“Xara!” my mother shouted. “Lets go!” I ran around. I look silly. “I look so silly in this!” I shouted back. “No, you will look so good!” My mother answered. “Let me see ”I looked in the mirror. Long emerald green dress, with a sparkly corset. It fits well. But I look so silly! I smoothed the dress again, even though there wasn’t a single wrinkle. “Come on, Xara,” my mother said, appearing in the doorway. She looked flawless, as always. Not a single hair out of place. I followed her down the long hallway, my heels clicking against the cold floor. Guards stood by every door, their eyes empty, watching. Always watching. “Why is this so important?” I asked quietly. My mother didn’t look at me. “Because tonight, people will be watching you.” That didn’t make me feel better. Outside, a black transport waited. Its surface gleamed under the artificial lights. My father was already inside. “You’re late,” he said shortly. I sat down, clutching the fabric of my dress. “Remember,” he added, his voice low, “one wrong move can affect everything.” Everything. The word echoed in my head as the doors shut. When we arrived, the ballroom was blinding. Crystal lights hung from the ceiling, reflecting in a hundred directions. Music filled the air—soft, elegant. Everyone looked perfect. Too perfect. But no one was smiling. I sat beside my mother and pretending to listen to my parents conversation with the other guest. Then I felt someone tap my shoulder. “Do you want to dance?” He asked. I turned around. Omg. X-Avier! Life savior. I froze for a second. X-Avier. Of all people. “You look like you need saving,” he said quietly, a hint of a smile on his lips. I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding. “You have no idea.” He offered his hand. I hesitated—just for a second. My mother’s eyes were still on me, sharp, calculating. But then I took it. The music swelled as he led me onto the dance floor. The room felt different out here. Closer. Like everyone was watching… even if they pretended not to. “Careful,” X-Avier murmured as his hand settled at my waist. “You’re being observed.” “I figured,” I whispered back. “That’s kind of the theme tonight.” He leaned in slightly. “No, I mean really observed.” A chill ran down my spine. “What do you know?” I asked. He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he spun me, perfectly in time with the music. “This isn’t just a ball, Xara,” he said under his breath when I came back to him. “It’s a selection.” “They’re watching, aren’t they?” I muttered. “Since the second I walked in,” he replied quietly. His hand rested lightly on my waist, polite, controlled. Too controlled. Like he was aware of every rule in the room. “This is what they want,” I said. He didn’t deny it. “A perfect match,” he said instead, his tone just a little too flat. I looked up at him. “We’re not a match.” For a moment, something real flickered in his eyes. Not the polished version everyone else saw. “I know,” he said. He spun me, and the music carried us a few steps further away from the center. Far enough to breathe. “But if we don’t play along,” he added under his breath, “they’ll choose for us anyway.” My stomach dropped. “Choose what?” He leaned closer, his voice barely audible. “Someone else.” Four hours later and I was finally in my room again. I sighed and dropped on my bed. What a day. “Xara have you seen your sister!” My mother shouted. “Yeah!” I shouted back. “She is in here whit me” Dusk looked at me. Like I exposed her for the world. “Are you for real!” she hissed. “Yepp” I said and laughed. “What’s the big—” “You weren’t supposed to say that.” The way she said it made me stop. “What do you mean?” Footsteps echoed in the hallway. Slow. Deliberate. Dusk grabbed my arm. Hard. “If she asks,” she whispered quickly, “you haven’t seen me. Not tonight.” My heart skipped. “Dusk—what did you do?” She didn’t answer. The door handle started to turn. Dusk hid in my closet. “Were is she ”my mother asked. “Sorry it was Fearow ”I said. “He just went back into his room” My mother sighed. “These twins!” She said. But she didn’t leave. She took a step further inside. “You should be careful who you cover for, Xara,” she said quietly. My stomach dropped. “I don’t know what you mean,” I replied. Another pause. Then, finally, she turned and walked out. The door clicked shut behind her. I didn’t move. Not until I heard her footsteps disappear completely. “You can come out,” I whispered. The closet door creaked open slowly. Dusk stepped out, her face pale. “She knows,” she said. My heart skipped a beat. “You did not go to the dance?” I asked. She shook her head. “Okay you are doomed ”I said. “I KNOW THAT” she hissed angrily. “But why did you not show up then?” I asked. “Fearow and I was there” She looked around. “Mother wants me to find a man” she said. “ I am not ready!” I looked at her. For the first time, she didn’t look angry. She looked scared. “It’s not just about being ready,” she added. “It’s about being chosen.” Silence filled the room. Somewhere in the house, a door closed. And we both froze.