The Ballerina who wishes to aim for the Stars | Volume 1

Is he okay ?

"-Ho ho, I see he hasn't lost his manners.
-Was he always like that with all humans?
-It depended, but he always had those kinds of mannerisms, indeed.
-Oh I see..."

She pouted discreetly. She didn't know why, but disappointment was slowly creeping in.

"But don't worry, I think he likes you, I doubt he won't try to see you again.
-It's that time seems so long here.
-That's what makes this place so magical ho ho!"

They laughed heartily. They continued to talk about everything for a few minutes. Balan was very friendly and attentive to her. However, she had to leave him, as her costume friends had prepared a little acting session for her cursed role of the Black Swan.

They greeted each other and Balan waited patiently until she had left the great hall.

He then rushed into the office, where Lance would normally be.

He had seen right, the poor Maestro was slumped over the desk, his journal in front of him, scribbling all kinds of sketches of the one whose name kept being mentioned.

Balan removed his hat and approached his colleague, neutrality hanging on his face.

"-You'll never guess who I've been conversing with.
-Let me guess...Selene?"

Balan gave him a mock clap.

"-Are you planning to see her again?"

Lance's eyes went blank as if all the misery in the world had just taken over his soul. Balan thought he was going to cry. He could not help but be extremely worried. His friend's condition was getting worse by the day.

"-I would love to, but...
-Screw the negativity Lance.
-If only..."

The young Maestro pounded his fist against the table. He was determined to help Lance out of this abyss. Despite the fact that he knew Lance couldn't escape what was ahead of him, he could still push him away.

"-Please pull yourself together! You know that little human was very worried about your condition.
-What do you mean "very worried"?
-Well, she came to see me, mainly to ask about you because she saw that you were not in a very good state. She seemed very concerned about it and you and I both know that she doesn't know anything about this cursed 'cycle'."

Lance was confused. He had never met anyone who was worried about a Maestro, about him. Humans were so focused on their problems that they never asked themselves where their negativity ended up. They never wondered what Maestros felt like, really.

"-And don't tell me you don't look less radiant every time you go to see her.
-It's always like that, no matter the human, Balan. Don't make her look like a miracle cure to me."

Balan put his hat back on.

"-Think what you will, I'll remind you of your words when she's gone and we'll see what you say."

And he left. Lance did not understand what Balan had meant by that, and he did not try to find out.

What he still didn't understand was that Balan knew something Lance didn't, and that made all the difference.

He closed his journal and stared at his desk. He would be lying to himself if he said he didn't miss Selene's company. They'd only been together once and yet he felt like he'd spent time with her a million times.

There was also something that bothered him: Irina and Valerian. Both names were familiar to him, but he wasn't sure. He decided to put that aside. He got up and left with a specific goal in mind.

*
**

There was this place in the Wonderworld, off limits to humans. This place was one of the most precious and sacred places in this theater. Balan and Lance had nicknamed it "The Library of Wonders".

It was a gigantic room, which contained absolutely every resource concerning the human world. There was a section for everything: cooking, sports, psychology, diseases, and even a section entirely dedicated to the Wonderworld myth itself.

This place had served the two Maestros very well when it came to helping humans.
The room itself was vintage. It smelled of old parchment and in the center of it was a large fountain with some vegetation. The room was so huge that it was almost impossible to see the end of it. It was rare, but sometimes it was possible to come across a few old costumes wandering through the shelves.

Lance headed to the cultural section and with a snap of his fingers picked up the books he needed one by one, continuing his escapade as the chosen books followed him.

A few minutes later, he settled down with his twenty books in a corner out of sight.
Among the pile of books one could detect every adaptation of Swan Lake followed by many books on ballet, learning ballet and even on different kinds of dances.

He had a specific idea in mind.

He had decided to help this little ballerina and he would not do things by halves.

Moreover, the passion that Selene expressed through dance and her emotions fascinated him, and made him take a liking to all this too.

He spent the whole night in the library, studying every book, every element that could be important. He was even taking notes, studying drawing and practicing quickly.

The few Negati who were watching with him were very curious about the behavior of their Maestro.

What would the one who occupied all his mind think?