Performance Day

It was the first day of the school weekend, so classes were optional. As an excellent student, Liella would normally have two additional classes on this day, but she along with the other members of the dance club excused themselves from these classes with the same excuse.

The Asteria Dance Club's monthly recital was a special event for VIPs only. Few extracurricular activities had the right to limit who could attend their events, but ever since its inception, the dance club had showcased generation after generation of brilliant dancers, some of which even becoming performers that were welcomed to the royal palace. With such a level of prestige, it was no wonder that even those who had little interest in dancing would try their best to secure a seat. However, with a reputation so pristine, the dancers had to ensure that they embodied perfection.

Behind the curtains of the auditorium stage that the dance club borrowed for their performance, members maintained varying levels of anxiety. The members who would be dancing on stage for the first time tried to appear calm, but they had to keep using cooling and calming spells to ensure that they didn't sweat or panic. Their seniors gave them kind smiles, but they were only doing better because they were encouraged to show a strong appearance in front of their juniors. The amount of them that were truly calm could be counted on one hand, and Annaleigh was one of them.

Even though she was very talented, it would still be too soon for her join them on such an important stage, but Heina invited her to watch and assist them behind the scenes and Annaleigh immediately accepted her offer. Annaleigh wasn't too excited to join them on stage, but she had other reasons to want to be with them.

Liella appeared to be the same as usual, but Annaleigh and her seniors knew that she was holding back her nerves as well. Although she was growing as their ace, and this wasn't her first solo performance, Liella felt pressured to surpass the level of dancing she had shown last time. This wasn't imposed on her by anyone else, but it was an oath that she was determined to follow.

Once over half of the seats were filled, a dignified, mature beauty who served as the advisor of the Asteria Dance Club, acted as the master of ceremonies to start things off. This was the first time Annaleigh had seen her since she was always busy doing work for the school and the club, but introductions had to be put off for another day since the advisor had barely managed to fit the recital into her schedule. Heina could have taken over had she been unable to come, but apparently she had a role to play in Liella's current solo performance and wanted to see the result in person.

The recital started off with a group performance by the second year students. There was an imbalance of experience among them, but the choreography was set in such a way that it was hardly noticeable unless you were aware of it or had sharp perception. Annaleigh knew that her juniors would do well on stage, but she was still surprised when she watched their performance in between her tasks. In addition to their moves being more refined, Annaleigh also noticed that the lighting and sound was being subtly used to beautify their performance.

"It's amazing, isn't it? How much better a dancer can become just by being on the right stage."

Out of nowhere, Heina had appeared behind Annaleigh. The makeup and fairy costume she wore gave her an ethereal appeal, but for a moment, Annaleigh was frightened as she imagined her as a sort of ghost instead.

"Yeah, I was a little worried that they might mess up, but they're doing even better than I imagined."

"That's right. The motto of the Asteria Dance Club is 'ever-approaching the starry sky'. It means that we should always try to move forward with the goal of improving our skills as dancers. Although some of us tend to never be satisfied by their performance, finally perfecting a new form or even getting the right posture for a pose is an improvement to take pride in."

Annaleigh nodded in agreement. She also believed that always seeking improvement was a good mindset to have, but eventually, one would reach their limit.

The recital continued with different group and solo performances, every one of them being of superb quality. If the audience was composed of the general public rather than VIPs, then there would likely be a roar of applause after every dance. However, Annaleigh was sure that there would be a significant response for the next performance because Liella would be going onstage.

Heina knew that Annaleigh would definitely want to see this performance, so she gave her a break that would last until it ended. Annaleigh accepted this grace with much gratitude, and stood nervously by the curtain as she stared at Liella's figure. Since Liella was playing the role of the princess from the kingdom of ice, the gown she wore was in the shade of cold blue, with embellishments of snowflakes all over it, and there was a white crystal tiara safely nested on top of her head. Her hair and eyes also matched the colour of the dress through the use of a well-made illusion spell so she could easily pass off for a princess from a frozen land. Annaleigh wished that more eyes were here to celebrate her majestic visage, but at the same time she approved of only the select few earning the right to witness it.

Unfortunately, the time she had to sincerely enjoy her dance was much shorter than expected. Before the introduction was over, Annaleigh felt a switch flip on in her mind and knew that it was time for her to lay dormant just as she did when it was deep in the night.

The persona that took over Annaleigh's body glanced warily in three directions in front of them before formulating a plan. This would be the first time they appeared in public, but as the time limit for this act was close, they judged that it wouldn't have any major effect on the final result.

Right before Annaleigh took a step to begin executing the plan she came up with, a certain senior called her name.

"Annaleigh?"

"... Don't worry, President. I won't let anyone ruin her stage. I promise."

With no need for a response she pressed forward, determined to stop any filth that may stain the one in her charge.