Chapter 11: Falling From Grace

The performance had reached its peak, the crowd on edge, mesmerized by Alessia’s seemingly godlike movements.

She spun higher and faster, a blur of violet and silver against the setting sun. Each motion sharper, each leap impossibly high.

But then—her body stiffened.

The potion’s power drained from her veins like water slipping through cracks.

Her vision blurred.

Her tail, which had moved so effortlessly, seized up mid-spin.

And then—

She fell.

A collective gasp rang from the crowd as Alessia plummeted from the sky, her body twisting out of control.

The water below rushed up to meet her, but instead of diving smoothly into the waves, her body crashed against the jagged rocks beneath the surface.

A sickening thud echoed through the sea.

Even though the performance had ended, all attention was now on Alessia’s limp form, lying among the waves, her tail scraped and bleeding.

“ALESSIA!” Aurora cried, diving toward her in a heartbeat.

She wasn’t alone.

A team of healers and academy physicians swam beside her, their hands already glowing with healing magic.

Aurora helped lift Alessia from the water, guiding her toward the sandy shore where the festival was being wrapped up.

When Alessia’s eyes fluttered open, the first thing she saw was the worried face of her father.

Mr. Cripiano knelt beside her, his usually firm, composed expression shattered by fear and frustration.

“Alessia,” he murmured, gripping her hand tightly. “What were you thinking?”

She groaned, feeling the sting of her wounds as a healer pressed a glowing palm to her scraped tail.

Before she could answer, a shadow fell over them.

Aurora stood with iron fins of her tail outfit above her, holding a small glass bottle containing the last drops of a glowing purple liquid.

Aurora’s voice was tight with anger. “Was this some kind of power potion?”

The crowd murmured. Even some of the professional siren dancers turned their heads in shock and disapproval.

Before Alessia could respond, the academy principal—a tall, broad-shouldered siren with sleek, navy-blue scales—snatched the bottle from Aurora’s grasp.

His eyes narrowed as he examined the contents, his expression darkening with each second.

“This is forbidden magic,” he said coldly.

Then, his gaze snapped to Alessia.

"You’re EXPELLED."

A stunned silence fell over the festival.

The word hit Alessia like a crashing wave.

Expelled?

Her body was too weak to react, but her mind spun wildly.

She felt a sharp pang in her chest—not just from her injuries, but from the realization that she had lost everything in mere moments.

Her father sighed, rubbing his temple. “I knew this was getting too dangerous for you…” he muttered under his breath.

Still lying on the sand, Alessia let out a weak breath. She wasn’t going to fight this.

Not this time.

Maybe this was the sign she needed.

She turned her head slightly, looking up at her father. “Dad…”

Mr. Cripiano’s worried gaze softened. “What is it, Alessia?”

She swallowed hard, her voice quieter than usual. “Yeah, ah...maybe… maybe I was never meant to be a tail dancer.”

His brows lifted slightly, but he didn’t interrupt.

She stared out at the open sea, watching the gentle rise and fall of the waves. “I thought dancing would make me free… but it only made me obsessed. And reckless.”

Aurora, still standing nearby, watched her closely.

Alessia forced herself to sit up despite the sting of her wounds.

“I’m done chasing after something that was never meant for me I guess, it was just my favourite thing to watch,for a long time.” She exhaled, as if saying the words was lifting a weight off her chest. Aurora thinks for a while about Alessia's moves even when she was training with Calloway's trainer and says ,“You should try swim racing instead. Competing in speed and endurance… it feels more natural for you, I've seen the way you dance,it's fears even storms can't stop you.”

Her father’s eyes widened for a moment. Then, he nodded slowly.

“That… might be a better path for you, you always were a fast swimmer even when performing” His tone was cautious but not dismissive. He could see the honesty in her eyes.

Aurora crossed her arms. “You sure about that?”

Alessia met her gaze, this time without hesitation.

“Yeah,” she said. “I’m sure.”

A new determination settled in her chest.

She had failed as a tail dancer.

But maybe—just maybe—this was the beginning of something better.

While Alessia gets send back to the nursery to rest and heal, Aurora's grandparents swims towards. "Ow, both of you were amazing, I hope Alessia heals, she really did intense moves out there" says her grandmother.

"Yes, she just went a little to far, she'll be a little better" says Aurora

"I hope so, your father said you have a boyfriend now" her grandfather asks

Aurora gets a little nervous, "Uh, yeah, I...do? Alessia must have told him, I was going to as well just got too busy training for this performance".

"Aw, yeah, Calloway is it? Since I'm here, I meet as well meet him right, I'm sure his parents are also here as well" says Mr Cipriano, Aurora sighs and finally nods.

"Fine, I guess you can".

(To be continued)