The gates of Symphonia Academy loomed like a palace, their golden crests catching the morning sun. Mio Hanabira stepped through them with shaking knees, the final five contestants at her side. Everywhere she looked, students practiced flawless pirouettes, soaring leaps, or crystalline vocal runs. Music spilled from every open window, blending into a living symphony of hope and ambition.
A tall instructor in a white jacket greeted them in the courtyard. "Welcome to Symphonia Academy's second round. Over the next week, you will train, learn, and prove your worth. Only three of you will advance to the final stage."
Mio's breath caught. Three? She looked quickly at Hina, who met her gaze with a small, calm nod. Rika, on the other hand, stood with her arms crossed, eyes cold and unreadable.
"Your first challenge," the instructor continued, "is to perform a duet. You will be paired with another contestant. Show us unity, but also shine as individuals."
He tapped his tablet. "Mio Hanabira… you will partner with—Rika Tsukino."
A hush fell over the group. Mio felt her heart drop. Rika's lips thinned, her eyes flashing with clear annoyance. The instructor moved on, announcing the other pairs, but Mio barely heard. She turned to Rika. "Let's do our best—"
"Spare me the cheerful act," Rika snapped. "If you're hoping I'll carry you through this, think again."
Mio clenched her fists, taken aback by the icy tone but refusing to shrink back. "I'm not expecting you to carry me. I want to do this together."
"Together?" Rika scoffed, turning on her heel. "We'll see if you can even keep up."
Training began in a mirrored studio bigger than Mio's entire house. Rika moved like lightning, her steps sharp, her timing flawless. Mio stumbled more than once, her feet tangling as she tried to match Rika's fierce pace. Frustration built like a stormcloud over the morning.
"You're too slow," Rika barked, stopping in the middle of a turn. "Your timing's sloppy, your jumps are weak. If you can't even do the basics, don't waste my time."
Mio felt heat rising to her cheeks. "I'm trying! But you keep changing the tempo without warning!"
"Because if you can't adapt, you'll never survive on stage." Rika's eyes were fierce, but Mio caught something else in them—an edge of desperation, like she was fighting something inside herself as much as Mio.
After hours of tense, fruitless practice, the instructor dismissed them. Mio slumped to the floor, exhausted and disheartened. She stayed behind after Rika stormed out, pressing her palm to the cool wood of the studio floor. What am I missing?
She found Rika later in a quiet rehearsal room, alone with the lights off. Through the crack in the door, Mio saw Rika watching an old video on a small tablet: a young girl dancing with breathtaking grace on the Symphonia Stage, the crowd roaring with awe. Rika's shoulders were tense, her face pale and pained in the glow of the screen.
Mio stepped back quietly, realizing the girl in the video looked just like Rika. Is that… her? Or someone she lost?
That evening, Hina found Mio sitting alone under a sakura tree on the academy grounds. "She's difficult, isn't she?" Hina asked gently, kneeling beside her.
Mio looked up in surprise. "You know Rika?"
"We've crossed paths." Hina's eyes darkened slightly. "Rika has reasons for being the way she is. Her family once stood at the heart of the Symphonia Order—until tragedy struck."
Mio swallowed hard, the pieces beginning to fall into place. "What happened?"
Hina shook her head. "It's not my story to tell. But be careful, Mio. There are forces watching us here. Some wish to see the Aurora Symphony reborn… others would see it corrupted."
Elsewhere, high in the Academy's old clock tower, the Watcher stood in the shadows, speaking softly to a hooded figure cloaked in midnight blue. Moonlight glinted off the Watcher's single visible eye as he reported what he had seen during training.
"Mio's connection with the Dream Notes grows stronger. But her heart is still untested. Rika's bitterness could be the key—or the breaking point."
The hooded figure chuckled, a low, cold sound. "Then we'll ensure the rivalry blooms into something more… dangerous."
The next morning, Mio found herself face to face with Rika again. The tension crackled in the air like a storm about to break. They ran the routine three times, each ending with missteps and angry words. Finally, after the last stumble, Rika turned away in disgust.
"I don't know why you're here," she hissed. "You don't have the strength to reach the Symphonia Stage."
Mio snapped, her voice rising. "I'm here because I believe in my dreams—and I'm not going to quit just because you're trying to push me away!"
Rika froze, turning slowly back to her. Their eyes locked, both girls breathing hard.
"Then prove it," Rika said quietly, her voice low but without the usual edge of scorn. "Dance with me. Not as my shadow… but as my equal."
Mio blinked, stunned, then nodded firmly. "I will."
As they took their positions again, something shifted between them. For the first time, Rika didn't pull ahead or leave Mio behind. Their movements started to align, their steps weaving together like threads of a tapestry.
The Aurora Pin at Mio's hair glowed softly, the Dream Notes fluttering around them like tiny fireflies of light. The spark of harmony had finally begun to shine.