Echocalypse: Scarlet Covenant story · Themed biography
Blissbite Dance
Serenelle regained self-awareness in the dream and saved you. Just as you were about to depart, you found that she could not leave the dream.
8 scenes, 144 lines
1. Detective
11 linesNight has deepened. The bell tower of St. Jordan tolls through wind and rain. Candlelight flickers across the table, casting the shadow of Charlotte's hat low, while Mira yawns beside her.
Buck up, Mira. We'll split up starting tomorrow.
*Sigh... I knew you wouldn't let me enjoy the second ballet in peace.
Of course not. You're playing the patient, your ticket inside the White Rose Clinic.
Me? Pretend to be a patient? What if they decide to dissect me?
Relax. Just say you were referred here. I've already forged your ID and medical records.
*Heh... you really planned this all out, didn't you?
This is investigation, not gambling. Once you're inside, talk to the doctors as much as possible and gather some information.
What if they don't buy it?
Then it's your performance. Make the tears convincing, doctors have seen plenty of desperate patients, only tears are the most genuine.
A performance, *huh... then it's my turn to take the stage!
2. Secret Agent
10 linesThe next morning, the rain hasn't stopped. Mira, wrapped in her cloak, steps unsteadily into the shabby alley of St. Jordan. The children at the street corner stare at her trembling hand, not uttering a word.
Stop. What are you doing here?
I... I heard that there is a treatment to cure Crystal Syndrome.
Who referred you?
Alan... Alan from Botley. She said you could help me.
I have a vague memory... She hasn't been here for a long time, has she?
She said before she died... She was still thinking about taking her medicine when she died.
*Hmm... This is miserable...
You came alone, right? Then come in with me.
The iron door slams shut, and the dark corridor resembles a cave that devours sound, with dim lighting and peeling walls. Mira's breathing grows rapid. She lowers her head, not daring to look at anyone.
3. Seed
19 linesA new patient?
*Hmm...
Symptoms?
Pain... in my chest... sometimes even breathing is...
Drink it up.
The guard hands Mira a bottle of light red liquid. Mira takes it with shaking hands.
This... what is it?
The painkiller you asked for. We'll test your tolerance.
Can it really cure me?
Yes, it will.
But I haven't seen the doctor yet...
Didn't you bring your medical records? If you ask too many questions, I won't treat you. Drink up!
Mira's hand shakes and the liquid nearly spills. Then a crack of breaking glass comes from outside the window.
Raise your hands. Don't move.
A silver line flashes and the guard's pistol flies. Charlotte rolls into the room, kicking tables and chairs aside.
Backup, now...
Charlotte knocks out the guard with the butt of her gun. Outside, Christie leans against the wall, whistling softly, two subdued guards at her feet.
Mentor! You came to save me... Wait, you still don't trust me...
I can't just stand by while my student goes astray.
4. Drug
17 linesThe illuminated attic is filled with the smell of smoke. Christie pushes the door open and drags a bound doctor behind her.
Caught her at the White Rose, she's the one changing shifts.
Bring her in.
I-I don't know anything!
You dispense medicine, write prescriptions, take money, such a simple loop. How could you not know?
I'm just dispensing medicine according to the list. The patients wanted Blissbite, they begged for it!
Begged? And you say it like it's justified.
That's the only painkiller available! They're poor and Blissbite is all they can afford. What we sell is cheap compared to others!
So you ease their pain while robbing them of their sanity?
...It's not just them. Many nobles take it too. Blissbite heightens Case potential, who wouldn't want to try it?
What about the dancer from the Grand Theater, Kala? Is she one of your patients?
I can't reveal my clients...
If you cooperate, I'll let you go right now. Otherwise, I'll tell your boss you've betrayed them.
No, please! If you do that, my family, none of us will survive!
Then tell me...
Kala... she's a regular customer. Her name alone could sell Blissbite across the entire city of St. Jordan.
The words hang in the air as the three exchange silent looks. Outside, the rain sounds like applause, loud yet cold.
5. Patient
24 linesThe night runs deep. The stage lights are long extinguished, yet beneath the rain canopy by the theater's back door, a faint light still flickers. Kala sits alone on a bench, her fingertips brushing the makeup still lingering on her cheeks. She hears footsteps splash through the puddles and raises her head instinctively.
*Ahem... Excuse me... Are you Miss Kala?
*Hmm? And you are...?
I'm one of the audience... I saw yesterday's show. It was extraordinary... I've never seen such a moving performance.
*Heh, you audiences always say something like that... but thank you.
I'm not just saying it. I've seen many principal dancers at the Imperial Grand Theater, but last night... you danced as if you had truly become the role herself.
Thank you for your kind words... but I don't deserve such praise. I have no exceptional talent.
Miss Kala, I do have a question... Recently in St. Jordan, there's a drug called Blissbite. It seems to enhance one's potential and inspiration.
You want to ask if I've used it?
No, no. I didn't mean anything else! It's just... I heard that it has strong side effects. I was only worried about you...
...Do you know what Crystal Syndrome feels like?
I... have heard a little.
When I was a child, I was left to wander the streets. The Crystal Syndrome had nearly taken my life. I clawed my way to an underground clinic, where they performed an experimental surgery on me... I survived, but every day since has been agony.
I'm sorry...
*Heh, no need to feel sorry for me. I fought my own way back to the stage. But because of these injuries, I... have to rely on Blissbite. It eases the pain from rejection flare-ups, and more importantly, it lets me see visions, the roles, the scenes, and the emotions. Everything becomes vivid and real.
I see... what you see is a view no one else can ever reach.
But the price I pay is one no one else can bear. After every dance, I feel like I might shatter apart. And I'm afraid, afraid that if I ever stop taking it, I'll never be able to dance again.
So, are you going to arrest me? For using Blissbite?
No, I'm not here to catch you. I just want to understand, what belief drives you... or what pain makes you take it.
The night wind stirs the scraps and dust in the alley behind the theater. Kala gazes into the darkness as if seeing the inevitable end.
Please, never set foot on this path.
You-you've got it wrong! I'm not trying to take the drug! I'm a detective, well, an assistant detective! Even if solving cases doesn't make the world much better, I'll still do everything I can to help people!
That's great, you love your work too.
The two share a faint smile. In the heavy darkness, the night finally softens.
6. Rogue
21 linesIn the deep night, another figure arrives quietly.
Hello, Miss Kala.
*Hmm... quite a few visitors tonight. Who are you?
Christie holds a black umbrella, rain sliding down its edge as she studies the dancer who once stunned the world under the spotlight.
My name is Christie. Like Mira, I'm here to tell you the truth.
*Ha... Another person here to lecture me? Sorry, I'm a little tired today.
No, Miss Kala, she's not a journalist. Christie... she's our collaborator in the Blissbite investigation.
You shouldn't keep using it, even if it lets you fly for a moment.
*Heh... even if it's a moment. It's worth it if I can dance one more time.
Do you know what it's doing out there? Children, the elderly, mothers, all clinging to it just to numb the pain. Some die from withdrawal, others go mad begging for another dose.
Of course I know... I'm not blind. I grew up on the streets and the pain I've seen is no less than yours.
Then you should know better than anyone that when you stand on the stage, you're an advertisement. They say: If I take Blissbite, maybe I can shine and be as captivating as Kala.
*Heh... Since when did I become a role model? I'm just someone trying to live with a broken body.
To stand on the stage, I... I've given it my all. I only take Blissbite when I'm on stage. In the rehearsal rooms, I work harder than anyone, enduring pain every day, just to give the audience a flawless performance...
But the light behind you is too bright, it hides the scars under your feet. If we don't step in, when the rumors spread, the world will only see you as an Blissbite-made monster of dance.
A gust of wind tears through, making the theater flags snap and ripple in the air. Kala stays silent for a long time, her trembling fingers pressing against her chest as if to calm a burning inside her.
You're right... but I can't stop. I still want to keep performing.
We understand. And we'll do everything we can to make sure you're not alone anymore.
Then, do you still plan on taking Blissbite?
...I don't know. But please, don't make me answer yet. The curtain hasn't fallen, I haven't finished my final dance.
She lifts her face. The dim backstage light shimmers in her eyes, stubborn, solitary, like a falling star defying gravity for one last blaze.
7. Blissbite
13 linesThe bell of St. Jordan's Grand Theater rings again. Behind the curtain, the air is so tense it could shatter. Kala stands before the mirror, her hands gripping the hem of her dress. On the corner of the table, the red vial containing Blissbite catches the flickering light. She stares at it for a long while, then pushes it into the drawer and shuts it.
Tonight... I don't need it.
She takes a deep breath and steps onto the lift platform. The music begins, the lights descend, and the stage blooms like a dream. The audience holds their breath. The conductor raises the baton, and a silk-like melody unfurls through the hall.
Kala spins and leaps, each move still immaculate, yet every breath feels like a blade across her chest. On the far side of the stage, the red resonance crystals pulse faintly, like a restless heart.
It hurts... No, I can't... This is my stage.
Her vision begins to blur as the colors before her bleed into crimson. The butterfly appears again, emerging from the light to circle her body.
Go away... I don't need you anymore!
Yet the vision grows sharper. The butterfly's wings turn into the hands of her role, guiding her to turn, bow, and extend. Her movements grow more breathtaking, and the beauty of her struggle leaves the audience in stunned silence.
So beautiful... She's really going to fly...
But Kala on stage no longer hears the applause. Pain and illusion rip her senses apart. Her shoes scrape the floor, leaving faint streaks of blood.
Just... a little more... just this scene...
One last spin, the lights blaze like fire, and the butterfly in her mind dives straight toward her heart. Her body stiffens suddenly, then collapses at the center of the stage.
The music hesitates for a single beat, then falls silent abruptly. The hall freezes in stunned silence. The audience stares at her figure, still frozen in posture, then a storm of applause breaks out like thunder.
8. Hunter
29 linesThe hospital corridor glows pale as snow. Kala's room is so quiet that only the soft hum of the monitoring machines breaks the silence. Outside, the second day's afternoon sunlight spills across the window, yet she lies trapped in an endless night, lost in sleep.
The door creaks open softly as Christie steps inside.
Has she woken up?
She woke up for a moment, then drifted off again. The doctor said her vital signs are improving, but her mind is still fragile.
...She didn't take Blissbite. That night, she made it to the end on willpower alone.
I know. She didn't bring any medicine, nor did she leave any words for help... she just left a letter.
Mira picks up a thin note from the table and hands it to Christie. The handwriting is elegant, yet tinged with a grim finality.
I am willing to burn myself out for dance and for my audience, but I will never become a monster sustained by Blissbite.
...She actually staked her life.
Christie puts the note back down. A faint shimmer passes in her eyes, quickly suppressed.
I shouldn't just be a bystander.
You've helped a lot. You gave her the right to choose, didn't you?
On the bed, Kala lets out a low cry of pain. Sweat beads across her forehead as her trembling hands clutch the blanket.
No, she's seizing again! The doctor said it's severe neural chaos from the Crystal Resonance...
Christie leans over at once to hold her shoulders and call her name softly.
Kala, wake up... You're not on the stage anymore. You don't have to carry this alone.
Kala slowly opens her eyes. Her gaze drifts, and a tear slides down her cheek.
...Did I... fail...?
No! You won, Kala! You didn't take Blissbite, and the audience saw your true radiance.
But you almost died there.
She tries to keep her voice steady, but still reveals a trembling sorrow.
The doctors said your Crystal Syndrome is beyond cure. I advise you not to return to the stage. Just do things you want while you can.
Kala shakes her head firmly.
Alright... if you want to finish your final performance, I'll help you. But if you can't bear it anymore, just say so. You may want to endure it... but the monster fed by Blissbite inside you might not.
...If I really lose control on stage, please...
I will kill you, before you become a host.
The ward falls into brief silence. Kala slowly closes her eyes and nods faintly.
Thank you, Christie. Then... I'll leave it to you.
Sunlight spills through the window, resting on her pale yet resolute face. Tomorrow marks the final performance of the ballet Butterfly.