章節 80: First Dance
"Why did you become an ascended anyway?" Asked Veronica out of nowhere. Michael was watching the buildings pass, but hearing her question his eyes met her own. On his face a small smile appeared, as he spoke.
"Jumping into the middle are we... Honestly there wasn't much thought behind it. Five years ago I got in contact with the supernatural and joined the Unbroken. After spending a few months with studying, then I eventually became a Mediator!... What about you? I know how you learnt about the supernatural, but why did you decide to become an Ascended?"
For a long while Veronica stayed silent. The lie she told herself was that she wanted to learn how to get home, but she realized a long time ago, that the real reason was much more simple.
While looking away from Michael she fidgeted with her hand anxiously.
"I haven't really told this to anyone... The reason why I wanted to become an ascended was what happened with Madam Stout... When I saw her change into a corrupted, I could only watch as she nearly killed me..." Her tone was melancholic and meek.
"And you didn't want to feel powerless again..." Said Michael when she took a moment to breathe.
Slowly she looked up, waiting to see a judging face, but she only saw a tender one.
Seeing her surprised, but still sad expression, Michael gently touched her hand and spoke with a kind voice.
"You know Veronica, I think you judge yourself too harshly. You are literally surrounded with people who love you, but you are still afraid that their opinion would change if you made a mistake!" He chuckled a bit at her face, which was quite shocked.
"You don't even know me, or my family! What gives you the right to judge a stranger?" She tried to act angry, but her voice didn't match her faked expression. Michael just had a foxy smile on his face as he answered.
"Oh, but we judge strangers each day! That's called making an impression. For example if you would see a thug-like person walking down the empty street towards you, you wouldn't think that he might be a nice person. Instead you would go to the other side of the street since there is a high chance, he is not in fact nice!"
Veronica looked into his goofy face with a skeptical smile.
"You are quite right on that, but only when you look at extremes. If a normal looking person walks down on said empty street, you wouldn't really care about him. This gives said person an opportunity to rob or murder you since his outside impression was the perfect disguise for his rotten insides!"
Michael nodded thoughtfully. Her point made quite a lot of sense, but she wasn't yet done.
"I think robbers and murderers would have a much greater success acquiring prey, if they dressed normally and spent some time grooming themselves!" As she spoke Michael chuckled a bit.
"You are definitely correct, luckily the kind of people who live those lives can't really afford to be clean. It makes the police's job much easier!"
Veronica nodded, agreeing with what he said. Under them the carriage suddenly came to a halt. They were so absorbed in their conversation that time passed quickly and they have already arrived to the Dancing Hall.
Michael opened the door and stepped outside quickly. He held up his hand and helped Veronica get off the raised inside of the carriage. There was no real need for it, but she always appreciated a gentleman.
The area was especially packed today since it was Friday. The place were full of couples and single people as well. The younger women were even escorted by their parents. It reminded Veronica of the last time she had came here.
It also made her remember to the ascension that happened not long after. But there was another much more interesting and horrible event that happened that night.
Strangely enough she actually forget about that before today, which instantly caused alarm to rise deep inside her. She felt that forgetting that specific event wasn't a coincidence since neither Suze or James had ever brought it up again.
It was that night when Floyd Hawkins tried to kidnap her for some inexplicable reason. Luckily Suze and James found them before anything could've happened, but then all of them forgot to every mention it again.
'Be aware of any missing memory, he already knows about the theater, but he can't get it until he reaches the last order! You have until then to disappear fully!'
It was one of the last lines of that strange note inside the book, from the author that left clues for her to find... Back then the message was a bit ominous, but nothing too interesting, but now... It was outright terrifying.
If there is someone who can make her forget events with this little effort, and judging by the message, this person was hunting for the Theater of Imaginations, which she owned.
The Artist told her that the Theater had more power than she realized, which meant whoever this person was, they shouldn't get it... They probably knew how to properly use the buildings hidden powers as well, and that further increased their threat.
Thinking about all of this made her brain hurt. She was just an ascended in a world she didn't even really know.
'Why am I getting involved in all this crap!? I just wanted to live happily... I feel like that won't be an option from me... I was brought here for a reason, and I'm truly scared of what it is...'
Michael noticed the small tremble of her hand as he lead her inside the large building, but he didn't say anything about it. Her expression was kept neutral, which hid her real emotions and thoughts even from him.
'I have to do it then... I don't know how, but if people will be coming after me and my family, I will have to get more powerful quickly!'
In her mind a decision was made, on that she had been thinking about all day. There was only one issue, she still needed to acquire the Deeper Understanding, but she only got snippets of an idea about how to get it.
Looking at the man standing really close to her, a small smile appeared on her face. Michael noticed her smile and he reflected it.
"What is it?" He asked. Veronica slightly squeezed his hand as she spoke.
"Nothing... It's just... So much happened in the past few days, and there is still a lot more to be done... It's just great to have a night where I don't have to worry about anything!"
Michael didn't fully understand what 'So much to be done' referred to, but he was definitely sympathetic when it came to finally having time off.
"You are telling me? This is amazing so far! Not having to care about some random ascended serial killer attacking me at any moment... Also, this place has no dead bodies that I have to investigate... I'm telling you right now, this is going to be a perfect night!"
Veronica looked at him with awe, then burst out laughing. "Way to jinx it, you idiot!"
He chuckled as well, and they continued this banter until the music finally stopped. At that moment they approached the middle of the stage with a lot of other people.
Most of them looked at Veronica with pure desire, envy, or just simple delight. Not that she cared about any of them. Her eyes were only on one man, and his eyes were only on one woman.
They stared into each others eyes as the music started. It was slow unlike their hearts, that were beating faster than ever.
Previously Veronica wanted to ask about Deeper Understanding since Michael already experienced it once, but once the dance started her mind went blank.
It was strange. Normally the man should've been the one leading, but because Veronica was much better dancer, she unconsciously took the lead... And Michael let her.
She was very surprised by that fact, but he didn't say anything, just continued to smile, with that dumb, amazing smile of his...
Unknowingly both moved a few centimeters closer to one another, until her breasts were nearly touching his chest.
After a few seconds, or maybe minutes the music got fully tuned out by the two and they were making their own rhythm. Around them the other dancers fully disappeared.
For them, there was nothing left of the world except their partner. Looking into each others eyes, a deep understanding settled into both of them, not in the supernatural way, but the much more natural one.
It felt like, that you found something that you never knew you missed, but only by acquiring it did you start feel whole... A part that you hadn't been born with, but you were destined to find... Like you were finally saw the light at the end of the endless dark tunnel, that we call life...
The world was empty before, but now it was filled with something amazing...
They were so close at this point that the same air moved back and forth between their lips, but just as the moment reached its apex, the music stopped. As the people began to shuffle around them reality set back and they both realized what they were about to do.
There was no regret on either of their faces, only a bit of embarrassment. It wasn't appropriate to act like that out in public. The closest a couple could act affectionate was by handholding, but even a small peck on the lips was frowned upon.
The two of them breathed heavily in the middle of the stage. Dancing while being so focused on the other was quite tiring exercise.
"Do you perhaps... want to sit down a bit?" Asked Michael between breaths, which was the exact same question Veronica was about to ask.
"Most definitely... Let's go!"
As they walked towards the tables neither noticed that someone in the crowd stared at them with pure anger and malice. On his handsome face a small cruel smirk spread, then suddenly it all disappeared and he acted like he was part of the crowd, perfectly blending and not revealing his presence...
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