's eyes felt oddly piercing as though she was seeing right through her. Then her lips parted ever so slowly.
"My coat. Why did you steal my coat that day, Lady Priscilla?"