Ethan guessed that the person gracefully dancing down the steps of the Grand Theater's audience seats must be the choreographer of Let's Dance.
After all - who else would dare to show up at a high school in Vietnam dressed in such an extravagant outfit, like an aristocrat from old France?
When the figure reached the middle of the staircase, the choreographer flicked off their tricorne hat and tossed it into the crowd nearby, every motion perfectly synced with the beat of "Kiss You, Bite You."
Students - boys and girls alike - scrambled to grab the hat, turning the moment into a scene straight out of a concert with a celebrity idol.
Ethan still couldn't make out the face of this mysterious choreographer. Their features were hidden behind a sparkling black masquerade mask, and half their face was covered by flowing hair. But judging by the elegant, slender build and smooth movements, Ethan guessed the choreographer was most likely a woman.
The music and spotlight faded again as the choreographer reached the last step. At the same time, the stage and the Let's Dance boys were illuminated by a faint, diffused glow from the overhead lights.
Thanks to that dim light, Ethan finally noticed something beneath the stage - an entire miniature orchestra! He gawked in awe. They were all students too, yet they played perfectly in sync with the choreographer's every move.
Thump! Thump!
Ethan's heart started racing faster than usual. His hand instinctively reached for the Bloodbound mark on his neck. Something about this choreographer felt… wrong.
Up in the audience, Autumn was fidgeting in her seat, her brown eyes filled with visible anxiety as she stared at the stage.
"Everyone - take off your shoes."
From the shadows came a voice - neither clearly male nor female - melodic, haunting, and irresistibly magnetic.
Ethan froze for a moment. That voice… sounded so familiar.
Even though the order was strange, the boys obeyed without question, kicking their shoes off behind them.
After removing his branded Fangs sneakers, Ethan's height barely changed. He still stood tall at 1.78 meters, as always.
But - the boys from the C classes… Their height dropped dramatically. It was as if someone had chopped off a few centimeters from their legs.
Chris, at least, still met the height standard for Let's Dance, since he never wore height-increasing soles like his classmates. But his face had darkened. The confident glow he'd worn all week… had vanished completely.
The choreographer's lips curved into a faint, mocking smile.
Then came the music - dark, haunting, and heavy. It sounded almost like a Requiem. Ethan wasn't well-versed in classical symphonies, but whatever it was sent a chill crawling down his spine.
Suddenly…
With every snap of the choreographer's fingers, the shorter boys began to disappear one by one.
Ethan could still hear their muffled cries from behind the stage curtain, as if someone had gagged them.
Let's Dance now had only thirteen members left.
That meant five seniors from Class 12C, one from 11C, and one from 10C had all vanished.
"W - Where… where did they go? What did you do to them? Why would you - who gave you the right?!"
Chris's voice trembled. His face had gone pale as chalk.
"Relax, Leader. They're just taking a little break backstage. You don't have to look so tense. Wasn't it you who set the rule that every Let's Dance member must be at least 1.75 meters tall? I'm simply helping you remove those who don't make the cut."
The choreographer answered Chris with a cold voice.
The stage curtain quivered, parting slightly. Through the narrow gap, Ethan caught sight of the missing boys - each one gagged with a leather ball and bound tightly in bright red ropes.
"Holy crap! Those are the most flawless Shibari knots I've ever seen! I wish… I were tied up like that!"
Andrew gasped in awe. Several other boys from Let's Dance nodded appreciatively, completely unbothered by the horror of the scene.
The choreographer reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a sheet of A4 paper, stamped and signed multiple times. She shoved it right into Chris's trembling hands.
"Here - read it. This is an official document from the School Administration and the Board of Directors of Harmony High, appointing me as the choreographer for Let's Dance."
Her laugh was sharp and cutting.
"I have full authority to modify the lineup however I see fit. If necessary, I can even replace the leader to ensure this team delivers the best performance possible. And from what I can see, there are still quite a few members here who don't meet my standards. It seems I've missed a few…"
Ignoring Chris's furious glare, the choreographer stepped closer to the remaining boys.
"You - Hippo Boy from Class 10D. Height: 1.75 meters. Weight: 77 kilograms. BMI: 25.1. Disqualified."
The spotlight fell sharply on a slightly chubby boy.
In the next instant, he vanished into darkness. His desperate screams echoed faintly - then faded.
"P…Please! I was almost at the standard! Give me three days, I'll lose two kilos! Pleeease…!"
The spotlight flashed again - landing on the next victim.
"Giraffe Boy, Class 10D. Height: 2.10 meters. Weight: 90 kilograms. BMI: 20.4. Disqualified."
"What? That can't be right! My body proportions are perfectly balanced!"
"I don't think so. You're far too tall compared to the group's visual baseline. You should be in the basketball club, not in Let's Dance. Bye-bye, Giraffe."
The choreographer replied coolly
The tall boy vanished from the spotlight. This time, Ethan could clearly see two smaller dark figures dragging him away into the shadows.
"Hmm… Chimpanzee and Bonobo, Class 10B. Both 1.80 meters tall, both 72 kilograms, BMI 22.2… You two look nearly identical, so I'll only keep one of you."
The two boys - with their broad shoulders and slightly long, muscular arms - looked at each other.
A silent understanding passed between them.
They raised their hands, clearly about to settle it with a quick game of rock-paper-scissors… But the choreographer stopped them immediately.
"No, no! You're from Class 10B, aren't you? Don't act like children. I want to see you fight like men for your place."
"But… but fighting at Harmony High means expulsion!" protested the boy who looked more like a Chimpanzee.
"Then you have a choice," the choreographer said sweetly. "Fight… or be disqualified."
The two boys froze, completely torn, while a countdown began from the audience seats.
"Ten! Nine! Eight…"
By the time the countdown reached zero, both Chimpanzee and Bonobo were gagged and yanked offstage by the same two shadowy figures.
Having witnessed such gruesome eliminations, a scrawny boy from Class 10C - possibly even thinner than Ethan - screamed at the top of his lungs before the choreographer even turned to him.
"Nooo! Don't come any closer! I'll leave by myself!!!"
And he bolted off the stage, sprinting out of the Grand Theater amid a wave of laughter from the audience.
Let's Dance now had exactly eight members left.
Nathaniel exhaled in relief when the choreographer's gaze lingered on him for a few seconds… then moved on.
"Hmm… and you - Mountain Monkey from Class 11D. Height: 1.78 meters. Weight: 62 kilograms. BMI: 19.6. Your proportions are fairly standard, but you look so thin."
The choreographer stood right in front of Ethan now. The spotlight followed her every step until it settled directly on him.
The Bloodbound mark on Ethan's neck began to twitch violently. The pain shot through him like a live wire, forcing him to fight the urge to back away.
"It seems his body fat percentage is unusually low compared to the others."
"He doesn't look like himself anymore…"
"He's completely different from a few weeks ago!"
"Why is that? Did someone mark him?"
Behind Ethan, giggles echoed in perfect unison. The two shadowy figures who'd been carrying out the choreographer's dirty work were now standing right behind him.
And at that moment, Ethan finally knew exactly who the choreographer and her lackeys were - without a single doubt.
His eyes darted instinctively toward the audience, searching for Autumn.
But something strange was happening there.
While the entire crowd was focused on the chaos on stage, the members of Dancing Stars weren't looking that way at all.
Instead, they had their eyes locked on the girls of Class 11D.
The air in that corner of the auditorium was thick with tension - almost electric - charged by the invisible clash between Autumn and Kai, the leader of Dancing Stars.