Chapter 35 : Dark Murmurs
≿ · ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ · ≾
The whole ballroom hushed into a respectful silence as Queen Taeyeon settled back into her polished golden throne. The queen's gown glistened in the light as if an angel's tears cascaded her flowing back piece. The skirt of her dress flared out generously, displaying the queen's significance.
One of the queen's men cleared his throat, gaining all eyes. "The Eight Warriors, who have been training for months at the Aureum Palace, have refined their abilities for protecting Lucinda and our glorious majesty–Queen Taeyeon," the man announced. "This evening, our warriors will display their abilities as a performance to congratulate her majesty's 45th birthday and their notable training period."
Suyin stood against the wall, attempting to hide from the millions of eyes splattering on their team. The only time she had displayed her powers in front of a massive audience was at the Sky Arena, and that moment occurred by accident. This time, pressure lived at the heart of the room. Suyin needed to demonstrate her improvement...or the kingdom would be disappointed in her further.
Suyin watched as Sunghoon stepped onto the higher platform, standing at the center with his hands folded at his back. As cold silence froze over the enormous ballroom, Sunghoon closed his eyes. Sunghoon sprayed the floor with a thin ice sheet, skating around the platform. Frost fluttered in the air, cooling the audience. While a Sunghoon spun in circles, Jake entered the scene, forming stacks of water. His streaks of hydro brought a moment of purity amid frigidness. Together, their water and ice created spikes out of the ground.
Eventually, floral vines sprouted, wrapping around the icicles. Sunoo revealed himself through a puff of vibrant leaves, jumping into the scene. Sunoo ran along a growing floral pathway, sprinkling petals from above. His legs gradually ceased their steps, allowing the vines to carry him away.
After the innocent flowers, the plants ignited, screeching in red flames. Jay invited himself, front flipping into view. The scorching fire devoured the vines and remaining ice, skittering across the platform. Jay rose from his kneeled position, thrusting his arms out. A fire crackled like fireworks at his fingers.
Heeseung levitated over Jay's head, landing in front of him. The fire roared, blowing heat over skins as Heeseung spread his arms. The winds expressed a soft glow, matching Heeseung's calm gaze. Heeseung guided the air with graceful movements of his arms, maneuvering on the platform. As Heeseung floated up, his whirling winds were followed by a storm.
Thunder rumbled at the hands of Niki. Electricity crackled along the floor, silent static foreshadowing the next movement. Niki stomped and earned flinches as lightning slapped the ground.
Suyin hauled herself out of her never-ending stare. She knew she was about to enter soon. Her hand laid on her rapid heartbeat, and tried patting away the nerves cluttering her chest.
"Nervous?" Jungwon asked in a lowered voice. He stood beside Suyin and examined her anxious hands.
Suyin nodded. "We're about to perform in front of nobles and the queen. Of course, I am," Suyin replied. Her mind skimmed over her Sky Arena memories and how the moment of emergency impelled her powers to act. She remembered how daunting shadows splattered the scene, knocking out her consciousness. Suyin's hands gripped her skin and yanked herself out of the memory. "This is going to be my first time deliberately performing in front of them," she continued, "at the Sky Arena— what happened was an accident...and this time, there are expectations." Suyin didn't anticipate Jungwon's response. However, it seemed as if silence muffled Jungwon's immediate reply.
"Out of our entire team," Jungwon paused, drawing Suyin's curiosity. Suyin caught notice of his fingers fidgeting with a golden accessory on his suit. "You have the highest chance of stunning the audience the most. If there are expectations, they already expect something marvelous from the boys and me. You? You're a mystery, which plays a vital role in amazing the audience."
Suyin's mouth loosened up. Her eyes trailed up Jungwon's figure, hooking onto his stare. His eyes spoke differently again, urging Suyin's heart to miss a beat. She didn't get the chance to respond as he left her side, entering the spotlight.
Warm-hued sunstones puffed into reality, earning pleased reactions. Jungwon flipped himself into the air, leading the crystals and his precise movement. His careful hands and quick feet reached awes. When clapping his hands, the stones smashed into one, casting a golden glow over the ballroom.
Suyin breathed in slowly while finally picking up her feet. Her heels clicked the sparkling marble floors and ascended the higher platform. Suyin smiled as Jungwon nodded to her. She raised her hands, overlapping the sunstone with shadows from the cracks of the ballroom. Shadows painted the gold with deep black, shattering the crystal until the pieces vanished. While shadows lingered on the floor, Suyin welcomed herself into the vast silence of the audience.
Suyin's chest tightened up, perceiving the nobles' tense stares. She couldn't make a mistake, not this time.
Suyin closed her eyes and spun in a circle, leading shadows off her shaky hands. Suyin's arms waved, allowing the shadows to bundle into a puddle at her feet. Suyin took a step back and molded the shadows into familiar feathers. A majestic crown, high stance, and flaring feathers like a fan. Suyin lifted her eyelids, flooded by a vision of a bird formed at the center of the platform. The bird's dignified expression flourished with its magnificent feathers splaying in the air. The brilliant feathers displayed the bird's identity: a peacock—the queen's favorite animal.
She felt nostalgia tingle between her fingers as she freed the feathers flying through the air. She had only known how to create simple animals before becoming a Warrior. Now that experience filled her heart and knowledge, Suyin could finally have a proper relationship with her power.
Although Suyin's fond smile gleamed, it cracked with hesitation. She caught sight of multiple chandelier candles blowing out, dimming the ballroom. Did I do that? She wondered. She shook off the notice and resumed, morphing the peacock's feathers into butterflies swirling through the room.
The ballroom was darkened further by an eerie gust of wind. Suyin's fingers stilled as the air thickened, carrying specks of something secret yet memorable. Suyin lowered her arms and lost grip of her peacock shadow. Her shadow butterflies disintegrated. The crowd caught onto her perplexed eyes, mumbling to one another.
"Suyin," a voice whispered from behind. Suyin glanced at Sunoo. "What are you doing?" Sunoo questioned.
Suyin shook her head, displaying her confusion. "I'm–"
A large gale surged from the entrance and crashed into Suyin. As Suyin's body pounded the floor, the nobles gasped bafflingly. Fear prowled the room, eating at every noble's calm state.
"What is that!?" A noble panicked.
Suyin grunted and flipped her hair out of her face, seeing an obscure darkness invading the thin air. Suyin's mouth hung open while watching the murk heighten before her. Her heart banged against her ribcage, demanding to take action. Act now, Suyin urged herself. But how? What was this strange energy? Was it about to devour her? Her ears perked as low voices murmured into her ears, growing loud enough for some others to hear.
The darkness towered high until plunging the floor. The black slithered through the floors like vengeful snakes, scaring off the nobles toward the walls. Suyin couldn't register what was happening until Jungwon dashed into view, hunting the mysterious black wind. Suyin watched the blackness and gandered at the queen's golden throne. She gasped and sprung to her feet, sprinting for the queen.
"Wait, guys!" Heeseung shouted.
Suyin disregarded his shout. She needed to get to the queen before the darkness could. She hastened and finally leaped into the air, gaining proximity to Queen Taeyeon. Suyin guarded the queen, staring down the approaching darkness. Suyin grasped her fists and slashed shadows outward, but she barely made an impact. As yells rose from the nobles, Suyin's confidence faltered. All eyes burned her tall stance, and they could scorch her until she failed. She surveyed the room, wondering where Jungwon had gone.
Finally, Jungwon landed at Suyin's side with an arm extending over her front. Jungwon raised his other hand and summoned a massive obsidian shield. Everyone expected to hear a collision, but the blackness rose. Suyin squinted through the transparent shield. She thought her eyes deluded herself as a figure's silhouette emerged from the dark cloud. Silence breathed down everyone's necks.
Ivan, Suyin recognized. The leader of the Cult of Umbra.