"All this because I was chosen?"
Emily rubbed her hands across gold-embellished designs carved on the mahogany wooden frame of her bed. A music box sat on the nightstand, playing sweet baroque melodies. Moonlight beamed through the window. Clair-obscure shadows danced in the hotel room. The room smelled of fresh linen, wealth, and fame. A tailor-made carpet with a sun and moon design lay underneath a coffee table. A special edition vintage wine sat atop it, surrounded by a bucket of ice and porcelain trays.
She smiled at it, her mask glowing in the moonlight. "₮₳₥ł₦₲ ₮ⱧɆ ₵ⱧØ₴Ɇ₦ ₩ł₮Ⱨ ł₦ĐɄⱠ₲Ɇ₦₵Ɇ ฿Ɇ₣ØⱤɆ ₮ⱧɆ ₴₳₵Ɽł₣ł₵Ɇ."
Emily dropped the music box. The porcelain ballerina cracked on the wooden floorboards.
"Who's there?" Emily blurted out, eyes darting around the room. "ɎØɄ ₴łⱠⱠɎ."
She closed her eyes and then took a deep breath. "Intrusive thoughts, just intrusive thoughts."
"ⱧØ₩ ⱠØ₦₲ ₳ⱤɆ ɎØɄ ₲Øł₦₲ ₮Ø ₭ɆɆ₱ ₮Ⱨł₴ Ʉ₱?"
Emily clutched her head. "Shut up... shut up."
"ɎØɄ ĐØ₦₮ ₣ł₦Đ ł₮ ØĐĐ ɎØɄⱤ JɄ₴₮ ₲ØØĐ ₳₮ ɆVɆⱤɎ₮Ⱨł₦₲?"
"I said Shut up!"
She covered her mouth when someone knocked.
"Ummm, everything cool in there?" a female voice echoed from the other side.
"Yeah... yeah, I uh … I was singing … haha," Emily blabbered.
"Wait...is that you, Emily of Leonore?"
The doorknob turned.
"Rachel?"
"In the flesh, missed me?" Rachel asked, hand on her hip.
Emily kicked the music box under the bed. "Hey... I uhhh, what are you doing here?"
Rachel raised an eyebrow, scanning the room. "I was thinking about booking a room. Might try a different hotel, though."
"Yeah, same. I mean, I am just staying here for tonight."
"Did you pay, or did you use your chosen privilege?"
"Elijah paid for the room."
Rachel tapped her lip. "He could have gotten the room for free," she explained before walking into the room.
"Wait, really?"
"Really, but I guess it doesn't matter. Anyway, since you're here, how about you show me some Leonore culture?"
Emily massaged her neck. "Oh... um, I was just going to call it a night."
"Seems Emily of Leonore is a tad bit shy. Where did all that bravado go that I saw while we fenced?"
"Shy!? I do not know what you're talking about."
"So, are you going to show me around, Leonore, or do I have to ask someone else?"
"I guess I know some spots, though I don't really have any money."
"That's fine. I will pay if needed, but they usually make everything free."
"I hate how they treat us differently just because of that."
"What do you mean? You're one of a hundred candidates blessed by the ENGINE for a shot at godhood. It's tradition, and besides, we are not like them, so they should treat us accordingly."
Emily put her hands in her pockets. "I guess, but I don't see myself as chosen."
"You should see yourself as the PRIME. Manifest your win, so on and so forth... that's what my mother told me," she explained, then gestured for Emily to follow her.
Emily followed, but stopped in the hallway. She closed her eyes, then took a deep breath.
"Something's wrong?" Rachel asked.
"I'm manifesting this mask to come off."
"˙ɔı̣uoɹI"
Rachel giggled. "Not a fan of your mask?"
"No, and it itches."
"I like it... I think it builds character. I wish I had your color, though."
"Same... everything is better black."
"Are you sure, or is that your melancholic personality seeping through?"
"Probably both if I am being honest," she replied, following her out of the hotel.
Mulberry-lit streetlamps glowed like fireflies.
"ⱠØⱠ ⱧØ₦Ɇ₴₮ ₴ⱧɆ ₴₳Ɏ₴."
"Shut up."
"What was that?" Rachel asked.
"Oh, nothing... Sometimes I think out loud," Emily murmured.
"Hmmm, listening to the little voices in your head? I do that sometimes too, when I gotta find what outfit to wear when I have to attend one of my parents' waltz parties."
"Are you nobility or in the army?" Emily asked, staring at Rachel's militaristic black dress with golden embellishments.
Rachel stopped at an antique shop.
"Both. I actually come from a bloodline that birthed six of the last ten PRIMES."
"Wow… you are special."
Emily ran her hands through her hair, observing Rachel browse trinkets before they left the store.
"Is Rachel your real name?"
"My full name is Rachel Ailuo Lianza of the Augustine Imperial. My brother, Sylas, is also a fellow chosen. He stayed within the empire's borders for Prime Day. Hopefully, you will never meet him."
"Why do you say that?"
"He is a self-absorbed asshole. Well, my whole family is, if I am being honest."
"That's horrible."
"Yeah, try living with him."
"No, I mean that's a horrible situation to be in."
"What do you mean?"
"You might have to fight your brother."
"Oh, we would actually love that. We've been training since we could walk for this moment. It's tradition, and with both of us chosen, it increases the odds that our bloodline will reclaim the title of PRIME."
"˙ʇ'uoꓷ"
"₴Ʉ₵Ⱨ ₳ ₱ł₮Ɏ."
"What about you, Emily of Leonore? Weave me a tale of your greatness."
"If I did that, you would be extremely disappointed."
Rachel smirked while they continued walking the streets of Leonore under a starlit sky. "You sell yourself short. You may not see it, but I see it."
"ØⱧ ĐØɆ₴ ₴ⱧɆ?"
"I am just an orphan who scribbles lyrics down in my diary and plays a cello. There is nothing special about me."
Rachel stopped at an opera house. "How about I just show you?"
"By watching an opera?"
"ØⱧⱧⱧ ł Ⱡł₭Ɇ ₮Ⱨł₴ ₲łⱤⱠ."
"Shut up."
Emily dragged her feet on the velvet red carpet as Rachel pulled her inside. Golden-framed posters of famous actresses and singers lined the wall. Cologne, musk, popcorn, and money filled the air. Nobles, chosen, and celebrities gossiped near the concession stand. She glanced at them as they headed towards the ticket stand.
"More chosen?" the ticket master asked, standing behind a register. "Lady Sarah attracts chosen, like moths to a flame."
Rachel's eyes popped. "Wait, you mean Sarah from the city of Tyrial?"
"Who is that?" Emily asked.
"You don't know who Sarah of Tyrial is!?"
"Nope."
"She's one of the most famous performers in the world. My brother would be so jealous if he found out he missed an opportunity to see her perform."
"She is also like you. Blessed by the ENGINE itself," the ticket master explained.
A smile stretched from ear to ear on Rachel's face. "No freaking way! I might fight Sarah of Tyrial herself for godhood. Oh, this day keeps getting better and better!"
"You really enjoy fighting, do you?" Emily asked.
"Two seats, please! Do I need to pay?"
"Not at all... seats are on the house. Please enjoy Sarah's performance."
Rachel squealed, then forced Emily through the curtains.
"ɎØɄ ₲Ø₮ ₵Ø₥₱Ɇ₮ł₮łØ₦, Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳"
"Fuck off."
Bright red plush seats sprawled down flights of stairs that led to the stage. Golden chandeliers hung overhead, casting the venue in a warm hue. The air reeked of perfume, lust, alcohol, and lavender. Emily noticed a dozen chosen heading inside. Their masks were all a different color.
Rachel squeezed past several people, making a path for Emily. They took their seats near the middle of the venue. Her left leg shook, rattling her seat. She overheard nearby conversations about money and politics.
Rachel tapped Emily on the shoulder. "Look."
Emily turned her head toward the stage.
All the lights went out. A huge strobe light flickered on above the stage. The crowd erupted as the red curtain pulled back, revealing a middle-aged woman with long, curly, luxurious pink hair. Her chosen mask was almost identical in color to her hair. She wore a brilliant pink dress, speckled with gemstones that glimmered in the light.
"Oh, my PRIME. That's Sarah of Tyrial in the flesh!" Rachel screamed. "She plays such a beautiful violin. I have all her records and occasionally play her instrumentals at night."
Emily crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. She frowned at Sarah's outfit.
"Evening, ladies and gentlemen!" Sarah said in a songbird tone. She smiled at the crowd as they erupted in adoration. Sarah breathed in the jubilee, closing her eyes and doing a twirl before bowing to the audience. "And as you can tell, I have an opportunity to be your next PRIME!" she declared, fluttering her designer fan underneath the stage lights.
"₳฿₴ØⱠɄ₮ɆⱠɎ ₦Ø₮."
The orchestra behind her started to play.
Sarah danced alone on the stage. The orchestra added a layered hammered dulcimer and cinematic strings. She then grabbed a violin and played for the crowd while a harpsichord, contrabassoon, and piano joined the dynamic melody.
"I see there is some fellow chosen in the crowd," Sarah said while she continued to play, gazing into the crowd. A pump organ drone wove into the beat. "What better way to celebrate Prime Day than by having some fellow chosen dance on stage with me!"
Rachel waved her hand. "Oh, my PRIME... pick us! Pick us!"
Emily attempted to push Rachel back into her seat.
"You two with the black and white masks!" Sarah said, pointing at Rachel and Emily. "Get your butts up here!"
Emily's mouth dropped to the floor.
"Why me?"
Rachel squealed, then grabbed Emily by the hand.
"Fuck my life," Emily whispered, trying to pull away from Rachel, but her grip was absolute.
"Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳ⱧⱧ₳Ⱨ₳!"
"Chosen, why don't you tell the audience about yourself?" Sarah asked, escorting Rachel and Emily to the middle of the stage.
"I am Rachel of the Empire of Augustine, and this is Emily of Leonore," Rachel replied, waving at the crowd.
"Don't look at them."
"So, Rachel and Emily. Shall y'all weave a dance for the crowd as I play my violin?" Sarah asked, then picked up her violin bow.
"Can you just bash my head in instead?"
"Ⱨ₳!"
Rachel clutched Emily's wrist, twirling her while Sarah played. Seismic bass drops transitioned to violin stabs and crowd choir harmonies. Emily stared into Rachel's chestnut eyes. Rachel led the dance, waltzing Emily to a perfect performance. Sweat trickled down her forehead. All she could think about was the people watching her.
"Such a shy thing you are," Rachel said, twirling Emily. "You can't be PRIME while being afraid of the spotlight," she insisted, then brought her in close.
Emily did not respond.
Her heart thumped in her chest when Rachel kissed her on the lips. Emily's cheeks grew red. The crowd erupted in cheers. She didn't push Rachel away, letting her soft lips linger on hers.