Dazedly, I was pulled back into the normal dance steps by Sylvia, my heart pounding as if about to explode. I said,
"Sorry, I..."
"It's fine, it's fine. I didn't give you enough warning."
Sylvia responded with a giggle.

Doesn't she ever get flustered or anxious?

Not giving me time to be confused, the horn sounded for the third time, and the rhythm accelerated once again. The sky remained clear, but the music had become as dense and noisy as a downpour, the ground washed into muddy, unstable footing.
The final movement.

The bored onlookers reached the peak of excitement, letting out an unprecedented, irritating clamor of chatter, cheers, and jeers.
Noise mixed with music rolled in from all directions.

More and more dancers fell behind; cries of pain from stepped-on feet rose one after another. Panicked, unsteady figures swayed before my eyes, inviting more laughter.
Fear gripped me. I even bit the tip of my tongue, but the panic searing my mind didn't lessen; it only grew.
Damn it, damn it! Focus! Don't let your mind wander! Can't make any more mistakes! Follow Sylvia!
Breathe, steady your breathing... Look at your feet. No, look ahead. Damn it, it's over there... Just watch properly!

The silver-white figure before me suddenly stopped. I nearly crashed into her, barely managing to halt. I hurriedly blinked, clearing my sweat-blurred vision.
The ferociously heated drumbeat continued. Dancers around us still struggled to maintain their steps. The spectators still roared.

But at the center of this storm, Sylvia stood quietly before me. She rested her chin on her thumb and forefinger, adopting a pensive pose.
I was utterly perplexed.
What's going on? Why did she stop? It's not over yet! Sylvia, look, people are watching us!
Sylvia said,
"I thought about it. Rushing a beginner onto the stage is indeed too much. A rare festival and dance, and you spent it all on tension and struggle."

I looked at her incredulously, suppressing my voice.
"What are you talking about? Rosemary is still waiting. If we fail..."
"If we fail, we fail. She just wants to help her brother get a shortcut. It's not a life-or-death matter."
"So what? Should we just stop like this? Just walk off the dance floor?"
My voice was a bit out of control. However, Sylvia just grinned.
"The piece probably has five or six minutes left. Let me teach you to dance from the beginning now."

It took me a few seconds to process her words, but I couldn't grasp their meaning.
What is she saying? Can't she see our surroundings? Has she seriously considered the consequences?

A soft touch pressed against my cheek, instantly cutting off my thoughts.
Sylvia cupped my cheek, turning my head to face her directly.
"First, don't look elsewhere. The human body is a complex, beautiful system. It's hard to control if you don't focus on it completely."
Her clear voice pierced through the clamorous music and boiling crowd noise, reaching my ears with perfect clarity.

My feverishly pounding heart gradually slowed. My gaze involuntarily shifted to Sylvia.
As she took my hand and supported my back, her eyes moved over my form.
"That's right, just like that. First, feel the soles of your feet. Stand firm. Use the ground properly to support yourself."
Her whispers, accompanied by warm breaths, faintly brushed past the shell of my ear.
Perhaps to observe me better, she leaned in slightly, coming a bit closer. A faint, fresh scent touched the tip of my nose.

Before I knew it, I had steadied myself.
"Well done. Next is breathing."
She shifted her gaze to my face, her hand still resting on my waist, letting the slightly cool touch spread through my body.
"...Inhale, feel your chest expand, listen to the sound of the air moving... then slowly exhale."

I unconsciously complied. After several breaths, my chest, which had felt ready to burst, calmed considerably. The surrounding uproar gradually faded, becoming indistinct.
Her eyelashes were slightly curled, casting faint shadows under the sunlight. Her cobalt-blue eyes were clear and bottomless. Her slightly parted lips held a natural, healthy sheen...
"Very good. Now, let's try to move. The simplest steps are fine."
The hand on the small of my back delivered a gentle push; the hand holding mine led a step forward.

I could feel the solid ground beneath my feet. I could feel my body moving naturally with the guidance, without the slightest stiffness.
As Sylvia guided me in a stroll around the dance floor, she quietly offered various instructions.
Sometimes to correct my balance, sometimes to emphasize the beat, sometimes just watching my movements and letting out a feather-light laugh.

At first, those inconsiderate dancers and spectators would occasionally intrude into my peripheral vision.
But soon, everything around became blurred patches of color. Only she before me was clear and bright.
I felt as if I had returned to the forest where we first met, on some quiet afternoon, having a secret practice session just for the two of us.

The steps grew faster, the spins more frequent... Ah, whatever.
I had no spare attention left. All my mind was focused on her radiant movements.
Come on, a little more, look a little closer. Her figure, her presence, every detail of her at this moment... Brand them all into my heart.
Gazing into her focused, bright eyes, I couldn't help but murmur,
"...So beautiful."
"Sorry, what did you say? The music's too loud! Say it clearly!"
I couldn't help but smile and said loudly,
"Sylvia, dance."
"What do you mean?"
"You've been holding back because of me, right? Worried I'd make a mistake. It's fine. Dance to your heart's content! I'll catch you!"

Sylvia's expression froze for an instant. Unconcealed surprise flowed into her clear blue pupils.
However, that surprise soon melted away like ice and snow, transforming into a radiant smile bright enough to outshine the sun.
"Alright! I'll trust you!"
Before her words fully faded, the frantic, rapid drumbeat exploded like thunder. The final segment of the dance piece had arrived.

The hand holding mine suddenly exerted force—not pulling forward or backward, but spinning with me together.
The speed increased, turning the surrounding scenery into streaming, blurred ribbons of color. Amid such intense spinning, I felt no dizziness at all, only that her hair, flying in the wind, was breathtakingly beautiful.

The moment the spin reached its limit, Sylvia's movement abruptly changed.
Following the momentum, she powerfully sank her body, the force even causing a faint tremor in the ground. Simultaneously, her arms exerted strength, throwing my entire body free from gravity, hurling me into the air!

Weightlessness instantly enveloped me. The world spun. The dance floor, the crowd, even the stone platform receded like a tide. Only the wind carrying music and laughter whistled past my ears.

The next moment, Sylvia also left the ground.
As I reached the highest point, suspended between rising and falling, she floated before me. Amidst her billowing skirt, she smiled and reached out her hand to me.

Time stretched exceptionally long in that moment.
Her flying hair, her breath carrying laughter, the fresh scent from her hair, her eyes, and my own reflection within them.
I lightly grasped her hand.

Gravity reclaimed everything, pulling us both back to earth. She continued spinning with me freely in the air, laughing heartily in the brilliant light and wind.
I Stagnated my legs slightly, landing back in place a fraction sooner. Sylvia, stepping onto the final drumbeat, landed lightly right before me.
She smoothed her scattered bangs and said,
"How was it? As long as you focus and work with your body, dancing isn't that hard, right?"
"...Mm. But it seems it wasn't entirely just that."
From beginning to end, I was only looking at you.