Chapter 3: The Pastries Performance

The academy’s grand hall filled with the quiet murmur of excited students as Aurora and Alessia took their seats among them. The anticipation in the water was almost electric—all eyes focused on the stage.

The moment everyone settled, the lights dimmed, and the room plunged into darkness. A single note of classical music echoed through the hall before the spotlights flared to life, illuminating the stage in a soft, golden glow.

There, at the center of it all, were Adriana and Calloway.

Their movements were nothing short of perfection—elegant, fluid, each turn and twist synchronized as if they shared one mind. Every flick of Adriana’s tail, every poised step of Calloway’s, sent ripples through the water like a spellbinding illusion.

Aurora leaned forward slightly. "So that’s the male dancer those juniors were talking about. They do make a good team," she mused.

Alessia barely responded, too captivated by Adriana’s performance to even glance away.

When the final note played, the hall erupted into applause, waves of appreciation filling the space as the dancers took their final bows.

Outside the hall, Cyrus handed Alessia a small bag of fruit snacks, a light treat before she rushed off to her next training session.

"You’re still going to train this late?" Aurora asked, raising an eyebrow.

Alessia nodded. "I have to catch up, Aurora. I’ll be back late at the dorm, okay?" Without waiting for a response, she swam off with Cyrus.

Aurora sighed, watching her sister disappear into the academy’s dim corridors. How far is Alessia planning to push herself? Is it even possible for her to reach Adriana’s level without exhausting herself?

As she swam back to their room, Aurora lay on her bed, gazing out the window at the tiny herring fish drifting lazily by. Her thoughts wandered. Maybe Alessia would outgrow her obsession. Maybe she wouldn’t.

And with that uncertainty lingering in her mind, she slowly drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Aurora woke to find Alessia asleep on the floor, her tail curled up beneath her.

"Alessia?" Aurora nudged her lightly. "How late did you stay up training?"

There was no response—her sister was too deep in exhaustion to wake up. Aurora let out a small sigh, carefully lifting her and placing her onto the bed.

"Looks like you won’t be covering half my classes today," she muttered to herself. "I’d better come up with another plan."

Leaving the dorm, she made her way to the breakfast cafeteria, ordering a plate of sole fish slices and friedsandeels cup spice flavour.

"So, I’m guessing Alessia’s still asleep?" a familiar voice chimed in.

Aurora glanced up to see Cyrus approaching, a playful smirk on his face.

"Yeah, she needs to take it easier today," Aurora replied, taking a bite of the friedsandeel, "She’s been overdoing it."

Cyrus hummed in agreement. "I heard we’ll be teaming up with the Second Class after lunch. Should make things easier for you since you’ll have a partner to help with the spins."

Aurora perked up slightly at that. At least she wouldn’t have to rely on Alessia to fill in for her this time.

After what felt like a never-ending morning of exhausting training, Aurora stole a quick nap at lunch time, hoping to recharge before the next session.

By the time she woke up, the Second Class had arrived, and students were already being paired up for a special project—a short dance performance due in three days.

"A project, huh?" Aurora mumbled, leaning back against the poles in the training room. "I just hope my partner doesn’t care if I mess up… like Cerise."

One by one, names were called, students pairing off.

Then—

"Last person without a partner… Aurora, right?" The teacher scanned her list before nodding. "You’ll be paired with Calloway Vyacheslav since he’s the only one left."

Aurora’s stomach dropped.

Calloway?

The Calloway?

Adriana’s partner. One of the top dancers in the school.

The same Calloway who had performed the flawless Pastries routine the day before.

As if on cue, Calloway swam up beside her. His golden eyes studied her for a moment before he smirked, his long blond hair shining through the room.

"So, you must be Aurora Cipriano," he mused. "I hope you can keep up with me. I never fail a project."

He swam past her without another word, leaving Aurora paralyzed with nerves.

What had she just gotten herself into?

Meanwhile, Alessia had been paired with Cerise—a match that made perfect sense, considering how passionate both of them were about dance.

Alessia’s excitement dimmed slightly when she saw Aurora’s troubled expression.

"Aurora, are you sure you’ll be okay with Calloway?" Alessia whispered. "He takes projects very seriously. If you want, I can switch in for you—I’m not that tired."

Aurora took a deep breath.

"No… I’ll handle it," she said, though her voice lacked confidence. "I’ll call you if I need help. You should rest."

Before Alessia could protest, Aurora turned away and swam out of the class.

Her stomach twisted as she thought about her next challenge.

Dancing with Calloway would be nothing like switching places with Alessia.

This time, she had no choice but to try.

(To be continued)