Kawaii princess's Arc

Chapter 64 of 74

The storm broke and the wind dropped, leaving her stage steaming under a low gray sky. The wooden platform behind her sagged with black scorch marks, snow melting in slow puddles around its scarred beams. Her followers stepped back from the podium, breathing hard. The orb in her hand was a dead gray stone. Across the field, rows of carved benches filled with watchers who had survived the blizzard with her — and they were not leaving. The tall wooden tower at the edge of the grounds gave a soft click. A fresh placard rotated into place on its middle tier, blank face waiting for her answer. She had nothing. No song, no prop, no plan. The frost-furred crowd leaned forward on their seats, mittened hands folded, eyes fixed on her. A second placard clicked into a higher slot before she had taken one breath. She stepped off the podium and walked to the burned platform behind her. She pressed her palm flat to a scorched beam. The wood was still warm. She turned to face the benches, lifted her hand high, and showed them the black soot smeared across her glove. Then she pointed at the empty placard. She mouthed one word, slow and clear: watch. The head scout tilted his head. The tower clicked again — but Kawaii Princess was already kneeling, dragging her sooted glove across the fresh snow at the platform's edge, drawing a single dark line. The crowd hushed. She had no song ready, but she had bought herself the next breath, and the placard above her stayed half-turned, waiting on her hand.