"They are trying to Kill you"

I do my makeup and think about who could have locked me in the bathroom. "Débora," I think, and my gaze flashes with anger. But I don't have time for dramas or confrontations, I have to get ready. I am the Prima Ballerina and no one will take my place. I am the queen tonight, the queen on stage. And I will dance and give my best, as if I were dancing for the full moon.

I go on stage for Odette's turn. My heart shines like a beautiful diamond, I dance on clouds, the music is the floor and the space, the audience shines, the entire New York theater illuminating me, like stars in the sky. Then I can shine like the full moon, I dance, smiling, delicate, fragile, madly in love. Being ethereal, being Odette, being the queen. Dancers also hide dark secrets, you can see the true nature of a dancer only while she is dancing. In the second act by Pili Hocevar. I watch Laudis perform her solo, just before we all enter the stage, she captures the audience's attention, and I smile with joy when Laudis exits the stage and the audience makes the curtains tremble with applause. I dance the Swan Death, music by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the music sounds like a beautiful prayer to the goddess, I feel my heart moved, truly touched by my dance. I am dancing in heaven. I feel like a moon's daughter. All my costume is white, and the decoration in my tiara, pearls symbolize the supposed sin that led to her conception as a swan who is now dying, elevating herself to the skies. Pearl's difficult demeanor represents the secret at the heart of her existence—that her true and only love is a man, a man she doesn't know yet, but I am afraid.

At the end of the dance, the dressing rooms are filled with champagne and hugs decorating the hallways, the hugs shine with the bulbs, celebrations, photographs, tears filled with pride. We all gather, teacher Pili calls us, we can feel her great joy and pride for the work done, we form a circle, holding hands, in the salon next to the dressing rooms on the lower floor, we congratulate and hug each other, holding hands. Many dancers come up to me to congratulate me, many of them are new faces starting in the company.

Laudis hugs me tightly

"Congratulations, beautiful, you did great"

"Congratulations, your second act was moving and enchanting," I reply.

I leave the theater, and my friends keep dancing. The truth is, they will go celebrate, but before joining them, I want to go home and take a hot bath, nothing more tempting in winter. I leave through the back of the theater, holding three bouquets of roses, my costume bag, and my makeup bag and chocolates that have been sent to me. I leave many details and gifts in the dressing rooms, admirers filled our dressing room with beautiful gifts. I leave content, with a light spirit and a proud look, a personal and infinite pride, only I fully understand all the effort. I walk, dance, and spin and take a turn, crossing the empty street, and arabesque with a smile. A car crosses in front of me, and I continue happily, gliding to the music playing in my thoughts, the car drives towards me. I finish a turn and stop, frozen, my pupils dilate. The car is coming towards me.

A man takes me by the waist, and we both fall to the ground, the car passes in front of me, where seconds ago I was crossing the street.

Then I see Ryan's eyes, blue and flashing danger.

"Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine," I say confused, unable to catch my breath. If it weren't for him, I would be dead right now.

I don't understand, the car appeared out of nowhere and came towards me," I gasp, Ryan gets up from the ground and extends a hand to me. I rise and raise my face towards him. His eyes express seriousness, and his face has tense features, perfectly sculpted by an artist, his face is beautiful, breath-taking.

"They already know, and they're trying to kill you."

"Kill me? Me? Who?"

"Devora and her friends," I say thinking of my possible and only enemies.

"Hidden forces in my kingdom, they know that you are my future Luna. My dancing Mate."

"His dancer mate= What does it mean that?" I wonder, staring at him, confused.

“I´ve to tell you the truth, but then, one lonely day the stranger sailed away”.

"Please..." I say and I can feel my knees are losing its strenght as more I see into his beautful intense eyes "I need to understand" I told him

The night’s celebration buzzed around us, but a cold shiver ran down my spine as Ryan’s words settled like icy stones in my stomach. The glow of applause still echoed faintly in my ears, yet beneath that shimmering surface, a darker truth lurked, waiting to surface.

Ryan’s grip on my waist tightened as he helped me to my feet. His eyes, usually so steady and reassuring, now flickered with urgency. “They already know, and they’re trying to kill you,” he whispered, voice hushed but firm.

I stared at him, my mind racing to piece together the fragments of what he’d just told me. “Kill me? Who? Devora? Her friends?” My voice trembled with a mixture of fear and disbelief. Devora—the Prima Ballerina rival who had always seemed ambitious, but I had never suspected her of such darkness.

Ryan nodded solemnly. “They’re part of a hidden force within this world, a secret power that’s been manipulating things behind the scenes. They know you’re my future Luna—my destined partner, both in dance and in life. And they will stop at nothing to keep us apart, to destroy what’s coming.”