For Centuries - Season 1 [Completed]

Episode 28

"Paradise Circus", Massive Attack

James had disappeared. I tried to find him, asking around, but nothing. At least there was no trail of bodies. I was so worried about him that I did not think much about my visions. One thing was now certain: those images appeared in my head only when I was with Aidan. It was a magical trick, and I was pretty sure that the council was behind it. They did not like my relationship with the vampire and I had not answered their invitation. Clearly, they had taken a step further.

The days were colder and colder and it seemed that we would not be able to escape the light grey of the winter sky much longer. I went to my studio where I usually trained with Anna and Lucas, but alone this time, to think and relax.

I had realized quite early on in my life that there were two things that could take my mind away from my problems and be a tool to express myself: singing and dancing. But as much as I loved to sing with an audience, I had taken the habit of dancing when I was alone. I could dance to every kind of sound and music, and even in silence, depending on the mood.

As my feet explored the space of the room and my hands the weight of the air, I felt that my worries did not vanish but became concrete, seizable. Something that I could deal with. But it was a lot. My grief for Nicolas, the bad memories that Tadatsune's experience had brought back, the sadness of my son, the complexity of my relationship with Aidan, the danger James was in (and again with bad memories for me), and now the Council.

I had absorbed all the emotions of the people I loved while I was shutting down part of my own. But now that I was alone, I needed to acknowledge my hopes as well as my fears. I settled them in the monologue of my movements. The position of my hips and the angle of my shoulders marked out a canvas where my arms drew an articulation of all my emotions. And I could explore the stillness of the memories as much as the dynamics of an ephemeral thought. It helped me to find some peace of mind and I felt stronger when I left the room.

Later that evening, the Council left another message at my door. This time, it said: "We warned you. If you want this to end, we have to talk." 

Why could they not leave me alone? I did not seek any power in the community. I had left them ages ago but I was not antagonizing them. Of course, it was not enough. The fact that I did not want any power did not mean that neither did they. Some of them were obsessed with it.

I had to take care of James' situation, but after that, I would go and see the Council. This had to end.