The judges announced the impromptu theme: Meteor over the Curved Moon. No other request. The dancers could interpret it however they chose. They had exactly five minutes to prepare, and the clock started the instant the theme left the judges’ lips.
Five minutes evaporated. The host’s voice sliced through the charged silence. “Ladies, you may begin.”
The command dropped like a guillotine blade, and Adah and Rowena exploded into motion as one. But the worlds they created couldn’t have been more opposed. The chasm between them yawned wide from the very first breath.
Adah’s body became liquid starlight, conjuring an atmosphere so otherworldly that the audience forgot to breathe. Her interpretation was entirely her own—unexpected, visionary—and her choreography flowed like water finding its path downhill. Even the judges leaned forward, whispering to each other with barely concealed awe.
Rowena’s routine, by contrast, was aggressively ordinary. The gap between this improvisation and Moonlight Shadow was a canyon so vast that it defied logic. Watching her now, it almost seemed impossible that the same hands had crafted both pieces.
The instant Adah and Rowena struck their final positions, the livestream detonated.
“Adah was unreal! To pull off something that stunning on the spot? She’s a straight-up genius!”
“There’s no comparison anymore. Adah destroys Rowena. Not even close. Crown her already!”
“Okay but seriously—what happened to Rowena? That improv was so basic that it hurt to watch. If she actually created Moonlight Shadow, there’s no way she’d bomb this badly. Even a rough day wouldn’t explain that nosedive.”
“I’m convinced now that Rowena either hired a ghost choreographer for Moonlight Shadow, or she ripped it off completely.”
“Someone needs to blast this everywhere! Let’s smoke out the real creator and watch Rowena’s empire crumble!”
The excitement online had not yet seeped into the venue itself. After the tie-breaker round, all doubt faded away. Adah stood alone as the true champion.
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Even the two judges who had accepted bribes from Gia to favor Rowena felt compelled to side with Adah, the gulf in ability so obvious that tampering with the outcome was out of the question.
It didn’t take the panel long to settle the results. Adah was officially named champion, while Rowena claimed second place.
Applause thundered throughout the hall as the audience cheered the winners. The host was ready to move on to the next part of the event when Adah suddenly raised her voice, capturing everyone’s attention. “Rowena is unworthy of the runner-up title!”
Instantly, the room fell silent. Every head turned toward Adah.
Rowena’s eyes darted nervously around the room. She leaned close, whispering through clenched teeth, “What do you think you’re doing?”
Adah fixed Rowena with a steady glare before shifting her focus to the host. “Pardon me, but I’d like to ask something. What happens if a contestant is discovered to have bribed the judges before the competition?”
Rowena’s panic showed in the flush that crept up her cheeks. “Adah, stop making things up!” she blurted out. “This is a respected competition; we won’t tolerate your reckless behavior!”
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