The next morning, Aiden woke with a strange lightness in his chest and an even stranger restlessness beneath it. His thoughts refused to settle. They kept circling back to the night before. The quiet. The moonlight. The way Elara had moved with him like the rhythm had always belonged to them.
And how close they had been.
He groaned and rubbed his face. Focus. Dance. That was all this was supposed to be.
When he reached the training hall, Elara was already there. She stood near the center, stretching in silence, posture perfect, expression calm.
Their eyes met.
A pause followed. Too long to be nothing. Too short to say anything.
A faint blush touched her cheeks. Aiden looked away first.
"Let's start," Elara said, voice steady.
"Yeah," he replied.
From the very first step, Aiden knew something had changed.
There was no hesitation. No stiffness. Their feet moved together as if they shared the same pulse. The awkward missteps of the past days were gone, replaced by a smooth, instinctive flow. Aiden was no longer counting steps or correcting himself mid movement. He was feeling the rhythm, letting it carry him forward.
Marielle watched from the side, arms folded, lips curving upward.
"Much better," she said. "But you're still holding back. Both of you."
For hours, she refined them. A slight shift of posture. A correction to timing. A repeat. Again. And again. Aiden and Elara barely spoke, yet they never collided, never lost sync. Words were unnecessary. Their movements answered for them.
Finally, Marielle clapped once.
"Alright. Final test."
She stepped back, leaving the floor open.
"No guidance. No stopping. Just the two of you. Move as one."
Aiden turned to Elara. She met his gaze and placed her hand in his without hesitation.
They began.
This time, the shift was immediate.
As their steps grew fluid, Aiden felt something stir deep inside him. His mana responded, calm and steady, no resistance, no strain. The air around them shifted, subtle at first, then alive. His breathing slowed as the energy within him pulsed in perfect time with his movements.
A soft glow bloomed around them.
A sphere of mana took shape, gentle yet vivid, flickering as their rhythm deepened. Wind gathered, wrapping around them like an unseen current. The floor drifted away as they lifted, just slightly, feet no longer touching ground.
Elara gasped but did not break step.
Aiden tightened his grip on her hand, adjusting instinctively. Their dance continued, weightless, suspended as though the world itself had chosen to follow their lead.
For the first time, his power did not fight him.
It flowed.
Elara's violet eyes locked onto his, wide with understanding. Their movements slowed. The space between them closed.
Aiden felt his pulse spike as her face drew closer, breath warm against his, the air humming with energy—
"Ahem."
The sphere shattered into light.
The wind vanished.
Aiden and Elara dropped back onto the floor, the world snapping into place all at once.
Marielle stood there with crossed arms and a thoroughly smug expression.
"Well," she said, "I expected improvement. I did not expect a private performance."
Aiden and Elara jumped apart like they had been struck.
Marielle laughed. "Relax. Things like this happen when you train with something else on your mind."
Aiden covered his face with both hands. Elara turned red enough to rival his fire magic, staring resolutely at the wall.
"But," Marielle continued, her tone softening, "that was exceptional. Aiden, your mana responded naturally. No force. No resistance. And Elara, your synchronization was flawless." She smiled. "You two will steal the spotlight at the ball."
Elara bowed quickly. "Thank you, Lady Marielle."
Aiden muttered, "Thanks, Mom."
Marielle walked away, humming, far too pleased with herself.
Left alone, Aiden and Elara glanced at each other, then immediately looked elsewhere.
One thing was clear.
Their dancing was ready.
Their hearts were not.