Winx: The reincarnation 2

Chapter thirty-two

As they entered, they found the room in chaos—voices overlapping in heated arguments.

"What's going on here?" Danielle asked, her voice cutting through the noise.

Before anyone could answer, the girl's eyes widened as she spotted her bird.

"Crackers!" she cried, rushing forward.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she carefully took Crackers from Carissa's shoulder, cradling him in her arms. The bird let out a soft trill, nuzzling against her cheek.

"You found him!" she exclaimed, looking between Danielle and Carissa with gratitude.

"Yeah, but this wasn't an accident," Carissa said, crossing her arms. "Someone locked him in a closet on purpose and made sure he couldn't escape."

Danielle nodded. "We didn't get a good look at them, but they were in a hurry to get away."

The girl gasped, clutching Crackers tightly. "Then it's true... someone is deliberately trying to sabotage the competition!"

"Sabotage?" Carissa echoed, her eyes narrowing.

"Yes!" the girl said urgently. "When everyone left to search for Crackers, they left their equipment unattended. Now, some of it has either gone missing or been completely destroyed!"

The girl held Crackers protectively. "I don't care who did it right now—I'm just glad he's safe!"

The host, who had been dealing with the commotion, finally announced. "This is serious. Deliberately sabotaging multiple contestants."

Just then, a stagehand rushed in. "We need the next act ready—commercial breaks are almost over!"

The girl wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. "That's me," she said, looking at Crackers. "And thanks to you guys, I can still perform."

"Good luck out there," Carissa said.

"You're going to do great," Danielle added with a smile.

Nodding gratefully, the girl turned and hurried toward the stage entrance, Crackers perched on her arm.

Danielle exchanged a glance with Carissa. "This isn't over. Someone tried to sabotage the show. This is serious."

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After some time, the fairies regrouped in the waiting room. The authorities had already been alerted and were in the process of interrogating the contestants.

Artemisia frowned. "Who would go this far just to win a talent show?"

"Someone desperate," Lithia muttered.

"And they're probably still here," Carissa added, crossing her arms.

"We need to figure out who it is before they sabotage another act," Luna said firmly.

As the fairies continued their discussion, the show carried on. An acrobat took the stage, executing flawless flips and twirls high above the crowd. The audience watched in awe as they leapt onto a suspended hoop, preparing for their final stunt.

Then, without warning, a harsh, blinding light flashed into their eyes. The acrobat flinched mid-air, their balance faltering. A wave of gasps swept through the audience as they barely managed to grab the hoop with one hand.

The shocked reactions from the crowd drew the attention of those in the waiting room. Everyone turned toward the large screen, watching in alarm.

Onstage, the acrobat struggled to regain control, gripping the hoop tightly. The judges exchanged confused glances, uncertain of what had just happened.

After their act, the acrobat stormed into the waiting room, frustration clear on their face.

"Are you okay? That was a close call out there," someone asked.

The acrobat huffed. "It was. I nearly fell because someone tried to blind me in the middle of my routine."

A shocked murmur spread through the room.

"Yeah," the acrobat confirmed, still fuming. "Just as I was about to land my jump, someone reflected a bright light straight into my eyes. I completely lost focus."

"Sorry, but would you be willing to answer some questions?" One of the authorities asked as they approached the acrobat.

The performer sighed, still visibly frustrated, but nodded. "Yeah, of course. Someone nearly made me fall to my death, so if you can catch whoever did this, I'll gladly help."

The official gestured for them to step aside for questioning while murmurs spread among the other contestants.

"This is getting serious," Lithia whispered.

"It was already serious when Crackers went missing and people's equipment was tampered with," Luna replied. "Now it's dangerous."

Crystal glanced back at the screen, where the next act was preparing to go onstage. "Whoever's behind this isn't stopping. We need to figure out who it is before someone really gets hurt. And I feel like I have an idea on how to catch them."

The fairies turned their attention to Crystal, intrigued.

"You have a plan?" Danielle asked.

Crystal nodded. "Whoever is sabotaging the acts is careful, but they're also getting bolder. If we set a trap, we might be able to catch them in the act."

Artemisia crossed her arms. "What kind of trap?"

Crystal tapped her chin thoughtfully. "We need to give them another opportunity to strike—something tempting, something they won't be able to resist messing with."

"A bait? Don't tell me you are planning on using yourself?" Carissa said

"Yes, I am." Crystal nodded.

The fairies exchanged puzzled looks.

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing," Crystal assured them before lifting her violin and beginning to play. A captivating melody filled the room, rich and enchanting.

One by one, the conversations around them faded as everyone turned to listen, mesmerised.

"Wow," someone murmured. "What a beautiful sound."

Crystal continued to play, letting the music weave through the air, drawing in the attention of every person in the room.

Luna nodded. "I see what you're doing."

Crystal lowered her violin as the room erupted into applause. She gave a small bow before turning back to her friends.

"Let's hope that performance was impressive enough to make me a target," she said.

"Are you kidding? That was absolutely wonderful," Artemisia said with a smile.

"Now I just need a quiet place to rehearse," Crystal said, glancing around the busy waiting room.

Luna nodded. "There are some empty dressing rooms at the back."

Crystal agreed, gathering her violin. "Great, I'll head there now."

"What are you up to now?" Carissa asked.

"Just trust me," she said and left the waiting room.

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