Carmilla's eyes squinted slightly.
Not in anger.Not in suspicion.
But focus and observation.
Velvette was more obsessed with her appearance than Carmilla had realized…
always perfect hair… sharp suits… pristine image…even when it comes to something she can't help
That same Vanity was manifesting differently
Velvette looked like she might break down hysterically…
or maybe she already was, on the verge of something profound that didn't involve physical violence at all
Carmilla didn't feel herself losing control over expressions, something shifted inside:
The air felt odd suddenly. Wrong.
Like pressure before a storm hits quietly not violently loud...
but thick enough to make skin prickle
This wasn't danger calling for fight mode…
it wasn't threat that made her want to attack or defend
No…It was a different kind:
A quiet alarm deep in instinct telling her
Something is going to happen to Velvette.
"Velvette? Velvette we can fight, alright? I just need to make sure you're ready first!"
This was her attempt to calm Velvette down. A fake agreement.
Velvette kept repeating a sentence.
Her voice changed slightly not in volume
But in tone. It became more demonic.
Sharper than before. Like glass cracking under pressure… but with an edge of something lost beneath
A hint of being lost… as if even she didn't know where this was leading.
Carmilla felt that shift, instantly shivering.
An involuntary reaction, not from fear alone…but from pure instinct warning: danger approaching
She took a small step back,
creating space between them unconsciously
The arena's palette transformed around them:Lights shifted color subtly at first…
then stronger pulses of glow emanated from Velvette herself, the source
But Carmilla didn't notice that, she was busy with being worried and confused
She, for the first time didn't know how to react or what to say,
Velvette was doing a spell.
Carmilla didn't recognize it as magic at first.
It just looked like Velvette was talking to herself,or maybe praying silently in stress if she surprisingly had a religious side suddenly
She didn't know better yet.
But then?A faint shimmer began forming around the arena floor…
tiny specks of light rising from nothingness
The exact same shade as colors that were on Velvette's body from that thing.
Carmilla saw it immediately and
her eyes widened in horror.
Instinct took over! She shifted instantly into a defensive position. Knee bent slightly. Arms loose but ready to block or counterattack if needed.
But instead of attacking, the younger screamed.Not a normal yell.A horrifying tone.
A sound so sharp and unnatural that it physically affected Carmilla.
Her balance broke instantly.
Like being punched in the eardrums by pure sonic force.
The atmosphere changed too:
Pressed down on everything like gravity had doubled
Velvette slammed into the ground…
And exploded in a violent burst of magenta matter she had summoned earlier.
This wasn't just energy blast…it was unstable material
Liquid parts flowing wildly
Solid shard-like chunks flying everywhere
In-between phases shifting rapidly between states
Carmilla tried moving fast to avoid damage…
she dodged some debris successfully…
But one solid piece? A jagged shard?
It came straight at her head, stabbing through her main hair tie, ruining her hair.
She escaped a potential serious injury.
But she's all covered in magenta now.
"Oh my god Velvette..you surely know how to get it everywhere."
She didn't feel herself saying this,
Velvette kept on yelling as she hit the ground.Each slam sent shockwaves through the arena floor.
Each scream was raw, loud enough to echo like judgment. With no name mentioned.
And despite that?Carmilla felt it all directed at her.
Not because Velvette pointed…
not because she shouted a name…
But something in those words
The anger. The pain. That soul-deep frustration made Carmilla instantly feel guilty.
She covered her mouth unconsciously,
eyes wide with remorse, as if every curse screamed into concrete was actually meant for her
It was odd that Velvette would hit the ground instead of Carmilla, but she still felt those words were for her.
Some pieces from the floor shattered, finding their way towards the edges of Carmilla.
Nothing dangerous, just the clothes aren't as perfect as they just were. They are a bit messing now
Suddenly it became quiet.
Loud. Thick. Unnatural after all that chaos.
staring at them as if measuring damage, they were totally damaged.
Like consequences of what she just did
Carmilla had never seen Velvette look like this before: Blank expression with stillness in eyes usually full of fire
The arena held its breath along with them
Velvette began shivering,
Small tremors running through her body as she slowly pushed herself up from crouching position
Carmilla snapped upright too,
body tensed completely focused on Velvette.
Who knows what she's going to do next?.
"Carmilla..are all the mirrors or window-mirrors here damaged?.."
Carmilla blinked in disbelief.
After that explosion of magic and feelings, she's caring about her looks again?.
Deciding to not try to make Velvette feel good, it didn't end well as she just saw.
Getting back to her composed posture, she walked around the arena, checking the windows.
To her horror they were all broken.
Velvette's feelings are what broke them today, the atmosphere was so heavy for those windows to handle.
Carmilla looked back at Velvette, with a forced neutral expression.
"Yes, they are all broken.."