Chapter 96: Beatrice's Metamorphosis IX

She turned and saw Beatrice already reading the script.

She looked down at the scene and found it was one she had memorized already since she was aware of the show they would be performing.

"Could she be…" she trailed off.

Victor smiled, not saying anything.

"Isn't that a bit too much of a handicap?" she couldn't help but ask.

"Oh, you do not want that?" Victor asked.

"It is an advantage for me, but it doesn't sit right."

Clara was a righteous person, she disliked underhanded methods. She was also someone who took every role she got very seriously, no matter how important the character was.

"Well, I know of your talent, but there is also something I want to see in that young one," Victor said honestly.

Clara glanced at Beatrice, who was seriously reading the scene while also looking at her phone.

"Is she someone ED wishes to take in?" Clara asked curiously.

"If I tell you yes, would you be jealous?" Victor asked back.

Clara rolled her eyes, "I only have less than two years remaining in this group, while you, and senior Ivy are graduating this year. The rest of the principal cast and supporting actors are the same, either already graduating or not having much time left. If she is a talent, then why hinder her path? It is also good advertisement for Echelon Dominion."

Acting groups were just like universities, once you graduated, you were done with them. But there was something more in Echelon Dominion, most, if not all, treated it as another family.

That was why knowing that more talents would enter was a blessing for them, as it meant ED would continue its legacy.

"She is a foreigner, though," Victor kept saying.

Clara raised an eyebrow, "How many of our core members over the years that ED was active were foreigners?"

Victor laughed, "I see. I look forward to your performance."

He placed a hand on top of her head.

"Not as much as you look forward to hers," Clara laughed.

Victor shrugged.

"Done talking with your girlfriend? Can we start the audition now?" Renee teased once he was back on their side.

"We will be starting in half an hour. Why don't you just spend time with your boyfriend instead?" Victor shot back.

Renee rolled her eyes, "Be lucky your girlfriend is in the same course as you."

"Well, have your boyfriend shift then."

Rowan and Julian shook their heads at their playful banter.

"Anyway, I did not expect them to actually come here," Rowan said, glancing at one side, where Lawrence was speaking with two people.

"Though it was only the two of them who could come here during our preparations for such an important show," Julian commented.

"Because they know their limitations, and they were only here now because of her," Rowan added, glancing back at Beatrice.

On the other hand…

"I should really thank you for giving us this chance to see what she is capable of," Gideon said to Lawrence.

"How could I reject the request of my senior?" Lawrence smiled.

"More like you accepted because you want to see our defeated faces," Gideon chuckled.

Marianne shook her head with a smile.

These two trusted one another to the point they let each other watch the preparation for the other's important performances. However, when Lawrence did visit, he came in secret.

Limelight was too competitive for their own good. Sometimes, Marianne wished they would have a bit of the relaxation that Echelon had.

"How sure are you about that?" Lawrence replied.

"You wouldn't have allowed her to have an audition if she had not jumped back from her fall," Gideon shrugged.

'Well, I suppose I have to check my wallet for that meal,' Marianne inwardly sighed.

She could tell that she had lost the bet.

Victor clapped, getting their attention.

"Shall we?" Lawrence gestured for the two of them to step closer to watch.

The one to perform first was Clara.

The whole place turned silent.

Now, Clara is Medea.

Medea stood in the center of the stage, holding the dagger tightly.

Her breathing was fast and shaky, but her body stayed stiff, as if she was trying to fight against her own feelings. Her eyes shone with unshed tears, but her face remained calm.

She looked down at her children, still asleep and unaware. Her fingers trembled as she reached for them, but she pulled back.

She spoke in a low voice, filled with pain.

"My children… my precious ones. How cruel the gods are to make me do this."

She hesitated for a moment, frozen by the weight of her decision. Her breath caught in her throat, and her shoulders rose and fell as she struggled to breathe.

Then she let out a long, shaky sigh.

"But I will not let him take you. I will not let you suffer because of him."

Her voice cracked on the last words, but she pushed forward.

Her grip tightened on the dagger as if she were forcing herself to move. When she struck, it was quick and firm, almost as if she was trying to end it before she lost her resolve. The cries of the children echoed, but she hardly reacted.

She stepped back, breathing heavily, staring at their still bodies.

Her eyes were wide and empty.

A quiet sob escaped her lips, but she quickly stopped herself. She lifted her chin and hardened her expression, covering her sorrow with cold determination.

"Now, Jason, you will know what it means to lose everything."