A nationalist orchestral tune reverberated in Sarah's eardrums. She grabbed a tray of champagne and lobster tails, then made her way into the hotel's ballroom. Chosen and noble drank and gossiped at red and royal gold banquet tables. Forget-me-nots and lilac flower vases sat on top of the banquet tables. Multiple chandeliers hung from the roof, illuminating the illusionistic paintings etched into the ceiling. The floors were made of hardwood with geometric patterning.
Sarah glanced at the orchestra playing music on the ballroom stage. She glanced at the piano, cello, and violin as she poured a glass of champagne for a noble. Her eyes then drifted towards Alice and Elijah as they entered, followed by Rusev and Rachel. Alice nodded at Sarah, then gestured towards a table where Lex was sitting with Rachel's family.
"Is Emily still hiding in the bathroom?" Sarah asked as she walked over.
Rachel shrugged as she fixed her cuffs on her employee outfit. "She has never been in a dress and is having trouble walking around in heels."
Sarah chuckled. "So the PRIME can do anything but actually look the part," she jested, then looked around the ballroom.
"I guess I should teach Emily how to walk like a lady before we start our recon," Alice suggested as she crossed her arms.
Rachel shook her head. "Let me handle Em. My mother is already gazing over here," she insisted as she hid behind Elijah.
"You think she knows it's you?" Elijah asked as he looked over at where Rachel's mother and brother were sitting.
"No, but she could tell it's me by the way I walk," Rachel replied. "Someone needs to keep her attention. She will see right through this disguise."
"I will take that job," Sarah insisted with a smirk. "Keeping someone busy is my speciality."
"Please don't do anything reckless, Sarah," Alice grumbled as she crossed her arms. "You blow our cover, and we won't get Diego or any intel."
Sarah rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about me, I know when to lay the sugar on and when not to."
"Emily begs to differ," Rusev chuckled.
"Shut your trap, mop-top. Nobody asked you," Sarah replied, then grabbed her tray of champagne.
Elijah gestured towards the back of the ballroom. "I see Diego. I will handle him," he said, then grabbed a snack tray and walked over.
"Alright, I will go get Em," Rachel said as she left the ballroom just as Alice and Rusev started to walk over to a banquet table.
Sarah ran her hands through her hair, then walked over towards Lex and Rachel's family table. She glanced over at Alice, who was serving drinks to a noble, before chatting up the chosen at the table. Her eyes locked onto Lex as he laughed with Sylas as he cracked open a lobster.
"Champagne?" Sarah asked as she forced a smile on her face.
"Please," Lex replied as he wiped his mouth. He raised an eyebrow as he looked at Sarah as she poured champagne into his glass. "Has anyone ever told you that you look like Sarah of Tyrial?"
A thin lip smirk stretched across Sarah's face. "Plenty of times. I admire her, actually," she replied and then looked at Sylas. "Champagne?"
Sylas eyes narrowed, then he nodded. "What's your name if I might ask?"
Sarah blinked as she served Sylas. "Melissa, sir."
"You even sound like Sarah," Rachel's mom said and smirked. "Where are you from, Melissa?"
"Clearwater mam, but I moved to Augustine when I got this job," Sarah explained as she poured champagne into Rachel's mom's cup. "Speaking of Sarah of Tyrial, isn't she chosen as well?"
"She is actually," Sylas replied as he drank his champagne. "She is currently M.I.A., however," he chuckled.
"From that Emily of Leonore girl, right?' Rachel's mom asked as she looked at Lex.
Lex nodded, then drank his champagne. "That's right, and apparently, she is very powerful."
"Can we even trust Amos and Arthur's intel?" Sylas asked. "For all we know, they could be playing the same game as we are with Rusev."
"Fuck," Sarah whispered to herself.
"You say something dear?" Rachel's mom asked with a raised eyebrow.
Sarah's eyes widened as her heart started to race. She glanced over at Rusev, then at Alice, who were both busy chatting up people. A thin lip smile formed on her face as she steeled herself before focusing back on her table.
"Oh, it's nothing. I forgot to feed my cat before I left the house," Sarah explained, forcing a straight face. "Here, let me get these plates out of your way," she said as she started to gather up their empty plates.
"That's a fair point, Sylas, which is why I think we should meet up with Rusev and find out what he learned," Lex suggested as he handed his plate to Sarah.
"We need to find a way to get my daughter as well," Rachel's mom said as she glanced at her cup.
"We don't need her mother. We have all the firepower to handle Emily if she is indeed as powerful as suggested," Sylas insisted. "Rusev can manipulate gravity. Lex can crush steel with kinetic force, and the ENGINE blessed me with telekinetic powers."
"Between us and our now twenty large coalition of fellow chosen. She doesn't stand a chance," Lex chuckled.
Sarah's eyes drifted towards the ballroom entrance as Rachel walked through. Her eyes narrowed as Emily slowly made her way in. The onyx and silver embellishments glistened on her black and pink gothic dress as she held Sarah's violin in her right hand. She walked with an awkward gait while rubbing her shoulders as people glanced at her.
"It was a pleasure serving you, chosen," Sarah said as she grabbed all their empty plates. "I do hope you plan to stay for the live performance."
"Live performance?" Sylas asked with a raised eyebrow.
Sarah nodded. "Yes, the hotel put together a performance just for all the chosen in attendance."
"Who is performing?" Rachel's mom asked.
"The girl in the black and pink dress," Sarah replied.
"Hope she performs better than she walks," Lex laughed as he ate lobster tail.
Sarah smirked and then walked towards Rachel and Emily.
"We got a problem," Sarah said as she dropped the plates on a table. "Rusev is a spy. He is one of Lex's goons."
"You shitting me?" Rachel said as she looked at Rusev.
Sarah shook her head. "Lex and your brother planted him back in Clearwater."
"I should have known the minute we caught him snooping," Rachel replied as she sighed.
Emily's eyes narrowed as she looked at Rusev. Her hands balled into a fist as her nostrils flared. Sarah glanced at Emily, then looked at Rusev, who was avoiding making eye contact with Emily.
"Rache, can you check fill in Alice and Elijah while Sarah and I do our thing?" Emily asked as she handed Tilly to Sarah.
Rachel nodded, then kissed Emily on the cheek. "Try not to fall on your ass, alright?" She jested.
Emily rolled her eyes as Rachel walked towards Alice.
"Showtime?" Sarah asked as she rubbed her hands across her violin. "How do you like your outfit, by the way?"
Emily smirked. "What do you fucking think?"
Sarah shrugged.
Emily sighed, then shook her head. "When all this is done, I am going to cut your hair in your fucking sleep," she grumbled, then started to walk to the ballroom stage.
Sarah snickered, then followed Emily to the stage, violin in hand. She watched as Emily grabbed a Cello as the orchestra stared at her with confused expressions.
"What are you doing mam?" The conductor asked as Emily walked in front of him.
"Fuck off," Emily grumbled as she took a seat with the cello.
"Change of plans, guys, just follow along," Sarah insisted as she sat down next to Emily.
"Wait, I know that voice. Is that you, Sarah of Tyrial?" The conductor asked.
Sarah put a finger on her lips and winked. She then looked at the crowd of chosen and then back at the conductor. "Try to keep up, alright?"
The conductor nodded, then turned towards his orchestra. Chosen glanced up towards the stage as the dark organ pipe, harpischord and minor-key piano commanded their attention. Emily nodded her head, catching the rhythm the orchestra was laying down. Sarah started to strum her violin as rich trap drums weaved over industrial bass, 808's, and analog Moog.
"Just chosen, just chosen," Sarah sang as she played her violin.
"Not chosen, not chosen," The orchestra choir sang along.
"One hundred beneath the Ether," Emily sang as she played her cello.
"Strategizing like normal people," Sarah sang as they exchanged vocals.
"Powers and borrowed time."
"Pretending everything will work out in time."
"Just chosen, just chosen,"
Emily voice crackled like static and a glitchy vocoder. "ł ₩ⱤØ₮Ɇ ₮ⱧɆ ł₦₭ ₮Ⱨ₳₮ ฿ł₦Đ₴ ɎØɄⱤ ₴ØɄⱠ."
₮ⱧɆ Ɇ₦₲ł₦Ɇ ⱧɄ₥₴, ł ⱤɄ₦ ₮ⱧɆ ₴ⱧØ₩."
Emily's eyes started to glow mulberry as she sang. "₥ɄⱠ฿ɆⱤⱤɎ Ⱡł₲Ⱨ₮ ฿ɆⱧł₦Đ ₥Ɏ ɆɎɆ₴."
"₵ⱧØ₴Ɇ₦ ₵ⱤɎ ₩ⱧɆ₦ ₮ⱧɆɎ ₳ⱤɆ ⱤɄ₦₦ł₦₲ ØɄ₮ Ø₣ ₮ł₥Ɇ!"
"Not Chosen, Not Chosen."
Lex and Rachel's Family eyes widened as they watched Emily and Sarah perform. Sarah snickered as she strummed her violin while standing up.
"We're just chosen, chosen, chosen."
"Hundred hearts and eyes wide open."
"Just chosen, chosen, chosen."
"Fight like the orphan is not world-consuming."
"Wear your masks before you fall."
"Thought that you could beat them all."
"We're just chosen, chosen, chosen."
"฿Ʉ₮ ₮ⱧɆ ₱Ɽł₥Ɇ ₩₳₴ ₳Ⱡ₩₳Ɏ₴ ฿ⱠØØ₥ł₦."
"₵₳₮ⱧɆĐⱤ₳Ⱡ Ⱨ₳ⱠⱠ₴ ₳₦Đ ₦Ø฿ⱠɆ ĐⱤɆ₳₥₴."
"₣ł₲Ⱨ₮ł₦₲ ₣₳₮Ɇ ₳₦Đ ł₦-฿Ɇ₮₩ɆɆ₦."
"Touch your mask, ask what's real?"
"₮ɆⱠⱠ ₮ⱧɆ Ɇ₦₲ł₦Ɇ ɆVɆⱤɎ₮Ⱨł₦₲ ɎØɄ ₣ɆɆⱠ."
"฿ɄłⱠ₮ ɎØɄⱤ ₱ɆⱤ₴Ø₦₳ ₩ł₮Ⱨ ฿ØⱤⱤØ₩ɆĐ ₥ł₲Ⱨ₮."
"Crafted your army at first sight."
"Engine hopes and broken dreams."
"₦Ø₮ ₵ⱧØ₴Ɇ₦, ₦Ø₮ ₵ⱧØ₴Ɇ₦."
"We're not chosen, chosen, chosen."
"ɆVɆⱤɎ ₮ⱧⱤɆ₳Đ ₳ⱠⱤɆ₳ĐɎ ₩ØVɆ₦."
"Not chosen, chosen, chosen."
"ɆVɆⱤɎ ₥ØVɆ ₳ⱠⱤɆ₳ĐɎ ₴₱Ø₭Ɇ₦."
"Break your plans before they fall."
"Rewrote every reprimand."
"We're not chosen, chosen, chosen."
Emily's voice glitched with stuttering hi-hats weaved into the rhythm. Her voice pitch shifted as a grin crossed her face. "₳₦Đ ₮ⱧɆ Ɇ₦₲ł₦Ɇ ₭₦Ø₩₴ ɎØɄ'ⱤɆ ₦Ø₮ ฿ⱠØØ₥ł₦!"
"Just Chosen."
"₴ɄⱤVɆłⱠⱠ₳₦₵Ɇ ₵₳₥ɆⱤ₳₴ ⱤØⱠⱠł₦₲."
"Not Chosen."
"₦Ø฿ⱠɆ ₣₳₥łⱠɎ Ø₣ ₱ⱤłĐɆ ₳₦Đ ₣ɄⱤɎ."
"Just Chosen."
"₳Ɽł₴₮Ø₵Ɽ₳₮₴ ₳Ⱡ₩₳Ɏ₴ ₴₵ⱧɆ₥ł₦₲."
"Not Chosen."
"₮ⱧɆ Ɇ₦₲ł₦Ɇ ₵₳₦'₮ ₴₳VɆ ɎØɄ ₣ⱤØ₥ ₩Ⱨ₳₮'₴ ₵Ø₥ł₦₲!"
"We're just chosen, chosen, chosen."
"Hundred hearts and eyes wide open."
"Just chosen, chosen, chosen."
"Fight like the orphan is not world-consuming."
"Wear your masks before you fall."
"Thought that you could beat them all."
"We're just chosen, chosen, chosen."
"฿Ʉ₮ ₮ⱧɆ ₱Ɽł₥Ɇ ₩₳₴ ₳Ⱡ₩₳Ɏ₴ ฿ⱠØØ₥ł₦."
Sarah chuckled as she stared into the wide-eyed crowd, as she continued to sing and play her violin.
"Just chosen"
"Clap your hands and smile pretty," Sarah sang.
"Not chosen."
"₮ⱧɆ Ɇ₦₲ł₦Ɇ ₲₳ⱫɆ ₳Ⱡ₩₳Ɏ₴ ⱠØØ₥ł₦."
"Just chosen."
"Just a musician born to play."
"₮ⱧɆ ØⱤ₱Ⱨ₳₦ ₩ⱧØ ĐØɆ₴₦'₮ ₩₳₦₮ ₮ⱧɆ ₮ⱧⱤØ₦Ɇ ₳₦Ɏ₩₳Ɏ."
"Just Chosen, Just Chosen."
"₦Ø₮ ₵ⱧØ₴Ɇ₦, ₦Ø₮ ₵ⱧØ₴Ɇ₦."
"Just Chosen, Just Chosen."
"₦Ø₮ ₵ⱧØ₴Ɇ₦, ₦Ø₮ ₵ⱧØ₴Ɇ₦."
Nobody said a word as the performance ended.