The orchestra swelled, the deep resonance of the cellos vibrating straight through the hollow of my chest. I took a deep breath, letting the familiar scent of rosin and stage dust ground me. For a long time, my body had felt like a cage, trapped by fear, weighed down by the memory of the dark and Kyron. But now? Now I feel freer than ever.

The moment my satin pointe shoes touched the polished wood of the stage, the heavy shadows of what happened simply dissolved under the brilliant wash of the stage lights and the symphony of the melody playing.

I stepped into the light, rising effortlessly onto en pointe, my entire body attuned to the rhythm of the song.

My first movement was a slow, sweeping arabesque. I extended my leg behind me, my arms reaching wide into the open air. I wasn't just dancing. No. I was breathing. I was flying. I was unfurling my wings and my soul was dancing to the melody of the song with every fibre of its existence. With every seamless pirouette, the world around me blurred into a kaleidoscope of gold and velvet. My body moved with a fluid, liquid grace, completely unburdened. Every tilt of my head, every soft extension of my fingertips felt like a declaration of survival. I was whole. I was unbroken. I survived.

Women of Mexico would never ever have to fear Kyron now. The news was blasting on all social media platforms about the sudden disappearance of the serial killer. Why did he suddenly stop? Is he dead? Killed? Has he left the country? Is he waiting for a bigger comeback?

Regardless of what the speculations were, I knew the truth and with time the world would accept that someone probably killed the Silver Strangler. The women of Mexico could now go to clubs all they wanted and could wear silver everyday to their heart's contentment. The authorities and the society didn't have to live in constant fear and worry pondering over who the next victim would be on the 7th of each month.

So I danced. I danced in honour of all the victims who died by his hands. In honour and memory of all women who died because of him. I danced with the relief coursing through my veins, the love blooming in my heart and the passion my soul had for ballet.

Yet, even in the middle of a dizzying sequence of grand jetés, leaping through the air as if gravity had forgotten me, my soul was tethered to a single point in the dark auditorium.

I didn't need to scan the crowded rows to know exactly where he sat. I could feel him. It was a magnetic pull, an invisible thread stitched directly from my heart to his. As I transitioned into a gentle adagio, my movements softened, becoming an intimate conversation meant only for him. I turned toward his section, my gaze locking unerringly onto those pitch-black, fathomless pools of dark liquid watching me from the front row.

My Eli. Mi Sol(My Sun).

Even in the dim lights, his presence was commanding, his eyes burning with a mixture of fierce protectiveness and absolute adoration. I offered him a fleeting, breathless smile as I arched my back into a deep, dramatic cambré, yielding entirely to the music. I might be dancing for the crowd, but my heart belonged entirely to the man who had pulled me out of the dark.

The man who held my hands when the world tried to wear me down. The man who took care of me when I was sick. The man who carried me to bed every night and made breakfast for me everyday simply because he enjoyed taking care of me.

Eli taught me what true love feels like. How healthy love feels like. No toxicity. No controlling behaviour. No possession. No suffocating obsession but love at its finest. At its most primal and passionate nature.

Eli showed me that Love is not merely protection. It is trust. It is patience. It is allowing someone to grow without trying to control the direction of their growth.It is knowing when to hold someone and knowing when to simply walk beside them. Love was never supposed to make you smaller. Far from that. Love was always supposed to make you feel safe, powerful and at peace.

True love doesn't demand that you abandon yourself. It doesn't ask you to earn affection. It doesn't punish you for having boundaries.And it certainly doesn't require you to stop being yourself. Every woman deserves a love that leaves them feeling safe enough to breathe. Safe enough to be themselves and safe enough to communicate with their partner.

Looking at Eli right now, rising from his seat to take pictures of me, I knew right then and there that I was damn blessed to have him in my life. Because he will never ask me to become less of myself to make him comfortable. Because my boundaries do not frighten him, my independence does not threaten him and my growth never made him love me less. In fact he loved me all the more for it.

I embraced the warmth of the love I felt for him and danced to the rhythm of true love, each movement guided by the passion Eli nourished in me. My body slowly coming alive as I moved gracefully like a swan unfurling her wings.

The moment I made my final move, I leaped gracefully into the air and rounds of applause echoed all around me, Eli clapping the loudest. I smiled at him, our eyes shining with love and adoration as we stared at each other. I bowed gracefully to the audience before leaving the stage.

I made it only two steps before Eli lifted me up in his arms twirling me around with a breathtaking smile. "You were breathtaking, little Flame. The brightest."

I laughed softly, placing a soft kiss on his lips. "That's what you always say after every performance"

He pecked my lips "It's the truth. You dance passionately, little Flame and each time it leaves me more and more breathless from how magnificent you look"

I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck. "You're the passion with which I dance. Thank you for supporting me, Mi Sol"

Eli's eyes softened and he leaned his forehead against mine. "I will always be here to uplift you for each of your performances."

"I'm glad your father chose to let you leave, you and Landon both deserved it. It's been a long time coming" I say, stroking his cheek gently.

The moment he arrived here and told me everything that happened, I was over the moon. And thanked God like a thousand times in my head already. Nothing could have fueled my happiness as much as this. That too just before the performance. Things were finally really looking up.

"Come on, let's get you home and fed" Eli said carrying me outside bridal style.

I teased him, "I can walk."

"I am aware." Eli said, lips twitching.

"You don't need to carry me." I said, calmly biting back my smile.

"I am also aware of that." Eli smirked, walking without a care in the world despite the gazes of the crew members on us.

I stared at him. "You are impossible."

"And yet you plan to marry me." Eli said, staring into my eyes with a raised eyebrow.

I tried very hard not to smile.

And Failed. Miserably.

"I do." I said, smiling brightly.

I definitely intend to marry this man. This wonderful man that was mine. For all Eternity to come and beyond.

🩰 Quick Ballet Terms - meaning :

• En pointe : Standing on the very tips of the toes in ballet shoes.

•Arabesque : A posture where the dancer stands on one leg with the other leg extended straight behind them.

• Pirouette : A complete turn of the body on one foot.

•Grand jeté : A big, split-leap through the air.

•Adagio : Slow, controlled, continuous movements that show grace and balance.

• Cambré : When a dancer bends the body from the waist, backward or sideways.