She clicked play, rewatching the clip she had spent so much time editing. Her sharp eyes scanned every detail, ensuring the transitions were smooth, the colors balanced, and the effects properly blended. The original footage was far from ideal, with low quality that made her job ten times harder.
She had brightened the darker areas, added subtle highlights to the actors’ faces to bring out their expressions, and adjusted the hues of the morning sky to make it glow softly in the background. The magic effects, which initially looked like blobs of light, now shimmered with a faint, ethereal glow, making the scene feel more immersive.
Her fingers brushed over the keyboard as she made a few final tweaks to the background shadows, giving depth to the shot. Even with the limitations of the software, Ruby had pushed it to its absolute limits, enhancing the scene to look as close to HD as possible.
She leaned forward, squinting slightly as the last scene played out. The two ghosts on screen exchanged dialogue, their outlines crisp and well-lit, the morning rays casting a warm glow around their heads. The subtle lens flares she added gave the scene a cinematic touch.
After the clip ended, Ruby sat back, letting her shoulders relax. "Not bad," she muttered to herself with a small smirk, pleased with the outcome.
She saved her progress, double-checked all the files, and stood up, stretching once more. Her hands rested on her hips as she glanced around the tent. Despite the whispers and doubts she had overheard earlier, she knew she had done her best.
"Let’s see if they still think I’m just fooling around," she murmured, a glint of determination in her eyes as she prepared to show Sylvia the finished work.
As Ruby stepped out of the tent, she noticed Lyra standing nearby, arms crossed and a smug look plastered across her face. Her eyes glinted with amusement, clearly expecting Ruby’s failure. Sylvia, too, came out from her own tent, her sharp gaze landing on Ruby almost immediately.
"Is everything complete?" Sylvia asked, her tone neutral but laced with curiosity.
Ruby gave a single nod. "Yes, all done."
Lyra’s smirk widened as she stepped closer, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Well, that was quick. Didn’t think you’d even manage to figure out the basics, let alone finish."
Ruby ignored her, her face calm and unbothered. She knew people like Lyra thrived on attention, especially when they were trying to provoke.
Sylvia, however, gave Ruby a thoughtful glance. "Let’s take a look," she said, heading inside.
Lyra followed closely, her smug expression never wavering. "This will be fun," she muttered under her breath to one of her friends, loud enough for Ruby to hear. "Let’s see if our ’expert’ even knows how to press play."
Sylvia settled into the main chair, her sharp eyes scanning the monitor. Her gaze landed on a folder titled "Sample" neatly placed on the desktop. A flicker of surprise crossed her face as she glanced back at Lyra and the others, who were still exchanging amused glances, eagerly anticipating Ruby’s so-called "failure."
Lyra smirked and crossed her arms. "Sample? Wow, she even managed to name the folder. That’s progress!" she quipped, earning chuckles from the small group of onlookers.
Ruby stood off to the side, her arms folded and her expression unreadable. She didn’t flinch, didn’t bite back, and most importantly, didn’t care about their mockery. Her calm, composed demeanor only seemed to frustrate Lyra more.
Sylvia clicked open the folder, revealing the completed video file. Her lips tightened as she hesitated, her hand hovering over the play button. She shot Ruby one last glance.
With a deep breath, Sylvia pressed play.
The screen lit up with the scene Ruby had edited—a striking transformation from the original footage. The visuals were crisp, the lighting balanced, and the transitions seamless. Even the subtle sci-fi elements were enhanced, giving the clip an entirely new depth and professionalism. The atmosphere of the scene was alive, far better than anyone had expected.
The room fell silent.
The smug expression on Lyra’s face began to falter as she leaned in closer, her brows furrowing in disbelief. The other witches exchanged stunned looks, their earlier laughter dying down as they realized this wasn’t just a passable edit—it was impressive.
Sylvia’s eyes widened slightly as the scene ended. She leaned back in her chair, her gaze flicking to Ruby, who was still standing there, calm and composed.
"This..." Sylvia started, her voice unusually quiet. "This is..."
"A fluke?" Lyra blurted out, trying desperately to regain her footing. "She probably got lucky—"
Sylvia raised a hand to silence her. "This is incredible," she said firmly, her voice cutting through the tension. She turned fully to face Ruby, her eyes filled with newfound respect. "Where did you learn to do this?"
Ruby tilted her head slightly, a faint but confident smirk playing on her lips. "Born genius," she replied casually, her tone dripping with effortless confidence. Her red eyes glinted as she shifted her gaze to Lyra.
Lyra stiffened under Ruby’s gaze, her earlier smugness now completely replaced by irritation and disbelief. The slight smirk Ruby wore wasn’t boastful, it was subtle, calm, and undeniably victorious. Ruby didn’t need to argue, didn’t need to trade insults. Her work had already done the talking for her.
Sylvia, who had been watching the silent exchange, leaned back in her chair with a chuckle. "Genius or not, I can’t deny your work speaks for itself," she said, her tone filed with approval.
Ruby shrugged lightly, as if the compliment wasn’t a big deal. "I just do what needs to be done," she replied, her voice calm but polite, before turning her attention back to Sylvia.
Lyra’s hands clenched into fists at her sides. "Director, surely—" she started, her voice trembling slightly.
"Enough," Sylvia cut her off sharply, her eyes narrowing. "Miss Ruby has proven herself. I don’t need to hear excuses or doubts. If you spent half the energy you use doubting others on improving yourself, we wouldn’t even be in this situation."
—To be continued...🪄