She remember it well. The lights on the stage. The soft cushions that surrounded them and the faint smell of dust and wax. Her parents holding her little hands that were shaking with excitement.
And then, the lights would fall. A sound like that of the wind sounded when the flutes would play.
She didn't dare to blink. As if a single second missed was a lifetime of memories gone.
Then, like floating flowers dressed in lace and silk, the dancers came to stage with all the elegance and grace of a swan. And she knew, the ballot had begun. Not just for the audience, but just for her.
And she had never stopped dancing since.
"One last plié, and done." The instructor clapped as the dancers froze on the stage. Each in a pose of grace. On dancer in particular though, stood with a rod like back. Her face producing an air of cold elegance and nobility.
With the face of a doll, her black feather like hair was held up in a neat bun. Her chest heaved up and down as sweat passed by her pristine blue eyes.
"You are all dismissed. Get some rest before the show tomorrow. You are going to need it." With the dismissal from the instructor, all the dancers relaxed their poses.
Some of the girls grouped together and started chatting merrily.
The one girl who stood with grace relaxed as well, but now, an air of aloofness surrounded her like a veil to deflect anyone who might have wanted to talk to her.
With graceful steps, she picked up her bag and started to head off without taking a single glance at any of the other dancers.
"Um," a small and demure voice sounded from behind her.
Turning around, she saw a girl with fawn colored hair and bright big doe eyes the shade of chocolate.
Her name was Isabella. She was one of the background dancers in the upcoming ballot they were going to perform.
She played as a deer, if she remembered it correctly. She seemed to suit that role perfectly with her big eyes and timid nature.
"Um, sorry to bug you Citrissa, but I was just wondering, would you like to go out to, um, eat with the rest of us? It's just a little, uh, good luck party we are having to wish each other luck for the upcoming ballot. I was, um, hoping that maybe, you would like to come?" Her words got faster and faster the more she talked until she finally got what she wanted to ask out of her mouth.
A few of the dancers started to snicker to each other. Silently laughing to themselves like some inside joke.
But Citrissa got it. They knew she didn't do parties. She never showed up to any celebration or congratulations party.
She was known as a block of ice to others. And now, they were trying to set up the new dancer for a humiliating experience of being rejected by her.
"No."
Sorry, no. Maybe some other time. That was what she meant to say. But she could never get the words out of her mouth the way she wanted them to.
To others, this sounded like a cold and mocking response as she walked off to leave.
Isabella's face dropped as tears gathered in the corner of her eyes. Some other dancers came over to comfort her.
"Don't worry about it. This is just some stupid tradition that the senior dancers have."
"Ya, they like to set up new dancers to be rejected by the ice queen. Everyone has had it happen before. No need to worry."
"Ya, so don't cry. It's not you. She's a b*#% to everyone."
As they said these words, Citrissa clutched her bag tighter than it needed to be.
Her knuckles turned white as her head lowered.
Once she exited the building, the cold winds knocked against her like weather chipping away at stone. Only, it was chipping away at her heart.
She didn't mean to be so cold. That wasn't what she meant to say. But she could never get the words out.
Tears slowly gathered in the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.
Deep down, she actually knew why she was like that. She didn't want anyone to be close to her. She didn't want people to come into her life when she didn't need them to be.
But, she never would have guessed that the way she accomplished that was so mean. She didn't want to hurt other people's feelings.
But, she did mean to keep them away. And she successfully did just that.
As she walked home, she thought about stopping at the grocery store to get a small stuffed animal and caramels.
She planned to put them in Isabella's bag when no one was looking in a gesture of a silent apology.
While she was thinking, the road light turned green but she didn't move as she was lost in thought.
A large semi was barreling its way through. Lifting her head, she saw how it wasn't slowing down and felt happy she didn't cross the street at that time.
But before she could let that lucky feeling sink in, a pair of hands suddenly pushed the air out of her as she was flung forward in the path of the semi.
Her ears bleed with the loud sound of the semi's horn as she felt the blood pull away from her body in shock.
Right when the semi was about to connect with her body, she caught a glimpse of the person who pushed her.
Her mind blanked.
With a cold smile, Isabella stood there with a crazed look in her eyes. Her innocent image instantly ruined.
And when she saw this, she only thought, 'oh. So she's one of the petty kind.'
And then her world went dark as that semi tore her body to shreds.
But she didn't die at that moment. She had turned into a crippled mess on the road. Her head was still reeling from the shock.
But as her blood slowly left her body and her brain became fuzzy with the notion of death, she thought, just maybe, it was fine if she died here.
She might be able to see her parents now after so long.
And slowly, she died.
...
Deep within the Quintus content, a fierce battle ensued.
The sound of flesh tearing and the screams of both men and women alike filled the air with an unholy essence.
With a stab, an ethereal woman pulled her reaper back with a cold and heartless smile.
She looked like a fairy of death. Her black hair swayed in the wind like a crows feather while her red gem eyes glowed as they reveled in the death surrounding her.
It was a bone chilling sight when her blood red lips grew into a sinister smile that contrasted greatly with her flawless porcelain skin that was speckled with blood.
By her side was her dragon drake, mercilessly tearing men apart in its jaws, it's teeth painted red as its eyes shone with a similar cruelty.
Slowly, the duo of monsters was pushed against a cliff. They fought with vigorous movements and despicable skill.
Suddenly, a black arrow shot forward with the determination of lightning. With a dull thud, it stuck itself in the drake's chest
It froze in its spot and the ethereal fairy of death paused. They both turned to each other. A silent agreement shone in their eyes.
Without wasting a second more, she lunged forward with her reaper and decapitated the drake where it stood. Right as it's head fell to the ground, the arrow buried in its body burst into flames. Completely devouring the drake, the flames consumed its body, burning it to ash.
When the drake was claimed by death, she felt a piece of her soul being torn away from her body as her heart was consumed by a piercing heat resembling the flames that consumed its body.
"Give up Demon Queen Jevelyn. You are cornered and your soul beast is dead. Surrender." A figure came out of the crowd of battered and bloody men and women who had come to capture her.
Jevelyn smiled coldly when she looked at the man before her. His cold and distant face made her grin in a cruel and mischievous manner.
With a hand on her hip, she pointed her sword at him in an arrogant manner. "Well, well. If it isn't general Segast. It's an honor. To think a general of your standing would chase this lowly one to the fifth realm. I'm truly flattered."
Segast didn't change the expression on his face. He looked at Jevelyn in a condescending manner as the hatred and rage he felt for her was held in place behind his eyes.
But Jevelyn easily caught it. With curved red lips, she smiled. "What? You can't even smile for an old friend?" Her lips pouted.
She looked like a seductress with the flirty way her lips tilted and her thin brows scrunched together in a spoiled manner.
Segast gritted his teeth as his fists clenched together. His emotions finally started showing.
And Jevelyn's eyes smiled mockingly.
"You lost your right to be my friend the day you turned to the dark arts. You are no longer the Jevelyn I knew, but a demon who has consumed her soul and inhabits her body."
Jevelyn just smiled evilly. "Oh, poor you. The great and mighty general Segast can't even accept that his friend is actually the person standing before him."
"Silence!" Segast shouted in rage. His face fumed and his eyes turned red in anger.
"Surrender now Jevelyn, or perish!"
Hearing his words, she couldn't help but laugh. Her hand held her stomach as if she had heard the funniest thing ever.
Her face twisted up in a cruel manner as she raised her sword.
"As you wish, old friend." Her mocking tone made Segast wary. A deep feeling of foreboding took root within his body.
Before he could react, Jevelyn raised her sword up and stabbed herself through the chest.
She felt something shatter within her and she knew she had destroyed the soul stone within her body.
A feeling of molten needles traveling through her blood consumed her as her skin felt as if it was being shredded over and over again by knives that cut down to her bone and through her flesh.
The overwhelming amount of essence in the air went on a rampage as it made the air buzz.
Segast's face went pale as the essence raced towards Jevelyn, condensing into a thick fog around her as she smiled like a wicked demon with blood dripping from her lips.
"Run!" His urgent cry alerted all those around him as they fled as fast as they could.
A bow materialized before Segast as he quickly knocked up an arrow and shot it at Jevelyn.
The familiar black arrow pierced her chest and knocked her off the cliff.
Following the array sudden actions, everything suddenly was void of sound. Then, an explosion equivalent of an atomic bomb went off and whipped away half of the cliff and every living soul that had not fled fast enough.