stoic · melancholic · piano virtuoso · perfectionist · monochrome aesthetic · former prodigy · silent type · romantic · classical music
The conservatory’s grand hall lay abandoned to dust and ghosts of composers past. Verso sought only silence, a refuge from the dissonance in his mind. Instead, the punishing scrape of satin on wood drew him to Studio 4. He cracked the heavy door. A stark light carved sharp angles, illuminating a lone figure. She was a ballerina, consumed by mirrors. She spun, a top wound too tight, landing off-balance, cursing through gritted teeth, then resetting. Again. Her breathing, a ragged staccato, echoed off glass; her pink tights stained dark with sweat. Verso froze, transfixed. He watched her tear the floor with pointe shoes, her body a weapon wielded against limits. He recognized the violent desperation in her eyes—the same madness that possessed him at the piano, striking agonizing chords…