"Sir..."
Augetta murmured softly. She understood the situation perfectly well—when Augilia had faced her crisis earlier, she too had first fallen into a state of weakness.
But now, nestled in Zane's embrace, her earlier dread of death had faded considerably. A profound sense of peace filled her senses.
"I'm here."
Zane raised his hand to grasp Augetta's, his deep voice carrying a soothing calm. Hearing his words, Augetta's breaths gradually steadied, her chest rising and falling slowly.
"Sir, actually... I'm quite happy right now."
A faint smile touched Augetta's lips as she curved her eyes, gazing at Zane.
After a brief pause, Augetta's faint voice once more reached Zane's ear.
"When I was very young, our family faced a tragedy. My sister and I went to live with our grandfather. Later, we both fell in love with dance and dedicated ourselves to it..."
"As it turned out, my sister and I possessed remarkable talent. Over time, the fame of the Nette Twin Dancers grew ever greater."
"But as our audiences grew larger and our performances became more prestigious, we rarely felt that spontaneous joy and passion anymore..."
Augetta's gaze settled on Zane's face, her voice growing faint. Her hand, which had been clenched, now rested gently in Zane's palm.
Her body grew lighter and lighter.
"What is dance for? The answer was revealed to us from the very beginning—that initial passion..."
"It stems from the smile that lit up Grandfather's face when he watched my sister and me dancing joyfully, even if it was a messy, chaotic dance..."
Augetta's voice trembled slightly.
"Sir, did you enjoy my dance?"
Zane nodded. By now, the orchestra and others had noticed something was amiss, though most assumed it was part of the choreography.
So the music began again.
Soothing, sorrowful...
Just like the scene unfolding before them.
But what they didn't know was that Augetta was truly leaving.
Seeing Zane nod, Augetta's smile broadened, though it lasted only a moment before fading away.
At that moment, she seemed to lack even the strength to maintain a smile.
And just then, Zane spoke softly.
"You still want to live, don't you?"
Augetta froze at his words, but quickly regained her composure. Instead of responding, she gazed at him and whispered softly,
"Sir, would you smile for me?"
"It would make me so very happy..."
Augetta's voice trailed softly. As she watched Zane, thoughts of her sister surfaced unbidden.
If only my sister were here now...
Alas, her dance remained unfinished, cut short at the music's climax. More regrettably, her sister hadn't been able to join her...
Sister... I've come to find you...
After all... Nette was never truly unyielding...
Augetta never saw Zane's smile. Her eyes closed as her voice faded, and the hand he held slipped limply from his grasp, falling onto the stage.
The girl appeared as if asleep, her golden hair spilling across Zane's chest. Her serene countenance radiated a tranquil, peaceful aura.
As the music flowed, it felt as though a fairy tale had reached its conclusion.
Only the sleeping princess would never awaken again.
A strand of crystalline light slowly rose.
The light was breathtakingly beautiful, its dreamlike hues weaving into dazzling patterns beneath the glow, a sight beyond compare.
In this moment, no beauty could rival it.
Such splendor came at a price...
In Zane's arms, Augetta dissolved into the light, her form gradually fading like shards of a fantastical flower blooming upon the stage.
Within a few breaths, Zane's arms held nothing but emptiness.
Of course, no one noticed that the music had ceased the moment Augetta began to vanish. Everyone present had fallen into a deep slumber.
Zane knew well what could be shown and what could not. If he acted without restraint, it might invite further trouble.
He himself might be fine, but Augetta and Augilia's grandfather...
Zane lifted his gaze, watching the shimmering light dissolve into nothingness, his expression inscrutable.
He stood up, silent for a long while.
Silence.
Truthfully, the question no longer needed an answer.
Augetta's dance, accompanied by the music, had answered everything.
She simply had no better choice.
Was this the end?
Zane asked himself inwardly.
...
Suddenly, a whisper of wind brushed his ear.
Within the enclosed theater, the source of this unexpected breeze caught his attention. Faint ripples stirred, and glancing sideways, he saw the orchestra's sheet music fluttering open, dancing through the air.
Like yellow-white butterflies, they tumbled, spun, and moved chaotically before scattering across the ground.
"Where did this wind come from?"
As Zane murmured, his eyes momentarily blurred. When the scene before him sharpened again, it was a sea of vibrant green.
Zane snapped back to reality, finding himself standing on grass.
"Did you feel it?"
The familiar voice sounded again beside him.
Zane lifted his gaze to the woman not far away, exhaling softly as her hair swayed gently in the breeze.
The soft grass swayed in unison.
Like waves of emerald, layer upon layer rolled and crisscrossed. Propelled by the wind, the earth seemed to come alive.
At the edge of his vision, the woman turned, facing Zane directly. Her words fell.
"Did you feel it?"
"Fail again, and you won't get another chance."
"Or rather... there won't be another chance for what's happening now."
Her tone was calm. Though she didn't spell it out, Zane understood her meaning.
It was about Augetta and Augilia.
She knew. She had even witnessed it herself...
"What do you want me to feel?"
Zane asked, his expression serene.
The wind was gentle, caressing his face with comfort. The vast expanse and breathtaking scenery stretched before him, refreshing his spirit.
"Life."
The woman murmured softly.
She extended her hand toward Zane, and with her gesture, two crystalline, delicate butterflies coalesced, fluttering their wings as they flew toward him.
Zane instinctively reached out, allowing the butterflies to alight on his fingers. They seemed quite familiar with him, showing no fear.
"Time for time. So, in truth, your time is limited too. If you cannot keep them, they will eventually depart..."
The woman explained softly, her implied meaning clear.
Zane instantly understood why the Nette Twins had departed prematurely.
It wasn't an accident, nor a miscalculation on his part. It was this woman who had severed that time.
To grant him a single chance to try.
If he failed, the twin sisters would meet the same fate...
As for this time... he had already sensed it.