The silence after Odette and Vivienne's performance was not immediate.
It came in layers.
First, the last traces of golden light dissolved into the air. Then, the black roses born from Odette's shadows unraveled into ethereal petals, fading like quiet sighs into the night.
And then…
Nothing.
An absolute silence settled over the vast inner garden beneath the starry sky.
It was not empty.
It was… absorption.
Vivienne remained in Odette's arms, her chest rising and falling slowly. Their fingers were still intertwined, as if letting go was either impossible… or simply unthinkable.
Odette did not move either.
Her crimson eyes remained fixed on Vivienne.
Only her.
As always.
Then—
A single clap.
Soft.
Clear.
Afrodite.
The goddess smiled, her pink-golden eyes glowing with something deeper than admiration.
— Ah… — she murmured softly. — Now I understand.
Another clap.
Then another.
And another.
The sound began to spread.
Claps.
More claps.
The entire garden started to resonate with that growing rhythm.
Applause echoing beneath the night sky.
Applause filling the air like a rising tide.
Applause… steady… powerful… inevitable.
There were no voices.
No cheers.
Only the sound itself.
Recognition.
Respect.
Feeling.
Afrodite slowly raised her hand, and the applause began to soften… fading gently into silence once more.
— Tonight… — she began, her voice flowing through the space like silk — we have witnessed power.
A brief pause.
— We have seen light that could rival the sun.
— Darkness that could consume entire worlds.
— Precision… mastery… perfection.
Her gaze returned to Odette and Vivienne.
Her expression deepened.
— But what we have just witnessed…
Silence.
— …was something beyond measure.
She placed a hand over her chest.
— It was truth.
The air grew heavier.
Warmer.
More intimate.
— While others showed what they could do… you showed who you are.
A pause.
— And that…
A soft smile touched her lips.
— Cannot be surpassed.
Afrodite turned slowly toward the audience.
— This stage was never meant to crown the strongest.
Her eyes shimmered.
— It exists to reveal what lingers… when the spectacle fades.
She opened her arms.
— And you have already made your choice.
For a moment…
Silence.
Then—
Applause.
Again.
Stronger.
Faster.
Deeper.
Like a single, unified heartbeat.
Afrodite smiled.
— Exactly.
She turned back toward the center.
— Tonight… the stage did not choose power.
A pause.
— It chose truth.
She raised her hand, and a soft, radiant glow spread across the space.
— The winners are…
Time itself seemed to hold its breath.
— Lady Odette Montflourentes… and Lady Vivienne Dael.
The garden answered.
Applause.
Endless.
Resonant.
Unstoppable.
Vivienne blinked, as if the words had not fully reached her yet.
— We… won? — she whispered.
Odette smiled slowly.
Confident.
Certain.
But softer than before.
— It was inevitable.
She leaned closer, her voice lowering just enough to belong only to Vivienne.
— Because this was never a performance.
A pause.
— It was us.
A shiver ran through Vivienne's body.
Around them…
The sound never ceased.
Applause.
No names.
No voices.
Only the undeniable echo of a shared truth—
That on this night…
The heart had triumphed over power.
Silence hung in the air. All eyes turned to Vivienne and Odette.Finally, a soft voice broke the tension:
— So… what will your wish be?