"System, I can't dance! And what even is bonga-bonga?" Anna muttered nervously as the crowd buzzed with anticipation for her next move.
[Would you like to purchase an emergency dance protocol?]
"Yes, please!" she replied without hesitation, her heart racing.
[It'll cost 24 hours and will be active for 24 hours, and you have 155 hours left to complete your task.]
"Uhh…" Anna hesitated for a moment, but options were running thin. This was her shot to impress the team enough to earn her place dancing in the Palace. The catch? The emergency dance protocol would expire in 24 hours, meaning she'd need to commit to daily rehearsals to solidify her skills.
"Just do it for today. I'll learn their dance moves tonight!"
[Activating emergency dance protocol in exchange for 24 hours!]
[Time left: 131 hours, 47 minutes, and 6 seconds or 5 days and 6 hours.]
With a bang, a pause, and then another echoing thud, the rhythm of the drums swept Anna off her feet. Suddenly, she was moving effortlessly; her hands seemed to sway on their own, and her hips found the perfect rhythm.
Anna couldn't believe how swiftly she melded with the music, her body gliding through each movement as if she had been rehearsing for years. The crowd stood in awe, completely captivated by her performance.
As she danced, a group of girls joined her, weaving in and out of the choreography with smiles that lit up the atmosphere. The bonga-bonga, a beloved and straightforward dance step in their circle, became a bridge between them. To not dance was to miss out on a rite of passage.
"You dance beautifully!" The girls cheered, their voices bursting with encouragement as they celebrated the extraordinary moment together.
"Yay!" echoed the spectators, their clapping and cheers filling the air. They had never seen anyone move with such grace and passion as Anna, and the dancers welcomed her into their fold, eager for her to join them permanently.
"I don't know, girls," Anna said, acting reluctant, but deep down, she knew this was why she had come. "My father won't allow it; I had to sneak out."
"Love, your father has to realize that you're a woman now," one girl chimed in.
"He can't keep you captive forever! What happens when you get married? You'll leave his house eventually anyway!"
"True," another girl added, nodding.
"Men love making decisions that suit them. Stand up to him! Your talent deserves to shine, and you shouldn't let it go to waste."
Anna let out a heavy sigh, feigning reluctance as her friends urged her to join their ranks.
"Alright," she gave in,
"but I don't know the choreography for our next visit to the Palace."
"Don't worry! We'll teach you," one of them chimed in, a grin spreading across their face.
"It's super easy!"
With that, Anna found herself welcomed into the fold, her heart racing with excitement. As they began to rehearse, though, a creeping awareness gnawed at her, time was slipping away, and she had to be home soon. If her father caught her out too late, she dreaded the consequences; he would do everything in his power to keep her from dancing, crushing her dreams of becoming a servant or rather completing the system's task.
Practice flew by, and before she knew it, Anna was saying her goodbyes, eager to escape.
Unfortunately, her next practice was already scheduled for noontime the next day since the lead dancer would be absent at night, leaving Anna to wonder how she could attend without her father's permission?
On the upside, if she could make it to rehearsal, the emergency dance protocol would remain active for twenty-four hours, sparing her from any awkward exchanges. She needed a plan, and fast.
When Anna returned home, she let out a breath of relive. Everyone was still asleep, and she stealthily made her way to her room, blowing out the lantern she had left burning. With a sense of euphoria bubbling in her chest from the day's adventure, she wrapped herself in her bedsheets, drifting into dreams of dancing under the Palace lights. Little did she know, her masquerade wouldn't last long.
The morning came more quickly than she anticipated, and all Anna could think about was the dance. After tending to the animals and sharing breakfast with her family, she decided to confront her father directly to execute her escape plan.
"I want to take a stroll to the village stream, the same one I visited with Mom yesterday," she declared, her voice steady.
"You don't have to lie to me, Anna," her father interrupted with a steely edge to his tone. Anna's heart raced as a familiar fear settled in. Why did this man unsettle her, even though he wasn't her biological father? Had she really become so accustomed to playing the obedient daughter that it clouded her judgment?
"What do you mean?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, unable to shake the feeling he knew she was hiding something.
"If there's a boy in the village you fancy, bring him home for lunch. You're getting too old for this childish wandering."
Anna felt a spark of rebellion. The idea of a boy was just too much, and she quickly dismissed it for fear of the mess it would create.
"I'm not meeting anyone," she snapped, her frown deepening.
"I just need some time to be myself. I'll be back soon!" And with that, she dashed out of the house before he could utter another word.
Finally free, Anna raced to her second practice. With the emergency protocol still active, she was starting to catch on to the dance steps, each movement feeling more natural than the last. She hoped she wouldn't have to waste any more time on the final practice.
With only one rehearsal left before the big day, excitement bubbled within her, but alongside it, a gnawing worry. How could she convince her father to let her go to the castle without igniting another storm?