𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑫𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑺𝒘𝒂𝒏

𝘼𝙘𝙩 𝙄: 𝙎𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙚. 𝘼𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙤 𝙜𝙞𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙤
Old rosy tinged music box was wide open; loud played on the top of a brittle drawer. It's Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake again, it's already the fiftieth times the melody is heard from the room. A pair of ivory pointe shoes are left unworn on the floor, and by the mirror a visage of young missus is seen, aiding her wounded ankle.

It's week two since the announcement of Swan Lake role casting are out in her ballet company. Week two since she's chosen as the Swan QueenㅡOdette, as well as Odile, the Black Swan. Her eternal dream. Seulgi has been restlessly practicing, despite the fact that she's the greatest ballerina in the town. The matter is because her producer says she's lack in portraying Odile. Her subtle, elegant, and innocent mien is perfect for the frail Odette, but to portray the sensual, deceiptive, and bold Odileㅡshe's blemished.

There hasn't been much going on in her mind, but also so much at the same time. The burden, the expectations, the self-uncertainty, it gets worse and worse for her to bear. So again, she dances, endlessly, tirelessly, anguiled with fidgety, 'till she starts seeing herself at the other corner, staring at her, sometimes laughing at her, and at times will choke her out of breath. 

𝘼𝙘𝙩 𝙄𝙄: 𝙎𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙚. 𝙈𝙤𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙤
The shadow of a woman looking exactly like herself is following her anywhere, appearing in any places she's at, appearing on the mirror and amongst the crowd, distracts Seulgi until her mind gets all scrambled. She cries, screams, she tortures herself with the pain she can't even understand. And as the Swan Lake performance is approaching near, a news comes upon her; bringing her doom. The producer decides to cast another woman to alter Seulgi to play Odile. And she doesn't know until she meets Sooyoung at the rehearsal.

"Don't worry. I'll only be your alteration. You'll still be the Swan Queen." the woman says with a grin.

"But the essence of Swan Lake, Odette and Odile are at times the same person."

"You're living in the old lore, Seulgi. Oh, by the way, we're friends, right? Acquaintances, at least. So, I highly expect a healthy rivalry. Ciao."

Seulgi's mind is messed up, and she begins to see herㅡotherㅡself again; appearing, laughing, waving at her, following her, and disappearing every time Seulgi tries to reach her close. She keeps on practicing, 'till the battery of her music box is out, 'till her breath is run out. She's restless, exhausted, and the presence of the woman and all her disturbance get stronger everytime Seulgi falls and fails.

𝘼𝙘𝙩 𝙄𝙄𝙄: 𝙎𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙚. 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝 - 𝘼𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙤 𝙜𝙞𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙤
She gets sick, mentally and physically drained. Scars are all over her body. She gets no sleep in days. She aches from the top of the head to the tip of her toe. And she keeps seeing her other self, dressed in all black, laughing so wickedly, gazing straight into her like a bullet shoot. But she can't let her guard down. The final performance is tomorrow.

That next day she gathers up all that's left from herself; though she was dying, though she was breathless. By the time she arrives at the theatre, she catches Sooyoung rehearsing for Odile. In rage, she confronts her and gets into a fight. Seulgi throws her across the room, tearing her dress apart, pulls her hair and drags the helpless woman from one corner to another. Seulgi doesn't even know where she gets all that strength from. She's a living corpse at the time and yet is strong enough to take Sooyoung down. Seulgi breaks a mirror, picks up the shattered piece, and stabs the poor lady in the heart.

𝘼𝙘𝙩 𝙄𝙑: 𝙎𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙚. 𝙀𝙣𝙩𝙧'𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚
The performance is beginning. Seulgi gets herself ready to perform as Odette, finishes each and every act, including the act of The Black Swan. Just like she always does, she dances endlessly, elegantly, in frail with no fail, in gallant so valiant. As she does the final act of Odette dying, throws herself down the mattress, phrenetic applaud and cheer are fulfilling. 

Seulgi walks down the stage with cavalcade of jubilance and eulogies from people around her. She remains quiet, though the performance is flawlessly done, she feels nothing but miserable agony, confusion, sorrow, surprise, and an immense uneasiness. Someone approaches her, alongside with some other ballerinas, it's Sooyoung.

"Hey. I have to admit, that was so cool. Congrats!"

"Yeah, Seulgi, that was incredible!"

"You nailed it!"

Seulgi's anguished by more horrid and confusion. She frantically runs away from the crowd and locks herself alone in the make-up room. She's panting and her chest is full of ache. Her body is trembling. She looks at the reflection of herself in the mirror, it stares back at her and speaks;

"You did a pretty good job back there. And no thanks to me?"

Seulgi doesn't answer.

"I just saved you, dying swan." she speaks again, rolling her eyes.

"And, yes, Sooyoung is alive. You didn't stab her. It was all in your head." her reflection grimaces, "None of those were real. I wasn't either. But now, I am."

Seulgi remains in silence. Her heart pounds so fast and it feels like her blood pumps up to her head all at once, causing her more pain.

"The rage you let out, the frustration, it sets me free. I'm free now!" The reflection starts laughing loudly, repeating the words that she's free with insane chortle.

"Whoㅡ are you?" Seulgi says, with quiver and shiver, and tremble and thrill. 

Her reflection on the mirror then slowly fades, it's changing until it eventually reveals a face of a pale skinned woman; eyes so sharp, dulcet lips, and mischievous grin,

"I'm Irene. And you're mine, dying swan."