[Outer Celebration Plaza: Apex Summit]
Vanitas emerged from nothingness. No one noticed the moment of his appearance. The music was loud, laughter filled the air, and crystal glasses clinked. He looked around. The family wasn't here. Every face was strange, and every emblem belonged to families subordinate to "Aurum." So... I am in the lion's den.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen!" A deep, smooth, yet provocative voice rang out from a small platform. A tall man with pale golden hair and pallid skin raised a glass, tapping it with a silver spoon. "I am Leonardo, the ninth of his name, of the great Aurum lineage!" The audience applauded warmly. Vanitas recognized the name. Leonardo... a talented alchemist in "Material Research." His age exceeded a hundred years, yet he still looked like a young man in his twenties. A "mad scientist" who masked his political failures with scientific genius and biting sarcasm.
"I welcome everyone who has visited us... Enjoy, for the rituals will begin shortly!"
Vanitas felt a soft touch on his back. The scent of "Golden Orchid" perfume filled his nostrils. He turned. Aurelia. She was wearing a gold-colored dress that wrapped around her body like a second skin, her eyes gleaming with a charming malice. "Welcome, Vanitas... to my home." Vanitas smiled, bowing to kiss her hand with calculated coldness: "Your home is warm, my Lady... but I see the real heat comes from its inhabitants."
"What are the two of you whispering about?" A third voice invaded their private circle. Leonardo descended from the platform and stood before them, placing his hand brazenly on Vanitas's shoulder. Vanitas replied with a formal smile, "I welcome Leonardo, the ninth of his name." "Don't be formal, boy." Leonardo squeezed his shoulder slightly, like someone testing the durability of a lab sample. "You didn't answer me... why do I feel a special 'chemistry' between you? Isn't that right, my cousin?" Aurelia smiled coldly: "It's nothing, Leonardo. Just a standard welcoming conversation." "Heh... your welcoming conversations are always special, my dear. Perhaps you welcomed him with something other than your tongue?"
Before Aurelia could respond in anger, Leonardo leaned toward Vanitas's ear and whispered loud enough for both to hear: "Don't be fooled by the gold that coats her, Vanitas... for it is consumed gold, traded through many hands before you. I hope you enjoy... the remains." Then he stepped away with a mocking smile, continuing his path among the guests.
Enemy number one, Vanitas recorded in his mind. Leonardo hates me for some reason. Is it contempt for my 'middle-tier' blood? Or does he see something others don't? "Don't take his words to heart," Aurelia said, tightening her grip on his arm nervously. Vanitas smiled, looking into her eyes with the confidence of a professional actor: "Of course I won't... for how could I not believe my future partner?" "Your partner?" She raised an eyebrow with a playful smile. "You are very sure of yourself."
...
[Transition to the Ritual Area]
Leonardo clapped again: "And now... to the ritual carriages!"
The crowd moved toward a row of golden carriages. Leonardo approached Vanitas, pointing his hand with exaggerated theatricality toward a simple, old, dilapidated wooden carriage standing at the end of the line. "That is your carriage, Vanitas. Befitting the status of... unexpected guests." Vanitas looked at the carriage. A childish insult. A clear message: You do not deserve the gold. He didn't get angry. Instead, he smiled at Leonardo with pity: "Thank you."
He turned to board, but a voice stopped him. "Wait, sir!" A servant from the Aurum family ran toward him. "Where are you going?" "To my carriage.. as pointed out by Master Leonardo." The servant looked at Leonardo in confusion, then at Vanitas: "Sir.. that is not your carriage. I have been informed to tell you to go to that carriage." The servant pointed his hand toward the front of the procession. "Your carriage is there... the carriage of the direct lineage, specifically Aurelia's carriage."
Vanitas looked. It was Aurelia's private carriage. Golden, massive, and adorned with precious gems. Vanitas turned to Leonardo, whose face had flushed red. His plan to humiliate Vanitas had backfired. Vanitas waved his hand with a wide smile: "It seems you were a bit lost. But as you see... gold calls to its own." He left him boiling in his place and boarded the royal carriage.
...
[Inside the Royal Carriage]
He entered. Aurelia was sitting inside, her arms crossed. "Vanitas? Are you in the same carriage as me? No one told me that!" He sat beside her and closed the door. The silence inside was heavy and tempting. "It seems the one who sits on the golden throne has some surprises for us." "Father?" she whispered in fear, then looked at him. An investigative look.
Vanitas approached her. He didn't speak immediately. He extended his hand and, very slowly, ran his finger over the golden necklace adorning her neck. He didn't touch her skin; he touched the metal. "They say fire consumes gold, Aurelia..." he whispered, looking directly into her eyes. Aurelia shivered slightly, not out of fear, but excitement. She leaned toward him and whispered defiantly: "...But I see gold shining brighter when it nears the fire." "Be careful your fingers don't get burned." "I don't fear burning." She placed her hand on his chest, directly over his heart. "I fear the cold."
Vanitas grabbed her hand. It wasn't a lover's touch; it was a dominant grip. "Coldness is what preserves things from decay." He moved closer to her face. Their breaths mingled. "They call you the Golden Whore... but I see only a spoiled child looking for a dangerous toy." Her eyes widened. He had exposed her mask. Before she could respond, he devoured her lips. A kiss that wasn't romantic. It was a temporary declaration of ownership. The carriage stopped. He broke the kiss calmly, while she gasped, her eyes clouded with a strange shimmer. "Well..." She adjusted her hair in confusion. "You are... bold." Vanitas smiled coldly and returned to his seat. She seeks excitement. I seek survival. A fair trade.
...
[Ritual Square: Under a Starlit Sky]
They descended together, hand in hand. The scene before them surpassed imagination. If "Apex" was beautiful, this square was the heart of beauty. The sky wasn't black, but a deep blue filled with moving stars; stars in the shape of stags, lions, and mythical creatures swimming in space. Multicolored moons illuminated the place with magical light. The ground was covered with soft white dust mixed with jewel powders. Three giant empty thrones reigned at the forefront.
Vanitas and Aurelia walked toward the dance floor. He caught a glimpse of his father, "Motus," sitting at a distant table, talking with other nobles, but his eyes were watching Vanitas sharply. The post-party reckoning would be long.
They reached the dance platform. He saw "Otus" and "Aretia" dancing together with boredom. "I feel your brother and sister are eyeing us with strange looks," Aurelia whispered. "Don't mind them." Vanitas pressed her waist and pulled her closer. "They are jealous of us." The music began. A fast waltz. Vanitas moved with incredible agility. His steps were calculated, fluid, as if he were swimming through the air. "Wow.." Aurelia's eyes widened. "I didn't expect you to be this skilled! You lead me as if I were a feather." Vanitas laughed, spinning her quickly: "It seems you haven't heard the rumors about me. They say I am the incarnation of the God of Dance." "What?!" she laughed. "Follow my lead, girl."
He approached Otus and Aretia. He intentionally stood back-to-back with Otus. "Brother!" Vanitas called out cheerfully without turning around. "How about a swap? A double dance?" Otus stopped. Then Aurelia said, "What, Vanitas?" "A double dance. Don't you want to, Aurelia?" "It's fine.." Aurelia said hesitantly, looking at Aretia. "But perhaps your sister won't be able to keep up." "Girl, for me, dancing is like breathing," Aretia replied with pride. "Then let's try it!"
Vanitas spun, swapping partners skillfully. Aurelia was now with Otus, and Vanitas with Aretia. "Hello, sister." Vanitas smiled as he held her hand coldly. "How are you doing?" She replied, "I am at my best." Then she added, "But don't you think Otus will steal your girlfriend?" He smiled, gave her a side look, and said, "He isn't her type."
The music quickened. "Switch!" Each partner returned to their original one. "Aurelia.. prepare for the best dance of your life." Vanitas began moving with insane speed, yet it was completely controlled. Spinning.. bending.. jumping. He carried her in his arms, tossed her into the air lightly, spun around himself, then caught her centimeters before she touched the ground, her face inches from his. Aurelia was out of breath. People stopped dancing to applaud. "This... is the best dance of my life," she panted in awe. "Didn't I tell you?" He winked at her.
Suddenly, he heard a thud beside him. He turned. Aretia was on the floor. Otus stood beside her, looking at her with stoicism. They had tried to imitate the jump move, but Otus hadn't caught her in time, or perhaps Aretia lost her balance. In noble custom, when a lady falls during a dance, she must stand up on her own to preserve what remains of her dignity. Extending a helping hand is a declaration of her weakness. Thus, Otus stood with his arms crossed, looking at his sister with boredom.
Vanitas sighed. "Wait here for a moment," he whispered to Aurelia. He walked toward Aretia amidst the gloating stares of the attendees. He extended his hand to her. Aretia looked at him in shock and contempt. How dare he? He grabbed her hand firmly and pulled her up. "Foolish girl.." he whispered to her as he dusted off her dress. "Why did you try to imitate me?" "Why did you help me?!" she whispered angrily, tears of embarrassment in her eyes. "I can stand up on my own!" "Again.. foolish." He looked into her eyes seriously for the first time: "I am your brother. Of course I will help you. Even if you hate me, I will always help you." Aretia froze. He leaned toward her face and wiped a line of smudged kohl caused by a hidden tear with his thumb. "Go to the bathroom.. your makeup is ruined." She pressed her lips together, looking at the ground. "Thank you." "Don't thank me." He patted her shoulder coldly, then turned and returned to Aurelia, leaving his sister looking at his back with mixed emotions she had never felt before.
[Excerpt from: Introduction to the book "The Elite Rhythm" – by Lady Vivian]
Subject: Stacy Rhythm and Kinetic Genius
"Dancing in the Kingdom is the only language that cannot be lied in. You can fake your lineage, but you cannot fake your balance."
1. The Essence of the Stacy Rhythm: The [Stacy] style is considered the gold standard of elegance in our current era. It is a fast, aggressive dance that requires mechanical quick-wittedness. While the ancients settled for quiet, slow dancing (which is now shunned and boring), the Stacy requires a noble to be in a state of full physical alertness.
2. The Dignity Protocol: Every student must realize that falling on the dance floor is a "declaration of failure." It is an established custom in "Apex" that helping one who falls is the height of insult; because by doing so, you strip the fallen of the opportunity to regain their balance themselves, and declare before the public that they are "helpless" and in need of an external hand.
3. My Greatest Pride – Vanitas Exemplar: As the premier teacher among nobles, I always boast that I was the supervisor of refining the talent of Vanitas Exemplar. He is the student who made my name a synonym for perfection. Vanitas is not just a performer, he is the best dancer I have ever seen in the history of alchemical movement instruction. He possesses a "terrifying stability" and the ability to lead a partner as if they were a part of his own body. If you see Vanitas in the plaza, know that you are seeing "Alchemy of the Body" in its highest form; he is the main reason behind the rush of families to my private lessons.