Thea, the principal dancer of the Swanloria Royal Ballet, touched a mysterious mirror backstage after a performance and was sucked inside; upon opening her eyes, she found herself reborn at the age of seventeen. Back then, Thea was merely an "ugly duckling" in Duckhaven—mocked for the black spots covering her body—but in this new life, her heart was no longer weak. She refused to back down in the face of Vera’s provocations or weep in explanation when confronted with Orion’s favoritism. Instead, she coolly fought back, step by step stripping away the mask of gentleness and kindness Vera wore.
Duke Cecil of Swanloria arrived in Duckhaven for a visit. Vera orchestrated a scheme to thrust Thea into the spotlight during a diplomatic event, hoping to humiliate her publicly. Orion was furious, believing Thea was causing trouble yet again. However, Thea remained composed; she performed a dance that dazzled the entire audience, and her superb ballet technique earned the Duke's admiration.
At the King of Duckhaven’s birthday banquet, Thea performed once more. A jealous Vera sabotaged the ballroom's massive chandelier, intending to crush Thea to death. Seeing through the plot, Thea reacted brilliantly; she not only used the movements of her dance—flapping her wings—to narrowly escape the danger, but also unleashed a surge of inner power to transform into a true white swan. Vera was subsequently punished by the King.
Orion began to regret his actions after witnessing Thea’s transformation, but she no longer needed his trust or his belated affection. With the Swanloria Royal Ballet’s open auditions approaching, Thea poured her heart and soul into her preparations. On the day of the audition, Vera and her father—the Chancellor—tricked Thea into going to the ceremonial armory. Orion rushed to her rescue, while a deranged Vera set the building ablaze. With the help of Orion and Cecil, Thea managed to arrive at the audition just in time, earning a place in the Royal Ballet through her own talent and hard work. Ultimately, Thea completely shed her "ugly duckling" past; she returned to Swanloria with Cecil and became a world-renowned principal ballerina.
