The stage was bathed in light, all focus on a single figure. A woman, dressed in a flowing white gown, stood motionless at the center. The audience held their breath, the judges silent. No one knew what to expect.
The music began softly, like a whisper from another world. She slowly raised her arms, and with each subtle movement of her fingers, the color of her dress began to change. First to a sky blue, then blazing red, golden yellow, deep forest green. Each shade seemed to pulse with a life of its own. The air in the room shifted with every transformation.
Then, for a moment, total darkness.
When the lights returned—she was gone.
In her place stood a black crow, feathers glistening under the spotlight. It let out a single, piercing cry before spreading its wings and vanishing into the dark above.
The room remained still. Like waking from a dream no one wanted to end.