The sun hung low over the neon-soaked skyline of Neo-Versailles, painting the dark, obsidian towers in long streaks of crimson and gold. In the distance, aircars weaved through the sky in an intricate, chaotic ballet, glowing red and teal exhaust streaking the dense clouds with color. Below, streetlights buzzed to life, throwing artificial halos over the labyrinthine streets where a diverse parade of humanity spilled through, each clad in fantastical attire that seemed stolen from a hundred different timelines. It was opening night of the world’s largest fan convention: the Cosmium Expo.
Elle Cross’s heart raced as she surveyed the chromatic chaos all around her. She adjusted the cuffs of her emerald-green jacket, its broad shoulders embroidered with silver thread that shimmered like stardust under the city lights. Her slim black pants tucked neatly into knee-high boots, and a gleaming saber dangled off her belt, its hilt radiating faint blue light. Her normally short, raven-black hair was swept back by the addition of an elaborate wig—a waterfall of silver cascading down her back. This was no ordinary outfit; she had recreated every detail of Captain Valyan Marik, the male protagonist of her favorite space opera. Except, of course, she was a woman, and her version of Valyan bore sharp cheekbones, a lean, agile build, and a level of effortless grace the brutish original lacked.
“You’re gonna crush the cosplay competition,” came a familiar voice. Elle turned sharply, nearly knocking into Ji-Kyung, her best friend and perpetual partner in crime. Ji-Kyung looked stunning as always, but tonight she had outdone herself. She wore a striking crimson corset embroidered with golden dragon motifs, coupled with wide-sleeved robes that flowed like liquid fire. Her platinum blonde hair, braided with gold trinkets, gave her an imperial air, though the cheeky smirk she shot Elle completely ruined any pretense of regal dignity.
“You think so?” Elle asked, suddenly self-conscious. She tugged at one of the silver embellishments on her jacket, unable to meet Ji-Kyung’s eyes.
Ji-Kyung laughed. “Are you kidding? It’s the Rule of Reflection, Elle—you made your gender-swapped cosplay better than the original. Half these nerds won’t be able to handle themselves. Honestly, Valyan might just have to retire after tonight.”
Elle groaned but couldn’t help smiling. The Rule of Reflection was unofficial fan culture gospel by now: gender-swapped cosplays, when done right, always seemed to outshine their source material. Tonight’s Cosmium Expo, with its famous masquerade and cosplay competition, would test that theory—and Elle’s ability to pull it off.
“Come on, we don’t want to miss the Grand Hall reveal,” Ji-Kyung said, dragging Elle toward the massive geometric structure towering over Cosmium Plaza. The hall’s facade was covered in thousands of holographic panels that flickered from orbiting planets to ancient castles, then to cascading waterfalls—all depending on the viewer’s angle of approach.
The Grand Hall
Inside the Grand Hall, the air buzzed with electricity—both from the overhead holograms that shaped shifting constellations and from the excitement of thousands of attendees chattering all at once. Elle and Ji-Kyung pushed their way through the crowd, weaving between groups dressed as wizards, time travelers, and alien soldiers. The floor itself seemed alive, rippling with soft golden light that pulsed faintly beneath the cascading skirts and luminous boots of the convention-goers.
Before she could fully take in the scene, a voice boomed over the speakers: “Competitors in the Cosplay Masquerade, please report to the central stage!”
Elle felt her throat tighten. “This is it,” she whispered, touching the hilt of her saber for comfort.
Ji-Kyung gave her a nudge. “You’ve got this, Captain. Make some heads turn.”
The Stage, and the Twist
Elle stepped cautiously onto the central stage, joining a lineup of cosplayers whose costumes ranged from breathtakingly intricate ensembles to simple but creative reinterpretations. Beneath the stage’s lighting, her outfit gleamed, the silver embroidery catching the light like starlight. She felt the weight of thousands of eyes on her and forced herself to exhale, stepping forward with the confidence of Captain Valyan himself.
“Contestant 47!” the host announced, a holographic pillar displaying her cosplay alongside the character it was based on. The audience let out an approving cheer, which only grew louder as Elle struck a classic Valyan pose, brandishing her saber with theatrical flair.
But as the host moved on to the next contestant, something unexpected happened. The holographic panel displaying Captain Valyan flickered, distorted, and then displayed… her, Elle Cross, as Valyan, standing exactly as she was now.
A murmur rippled through the crowd. For seconds that felt like an eternity, Elle stared at the projection in disbelief. This wasn’t part of the convention’s usual programming. The projection distorted again, as though struggling to maintain its clarity. Then, eerily, the hologram winked at her.
“Did it just—” Elle whispered, but before she could finish, the ground beneath her feet trembled. The golden floor of the stage began to fragment, pixelating like a collapsing simulation. Bits of code seemed to spiral into the air before vanishing entirely. Gasps echoed through the crowd as the glitch spread outward, encompassing the entire room.
“This isn’t part of the show!” the host yelled, but his voice melted into static as the entire holographic system seemed to implode. Then the lights went out.
The Shattering of Reality
A sharp thrum reverberated through the darkness, like the hum of an ancient engine roaring to life. Blue light pierced the void, resolving into hundreds of glowing glyphs that swirled around Elle, lifting her off the ground. Tendrils of light raced up her arms and legs, merging seamlessly into her outfit, which now pulsed with an otherworldly glow. Ji-Kyung’s voice yelled something from the crowd, but it was lost in the deafening hum.
“Captain Valyan Marik,” a booming voice intoned as the glyphs coalesced into the shape of an enormous figure, its form barely distinguishable through the swirling light. “Or… Elle Cross. You have unlocked the Reflection Nexus. Prove your worth, or your world will fall.”
Elle barely had time to process the words before the light around her imploded into pure blackness. When her vision cleared, she was no longer in the Grand Hall. She stood on the bridge of a starship—the bridge of Valyan Marik’s starship, the Eclipsion. The galaxy outside shimmered with hues of red and blue, unnatural and foreboding.
“This wasn’t supposed to be real,” she murmured.
Except now, it was.
The Source…check out the article that inspired this amazing short story: What is the cosplay gender swap rule?
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