Awakening

Chapter 54

"A New Horizon"

"Why can't I just dress up normal?"

"Because it will be fun, trust me darling."

"I dont think it is funny to be trapped in this asphyxiating clothing torture device." Said Caliope taking a sharp deep breath. "But I admit, it does make me look nice." She chuckled once looking at the mirror.

"Look nice? you look gorgeous!" Elaine smiled at her.

Caliope was looking at herself in the mirror, she was convinced by Elaine to wear a corseted dress to the meeting with the Angels; it would be a powerful statement, the visual indeed agreed with her.

"How will I be able to sit on this? I can barely walk without gasping."

"Oh darling, you will not need to seat, you are just thinking as human, but have you really felt the need to seat lately? or rest for that matter." She paused, letting Caliope slowly get in her system what she was saying. "Have you felt like you needed to rest or drink or eat?" Again silence, Caliope was looking at her through the mirror and pondering what she was saying. It was true, now that Elaine brought it to her attention; she had not felt the need to do neither of those things, she was just following what her rituals dictated; she would want to eat when the time would say it was needed for her human form, but she had not felt the need to eat herself. A wide smile was taking over her.

"So this is what being an Asteria feels like?"

"It is much more as you are slowly learning, but you are in fact, enjoying the best parts of it. Let's say, you had been enhanced." Elaine winked at her as she tied the last knot on the last part of her corset.

Later, when they walked down the stairs towards the ballroom and besides adjusting to her dress as she walked, she felt only slight discomfort but no real pain nor constriction around her body as she thought she would. She finally saw Amra, who was smiling widely as he waited for her at the end of the stairs, he was dressed in a white vintage suit, Caliope thought they both matched. She was so focused on him that she missed the room filled of people who were in return, staring at her.

'You look stunning, my love.'

She blushed and reached him, putting her arms around his waist and feeling his own ones wrap around her. "You do too." She whispered softly as she snuggled in his arms; only then she was able to look behind him and gasped at the sight of the room of people waiting in silence. She tugged his arm and he chuckled.

"My love, in general, meet the Angels. Angels, meet my Asteria."

She lowered her head in a gesture before working on raising her voice. "Greetings."

"Caly! I am so glad you are here!" She heard Gabrielle say as she lifted her eyes in time to reach to her. Her free spirit quickly made her smile and she chuckled amused as Gabrielle took her other arm and pulled her towards the middle of the room trying to rush, aware of Amra having her other arm, the scene of both walking at different rhythms made her giggle. Once they reached the middle of the room, She could see two elegant chairs waiting for them next to one with Elaine, another for Maxwell and two more for the Meng twins, Pronab was nowhere to be seen.

"Greetings, my dearest brothers and sisters." Elaine began as Caliope took her seat. "Thank you all for joining us here; I am aware many of your wish to be prowling the streets and playing games, enjoying yourselves, but we must remember the reason why you are here."

While Elaine spoke, every face focused on her, and Caliope took the courage to really look and study the room and the people around her. The ballroom was enough to hold them all comfortably in chairs, but the place was packed, it seemed not even one chair was left empty. Their faces were serene and in peace, they looked of all ages and ethnics; in fact, she would have thought of them as normal human beings if it wasn't that she was already aware of their true nature. She sighed, wondering when would she be able to notice the difference and be able to recognize one human from an Angel.