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THE GRIM DANCE

We searched the entire house, but we couldn't find any other lizards like the one in my room. "So, just a crazy thought, if this thing bit me and infected me with this thing, could I become like him?" I asked Nicholas.

Nicholas kept his gaze fixed on the motionless pink salamander. "Honestly? I don't know. But I don't think Gustavo is capable of that. Maybe it just wandered off."

"But you said he could control them, right? Could he have moved it into my bed?" I shuddered at the thought.

Nicholas remained silent this time, which only heightened my fear. Maybe it was just a coincidence, or perhaps he had left it there previously and forgotten about it, but he didn't strike me as the forgetful type. The ominous feeling refused to leave me.

Suddenly, the phone rang, making both of us jump. Nicholas quickly answered the phone and talked outside the room for a while before returning, looking relieved. "Let's head to the Charity Center," he said suddenly.

"Why?" I asked, confused.

"Alba called back and said she's fine, but Gustavo told me they managed to set up everything quickly, so the show's starting earlier. We need to head over there now." Nicholas said as we gathered our things.

I couldn't help but keep asking about the lizard. "What about Gustavo?" He gives me such a weird vibe.

"We'll both confront him when we get there. Don't worry about it." Nicholas reassured me with a confident tone.

Although I wanted to believe Nicholas, my mind kept nagging me about it and I felt my chest hollow, I couldn't shake it off. "Yeah, let's go," I said with a sense of urgency.

But with everything we had been through, I now have more guts and a newfound confidence within myself. If I could face Max, then Gustavo would be a walk in the park. Besides, Nicholas was with me, and I knew he could take care of anything that came our way.

We rushed out the door, Nicholas buttoning his shirt and me tightening my belt. He strode confidently towards the left, and I followed close behind. "How far is it?" I asked. "It's about a 10-minute walk," Nicholas replied, maintaining his fast pace.

"I think we got to slow down, we don't want to get there all sweaty, they might think something is up if we arrive running," I told Nicholas, realizing that it wouldn't look good if we showed up out of breath and looking anxious. "Plus, if she called you, she's probably waiting for you to arrive, so there's no rush.

"Nicholas slowed down a bit, "You're probably right. Alba's always on me for being too intense in situations and worrying too much. Well, you clearly saw what happened with Massimo and all."

I chuckled a bit. Nicholas is obviously a very emotional person, but that doesn't mean it's bad. On the contrary, we need someone like him to lead us, someone we can rely on to always tell us the truth and actually care about our problems.

I started to fidget with my clothes, feeling self-conscious about my casual attire. Nicholas must have noticed my unease because he said, "Don't worry about it, man. You look fine. Besides, it's not like you're meeting one of the Queens. Well, you'll be seeing my Queen, at least."

I couldn't help but chuckle. He always knew how to lighten the mood. We walked in silence for a few minutes, I noticed how different the people that live here are, as if they live in a completely different world from the island they actually live in. I started to feel inferior to them, and before my thoughts could spiral downward by comparing myself to the fancy people around me, I decided to strike up a conversation with Nicholas. "So, why call him Massimo?" I asked.

Nicholas chuckled, notably it was a question that was asked often. "It's a nickname I gave him. His mother named him Max, just plain Max Luciano. A Columbus name. His mother truly believed in the USC and their promises to help us."

I was surprised. "Oh, I see," I said. "That shit with people changing their names, just to fit the USC's standards, really pisses me off. Just look at Braden." I added with a hint of annoyance, remembering his unruly hair and thin face.

Nicholas burst out laughing. "I didn't know you disliked him that much," he said. "Sure, he can be a jerk, but he's actually a cool guy. You have to remember, Ellion, not everything is as it seems. People have many faces, and sometimes you only get to see one of them."

I was confused. Was Nicholas implying that Braden had a nicer side to him, or that he was simply putting up a facade? "What do you mean?" I asked, eager to understand.

"Well, take Gustavo for instance. I know he gives you a weird vibe. To be honest, I feel it too. But I've seen a different side of him when he's with Alba. He becomes more clear-headed, happier, and intuitive. It was Gustavo who came up with the plan for the resistance and suggested we search for more people with abilities to join us. While his feelings for Alba might have influenced his actions, it has made him a better person and I can see that."

I tried to understand his perspective, but I couldn't help but wonder if Gustavo's intentions were genuine or if he was just trying to win Alba's affection. "Doesn't it bother you that he has feelings for her?"

"Well, it bothers me a little, but we've always been mature about it. Alba doesn't feel the same way about him, and Gustavo has come to terms with that. He never trusted Massimo and always believed he would turn on us. And in the end, he turned out to be right. He usually is."

'If Nicholas trusts him, then I should too', I thought to myself as we approached the old Charity Center. From across the street, it was clear that the building was the centerpiece of the urbanization. They call it old, but it still looked very modern, even with its gothic antique look. The entrance was a large door with a metal frame with a small glass that provided a glimpse of the interior.

The street leading to the old Center was lined with tall palm trees and the sidewalks were wide and well-maintained. A line of luxury vehicles were already parked along the curbs and the soft sound of dance music could be heard from inside.

"I knew we were late!" Nicholas exclaimed. "I'm always late to stuff!" he started running toward the old Center. I followed suit.

As we entered through, Nicholas walked through a path of the seat benches, that were pushed to give more space to the activity. I scanned the stage for any sign of Alba but was taken aback by the sight of the people dancing on top of a small stage, as the people seeing were also dancing. The dancers moved gracefully to the music, their movements mirroring the rise and fall of the melody, in perfect synchronization around the dance floor, with the sophisticated sound of the piano and strings guiding their movements. I found myself entranced by their performance, however, I soon realized that Nicholas and I were getting further and further from each other as we made our way through the crowd.

As the piece reached its climax, the dancers on the floor all stopped in unison, their eyes fixed on the stage. Suddenly, from the far end of the stage, Alba appeared in a stunning golden dress. As she started to move, a dramatic melody started playing. She moved with intense passion, her sun-kissed skin glistening under the dim lights of the room, with every motion, her skin seemed to come alive, radiating a golden aura that seemed to envelop her. Her movements were graceful, reflecting her wild spirit. Her hair, flowed freely behind her as she twirled and jumped to the beat.

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Without warning, Gustavo strode onto the stage. His tall, broad-shouldered frame was unmistakable. As Alba and Gustavo began to dance together, their movements became more and more provocative, and the audience remained entranced by the passionate performance. I looked at Nicholas and saw that he was taken aback by the unexpected turn of events.

As the melody drew to a close, Alba and Gustavo moved closer to each other, finally embracing and ending the last note with a passionate kiss. Nicholas yelled, but his voice was drowned out by the sound of the cheering crowd.

Gustavo let go of Alba and they welcomed the cheers. As the claps receded, Nicholas' yells began to pierce through the noise. Gustavo looked down at him with a face of superiority.

"Alba!" Nicholas yelled. "What's going on?!" But she ignored his calls and stared down at him. I noticed that the entire crowd was also staring at Nicholas. He was surrounded and I was far from him. I slowly started to make my way closer to the stage from behind them.

"Did you enjoy the show?" Asked Gustavo with a malicious grin.

Nicholas looked angry and let out a scream, "WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

Gustavo looked momentarily dumbfounded, then wiped his lips with his hand, leaving a black trace on it. "Oh! So you noticed." he chuckled. "So silly of me to oversee this. I wanted it to be a surprise twist! But it seems I missed a spot." He put his hand on Alba's lips, checking underneath it.

This infuriated Nicholas, and he let out a gut-wrenching yell and tried to jump onto the stage in one leap, but the crowd that was surrounding him all jumped on him, pinning him to the floor.

My heart was pounding as I stood there, unsure of what to do next. Even though the entrance was free, I couldn't bear the thought of leaving Nicholas alone with whatever Gustavo had planned. I knew I had to act quickly, but I couldn't risk being seen by Gustavo, I stealthily walked around the edge of the walls until I found an entrance to the back of the stage. Once inside, I could still hear Gustavo's voice.

"Today's the day, Nicholas! The day my plan finally comes to light." Gustavo exclaimed. "I've been waiting for this moment for so long. Pretending to be your friend, tolerating you and Alba. But now that Max is out of the way, I can do what I've always wanted to do - change this island, my way."

I turned a corner and came face to face with two security guards standing at the door at the end of the corridor. There were three other doors on the sides but given that they were only guarding that one, means that's the way to the back of the stage. I slowly walked through the corridor, but they didn't react to my presence, just standing there like lifeless puppets, with black goo running down the nose of one of them. I cautiously walked through them and opened the door, allowing me to hear Gustavo's words more clearly.

"My plan has always been to take control of this island, Nicholas. Max was just in the way. Unfortunately, fire is the only thing that can kill my parasites. I wouldn't have been able to control him, and he would have surely stopped me. His mother dying, his sadness, I took advantage of his loss of hope and framed him, by using my parasite to force someone to walk into the burning building and make it look like it was his fault. I knew this was going to destroy both of you and your stupid sense of justice. Seeing that you're here, he's either dead or in jail, regardless, he's out of the way." Gustavo continued to speak with a chilling conviction.

As I made my way up the small steps that led to the stage, I heard Nicholas speaking up. "Revealing your true intentions while babbling about your evil plans - you are truly a villain," he said confidently. "But you've also revealed how to save everyone. All I have to do is get Massimo to kick your ass and burn the shitty black goo to release everyone. And all I have to do is break out of here. That sounds easy enough."

As I approached him from behind, he started to laugh. "I admit it, I made this show just for you, Nicholas. And I'm thoroughly enjoying it because now things are finally going to go my way. But there's something you haven't quite understood." he said, his voice filled with a sense of accomplishment. "Yes, the fire can kill my parasites, but the damage done to the body's nervous system can't be undone. The Alba you knew before is already gone; there's only mine left. And soon, everyone in the group will follow suit."

It was then that Alba turned her head to face me, her blank stare gazing at me, and a sense of panic set in. My chest felt empty as I realized the gravity of the situation. I turned around, only to see the two security guards from behind coming up, with one of them pulling out a gun.

I ran towards my right, attempting to jump off the stage, but Alba grabbed me and one of the security guards tackled me to the ground, while the other fired his gun. The gunshot echoed through the room, and I braced myself for the impact.

As I opened my eyes, I saw that I was miraculously unharmed. I noticed that blood was on my clothes, but it wasn't mine; it was dripping from the guard pinning me down. "I'm still having a little trouble controlling all of these people," Gustavo said.

Despite being held down, the guard's grip felt weak. It appeared that Gustavo's control over his minions weakened as he focused on controlling more of them at once. Seizing the opportunity, I pushed the guard to the side and broke free of his grip. I scrambled to my feet and called out to Nicholas, "Their bodies are weak! Gustavo can't control all of them at once!" Nicholas, who had looked defeated, now tried to push the guards off with renewed determination. Their strength was diminished as Gustavo's focus shifted to me.

I looked at Gustavo, trying to anticipate his next move, and saw his angry face. "Stay put!" he yelled as I moved out of the way, knowing he might try to shoot me. A few moments later, shots rang out, and I quickly ducked behind the stage's curtains. I heard the thud of bodies hitting the dance floor as a cold mist enveloped the middle of the room. Peeking out from behind the curtains, I saw the dancers' hands almost frozen, rendering them unable to grab Nicholas.

Nicholas got up and addressed Gustavo, "I gave Massimo a chance because I believe in him, and I feel his grief, but you, Gustavo, have no goodness in your heart. This feud between friends ends today." Gustavo's expression turned from shock to anger.

Nicholas started blasting ice at the floor, causing the mindless dancers to slip and fall. Some managed to move away and attack Nicholas, but he evaded their attacks and pushed them away. He then created two ice poles and began fighting them off. The guard who shot at me also started shooting at Nicholas. He missed the first shot, but it alerted Nicholas, who quickly erected an ice wall to protect himself from the guard's subsequent shots.

As Nicholas battled the horde from behind the ice wall, I saw an opportunity to stop Gustavo. I saw the security guard who had pinned me before still on the floor, bleeding. I ran to him to grab his gun, but he tried to grab me, his reaction was so slow, that when he moved, I had already grabbed the gun and was moving toward Gustavo. My heart was racing as I realized what I was about to do. What am I doing? Was I really going to kill someone? But he deserves it, right? He infected everyone here with his parasites, killing them, in a sense. But I had never killed anyone before and had never imagined myself in this position. My thoughts started to betray me, and the gun in my hand started to tremble.

At that moment, Gustavo's gaze shifted from Nicholas to me. Alba appeared out of nowhere and grabbed my right hand, where the gun was, with both of her hands. She turned my hand back, causing me to drop the gun and break my bones in the process.

I screamed in agony as I felt the pain shoot up my arm, causing Nicholas to call out my name. As I looked up, I saw Alba aiming the gun at me. However, before she could fire, Nicholas intervened with an ice blast that sent her flying. He quickly made his way to the stage, checking on me and tending to my injured hand with ice. Up close, I noticed the extent of his injuries - he was covered in cuts and bruises and looked much more exhausted than he did earlier in the forest. It seemed like we were in desperate need of a miracle to get out of this alive.

But then Nicholas turned to me with a reassuring smile and said, "Don't worry, we'll make it out of here." He got up and directed his attention to Alba.

"Alba, please, I know you're still in there. Fight against his control, break free. This is not what you want, we made a promise to change this island for the better, together. You're my light, my queen, I can't do it without you." Nicholas reached out his hand towards her.

Alba's lifeless gaze remained fixed, but tears that looked like black, thick goo started to flow down her face. She took a small step forward and began to move her hand. "Oh... Nicholas..." Alba spoke softly. "... I love you." Hope began to stir in my heart when the sound of a gunshot echoed through the room.

" Hope began to stir in my heart when the sound of a gunshot echoed through the room [https://img.wattpad.com/b34fb45cbd8ca9aa645693bc4a5f7a333c246a76/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f497a474e3551774a7037547049513d3d2d313333383932343933312e3137653633343038623839323835303637343132393635313130382e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

Name: Kyriah Montalvo

Age: 26

Clemons Cell Ability: ???

Character Info: Ivory's best friend since childhood. They grew up together and now reside in the same house. She is one of the founders of the revolution group.