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Chapter 31 - Chapter 8 – The Midnight Pact

The night before the Royal Jubilee was heavy with silence.The Mensah camp slept uneasily under a moon half-swallowed by cloud. Only the distant drums from Zubari's royal city echoed faintly—a reminder that the greatest performance of their lives waited at dawn.

Naki could not sleep. She stood in the center ring, gazing up at the ropes, the stars beyond them glimmering like ghosts of past dreams.

She had fought rivals, prejudice, her mother's doubt, and now, betrayal. Yet something inside her whispered that another storm was coming—one she could not see.

"Still awake, Flying Star?"

The voice came from the tent flap. Bianca stepped through, her scarlet cloak gleaming even in moonlight.

Naki's guard went up instantly. "If you're here to gloat, pick a better hour."

Bianca smiled faintly. "I'm here to warn you."

Naki frowned. "You?"

"I don't like you," Bianca said plainly. "Never have. But I hate being someone else's pawn even more."

She took a step closer, lowering her voice. "Ayoa and the prince have made a pact. During tomorrow's Jubilee, your trapeze ropes will be swapped—thinner, treated with resin. It'll snap mid-act. They plan to 'rescue' you in front of the court and make you look reckless, foolish."

Naki's breath caught. "That's impossible. The prince—he wouldn't—"

Bianca's laugh was short and bitter. "Royalty loves a spectacle. He'll humiliate you to crown his new golden boy. Trust me, I've seen it before."

Silence hung heavy between them, the only sound the low whisper of the night wind.

"Why tell me?" Naki asked quietly.

Bianca shrugged, looking away. "Because you're the only one who ever beat me fairly. I'd rather see you fly than fall for someone else's trap."

She tossed a sealed envelope onto a nearby crate. "Those are the rope orders—proof. Do what you want with it."

Then, with a flick of her cloak, Bianca vanished into the shadows.

Naki stood frozen for a long time. The envelope trembled in her hand.

Finally, she tore it open—and her heart dropped. The orders bore the royal seal. Her ropes had been changed.

She stumbled backward, gripping the pole for balance. All this time, she had believed Malik's sponsorship was her blessing. Now it felt like a curse wearing gold.

Footsteps echoed behind her.

Kwesi emerged from the dark, torch in hand. "Naki? What's wrong?"

She turned to him, eyes fierce with new resolve. "They're planning to humiliate us tomorrow. To turn the Flying Star into a falling fool."

Kwesi's grip tightened on the torch. "Then let me burn their tent to ashes."

"No." Her voice cut through the air, steady and strong. "We'll fight them the way we always have—on the ropes, in the air, in front of everyone. We'll give them a show they'll never forget."

Kwesi's eyes gleamed. "You're crazy."

"Maybe," she said, her voice softening. "But if they want to watch me fall, I'll make sure I'm flying when it happens."

As dawn began to glow on the horizon, Naki stood ready beneath the ropes—new ones she had quietly reinforced herself, coated with ash and wax from Kwesi's torches for strength.

Above, the sky was pale and endless.Tomorrow would decide everything—her pride, her circus, and her name.

And somewhere in the dark, Bianca watched from afar, whispering to herself, "Fly well, clown girl."

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